4
44 Associates
Guest
I have a friend that purchased what was thought to be a 244 Remington chambered BR rifle. It is a 1950s custom job on a Springfield action with the headless speed striker, one of those early 1940's/50s bench rest stocks and a stainless bull barrel marked only "6mm" It has a 14 X Unertl scope. We have not done a chamber cast. 244 Remington will not chamber and 243 WCF will almost close.
I'm guessing its a 240 Page Pooper ( Rockchucker? not the Super Pooper?)from my recollection of Page's comments on his work with the parent 7 x 57 and the early "X" military 308 case. I have to find my copy of Page's The Accurate Rifle but I do not recall that he included case dimensions or drawings. During the '50s there were several variations of 6 MM wildcats and it just seems likely to me its the Page version of the 243 WCF. I don't have access to the 4th Speer manual (1959?)that Cheechako has mentioned. As I recall the Page and some of the other predecessors to the 243 WCF used a variety of shoulder angles that would preclude the use of the 243 WCF cartridge.
We're at a bit of a decision point.
Is it more practical and cost effective to rechamber the rifle to 243 WCF or 244 Remington? Other than nostalgia I cannot see any practical purpose to trying to set up dies for an old wild cat and fussing with cases? My friend is practically minded although I'm a bit historically minded and budget does matter. Is there any collector value in staying with an original chambering on an old BR rifle like this?
Should we / could we run a finishing reamer in for a 244 Remington or a 243 WCF without turning the shoulder on the barrel and getting a few threads deeper?
Could we find a source of brass and just neck size getting away from custom expensive dies?
We don't know the twist on that barrel but I assume we'd be good with the 90 grain bullets regardless for 200- 600 yard informal shooting? Varmints?
Advice? Thoughts? Thanks
I'm guessing its a 240 Page Pooper ( Rockchucker? not the Super Pooper?)from my recollection of Page's comments on his work with the parent 7 x 57 and the early "X" military 308 case. I have to find my copy of Page's The Accurate Rifle but I do not recall that he included case dimensions or drawings. During the '50s there were several variations of 6 MM wildcats and it just seems likely to me its the Page version of the 243 WCF. I don't have access to the 4th Speer manual (1959?)that Cheechako has mentioned. As I recall the Page and some of the other predecessors to the 243 WCF used a variety of shoulder angles that would preclude the use of the 243 WCF cartridge.
We're at a bit of a decision point.
Is it more practical and cost effective to rechamber the rifle to 243 WCF or 244 Remington? Other than nostalgia I cannot see any practical purpose to trying to set up dies for an old wild cat and fussing with cases? My friend is practically minded although I'm a bit historically minded and budget does matter. Is there any collector value in staying with an original chambering on an old BR rifle like this?
Should we / could we run a finishing reamer in for a 244 Remington or a 243 WCF without turning the shoulder on the barrel and getting a few threads deeper?
Could we find a source of brass and just neck size getting away from custom expensive dies?
We don't know the twist on that barrel but I assume we'd be good with the 90 grain bullets regardless for 200- 600 yard informal shooting? Varmints?
Advice? Thoughts? Thanks