I have been looking for a 30-338 for a while, maybe a couple of years. I am not sure why this caliber, I have standard 06s an ackley 06, and a 30 Gibbs. I have had other 30 caliber magnums that I have sold. Anyway I guess I just wanted it to be different. If I were to have my choice I was thinking maybe a well done custom mauser of some sort, that has become what I favor. Ideally let someone else spend the bucks to build it and i’ll buy it for way less versus I shell out the money for the build! I found an online auction with some fuzzy pictures of a grade 2 custom shop Remington 700 that was factory chambered in 30-338. Obviously not a mauser but it sounded interesting. It was made in 1987 so in my opinion on the tail end of what I would call good years for Remington. I had a custom shop grade 1 in 300 mag for a short time. It was ok but not what I would expect out of something coming out of the custom shop. I bid enough money to get the rifle bought. When it arrived I was floored. It was amazing. Fit and finish was great, wood was nice checkering was great, inletting was perfect. It has actual steel bottom metal, and a nice skeleton grip cap that is inletted perfectly. Metal finish is a bright gloss. I am extremely pleased to say the least. It has no handling marks that I see. Reminder it is pushing 40 years old. My thoughts buying this was using it for a hunting rifle knowing it wouldn’t probably see rain, snow, and rough brushy terrain. Problem I am having is, do I do that, move it along if someone wants to offer the right price, or put it away as a collector? I dont do well not shooting my guns! I am struggling how perfect this thing is, I don’t even want to put a screwdriver to it to pull the stock off to look under it.
Took me a minute to figure out how to resize and add images. It is all original. I have the custom shop card with the caliber listed along with the builder and shop manager signatures. I have the signed test target too. I have a remington ad from 1986 listing 30-338 as a custom shop chambering for 700 and 40x. I have seen some 40 x chambered in this never a 700. Best I could do on the copy of the ad. 30-338 is listed 4 lines down on list of chamberings.
Thanks guys, feel fortunate. I assume it was all the same guys guns that were at this auction. He had some really nice stuff. Most notable was a factory chambered 358 STA Winchester model 70 I unfortunately got outbid on that one.
A really very nice rifle in a very capable chambering. Is there an elk hunt in it's future?
My 30-338 was a custom built on an 03 Springfield action. It was more than I need these days so it's been re-homed but It gave me fond hunt memories..
Congrats on a beauty!
"Camping places fix themselves in your mind as if you had spent long periods of your life in them. You will remember a curve of your wagon track in the grass of the plain like the features of a friend." Isak Dinesen
Beautiful rifle, I personally would enjoy shooting and hunting with it, you only live one might as well live it up. I had few collectors and shot them all.
Over the last 20 years after discovering Gunbroker and Gunsinternational, I’ve bought several used 700 Customs. I couldn’t afford them years ago when new but I can now when they’re used. 😊 They range from 222 Rem to 375 H&H and I’ve hunted them all, fully recognizing that I could affect future value. I bought a Grade II rifle a couple of weeks ago with some of the upgrades that the OP shows on his rifle. Inside the forearm the details like the gunsmith, the grade, date, etc. are written in pen.
We hunt mostly from blinds so I don’t have to bust heavy brush all the time so any handling marks are going to come from getting in and out of the truck or stand. If there’s bad weather and precip forecast, I can always take a rifle that’s more appropriate.
In general, even used they’re still not cheap but without fail all of them have been tack drivers. I have one 35 Whelen that thinks it’s a varmint rig. If there’s no action going on I can always look at the rifle looking for neat little features and detailing.
NRA Life,Endowment,Patron or Benefactor since '72.
Thanks for all the good advice. I am going to order a set of steel talley rings for this, mount a 4.5 -14 leupold gloss 30mm tube scope that I picked up awhile back and start load development for my elk hunt this coming fall. Should put me in the running for nicest looking elk rifle in camp!
Shoot and hunt with that jewell! You are going to baby it, sure, but it can be done. You can buy a Gun Sliker from Alpine when it might rain. Fits well on any rifle. The 30-338 was an option back when alot of 1917 Enfield's were around (45-50 yrs ago) Gunsmiths would rechamber and open up bolt face. Presto. I tried to get my 1917 done but it was an Eddystone. they were notorious for being "brittle" they can even crack when you pull the barrel off. Think of the 30-338 as a .308 Norma Mag, a very good one!