Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles The shaman's last 30-06

It is a long time in coming. I've actually been contemplating this rifle for 30 years. Yesterday I picked up what may be my last 30-06 rifle. It is also the first time in 30 years I've actually walked into a gun store and plunked money down on a brand new rifle for myself. For others? Yes. Used guns? Plenty. A brand new one for me? I was a young man when I did that last.

The baby is resting comfortably at home. It is a Ruger Hawkeye All-Weather in 30-06. The first thing I did when I got home was put it in a wood stock that I picked up last year. Um-um-UM! It looks like a dream.

I'll have a bunch of questions for y'all, but here are the first two:

1) Ruger says to torque the screws to 92 in/lbs. That's high. I've seen 30, 40, 62, but never 92. What's up with that? What's the right number?

2) I've heard that it is a good idea to relieve the front and back of the the box magazine a little so it does not put tension on the action. Mine is definitely making hard contact. My question is this: how much and where?

I'm keeping a journal of it all. Here's the first entry:
The shaman and the last 30-06

I promise pictures and more by the end of the weekend.

Shoot it before you do anything. I've had my All Weather '06 Hawkeye for about 2 years. In the original plastic stock it was a 1 MOA shooter out to as far I can shoot it. I went the other direction and dropped it into a used Ruger Zytel stock I picked up along the way somewhere and it turned into a 3/4 MOA gun. I haven't done a thing to it in either stock. Darn thing just shoots.

I would set it at Ruger specs, take it and shoot it. Then decide where to go, what to do next.

Been eyeing another Hawkeye...this one is on sale at the LGS, wood/blue 270 Win. Nice deep bluing on those new Hawkeyes!

I look forward to hearing more about it. I'll bet it looks great in that walnut stock. In regards to the 90 inch pounds, that is correct: However, just on the angled screw. The rear action screw for the trigger guard about 50 inch pounds and the middle, just barely snug. I also recommend glass bedding it into that new walnut stock before you shoot it.

BSA, I know you're a fan of bedding every rifle, but why? If it shoots, leave it alone. Besides the Ruger I mentioned above, I have a SS All Weather 243 that I dropped into a Hawkeye Walnut stock 4 years ago. I have it it set up for coyotes, sending 65 grain V-max bullets down range over a full-on charge of IMR4895 and it hasn't change POI in 4 years.

JMO, but I'd shoot it before I made any mods to it. YMMV.

And Shaman, I too will look forward to hearing the range reports. I'm a big Ruger 77 fan.

I'm not a fan of cracked stocks. This is more likely to happen with a heavy kicker. Proper glass bedding is a damn good preventative measure IMHO. I've also seen groups shrink considerably when glass bedded properly.

Not that it means anything to your '06 but my Hawkeye in '06 does well with the 165's but really shines with 180's.

The family load is a 150 grain Rem PSPCL over a slightly reduced load of H4895. My personal deer camp patriarch load has been 165 grain Hornady Interlock SP's over the same. They stopped making the 165 grain SP's so before I try anything else, I'll try the family favorite.

I used to be a 180 grain aficionado, but frankly the 150's and 165's got it done faster and cheaper. I still have a supply as a fallback.

They still have the 165 BTSP so you may want to give those a try?

Yes, and I've used them on-and-off-- I've not seen a difference with the SP's or the SPBT. It's just there's a 500 round box of the Remmie Bulk PSPCL's we've barely touched sitting on the shelf. If I can kill a buck with a $.19 bullet versus a $.22 bullet . . .

Actually, last time I looked, the Remmie bulk bullets were more than the Hornadys. Go figure.

Also: I always get a twinge of guilt when I shoot a deer with a boattail at 20 yards. It's kind of . . . pretentious (?)

May have to try one of the newer Hawkeyes with the blued finish. Ruger REALLY pi$$ed me off with the finish on the first Hawkeyes. Changing from the beautiful polished/blued finish on the Mark II to that gritty, nasty, gray crap almost gave me a heart attack.

At the risk of sounding contrary, you should address this prior to shooting. You say "hard contact", but I'm left to wonder how you determined that. Additionally, if you know it's making contact it would seem to me that you might know where....I don't.

Speculating a little, but the easy way to know "where" is to put some Prussian Blue, or -kaff- lipstick on the corners of the magazine, install and remove. It will transfer to the wood and the 'Where' is there to behold. I like lipstick, easy to see on a dark background. Might be that's why hookers use bright hot shades? Mere speculation that...

How you get the wood removed is fairly simple. A dremmel -kaff- or small gouges and petite chisels. The wood only need be relieved enough to eliminate contact.

As to whether or not it needs glass bedding, I've never seen a rifle that hurt and most seem to benefit. Rugers OTOH, have a design that profits less than most because it makes for a sound foundation in the first place. Bedding would not be my first priority.

Mill file the box magazine. Go slow. I merely alleviated the top V section slightly and then filed the bottom of the magazine as well.

Using even pressure and strokes so that the sides were even. So I would use 7 on one side and do 7 on the other side.

I would check the fit often. The magazine should be "loose" inside the magazine well. When fully tightened it should "rattle" when the floor plate is open, you can put your finger up into it and move it up and down slightly.

Screw adjustment is critical with the Hawkeye or at least mine. I found I am probably under 90 on the front and closer to 35-40 on the rear while the middle screw is barely threaded in. Try factory settings and then you can adjust if necessary?

I was referring to the metal box that lines the magazine. Supposedly, if the magazine is left at its original height, it tends to cause tension as the screws are tightened and this can hurt accuracy. A little filing reduces the height and leaves the box held, but not firmly, in the stock.

I was wondering if anyone had heard of this.

AH Esox375! You've heard of this trick too!

How much are we talking? .02" ? .1"? How much should I expect to take off?

Yes it is recommended and can affect the accuracy of your rifle. I purchased a Hawkeye 308 not long ago and had to do "some" work prior to getting it to shoot. Thanks to the guys here they helped me work out the kinks and it is shooting sub MOA. Very happy with it now but there was some frustration in there as well (grin).

In my case I had to file quite a bit. Remove enough to allow it to rattle for me it was quite a bit of metal almost down to the first two weld points on the rear of the magazine box. You may or may not have to remove that much? It should "rattle" when you put your finger up in there. It should be free.

I just cut on my mag box until it no longer creates pressure on the action. On a couple of mine it is nearly down to the welds, just be sure it rattles.


I torque the actions screws

65 in/lbs front
50 in/lbs rear
middle screw just barely in the rifle.

Don't worry, we were frustrated right along with you

One thing I've noticed is the torque specs aren't as critical after glass bedding. H, you've probably noticed the same thing.