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April 29, 2024
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So was looking at purchasing this 1955model 70 on gunbroker but question is …..it is listed as a 300 winmag ( but pre 63 release date) could it be a 300 H&H that had “H&H” milled off and “W” put on ?
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June 1, 2023
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Only casting the chamber can solve this mystery. A goodly number of the 300 H&H magnums were converted to 300 Weatherby magnum as well. Obviously, for safety’s sake, I would not fire it before having a gunsmith determine what the rifle is now chambered to shoot. This is not a matter I would take someone else’s word for.
BRP
August 25, 2009
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I will agree with Tim that a chamber casting is the smart thing to do
That being said I have purchased three M70s over time that were originally 300 H&H that had been rechambered to 300 WBY.
Other may correct me here but to get it to 300 WIN MAG would require shortening the chamber and then reaming to 300 WM.
A quick test would be to chamber a 300HH cartridge, If it chambers it is likely HH if it doesent ….??
The script of the “W” looks somewhat Weatherby ish.
Doug
November 5, 2014
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Hi Uplander-
Is there a link to the GB listing?
Odds are that the “W” stands for “Weatherby” and that it’s a rechambered 300 H&H Magnum. The 300 Winchester Magnum was not released until 1963. A photo of the top of the action would tell if it’s an H&H action or not. If it’s not an H&H action, then it may have been a standard action converted to short magnum. But those were usually done either by rechambering a 30-06 barrel (that was marked “30-06 SPFLD”) or by putting a 1963 barrel in 300 WIN MAGNUM on a converted standard action.
This barrel “300 XXX MAGNUM” was once marked “300 H&H MAGNUM” in style 3C. Too long a cartridge to convert to 300 Winchester Magnum.
Best,
Lou
WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters
November 7, 2015
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Just looking at the relative case dimensions the H&H conversion to the Weatherby cartridge, Lou’s theory makes the most sense. The 300 Winchester Magnum uses a shorter cartridge case and OAL than the 300 H&H. The WBY case and OAL are longer than the H&H, it’s easier to make a chamber longer than to make it shorter. A bore scope may give you a few clues but a chamber cast and/or Go/No go gauges would tell you what you are looking at. Seller may not know what he has.
Mike
January 20, 2023
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A chamber cast will not only tell to what cartridge the gunsmith (hopefully) tried to rechamber the barrel but how successful he was at the job.
If the barrel is original to the rifle and the receiver is a pre-64 Model 70 showing the milling marks in the bridge and ring indicating it was a 300 Holland when it left New Haven, almost certainly the chamber was reamed to at least approximate a 300 Weatherby Magnum chamber.
There are things to know about that job only a chamber cast can tell you. First, how close are the dimensions to the SAAMI standard for the cartridge. Weatherby was at one time NOT a SAAMI cartridge and different gunsmiths had varying ideas about how much or how little freebore would be a good idea. Not all gunsmiths bothered to pay for the custom reamer that would cut the radiused Weatherby shoulder.
If you buy this rifle, before you fire a current factory 300 Weatherby Magnum – or any other – round in it, you absolutely must have a chamber cast made and measured.
With all due respect for the Model 70, of which I own and shoot several, it is NOT a Weatherby Mark V and will not handle 60,000+ psi gas escaping from a burst brass case very safely.
Your eyes are worth far more than the price of a chamber cast. I can get one for less than a hundred bucks. Yours may be more or less. But factor it into the price of the gun.
Speaking only for myself, I would not buy the gun without an agreement to rescind if the chamber should be weird as cut. If you are going to buy a pig in a poke, get a warranty of the pig’s breed.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
July 17, 2012
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I am certainly not as eloquent as Zebulon Esquire but agree with his premise. In my Engineering “if-then” statement layman’s terms; “If you are going to buy a pig-in-a-poke, then poke the pig.”
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
July 3, 2020
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Better… go have some good BBQ ribs… no regrets then. 🙂
November 7, 2015
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I suspect the OP is looking for a 300 Win Mag, I think we see a hard pass in his future. The gun he’s looking for will come along if he’s patient. And some good ribs WILL help pass the time!
Mike
January 8, 2025
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How available is 300 Weatherby? I know I’ve seen it at the box stores, but that could have been 20 years ago.
January 20, 2023
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About as available as the other large magnum calibers. It has been a very popular magnum cartridge for many years, to the point Remington and Federal loaded it for a time. The Weatherby brand ammunition was made by Norma and may still be, unless Weatherby has taken it in house.
The .300 is by far the most popular Weatherby caliber and, while it has been surpassed in velocity by larger cased.30 cartridges, its closest competitor has been the .300 Winchester Magnum. While the Weatherby .300 has many detractors, including a lot of blowhards who’ve never shot one, the indisputable, historical facts are that it has killed everything that walks from African elephants on down, more than several times. Is it ideal for everything? No, but it is a very effective cartridge if properly loaded and you can shoot it accurately.
I think the Winchester and Weatherby .300s are very versatile and generate the most recoil and muzzle blast that most hunters can learn to tolerate and shoot accurately without resort to a muzzle brake. And in a rifle weighing no more than what a man in reasonably good shape can carry in the field.
I said learn to tolerate – because these are not rifles to take out of the box with and go on a $15,000 hunt with. They require (for ordinary mortals) as many short sessions, preferably with reduced loads, as you can manage, working up to full power, ending each of many sessions with a couple of the big ones. That is the best way to avoid a flinch.
