Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Ross Seyfried on the 22 Hornet

LOL.

You're right and I don't think Sierra even made a 210gr SMK back then.

I had VLDs on the brain.

Thanks for catching that.

John,

Another little detail about Miss America: Somebody from the military contacted Melvin, saying they'd be interested in him making some other rifles along that line. Mel thanked them for asking, but said he was too busy building hunting rifles.....

Now that’s funny too.

Another said it, but little short stories about that sorta thing is looney news.

Miss America does look like a horse of a rifle though. Neat rifle.

Enjoyed this thread, had a hard time deciding what varmint round to go with when I bought my 204 several years ago. 22 Hornet was a close 2nd when I made my decision.

Thanks for the links Pappy, I’ll enjoy the reading.

Miss A was built on a real deal ULA long action and I think it has a smaller diameter than a Rem 700. JB would know better.

The Cartridge was an improved 416 Rigby case necked down to .308 and was sort of a test to demonstrate the action was still very strong.

At first it wanted to string vertically when bedded with the barrel free floated. Hanging 32 inches of heavy barrel off the small action was making it flex although I am not sure a Rem 700 would not of also had problems.

Ross bedded a short bit of barrel in the fore end and the vertical went away but it was a bit sensitve to shooter technique and how the bags were setup.

Hence the shag carpet on the front rest. It wasn't pretty but it sure did slide nice on the carpet.

How much diameter smaller than a 700 can accommodate a 416 Rigby diameter case?

Makes sense, good recall on that John. That is a beast of a case.

We have come a long way but it's cool to see what folks were doing when that was an unheard of sorta feat.

Umm... not quite OGB.

Here is Elmer Keith's .338/378 K/T.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...h-grade-338-378-k-t.cfm?gun_id=101531559

Ross Seyfried Mauser "Oulde Yellow" was chambered in the .338/378 K/T. Ross hunted elk with Elmer one fall and got to watch Elmer kill a spike bull with the Champlin .338/378 K/T. After that Ross wanted one for himself and had it built on a Mauser action. IIRC Ross used a .375 H&H on that hunt and killed a 6 point (I think) bull elk with it.

Damn, that's a cool rifle right there!

John,

The bolt itself is more slender on NULA actions than, say, Remington 700s--but the bolt face is just as large, and the bolt lugs not as "tall," but longer. Which are two reasons Melvin's actions have lasted longer as pressure-test actions for one major bullet manufacturer.

I am kinda surprised Melvin didn't fully-bed the barrel, since he does on his lighter rifles. The stocks he makes are VERY stiff, and actually add to the stiffness of the barrel--one reason his rifles shoot so well, even those with lightweight barrels. But it's also probably why Miss America became more accurate when Ross added some bedding. (I also wonder if Melvin suggested that. May have to ask him!)

John

Gotcha. I knew there was a "Keith" link there somewhere.

Still, lusted after "Olde yellow".

Enough that I've considered "dressing up" my LH M70 in a maple stock like that one.

Wouldn't make it any more practical, just cool.

Interesting. I’ve read before that Melvins full length bedding plays a big part in the accuracy of his pencil barreled rifles. I’d love to hear the feedback if you get a chance to talk about it with Melvin. Rathet or not Melvin didn’t see it being necessary for a heavy profile even given the length of the barrel or if it was how Ross ordered it or an experiment between the two. Odds are it’s one of those things that if you don’t ask that will eventually be lost to time.

I heard that story in Ross's kitchen. Funny how all of us have those we look up to and Ross really did have a lot of respect for Ol Elmer.

The herd of elk were at 500yds and Ol Elmer wanted a spike for eating. I have held the case as he gave it to Ross and the 275gr Speer bullet fragments that came apart in the bull.

Ross always wanted a Champlin rifle and as they were not really interested in building any more he had to settle for a second hand one in of all things a .243 win.

It had the octagon barrel with the full vent rib and all the bells and whistles but, at the time, the .243 Win chamber was not really what he wanted.

The very expensive barrel went off to Cliff LaBounty for a rebore to .308 and chambered in .300 H&H Mag.

The rifle didn't shoot great so Ross milled a dove tail in the barrel and threaded a mating piece that allowed a screw through the fore end to lock barrel and fore end together. Pretty much the exact opposite of free float.

Rifle went to a solid 1 MOA shooter.

The above is my recollection for 30 years ago so keep that in mind.

John,

Am not totally surprised by the fore-end screw results. Elmer always believed the pre-'64 Model 70 Winchester shot well due to the forend screw, and Jack 0'Connor mentioned the tension of the screw often made a difference.

Also that the most accurate factory-original pre-'64 sporter I've ever owned was a 1950s .30-06 that, with the forend screw tight, regularly put 3 rounds of 150-grain Winchester factory ammo into half an inch or less--with a 4x scope. But also restocked a friend's .270 from the same era with a piece of fancy walnut, and got rid of the forend screw, and full-bedded the forend with Acra-Glas Gel. It shot 150 Partitions similarly to that .30-06....

Might also note that NULAs retain their zero extremely well. In fact the only ones of the several we've owned that didn't were due to the scope going bonkers...

John

That’s great stuff JB. I still have a fair pile of of those 275 Speers just to have I guess. I’d always read as a kid they were a fair elk bullet. I imagine out of my 338 Win I won’t have quite as much steam on them as the old KT.

I sat in Ross's living room and held Oulde Yellow, it was built on a Brevex magnum Mauser action. Ross told me of the shot he made on a Sable I believe, at long range, running.
Can't recall the range but it was over 500 yds. Anyhow the ranch owner , a Boer, was so impressed with the shot he offered his daughters hand in marriage for the rifle!
I asked Ross if she was cute? and he said very! he declined the offer and told me it was a lucky shot!

Ha, even better! Great thread.

The 585 Nayati by Sterling Davenport was uber cool... he had it built because his hunting concession had young rogue elephants and he wanted to protect his clients.

I remember reading about him tying the rifle into a tire and pulling the trigger via a string I believe, for the first shot.

I was just wide eyed as a young kid reading these stories. At the time a 338 Win was a pan elephant rifle to me coming from a deer hunting family.

By the time I met him he had cooled his jets regarding the magnums.... he believed a 270 with a 140 gr Failsafe was adequate for pretty much everything.
At the time I built a 220swift with a 1/8 twist and told him about it, he confided he had a Dr. buddy that did the same and it was sudden death on deer to 500+ yards with a Sierra 80 match king