Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Browning 1895 Scout Rifle Project

It was originally a new in box 1895 in 30-06. The original 24" medium taper barrel made for a HEAVY rifle.

I had the rifle rebored to my wildcat: a 9.3x62 case necked up to .410" as opposed to the .411 of the whelen. With 61.5 grains of reloader 10x, I"m pushing 2400 fps with a 350 grain swift A-frame. The odd-ball bullet diameter was designed for old African cartridges. Not many choices in .410", but a Swift A-frame is my favorite, so works good enough.

I got to measuring the barrel contours of my old BLR 358, by gully!.......those Japanese used an almost identical contour for where the barrel attaches to the receiver on both the BLR and the 1895. It's kinda cool, discovering something like this. I immediately purchased a fixed 2.75x scout scope, a BLR aluminum scout rail, and those new aluminum, Warne Mountain Tech rings. The scope, rings, and scout rail, all being aluminum, only added 13 oz. to the rifle. Honestly, the rifle felt too whippy with the 20" carbine barrel bored out to 41 caliber. The balance was all screwed up. The forward mounted scope, really fixed the balance. 1895's are kinda rear-heavy. Drilling and tapping all those 6-48 screws was kinda tedious. I may add two more front and rear on the rail, because I don't want it loosening up. The rifle kicks less than my 9.3x62.

It weighs 8.5 lbs all up. Since I like to carry the rifle by the reciever, I decided to get rid of that ugly, blocky lyman peep sight. It bit into my wrist when carrying I'm now just robbing the little peep off the lyman, and mounting it right to the rail. It's gonna be my spring bear rifle for the dog sled. Good for 300 yds!

Those dummy cartridges: one is a 358 winchester with 250 grain A-frame, a 9.3x62 with 300 grain A-frame, and the 41 O&M wildcat with 350 grain A-frame. The 41 caliber is kinda weird, the bullets act like they're trying to be all ballisticly suave with high BC numbers and pointy spitzer shape. But then.......they are chunky monkeys, like a 458 cal.

The reason I didn't go 405, is because Elmer Keith mention that the winchester 95 would jam up tight n hell, if you didn't load the magazine with each successive rim in front of the last. Kinda silly, stacking rimmed cartridges vertically. He said he couldn't leave the power of the 405 for the 348 Winchester though. Later in that book, he mentioned that the 400 whelan with 350 grain western tool and copper bullets, was one of the only cartridges he'd used, that would drive clear through the rump of a bull elk, and onto the vitals.

I read a 1984 Jeff Cooper article about the evolution of the scout gun, and wanted to kinda combine all the best words of advice from these two elders, into something different I guess. It's a weird rifle. Everything about it was unnecessary impulse.

Forgot to add:

I still need to sand down that awful clear coat, and cut some checkering. Then go for a hand rubbed oil finish. Custom rifles are irritating, especially when a guy could get a nice factory rifle, and not have to deal with this "thinking, planning, spending and whacky madness.

Turned out real nice mainer. Those 95s are hard to come by here...I've been looking. Can you use the aperture sight over the rail?

Ive got a hankering for one in 30-06. Add a williams peep and go kill stuff.

Just an FYI, you should finish your finish before going to the checkering...

Also, you will find it much easier to apply your oil finish heavy, wait a few minutes and rub the whole thing absolutely dry. Use a lot of coats and forget about rubbing out drops. The job will be better and it will be much easier.

Sitka, I"m tempted to just pull the butt stock and forearm, and send it off to be finished. I have boats to build, dog sleds to maintain, winter caribou to catch, and winter fish to catch. Do you have any recommendations for gunsmiths that can do checkering?

Yep, I went with a .537 height heavy brass bead. The big bead is low on the rail, so the point of aim is a little high at 100 yds. If I could do it over again, I would go .6 or higher on the front sight. I use one of those old red-field pop-up sights that is affixed to the scout rail.

I think I might have mis-spoke. That peep I removed was a Williams. It really is a worthless sight. Sharp, blocky edges, overly complicated, too many parts and impedes carry at the balance point.

Nice looking rifle.

Nicely designed rifle, maine. I have had a few original Win 1895s-405 WCF- and you do have to load em carefully in the 95 magazine. Killed my first really big bull elk with a
95 many years ago. Because of creeping around in the AK interior bush, I went to a 348 Ackley Improved on a Winchester M-71. Then a couple of pre-war Model 71s in 450 Fuller and the
other in 450 Alaskan. Even had a M-71 with a Lyman Alaskan scope-worked well. The 348 Ackley has the decided advantage of pushing a 250 Alaska Bullet Works bullet or 270 gr bullet
to 35 Whelen velocity.

