Savage conversion to 6.5 SAUM

[wegner426]

So I have the urge to start playing with the 6.5 4S cartridge and am thinking about buying a Model 10 from Cabelas in 308 Win. They have a model with a 24 inch heavy barrel, tac bolt knob, picatinny base, Accutrigger, and Accustock with DBM for $549. This Accustock is a version with a wider forend than their normal Accustock and the trigger guard mounted bolt release. Basically this a Savage 10TR without the threaded barrel it seems.

Trying to figure out if I can just change the barrel, buy a magazine, change the bolt head and get this thing to work and feed? I understand some of the savage WSM guns had a controlled round feed and different ejector setup due to concerns with feeding, but this may have been on older stagger feed guns?

Because of this I am not sure whether what I want to do can be accomplished as easily as I hoped for. Has anybody tried to convert one of these Savages with the relocated bolt release from 308 to SAUM? Do you just use the regular mag face bolt head or the CRF one?

Thanks in advance,
Chad

 

[Dick D]

I think you biggest feeding problem may be in getting the RSUM cartridge to feed out of the .308 DBM feed lips. Check with Savage to see if there is a difference in the feed lips on the .308 DBM's and the WSM/RSUM DBM's. You may also have to buy a different magazine.

 

[KYS]

I would just try and find a WSM action because once you buy this Savage you may spend the same amount in getting the parts to turn it into a WSM. And running the risk of it not feeding properly would be a headache that I would want to avoid.

Just a thought....

 

[wegner426]

Thanks for the responses.....I was planning on having to change magazines anyway. I just liked this stock on the gun at Cabelas better than the other Accustocks I have seen, and thought I might be able to leave it alone since it is pretty light and this will be a high country hunting gun. And it doesn't hurt that I have like $300 dollars worth of Cabelas points either.

 

[nfoley]

Been thinking about doing the same. Where are you thinking about getting the barrel from, and who are you going to have chamber if for the 6.5 4S?

 

[ArmyJerry]

Get the side bolt release, avoid the trigger bolt release. If you plan to change the barrel immediatly just buy an action and buy the barrel you want. Jim at Northland Shooter Supply has them in stock.

 

[wegner426]

Been thinking about doing the same. Where are you thinking about getting the barrel from, and who are you going to have chamber if for the 6.5 4S?

Not sure yet, if I remember correctly the reamer is not on the shelf at PTG.

 

[wegner426]

Get the side bolt release, avoid the trigger bolt release. If you plan to change the barrel immediatly just buy an action and buy the barrel you want. Jim at Northland Shooter Supply has them in stock.

Thanks Jerry, I will look into that. I am trying to do this on the somewhat cheap since I am trying to save money for a business venture and thought I might be money ahead to get this gun from Cabelas. If I buy an action with a trigger, that is approximately $380-400 and no stock or DBM yet. Then I will likely end up buying CDI bottom metal and a Mcmillian HTG stock or something similar and the cost will spiral out of control pretty quick.

 

[wegner426]

Been thinking about doing the same. Where are you thinking about getting the barrel from, and who are you going to have chamber if for the 6.5 4S?

Since you are local to me, maybe we could split the cost of a reamer or something and get barrels from Northland Shooters supply or something. Looks like he has some 6.5 Creedmore barrels available from time to time, maybe he can rechamber those to 6.5 4S?

 

[ArmyJerry]

True true, I personally like the accustock and accutrigger so its not a bad route you rare heading down.

Thanks Jerry, I will look into that. I am trying to do this on the somewhat cheap since I am trying to save money for a business venture and thought I might be money ahead to get this gun from Cabelas. If I buy an action with a trigger, that is approximately $380-400 and no stock or DBM yet. Then I will likely end up buying CDI bottom metal and a Mcmillian HTG stock or something similar and the cost will spiral out of control pretty quick.

 

[high right]

I am thinking about the same! I already have a savage 325 wsm. Super accurate. Also have an extra 6.5
Bartlein. Triggertime just got a reamer in if you guys are serious. I know it's going to go sideways with
The $. Metal, mags. Etc.but, I just finished a 7 saum and it is a hammer! I think the saum is a inherently accurate
Catridge. I am shooting with a guy who just got a gap 6.5 saum. I will watch and see how his goes

 

[wegner426]

I am thinking about the same! I already have a savage 325 wsm. Super accurate. Also have an extra 6.5
Bartlein. Triggertime just got a reamer in if you guys are serious. I know it's going to go sideways with
The $. Metal, mags. Etc.but, I just finished a 7 saum and it is a hammer! I think the saum is a inherently accurate
Catridge. I am shooting with a guy who just got a gap 6.5 saum. I will watch and see how his goes

Looks like Dark Eagle Custom has a 5 round WSM magazine that will work with factory DBM for 90 bucks. I may call triggertime tomorrow and talk to them. Is your Bartlein for sale? LOL.

