300 ws model 16

[Apostle]

Fist post so be nice, I have a 300 WSM model 16 that I would like to use the action to build a 6.5 creedmoor, will a magnum action work? If not for a 6.5 than what?
Thanks

[Hotolds442]

A magnum action will work, with a few considerations.
First, you will need to determine whether you have a small or large shank action and order the appropriate barrel. Hint: most WSM,s are large shank. Unfortunately, most Savage barrels are small shank. You just need to ensure that the two are the same when you acquire a barrel.
Second, you need to make sure you get the right bolt head. If your rifle is a staggerfeed, it will have controlled round feeding, and won't have a standard ejector. Your new bolt head will need to be equipped with the standard ejector and the CRF's standing ejector will need to be removed from the action.
Third, you'll probably need a new magazine box and follower.

It may be a lot cheaper to trade your action for a small shank short action that's ready to go for the .308 based chamberings. Creedmoor barrels are easier to find in small shank. Large shank actions are somewhat in demand, there's not a lot out there - I've been looking for quite a while.

As always, YMMV.

[FW Conch]

Welcome to the Brotherhood. We are always nice here :-).

If I had your 16, no one could pry it from my happy little hands, even though I need it like a hole in the head. Like "442" said, "they are in big demand". If mine, I would re barrel it to a 6.5 RSAUM GAP 4S, and find a long way to shoot, even if I could only do it once a year. Hornady is now making brass for that chamber and it looks like it is headed for standardization. To me, it would be a shame to "dilute" such a fine piece, even though with enough experience, time, and money it can be easily done. But if you do enough searches on here, you will see where a lot of people want to go the other way.

For the 6.5 Creedmore build, I would find a used Stevens 200 short action or a Model 11, preferably with a .473 bolt face, strip it down to the bare action, and build up from there. This is what I did for my 260 Rem and my 6.5 Grendel builds, and, in both builds, I have exactly what I want, for bare minimum price.

As we said, you can tear down what you have, but I predict if you let that 16 WSM get away from you, the time will come when you will regret it !

Please let us know how you roll with it...Thanks...Jim :-)

[Apostle]

Thanks for the information, I ordered a 6.5 Creedmoor Savage LRP yesterday. I,m going to look into the build that Conch described in his response to my post.
Thank again for the help. I live in Thurston County Wa.

[yobuck]

Welcome to the Brotherhood.

As we said, you can tear down what you have, but I predict if you let that 16 WSM get away from you, the time will come when you will regret it !

Please let us know how you roll with it...Thanks...Jim :-)

Hmmm, does that mean i should start regretting trading away the one i bought?

If i may inject my very limited experience with creating rifles with Savage parts.
First i need explain i like Savage rifles, but ive never had the desire to be a gunsmith.
Stockwork, installing scopes and mounts and minor trigger work excluded.
Anyway about 6/7 years ago i decided i needed a really flat shooter to go out west and shoot an antelope with.
Mind you i had rifles more than capable, but they werent of the carrying around variety.
So as luck would have it on a visit to a gun shop, i found a decent lefty Savage model 11 in 243.
Now hindsite would tell me i should have just went and shot an antelope with the 243.
But since id never owned a hot shot 6.5 the idea of a 6.5x300 WSM really intrigued me.
So i called around and found Brux had an 8 twist barrel in stock they were willing to shape into any legnth and
contour i wanted. About a week later i had the barrel, which turned out to be the most pleasant part of the whole experience.
I took everything to a local smith i knew but who had never built a gun for me. He had a 6.5x300 WSM of his own and of coarse
had the reamer. I wanted a working magazine, and he ordered the required parts to make it happen along with a new bolt face
and any other parts required. But it never happened, at least thru his efforts. The gun shot extremly well however and as a single shot i did kill several antelope with it at some decent distances. I ended up meeting a gunsmith while in Wyoming who did fix the magazine.
But he had the gun about a year before i got it back. Meanwhile while he had the gun, i found a very nice stainless lefty model 16 in 300 WSM.
I bought the gun the same day with the idea of switching barrels and wala, my problems would be over. But wait, it only got worse, now
i owned 2 guns neither of which could fix the problem. Reason being large shank/small shank actions. Had i known then, what i know now, i
would have started the project with a functioning magazine to begin with.
Id be keeping your model 16 if for no other reason, and find a cartridge that functions well as it sits as for the magazine. If your plan is to use the gun for shooting or hunting long range, id be leaving it as it is and shoot it.
If it dosent shoot well rebarrel it in 300 WSM.
There are 2 cartridges today that pretty much dominate long range benchrest rifle matches. One is the 6mm dasher, and the other is the 300WSM.

[FW Conch]

^ This tells me there are two "smith's" out there that I need to avoid! :-) ^

[Apostle]

Thanks for the help, I ordered a barrel 6.5 RSAUM gap 4s. I'll start a post of my build on " my build thread"
TJ