Reeder Custom Guns - I have this kookie fantasy oddball rifle idea...

It's not expensive and I don't know why I never did do it. When I was a boy I got hold of a mid 1970's Remington catalog. It was fantastic and really effected my young brain. It even had spectacular ammunition and ballistic/trajectory tables in the back, which I studied at length.

Since then I've had about every common gun in the catalog, except for one style. The M760 Pump rifle. In particular the gaudy, Dolly Parton of the Remington line, basket weave checkered, white line spacer, black forend tip, raised cheek piece BDL. The receiver was also a bit more flat topped on the BDL. To a kid that was cool kit.

Prices have continued to climb on them. I always wanted to get one in .270 or .30-06 (perfectly fine as is) but have a rebore job done to .338-06. The .35 Whelen is tempting but the .338 shoots flatter and has more bullet options. THAT, I think, would be a cool semi-custom, for easy under a grand. I'm told they shoot fantastic, having a free floating barrel. Shotgun type trigger not withstanding.

Sort of like Dolly, powdered up, in the right setting, good light, bent over just right, she still does something for me.

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When I was a Corrections Officer for Arizona we were issued those in .308. Turns out if you dry-fire them you the firing pins will break.

Had a situation where one of the Officers had to shoot an inmate who was attacking another .. rifle would not work and he ended up using his handgun to stop the attack. Later investigation showed the firing pin was broken. They examined all the rifles and found many of them with broken firing pins.

Not too long afterwards they were all exchanged for Ruger Mini-14's.

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Things like that mar a rifle design forever. Probably an isolated run but there will always be that "what if". As I mentioned I have never proceeded with the idea. It surfaces every once in a while though. With so many really great bolt guns available it's sure hard to justify anyway. Wants and needs seldom come together with firearms, at the same time.

If you are going to have a problem it will ALWAYS be in a compromised situation or miles, and miles, from help. That's why I always have a plan B, C,...

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35 Whelen Remington pump rifle. The difference in ballistics is about nill, really. They both can use loadings from 185gr to 250gr in the same effective manner. I cut my 35 Whelen bbl from 22" down to 18" and remounted the front sight. What a sweet whitetail and black bear rifle that makes. Handy and quick to get into action with lots of thump. A 35 Whelen pump ain't exactly common at the camp either.

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is the .338 projectiles are notable sturdy for their weights. They generally just won't blow up and you need to drive them as fast as you can. The 200 gr. Hornady's at 2600 fps met little resistance in a 80 lb. Blackbuck (two of them actually, 3-shots). They were almost like FMJ's at 100/140 yds. Conversely the .378 GNR and the sturdy 260 gr. Nosler Accu bond/270 Hornady JSP expands nicely on Sika and Smaller Whitetail Deer. Ditto on the 6.5 cal. trickery with bullets. The Accubond 130's are tough, where some Remington Cor-Lockt's 100 gr. simply blew up. I'd not shoot anything bigger than a fox with one.

Some calibers have a general character of their own relating to projectiles. We debated on the merits of the 8mm GNR vs .338 GNR and agreed that both were fantastic. Hat tip to the 8mm on deer sized game and maybe the .338 for closer to Elk size. I finally decided to bail completely and just whack stuff with the .378 GNR and be done. Perhaps I missed the tie breaker .350 GNR completely. LOL I think Puffy had one and I was waiting to see what he had to say.

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I have it and used it in Africa.

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I still have a nice Big Bore 94 .375 Win. XTR. I'm keen on keeping it now for sure, pass on to my kids.

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and might in a pump. To rebore that skinny barrel to 338 leaves you with a paper thin barrel that has a lot of whip to it and the accuracy suffers big time. We have had that problem with reboring 30 caliber bolt guns to 338 or 35 and I am sure the 760, 7600, or 76 would suffer the same problem. To that end we no longer rebore barrels. It is easier and better to just install the correct diameter barrel.

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these days have the skill to do it properly and many folks do not understand every barrel is different. Due the the manner how this barrel is held in place in the receiver I think a Gunsmith would resort to chamber stubbing techniques witch are just as complex and even more costly.

So it quickly gets to be a scratch unless someone is just goofy and bent on doing something. One of those situations where you spend $500 on a $400 rifle and end up with an interesting $400 rifle. lol

I've only had two re-bores and got lucky on both. The metals in the barrels were very good to work with and the men contracted were exceptionally skilled. Costly, risky, and takes a long, long time to accomplish a quality that cannot be ensured. Rolling the dice. Usually you have to sign a disclaimer too in case the whole works goes sideways!

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said, the firing pin in mine broke also. Not good when your 150 miles from home, and 20 miles from the nearest town.

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I have this kookie fantasy oddball rifle idea...

Problems

What a shame. The metal was too hard for sure.

I have (3) 338-06 bolt rifles and a

My only critique and same goes for .338 GNR

Puffy had a 350 Encore carbine barrel.

Yeah I've traded with him over the years

one other possible problem that has occurred in bolt guns

Yeah re-bores are a crap shoot, tricky, few

I had that exact same rifle once, and as Jim