Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters JB Your Build?

That's a nice-looking rifle.

Ed,

Yep, it WAS my rifle. I sold it in the fall of 2021, during a period when I reduced my centerfire rifle collection by about 1/4. The guy who bought it liked it--but a couple days ago confessed to me he also wanted to make some changes, but decided against it due to the rifle's history. He offered to sell it back to me, but one of the reasons I sold it was because I hadn't hunted with it since an African safari in 1999. All it had been used for since was testing new bullets and powders.

It shoots really well with several handloads.

very fine looking rifle ! i hate to ask but i gotta , how much are they asking now ?

I thought I recognized that rifle. Now its out there with provenance.

You realize the link is to the sales listing, right?

thanks i found the price , and ouch !

It was me that bought it in 2021.

I've since hit the infamous Gunbroker "buy it now" button for a similar .338 but a M70. I can play with and modify the new one and not worry about it. I have to admit, I've gotten less tolerant of recoil the last couple of years and plan to thread it so I can put a Gentry brake on the M70. The Gentry is not obnoxious like most brakes and does reduce recoil some and comes off easy enough if one wants to put a thread protector on.

I couldn't bring myself to thread John's rifle among a few other changes I wanted to make. Though, I will admit, I like John's .338 build quite a bit better than the M70 I just ordered. A light'ish FN Mauser with a M70-style safety and Bansner or Brown stock is my favorite build. I've always been an FN fan going back to when my dad would pick them up in pawn shops for $100 or so in the 80s, but I think my first exposure to this combination (light barrel and Bansner) was when I called Roy Bedeaux around 2000 and asked him to build a synthetic stocked FN in .375 like he would build for himself. It turned out pretty much identical to John's .338.