All said and done, your idea of combining the scoped-95 rifle-and good 410 wildcat cartridge does the business. Like that.
It allows you to handle most game at any range, including anything that shows up at the moose or caribou gut pile later.
Old Ephraim will claim a moose pile with left haunch quick-and guard it after covering it over. Sneaky and very fast, Another reason for heavier caliber
The real advantage to the 450 Alaskan in the 1886/71 is very fast handling. I have tried them all,
and nothing is as fast as a pistol gripped 86 or 71, for repeat shots that you may have to take.

My place when I get there-is 11 miles S. of Wien Lake or 78 miles N. of Denali.
About 45 miles SW of Nenana.

This has me thinking about a 50 Alaskan on my 86 Winchester. I was an early 33WCF so I believe it a good candidate for a heavy.

Still think that’s one no nonsense rifle!

Had a nice # 4 Mk2 Lee-Enfield that was the worse rim-locking rifle I ever saw!!! Got rid of it as fast as I could.

Again! I say well done on that 95!

450 and Kaywoodie,

I haven't figured out much difference in speed between any lever rifle over the years. They've all been a heck of ah lot faster than a bolt gun. That speed for shot number 2 or 3 has been a cherished attribute on many occasions.

With that said, I sure do like a Mauser style bolt gun too. The stakes are too high to pass up meat and one of my most heart-pounding moments was missing a running bull caribou in trot at 350 yds with open sights with a 9.3 bolt gun. He was up on a brush-less bench about 50-60 yds in legnth. By my last shot, he was about to drop down into the alder brush. That fifth round rang true. He went sliding in the dirt for a good 15 feet, big streak of dust kicked up. A good bolt gun can be quick enough I suppose. There's nothing more authentically bolt gun than a mauser rifle chambered for a mauser cartridge.

A kimber 8400 rebored to 338-06, A ruger 77 in 375 ruger, 416 ruger or 338 ruger compact mag, a cz 9.3x62 masuer, a winchester model 70 carbine in 458 mag. These are all bolt guns I've shot or handled, that have left quite an impression on me, all remarkable tools for Alaska.

The reproduction Browning levers really are hard to beat for a hunter. Neither the standard Browning 71 nor the Browning 95 are worth much, and deals can be had. Seems they were only made in the mid 80's, aye? Tells yah what, I haven't owned one single fancy lever gun, but by gully has my lever gun experience been rich with adventure:

A cheap 30-30 model 94 (post 1964) that my father bought me when I was 10 yrs old for all of $100 from a guy in town who made a living sharpening ice skates up in Northern Maine:

I blew the dust off the thing and sent it to Jesse Occumpaugh for a rebore job to 375 winchester. Watched my son take his first big game animal with that, a fat bull caribou at 150 yds with a 255 grain Barnes original

A savage 99 carbine in 308 win: It was a parts rifle with almost all the blueing gone. I bought if for all of $300:
A quick rebore to 358, a cheap burris 2-7 scope and that rifle brought me home two of my biggest bull moose in some truly wild river country by canoe.

In both instances, the cheapest possible job, was 3 groove rifling. I got ah chuckle when I looked down the bores, never seen anything like it.

Now this here wildcat, it's got 4 grooves. Sheesh, I might've got too spendy.

Mauser 98 fan here too!

But Im down to like five right now.

Yup, 4 groovers, livin' high and never too shy to tell you all about it.

Mainer very nice. I have always wanted to do one in 35 Whelen and with a tang peep sight only. I haven't tried a scout set up enough to warm up to them. I would finish the rifle with the Winchester Pre 64 Red stain or even better get an upgrade piece of wood from Tree Bone stocks ( I think that's the right name?).

But you already have a good collection of medium bores already.

Tejano,

I haven't warmed up to a scout scope either. Due to the top eject, it's the only decent choice. The lack of optics with this particular cartridge, would do it a slight injustice. This ain't no 45/70 here. This is a rifle that will send a fairly high-bc spitzer bullet clear through a 30-40 mph wind and hit the target at 300 yds. This particular scout rifle, does not come up on point as quickly as my 358 blr with the 2.5 leupold ultralight.