 

[high right]

I want the ability to use the 325 for the big critters a couple weeks out of the year maybe. I would just get the gauges for both. It would wear the saum barrel
for most of the year. Mine has a blind mag so, I will need to change that out. Probably the accustock as well. I will try to do mine on the cheap as well.
Like I said my 7 saum is so feakin accurate it scares me. Me thinks the 6.5 would do well!

 

[nfoley]

I have been interested in the 6.5 SAUM since the thread first appeared here on the hide. George at GAP seems to me to be the expert with this cartridge so I PM'd him asking about playing with a Savage action initially.
He seemed to indicate GAP could help with this project, but I just called and spoke with Dustin over there and got a completely different response. Dustin was very adamant about not wanting to have anything to do with this.
I PM'd George again to verify and will let you know.
If GAP doesn't want to mess with the Savage idea I would be willing to try Northland Shooters.
I would love to play with a 6.5 SAUM on a relatively inexpensive platform initially and compare with my 6.5 CM in the field.

 

[wegner426]

I have been interested in the 6.5 SAUM since the thread first appeared here on the hide. George at GAP seems to me to be the expert with this cartridge so I PM'd him asking about playing with a Savage action initially.
He seemed to indicate GAP could help with this project, but I just called and spoke with Dustin over there and got a completely different response. Dustin was very adamant about not wanting to have anything to do with this.
I PM'd George again to verify and will let you know.
If GAP doesn't want to mess with the Savage idea I would be willing to try Northland Shooters.
I would love to play with a 6.5 SAUM on a relatively inexpensive platform initially and compare with my 6.5 CM in the field.

Let me know what you hear from GAP.

I called and spoke to Jim Briggs at Northland, he seems to do a lot with the Savages. His recommendation was to not mess with the small shank guns such as 308 for conversions to SAUM or WSM. Due to the design of the barrel nut the savage barrel outside diameter is only 1.055 he said vs. a Rem 700 at about 1.300 once you get past the threads. He mentioned that Savage stopped making WSM guns on small shanks years ago due to some concerns in the field due to this design and they are all on large shank now. I am certainly not a gunsmith, but based on the lower pressures closer to 308 WIN that George is reporting it may be okay in a small shank. But the force against the chamber may be much greater than 308 WIN due to the larger size of the SAUM case. Just my guess and could be completely wrong.

Jim also said people are doing these conversion from small shank guns, but he certainly doesn't recommend it. He did have some Savage prefits there in 260 Rem and 6x47 Lapua and 6.5 Creedmore, but a person would have to get them rechambered or something, not sure it would be the way to go.

 

[PowerstrokeOBX]

You guys might want to talk with Sin Arms. They do a fair amount of savage work and they should be able to help you out. If be interested in a small shank 4S barrel for a project.

 

[nfoley]

George replied and said they will do the barrel the action on a savage but they stopped doing complete rebuilds on Savages.
I like the idea of going with GAP for all their work with the caliber.
I also recommend Kevin Rayhill at Stockade. He is a smaller business, does a ton of Savage smithing, and will give more personalized attention.
Have had good experience with him in the past.

 

[wegner426]

George replied and said they will do the barrel the action on a savage but they stopped doing complete rebuilds on Savages.
I like the idea of going with GAP for all their work with the caliber.
I also recommend Kevin Rayhill at Stockade. He is a smaller business, does a ton of Savage smithing, and will give more personalized attention.
Have had good experience with him in the past.

Thanks for the response. I will try to do some more research to see if this needs to be a large shank gun or not. Looking at the case diameter of the SAUM it looks like I would basically be left with a quarter inch wall thickness in the chamber area. Seems a little thin but not sure if it is a problem.

 

[steelringer]

I had a wsm action i was going to use as a donor setup for a 7 wsm/saum build. Well i found someone selling a low round count factory lrp barrel so i bought it and reamed it out to the saum. Im in the market for brass and dies. Once i get those items i have 140 jlk, 14x cretacious and 140 amax as well as 130 vlds i am going to play with.

 

[Dirty D]

...Once i get those items i have ...14x cretacious...

Those are some seriously old bullets. You may want to try the Carterucio instead.

 

[cjgemm]

I have push feed magnum bolt head if anyone is interested. Also Rock Creek makes Savage prefits.

 

[medic727]

If the 6.5 SAUM is based off of the 7 SAUM you'd be better off if you start with a magnum action. If you base your 6.5 SAUM off of a .308 you have to replace the bolt head, baffle and firing pin assembly. I did something similar with a 6mm BR to 7 SAUM. The 6BR and the .308 use the same bolt head.

 

[cblackwell]

Tagging in on this one. I have an old savage 110 chambered in 300 win mag that never really shot well. for several years I have been thinking about what to do with it. The answer is CLEAR to me now. Manners elite hunter, bartlien rem varmint heavy flute, 6.5 4s. I believe this to be a worthy cartridge and very good long range round with good barrel life as has been proven already.