I’ve owned and shot a Kimber of Oregon Super America BGR .300 Winchester enough to say it’s loud and kicks hard but in a well designed stock like the Kimber had, 5 to 10 rounds at the bench was not intolerable. The .300 Weatherby was a Sauer-built Mark V with a skinny 24″ barrel and it kicked noticeably harder than the Kimber, although the stock helped a lot. If I’d been offered the opportunity to hunt game worthy of a .30 magnum, and could have afforded to go, I would have considered myself ready to take either.
Neither of these .30 magnums produced the recoil my .375 H & H Model 70 delivers. I bought it for fun. If I were going to hunt with it, I would have to do what I’ve suggested and work up.
The last prices I saw on Midway were from about $108 to $160 for 20 rounds. Lots of makers, including our domestics. Hornady, Federal, Nosler, and several other brands were in stock. Remington, Swift and Buffalo Bore were out of stock. Bottom line: If you can afford six bucks a bang, the premium stuff is yours to order.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
April 29, 2024
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TXGunNut said
I suspect the OP is looking for a 300 Win Mag, I think we see a hard pass in his future. The gun he’s looking for will come along if he’s patient. And some good ribs WILL help pass the time!
Mike
Actually was looking for a original 300 H&H and this gun is incredible shape but was listed as a 300 winmag which of course was not available in 55. And then the milled barrel with a “W” and the shell lengths ……….etc
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November 7, 2015
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Uplander said
TXGunNut said
I suspect the OP is looking for a 300 Win Mag, I think we see a hard pass in his future. The gun he’s looking for will come along if he’s patient. And some good ribs WILL help pass the time!
Mike
Actually was looking for a original 300 H&H and this gun is incredible shape but was listed as a 300 winmag which of course was not available in 55. And then the milled barrel with a “W” and the shell lengths ……….etc
Quite honestly the 300 H&H is the only one of the magnums I’d be interested in. I’m a 30 Guvmint 06 guy but the 300 H&H in the right rifle would certainly catch my eye. I don’t like belted cartridges but I’ll make exceptions. Happy hunting and good luck!
Mike
June 1, 2023
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I agree with Mike.
The 300 H&H, when loaded with IMR 4350 and a Nosler Partition, will do everything that the 300 Win. Mag will do— and it will use less powder doing it and will produce less recoil than the 300 Win Mag in the bargain. The 300 H&H is a great cartridge.
BRP
January 8, 2025
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TXGunNut said
Uplander said
TXGunNut said
I suspect the OP is looking for a 300 Win Mag, I think we see a hard pass in his future. The gun he’s looking for will come along if he’s patient. And some good ribs WILL help pass the time!
Mike
Actually was looking for a original 300 H&H and this gun is incredible shape but was listed as a 300 winmag which of course was not available in 55. And then the milled barrel with a “W” and the shell lengths ……….etc
Quite honestly the 300 H&H is the only one of the magnums I’d be interested in. I’m a 30 Guvmint 06 guy but the 300 H&H in the right rifle would certainly catch my eye. I don’t like belted cartridges but I’ll make exceptions. Happy hunting and good luck!
Mike
I have a handful of belted magnums. 7MMRM. 300WM and 338WM. So I have to take out a second mortgage when I buy ammo. I don’t have dies for them yet, but one day I’ll have time to work up loads for them. I thought the 300 H&H was the more recoiling one, not sure why I thought that now.
August 14, 2021
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I have the Model 70 in 300 H&H 1952 mfg and a Remington 700 in 300 Win Mag 1994 mfg. Nothing I have ever shot with either took a step.
I reload for both, but prefer the H&H just to be that guy who is different.
just because the model 70 you’re looking at was made in 1955, doesn’t mean it wasn’t rechambered to 300 Winchester magnum sometime after 1963.
January 20, 2023
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Good-looking rifle, Steve. If you ever grow tired of looking at it….who you gonna call?
If the mystery rifle in question were rechambered to 300 Win, barrel length would disclose the fact. Barrel is pulled, one or more threads are faced off and recut to allow the Win reamers to clean up the Holland chamber, headspace re-established and new extractor groove cut. The barrel length from muzzle to bolt face is no longer going to be a full 25 (or was it 26) inches. But we all agree it would still need a chamber cast.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
November 19, 2006
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Steven Gabrielli said
I have the Model 70 in 300 H&H 1952 mfg and a Remington 700 in 300 Win Mag 1994 mfg. Nothing I have ever shot with either took a step.
I reload for both, but prefer the H&H just to be that guy who is different.
just because the model 70 you’re looking at was made in 1955, doesn’t mean it wasn’t rechambered to 300 Winchester magnum sometime after 1963.
I tend to be that guy too.
August 14, 2021
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Ha! Must be the name. I do my own chamber casting, so I agree.
June 1, 2023
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I prefer the 300 H&H to all the other magnums. It’s accurate, powerful, and doesn’t produce unmanageable levels of recoil. Yet another plus to this cartridge is that its tapered shape feeds into the chamber just as slick as goose grease. Never had a 300 H&H that had the feeding problems that the other magnums sometimes give. I would walk past ten 300 Win Mags to get to a 300 H&H. Maybe that’s why I have half a dozen of them…
BRP
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