The field of view on the 2.5 ultralight, combined with the light weight of the rifle, nothing can compare. The scout scope seems a little more finnicky with cheek rest to get a clear field of view. Nothing a little practice with a bunch of 41 caliber pistol bullets won't help. BUT, it is my belief that nothing compares to a leupold 2.5 x, nothing. It's the fastest.

Always wanted a BLR in 358 used several in 308 & 243. The Leupold 2.5 & 3x are under appreciated except for a small cult following. Missed that you did the 41 O&M. That should be good for just about anything. Like the 400 Whelan similar to the 450/400 which Taylor wrote might be the best all around chambering for brush country. The 375 taking top world wide honors.

I like it.

Mainer, you are on the right track. I guess I have a few extra rifles. Two early pre-64 M-70s , one in 338-06 and the other in 35 Whelen. Scoped in 3X Leupold and Leupold Alaskan.
Years ago, I had an original 95 in 35 WCF, with an extra barrel chambered in 35 Whelen-. It was a humdinger-ended up in Palmer I think-with a cheechako.
Zipper-I would think long and hard about re-barreling that 1886 33 WCF to 50 AK. Harold Johnson did that in the 1950s
at Cooper Landing. Find a cheap standard Browning 71 without the useless tang safety-then do the 50 AK conversion on it. If you get tired of that original 86 in 33 WCF, let me know.

That cartridge on the 9.3 makes a lot of sense, and will do more than the .405. Some good wildcats have come out of the north country, sittin around a Yukon stove
in the winter with paper and design in hand. I have had some Mausers, but still prefer the older Model 70s as they are smooth as greased glass and the 3-position safety can't be beat.
Had an older M-70 in 416, but unless guiding bear hunts-its almost too much gun.

Keep your nose in the wind and eyes along the skyline."

Cabin 78 miles North of Denali, SW of Wien Lake and Nenana. Minchumina is west. Toklat grizzly country.

Any updates? Sounds like a cool wildcat. I am a big fan of the 9.3x62 and have been pondering a 400 whelen...
Have you tried and of the 400 grain offerings?

Lots of metal above the firing pin tunnel for a couple of 6x48 holes. I used an XS aperture on my 405. Good elk killer.

I made one almost exactly that way for a man in 35 Whelen a few years back. It turned out very nice and he is in love with the rifle.
So a 9.3X62 should be just as easy. Happy hinting and post your kills for us all.

Haverluk,
Not much new with it. Waiting for spring to go after bear by dog team before snow goes rotten. I haven't used 400 grainers. I'm not sure they'd be necessary for any North American game, probably more fitting to Africa. I like a smidgen more velocity.

I finally did pull that ugly, blocky peep sight with 14 individual parts. Repurposed the peep and affixed it directly to the rail. I had to file it shorter, to clear the scope. All that is left, is to cut checkering. My gunsmith buddy will loan me the tools.

Before America copied the mauser design, this was John Browning's last lever gun design, to bring the levergun into the modern era of high power/high pressure-smokless powder chamberings. As a scout carbine launching 41 caliber spitzers bullets @ 2400 fps, I've enjoyed pushing that envelope a little further into 2019. I see that Winchester has brought back the 95 into production. With the severe lack of asscerories for this rifle, I hope that will change soon. As I go after bear with this little powerhouse, I hope to relay my observations or even loan the thing to Winchester for consideration of a factory available/special edition. All too often, these product development guys and gun magazine idiots conjure up things that that abuse the word "Alaskan". Some of the offerings are laughable and this is frustrating for me and probably many others. Very rarely do they refer to an actual Alaskan it seems. All too often, these marginal men haven't a clue about Alaska, other than an occasional jaunt during the fairest time of the year: August-Setember to promote their silly concoctions.

My appologies If that rant offended anyone. I don't like writing negative or rude things. Anyhow, here is that change to the back-up iron sights:

Did you need to tap the barrel for adding the blr scout rail?

Mainer,,,,,, Check this out, or maybe you already have,,,,
LJ

Good looking rifle and hard to find.

I just cam't imagine doing that!

Mainer,
Thank you for the link; I had not previously seen it.

Very nice project- it will hunt as is without any more pretty.
My 1886 .45-90 is as plain as they come, but has killed critters from Blackbuck to Cape buff and elephant.

The .41 caliber is up to the biggest task with 300 or 400 grain bullets.

