Winchester Featherweight options

[Southmountain]

I have a current production Winchester Featherweight M70 in 30-06. Thinking of building it into something more heavy duty.

1: Thinking of install express sights or peep sights. Midwestgunworks sells a factory Winchester front ramp for USRAC featherweights (link). It looks these ramps are supposed to be drilled into the barrel. Is drilling going to affect the thin barrel of a Featherweight? Is it better to solder a different front ramp on? Would soldering affect bluing and require a reblue?

2: Alternatively, considering getting this rebarreled with a McGowan heavy barrel, in 375 HH. Both 30-06 (my caliber) and 375 HH are listed as "long action" on the Winchester website. Any idea if the 30-06 Featherweight receiver could fit 375 HH calibers?

Thanks in advance for insights.

 

[jmr40]

It would be cheaper to buy another rifle than try to convert to 375 H&H. The closest you can get to 375 in a 30-06 action is 9.3X62. It would be a simple barrel swap. On paper the 375 is more potent, but the 9.3X62 is the smallest cartridge legal for elephant. At least in some places. It is simply a 30-06 necked up to 36 caliber. And factory ammo is available

375 H&H would require a new bolt, and mag box as well as machining the action loading/ejection port to make it larger. The stock would have to be modified to accept the new mag box And then you'd have to use one piece bases since you'd only have one hole on the rear of the action for scope mounting. It isn't practical.

If you handload I'd just keep the 30-06 and load heavy 200-220 gr bullets. And instead of iron sights I'd use a small compact 1-4X20 scope on it. But if you insist, irons can be put on a featherweight barrel. I've seen others do it, but I'm not sure how they went about it. In fact I've seen some Featherweights made in the 1980's with factory irons.