Small Shank on an ultra mag

[bushwackr]

Hello I have been looking for a savage large shank 300 ultra , I cannot find one anywhere. I might have the opportunity to buy a small shank 116 in 300 rum, or a rem 700 300 ultra. I have been reading about the small shanks not being big enough for them. Well I looked and the size of the barrels on criterions site ,a savage small shank 1 1/16 x 20 , and the size of the remington is 1 1/16 x 16. Is there something im missing as to why I should stay away from the small shank for a custom?? Or would it be wise to steer clear

[Hotolds442]

You're not in uncharted waters, I would proceed with the small shank build as several before you have done.

[bushwackr]

Alright I was just confused why people say not to, I figured if they come that way they must be safe

[Hotolds442]

There's some misconception that the rifle will blow up if the large diameter magnums are used on a small shank rifle. If that were the case, Savage would have recalled every one of the early WSM rifles built on the small shank actions. They didn't. All a large shank does for you is add a little beef at the chamber area to control expansion during firing. This expansion allows the brass to yield, and as the expansion dissipates, the brass becomes trapped in a way, preventing smooth extraction. You may view a hard bolt lift as over pressure when in reality, you're pressures are within limits. Keeping a clean chamber is helpful. The large shank actions are actually thinner, basically weakened, due to the larger thread size, so the amount of metal between the chamber walls and the outside of the receiver is the same no matter which way you build.

[D.ID]

As the owner of a 300 and 3x 338-300 ultra mags all on small shank actions.......... whoever tells you that is just clueless.

[bushwackr]

10-4 thanks all the ultra is coming home

[scope eye]

I have several and have never even remotely had an issue.

Dean