Of course a little checkering does give you a better grip:


As you may know I have stuck with the .405 WCF and just used bullets from 210 grain to 300 or 400 grains appropriate to the game.
I have a friend in Australia that has a scout scope on his 1895 .405 WCF and hes has taken all the big critters down under, buff and others in Africa, and water buff , elk, and exotics on ranches here in Tex. I have fired it on the range and is a nice combo.

Looks like you have a real winner. Please be sure to post pix of big stuff that you take with it.

" haven't used 400 grainers. I'm not sure they'd be necessary for any North American game, probably more fitting to Africa. I like a smidgen more velocity."

You are correct; I have dropped big water buff with one 300 grain North Fork at 2250 fps with my .405. Mike Brady has loaded his NF 300 grain bullets to 2400 in his 1895 .405. I just kept my 300 grain velocities compatible with Hornady factory velocity so as not to have to adjust sights.

The only reason I used the 400 grain Woodie for Africa was my best hunting buddy talked me into it. It seemed to exactly match the velocity of his 450/400 with which he and his clients had taken ele and Cape buff. That project delayed my hunt a year, but it was a success. Now, I want to go back and do the same thing with 300 grain North Forks.

Good evening crshelton, thanks for sharring and will do. You sure do have some good adventures with your leverguns!

Had an unfortunate adventure right before the hunt season up here:

When sighting in the back up peep sight all was well. Was hitting square on the bullseye at 100 yds. I then attached the scope to the scout rail. First shot, the rail, rings and scope sheared off the barrel as one solid unit. It hit me square in the forhead and continued flying rearward ah good distance. After I gathered my thoughts and scope I walked to the target. That shot hit square in the bullseye. What ah tease!

I drilled and tapped for the three supplied 6-48 screws. Not enough. Ive since received an assortment of heat treated 8-40 screws, the 8-40 fillister head reamer and 8-40 end tap. Tim to double-down with 6 8-40 screws.

I've learned an unfortunate lesson that the mighty 41 calibers might violently remind your cranium that 6-48 screws are a silly idea.

Just finished reading my first Jack O'Connor book. I chuckled when he gripped about "dinky little 6-48 screws" inherited from receiver sights".

Other random observations: In this 1968 book, he was sporting a model 94 winchester with a forward mounted 2x leupold in quick release rings.

In my June 1966 Gun & Ammo mag, Elmer Keith wrote up a superb Article on a model 600 350 rem mag carbine fitted with a Redfield 2x forward mounted optic/mount combo.

Before this scout name became trend, it was well received, before the concept had a name.

Finally got the rifle shouldering right. In between high-end rifle builds, finally caught my neighbor in the gun shop to get the stock fitting me during his down time.

I went with an ultralight Cervellati recoil pad at .6in thick. It weighed 2 ounces and was tall enough to take the extra 1.5 inch increase on the comb height. The rear of the rifle was heavy, this changed the balance. It now shoulders faster. I put on my parka, and found 13 inch length of pull to be ideal. You'll find these recoil pads on blazers and berretas:

https://www.hastingsdistribution.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=60

The comb was raised with a spare piece of curly maple. Such a waste of a beautiful piece a wood on an ugly rifle.

After some minor sanding to fit the recoil pad and cheek countour, the fit is perfect. Now, I can close my eyes, shoulder the rifle, open my eyes and SEE down the dmn scope. The comb is perfect for the scout scope height.

He used fine German hand planers and massive German belt sander to get this rifle to have exact fit.

From the scout rail, to the rings, everything is now heat treated 8-40 torx screws. 6 on the rail and 8 on the rings. The Warne mountain tech rings already come equipped with 8-40's. Blue lock tite on every last one of em.

Now, I'm sewing up a custom scabbard for the 11.5 ft freight sled I built in late November. There is no room for a rifle in a sled when full of caribou and camp. It's not wise slinging a rifle while running boat, machine or dog team. I learned this the hard way. If rifle is not in my hand, it's in a scabbard.

Rifle can't overhang width of sled, or it will get damaged. Nothing longer than 38 inches will work. The gun is very close in dimensions to a pre 64 model 94. I'm making the scabbard from elk leather lined birch bark. I still have to refinish the stock. February 10th, I'm leaving for 30 days on the trail for winter caribou. This will be the gun I take. Almost dialed in.....

cartridge compared to a 458 win mag:

That looks great! I'm excited to see how it shoots

Lookin good. When you taking it out hunting?

