AusVarmint

fella's i bought myself a miroku blr in 308 to do a custom build on . it's the older steel type , it's been well used & still works fine & shoots about 2" @ 100 . i was thinking about the 358 win at the time of buying it but the 338 fed & 338 rcm are also on my mind now . i don't know if i'll be able to use the 338 ruger compact magnum because that uses the magnum base diameter . if the bolt face can be opened up i'd really like the 338 rcm . i think i'd use a 20" barrel if on a larger cal or a longer barrel if used something smaller . there's also the 284 win case to use as well . atm my main hunting rifles are 243, 270, 454 casull i have other rifles but there not my goto hunting rifles . 243 is for varminting , 270 for deer , 454 close in pig & goat & deer rifle . 308 is a good alround medium range cal , I don't know if i should leave it 308 & buy a 375 ruger or 416 ruger in a alaskan or get a 375 h&h mmm .

Depends on what and where you hunt and ranges obviously. If you were to buy a 375 H&H what would you use it on? Nothing in Oz really needs it but they are nice to shoot. As to the BLR I'd leave the bolt face as is and pick from the 308 family of cartridges. The 358 will kill anything in Oz without much fuss and bother (but then so will the .308). I'd be looking at something "different" if I was going to spend the money on a build, you may as well make it worth it.

Id be inclined to keep with the 308 family and have always been partial to the 338Fed, never shot one or even held a cartridge, but I think it would be a good one. I tossed up between 7-08, 308, and 338Fed a couple of years ago and ended up deciding which ever one came up first in the rifle I wanted (commercial Mauser type) I would get, ended up with a Brno Zkk601 308, if ever I get sick of it, which is likely, Ill change to one or the other.

well i spose a 308 shooting 2" is fine for a alround hunting rifle . i think it'll shoot a lot better if the trigger was sorted out it's quite heavy . who knows it might become my go to gp hunting rifle . unfortunetly 308 , 243 , 223 & 22 250 have always bored me , they just work & everybody has them. i guess i love to back the underdog or boring on paper bullets . i've always have used the 6.5x55 & 303 & single shot 12g shooting 3" magnums & 22 lr of course . oh & black powder how could i forget hehehe . well i lost my good old faithfuls 7 years ago now when i lost my licence . got it back last year with all intentions of getting a tikka t3 lite in 6.5x55 untill i held the marlin xl7 270 it ticked all the boxes. & with a redfield 3-9x50 it came in @ the same price as a bare t3 . change left over got me my 454 casull rossi . ( leased i got a bit of a odd ball with the 454 ) telling a few fibbs to the missus also allowed me to get the 243 & she only sorta knows about the miroku 308 . the 3 air rifles h&r combo gun ,22 , & single 12g & newest 303 270 all just fell between the cracks . well she seen in my safe the other week & couldn't beleave that the door hardly closes only if she new about all the scopes , dies bullets , powders ect & the new 22 mag heading this way lol oh & hilux 4x4 hahahaha hook line & sinker . have a good day lads .

If it was mine I'd be going .358 - a great cal that didn't deserve to fade into obscurity IMO.

A 250gr bullet at 2400fps should sort out most critters. Can't see even the biggest of boars laughing that off.

fenring wrote:If it was mine I'd be going .358 - a great cal that didn't deserve to fade into obscurity IMO.

A 250gr bullet at 2400fps should sort out most critters. Can't see even the biggest of boars laughing that off.

yeah fen to me the bullets in 35 cal are ment to work between 35 rem & 35 wheelen velocities so 358 fits nicely & them bullets will open up well . on the other hand i think the 338 f maybe a bit handycapped concidering most 338's are top end magnums so there best bullets might be a bit tough for goats & small piggies . i also think the slippry 338's may be a tad to long for the short blr mag .
does anybody own a blr & who did your triggers or what do i have to do to get this heavy trigger sortted out ???

The 338Fed is a great cartridge - with Woodleigh 180 and 200gr projectiles (made specifically for the Fed and the 338/06), it is very capable on a wide range of game including goats and smaller deer. I get just under 2700fps with a 200gr Woodleigh out of mine. They shoot a lot flatter than the 358. The 338 Fed does lack the option of cheap pistol projectiles for plinking though.

well as i said i bought this as a action to rebarrel & that's all i ever thought about it . last friday night i pulled it out & was having play & feel . i said a few times to myself i have a 308! & after a few times of saying that it finely sank in that i own a 308 winchester . i'm gona take my 308 down to the range this sunday & see how i like it . i have 2 x boxes of fed tactical 130 tnt ammo to try out . whats a good cheap 308 bullet to use on goats & pigs ? has anybody 150gr or 170gr flatpoint 30/30 bullets in 308 ? i may even try some cast boolits .

Some big casties would go well in a .358. 300gr gas checked flat nose out of wheel weights @ 2000fps would open up OK and give any boar that walks this continent the pip!

last friday night i pulled it out & was having play & feel . And here was me thinking that I was one of only two that did that sort of thing to rifle actions, how many times did you work the bolt, check all the bits out, scratch your head and sigh, wishing you had it all together then ???
As to what projectile to use, I use 125gn sierra pro hunter soft points in my 308 and they seem to go pretty well on pigs and goats, especially the goats, am going to try a box of Speer 130gn HPs as well, they were designed to kill our ferals like goats and pigs.

I have a BLR 308, that is my walking scrub rifle, I run 150 grain round nose Hornady projectiles.
The 5 in the mag can do a couple trips in and out of the mag and anything with a point gets bashed about pretty well, but the round nose stay perfect.
Plus I have pushed them through lignum bushes to get pigs on the other side without any trouble.
Unless you really are going north to chase big Buff the 308 is all you will ever need.
Brett

deadkelly wrote: .......does anybody own a blr & who did your triggers or what do i have to do to get this heavy trigger sortted out ???

Hi DK,
I looked at a BLR a couple of years back, but the trigger felt bad. Searching the internet found sites that said you had to be really keen to touch one, and there was no replacement (Timney, etc) that I could find. I did find a site that discussed adjustment of the trigger, however. I just checked, and the link still worked, so i've reproduced it .......
http://www.shootingworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=1546
The bit about the adjustment screw may be useful to you .....??????
(and, no, I didn't get the BLR)

Good luck.

cheers, curan

Never, ever, shoot a donor action.

Go either 338Federal, or 375/08. Both are easy conversions. With more work, ie money, the 284 based wildcats would probably work. Personally, I would get the 338Federal as the handiest rechamber, but the 375cal would be heaps more fun.
Cheers...
Con

Never, ever, shoot a donor action.
to late buddy well since i now have 375 & 454 & a 270 the need for a medium bore short action is fast fading . looks like the old mlr is only going to be a general purpose pig & goat rifle now when range limits the 454 . i recently broke my leg & done a number on my knee as well so i'm going to be out of my usual work for most of 2013 . so that means i'm poor as bro .