Classic plains game rifles and cartridges

[Ontario Hunter]

I am also scheduled for my first plains game hunt in September of this year. I faced the same dilemma. My solution was to find a vintage Interarms Musketeer FN Mauser, made in Belgium, I bought the rifle for $400. I ordered an octagon barrel from McGowan. I saved 20 percent by buying during their year end sale. I found a piece of good wood on eBay of all places for $200. A stock maker is going to duplicate the original stock with my new wood. I have my local and talented gunsmith putting it together for me. He is retrofitting a model 70 style locking safety. All said I should squeak under the $3,500 mark and still have a few hundred dollar bills to put toward glass. Old commercial Mauser are available out there at inexpensive prices. Good luck!

I bought my Czech 98 Mauser from auction site for $350. Barrel from Lilja $400. Bottom metal @ $400. Barrel reamed, threaded, crowned, and mounted = $600. Model 70 safety new from Parkwest was $200. Semi-finished stock from auction site for $150. 1990s Winchester Safari Express iron sights from eBay for $150. Two Winchester recoil crossbolts $60 including shipping. Scored a pair of new Warne QD rings on clearance for $65 (Canadian!). Bought a discontinued Weaver one-piece base for ten bucks. Local machinist opened the bolt face for $75. The expensive part was putting it all together: turning an 8mm Mauser action into 404 Jeffery and finishing the stock. I modified the feeding rails, loading ramp, follower, and extractor. Also had to reshape the bolt that previous bubba-smith warped when welding on a new bolt handle. I'm guessing close to five days of carefully removing a bit of metal at a time. Finishing the stock and fitting it to action took at least a week. A guy in New Brunswick blued the project for $150 and did a beautiful job. The end result was a beautiful standard action rifle that cycles big fat 404 cartridges smooth as glass and lays .423 bullets on top of each other at fifty yards.

2nd edition after switching to used checkered stock bought online for $300 and refinished.

I will be very surprised if you get your project finished for $3500. Just making a stock from scratch is quite labor intensive.

Edit: I see you may not be changing the caliber, just the barrel? If so that could be a significant savings.

 

[steve white]

From post #1 by the OP:

"Here are some of my requirements. A wood stock, chambered in a cartridge pre 1960, capable of the majority of PG ..."​

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/classic-plains-game-rifles-and-cartridges.99832/


The 7mm Rem Mag was introduced by Remington in 1962.

The .300 Win Mag was introduced by Winchester in 1963.

.264 Win Mag - 1958
.338 Win Mag - 1958
.458 Win Mag - 1956

Bob F.

That's a pretty arbitrary line, there Bob--only 4-5 years difference, all in the golden era.

 

[Cooposo]

What about a new Model 70 Alaskan in 30-06? Pretty good availability with those.

 

[BFaucett]

That's a pretty arbitrary line, there Bob--only 4-5 years difference, all in the golden era.

I was just quoting the OP's original criteria of pre-1960.

Cheers! Bob F.

 

[Frontier3006]

I bought my Czech 98 Mauser from auction site for $350. Barrel from Lilja $400. Bottom metal @ $400. Barrel reamed, threaded, crowned, and mounted = $600. Model 70 safety new from Parkwest was $200. Semi-finished stock from auction site for $150. 1990s Winchester Safari Express iron sights from eBay for $150. Two Winchester recoil crossbolts $60 including shipping. Scored a pair of new Warne QD rings on clearance for $65 (Canadian!). Bought a discontinued Weaver one-piece base for ten bucks. Local machinist opened the bolt face for $75. The expensive part was putting it all together: turning an 8mm Mauser action into 404 Jeffery and finishing the stock. I modified the feeding rails, loading ramp, follower, and extractor. Also had to reshape the bolt that previous bubba-smith warped when welding on a new bolt handle. I'm guessing close to five days of carefully removing a bit of metal at a time. Finishing the stock and fitting it to action took at least a week. A guy in New Brunswick blued the project for $150 and did a beautiful job. The end result was a beautiful standard action rifle that cycles big fat 404 cartridges smooth as glass and lays .423 bullets on top of each other at fifty yards.
View attachment 739794
2nd edition after switching to used checkered stock bought online for $300 and refinished.
View attachment 739795
I will be very surprised if you get your project finished for $3500. Just making a stock from scratch is quite labor intensive.

Edit: I see you may not be changing the caliber, just the barrel? If so that could be a significant savings.

That is a beautiful rifle that you put together and for a good price. I’m hoping to have one similar following my project completion. I did save money by not changing the caliber. I also saved with stock duplication instead of a custom stock. I also saved by not including open sights since it is just a plains game rifle and will have a scope. But the project has only just begun. While I have it budgeted for a hair over $3000. It may wind up being more. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and my savings account on standby!!