I just thought of a good reason for the wider stock - a good backup canoe paddle !

How come you didn’t go with a .416 diameter?

Shoulder/headspace issues with a .416 diameter?

Crshelton, yah we were joking about the canoe paddle thing. Also some other humorous moments: gunsmith shakes his head and says: this is so ugly it could get you kicked out of the guild.

When compared to a bell and carlson stock for a bolt action, recoil pads were the same height. It really spreads the recoil.

John,
Yah I went .410 over .416 because the 9.3 case is only .456 at the shoulder. Never had a head space issue and I don't even fire form. I neck up 9.3x62 brass and be done. Decided against 400 whelen as the cylindrical brass is insanely expensive.

Now I did go 416 caliber on another wildcat I developed off the 338 RCM case. Plenty of shoulder there.

Every time I see a thread on 95 Winchester’s I start having these terrible thoughts on the original upstairs in the trophy room. It was made in 1922 and is all original in 30-06.
It was my grandfather’s saddle gun when he managed a sheep ranch in Wyoming back in the thirties and forties. In a little rough shape cosmetically but still functions fine although it needs to have the firing pin bushed.
I’ve thought about having it refurbished but should probably leave as is. It is coming onto its one hundredth birthday in a couple of years, I should try to kill something with it once more.
Les

Tanker,
Its not surprising that your family heirloom was a scabbard gun of choice. Nobody but horsemen and dog mushers will have much use for a scabbard.

The thin design was a point of criticism in both my O'Connor and Keith books.

BUT, it has clear advatages as a scabbard gun. It's action is shorter than a short action bolt-gun, yet digests 30-06 sized cartridges.

With the width, length and protruding bolt handle, even my 9.3 carbine seems cumbersome and always in the way. It also doesn't fly out of a scabbard as quickly as a thin lever gun.

Optics wise, hunting caribou at 20-30 below, the slightest breath will fog the eyepiece lens. It's unsafe pulling the trigger while looking through fogged lenses: no clear crisp view of your target and beyond.

The forward mounted optic doesn't fog from your breath. When length of pull and comb be of precise fit to the shooter, it's faster than aligning open sights.

A scabbard scout would be ideal to the horseman as well

Mainer,
I here you on the handiness of a thin rifle in a saddle scabbard. My mother who is gone now, remembered her daddy referred to it as his “big gun” ..
I am not sure what others he had as I was pretty young when he passed and the few others were disbursed. This one came to me many years later from an uncle who wanted me to have it, much to the chagrin of a few others.
I have the rifle and also a picture of my grandfather with the rifle and a nice mule deer he shot with it. It’s dated 1928 but not sure on the location. I believe it is near Tensleep Wyoming.
Anyway, enough about mine. Yours is a wonderful rifle and all around setup. Very nicely done. Makes me contemplate more on doing one in 9.3x62.

Take care, Les

Let's bump up this wonderful thread...

Good idea, big bore lever guns are always cool. Hunting w/ them on a dog sled in Alaska is next level stuff that kids dream about...all their lives.


mike r

Mainer,

Your threads are great. Please keep posting.

Brian

Finally got around to using the 41 scabbard scout for moose. Traveled quite a few miles up a swift upper Yukon River tributary. Real sparse, won't hunt there again. Finally called one into a spike camp at the dimmest first light on the 19th. About 80 yards cross river, I put a 350 grain a-frame square through the front end. He was downed instantly. He did come back to about 10-15 minutes later when I walked up on him, but couldn't move. Very big bodied, 55.75" antler spread. Never cleaned the rifle the whole 10 days.

The load was a benchrest large rifle primer, resized lapua 9.3x62 brass, 61 grains of AA 2230 under a 350 swift A-frame. Broke through both front quarter bones and both ribs, against hide on offside.

That is awesome!!! Nice critter!!!

What more can I say??? 95’s are bully!!!!

Your boats are works of art! I hope you have a great winter.

Nice moose!
(And canoe)

Very nice ride, very nice rifle. Congratulations Michael!

You have an excellent good cartridge there, but given the geometry of the magazine and loading methodology have never had a jam with the 405 and hard to see how it could happen.

Thanks all.

Greg, I know you've toted your miroku 405 for caribou, dmn are they reliable, aye?

