So, back in 1982 (or thereabouts) my father bought this very flash rifle. A Model 70 Featherweight in 257 Roberts. Over the next 20 years it was used and abused quite a bit, the barrel running so hot at times it was burning to the touch. A few years back it passed into my possession when he could no longer hold a licence and I tried to bring it back into the useable hunting field. New cases were bought, loads were tried and no matter what I did it would only group about 2MoA. Finally, when I got my borescope, I looked down the tube from either end and it was clear that the barrel was stuffed. Throat was toast, crown not much better. What to do with it? At 8lb something with the lightweight 6x Leupold it was not a Featherweight by modern standards so something heavier was probably best.
Having always wanted a 338/06 (and holding a MarkX Mauser for that very purpose at the time) it was an easy decision to rebarrel it as the easy going middleweight.
The barrel dimensions were determined and a special profile 338 barrel was ordered from Lilja. We called it a 'Magnum Featherweight' - the original featherweight profile, but sufficiently large in dia. to accept the 338 hole down the middle and still have enough metal to contain pressure.
A 338/06 reamer was bought and the whole lot shipped off for assembly by Keith Hills in Cowra. When it came back as a 22in 338/06 it was pretty much all I was after and load development showed it was plenty accurate enough for the job with the 225gn Speer BTSP.
The factory recoil pad needed improvement with the 225gn being a little heavier in recoil than the original 100gn bullet.
This afternoon I have started the next stage of rebuilding for this rifle - the stockwork. Off came 1/2in of wood and on went a new X-COIL recoil pad. This pad really works, but the LoP was too long without cutting off the 1/2in. Next for the stripping of the original plastic coating on the woodwork. So far we are on our third coat of Polystrippa and it still won't come off!
More to follow.