It's now my only rifle. That straight stack magazine is about the cleanest feed you could ask for. On winter hunts and canoe hunts I've had problems with tubular magazines, rotary mag on the 99, removable magazine on the blr. This here lever gun never got a cleaning. Dirty, wet and gritty, always seems to go bang. I suppose the neglect and continued reliability, it's earned its place.

Finally ran that AA 2230 load over the chronograph: 2237 fps. No room left in case for more than one grain of powder. Slightly less dense than TAC, neither powder broke the 2300 fps barrier. Many years ago, I broke 2300 fps with Alliant reloader 10x at just 58 grains. It is my opinion that the extruded powders within this burn rate, are the better powders for carbine barrels. The reloader 10x loads had less muzzle blast and less recoil as well. These powders are similar in burn rate, but 10x pulls ahead every time. No magnum primer required either. Not surprising though, I've had the best luck with Alliant powders, especially in below zero temps. I think it's time to give reloader 7 a try.

Yes, that 95 is a feedaholic. Beware the man with just one gun!

Greg, you're a hunting rifle "gun nut". Do you know how hard it is to be a gun nut, and only have one rifle? I tried, and I'm failing. Couple days ago, I had an idea for a new wildcat. I won't be able to rest until it goes from an idea, to a completed rifle, to another years cache full of meat. It really is a curse, get this mean builder-bug with canoes, dog sleds and hunting rifles. I'm now getting bored with the 41 scabbard scout. You wait till u see this next sumabtch. It's gonna be a mean rifle......

Are you on Life Below Zero, Next Generation? At the very end of the show, showed a guy shooting a 95 with a scout scope.

.[/quote]

Are you on Life Below Zero, Next Generation? At the very end of the show, showed a guy shooting a 95 with a scout scope.
[/quote]

Certainly looks like the same guy

Must be confused, I work for C-SPAN. I keep the coffee pot going and answer the phones. We never get calls, and the coffee is really stout, so folks don't fall asleep..

I have enjoyed following this entire thread, but have to admit it is making me feel abit ballistically inadequate by using my peep sighted M95 30-06 with 220 gr Partitions.

Phil, I'll sell it to you.....

Getting a mean builder-bug for either a 458 win mag or a 416 Taylor, or......... another "down the rabbit hole wildcat".

Anyhow, comes with a disclaimer:

Young man, think a while and sleep on it. Those racey wildcats and magnums, those new fangled telescopic sights, why they won't do anything your open sighted 30-06 cant already do.

Maybe after I run out of 220 gr Partitions and the four boxes of steel jacketed 220 gr Hornady solids .

Phil, Will be testing the new dgx bonded 416 ruger/hawkeye against the scabbard scout and 350 grain A-frame loads.

You and Doctari have talked up the new dgx bonded. Though I'm guilty of griping and moaning about my last 375 ruger and those awful factory rounds, It'll be interesting to see some improvement.

I'm trying to enlist some local rifleman into the test.

Heck no! Wheel dog snoop's fat face is the showstopper. I'm just the buffoon along for the ride, on the runners.

Nope it’s you, mr big time now.. lol good luck on the show bud!

Before you know it, you will have vacation home in Fiji

Snoop has been to the concrete jungle, he'd prolly do purdy good in Fijji.

458 in said " but have to admit it is making me feel a bit ballistically inadequate by using my peep sighted M95 30-06 with 220 gr Partitions."

Ballistically inadequate is no way to be with an 1895 Winny--- JUST UPGRADE TO THE .405 WCF and shoot anything from 210 grainers to 400 grainers.
You can push the 400 grain Woody on up to 2200 fps if you can take the recoil. Of course there is also not much that s 300 grain North Fork FPS will not shoot through at 2250 fps MV..
This taken with hand loaded Woodleigh 400 grain bullet from 20 yards.

Nice work sir making YOUR rifle. No doubt capable of doing what you want done. Well done.

Think about AA2015. It's burn rate is close to RL10x. I prefer it over 10x in .223. It seems to burn just a bit slower than 10x but faster than AA2230. The down side is I haven't seen any 2015 in over a year.

kwg

I use 2015 in my 458 cast loads. Great Powder if you have some. Easy to light off and very consistent which means a lot in a big straight wall case with 51 grains of powder and Dacron on top under a 485 grain bullet. It would be worth a try in this rifle would be my guess.

If I was younger I would turn my 270(hurl) into a 35 whelen or 338-06.