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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Big Bore Rifles
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buckstix
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BREVEX No. 15 joins my collection of Brevex Magnum Mausers
      #384764 - 10/05/24 09:27 AM

Hello All,

BREVEX No. 15 joins my collection of Brevex Magnum Mausers - a Roy Dunlap Custom.

The listing didn't give a lot of details about this rifle. But, I recognized it as a Brevex Action. Since I have a background in Long Range High Power Rifle Competition, I knew this rifle was for built for such. The 30-378 caliber should be a screamer. It will be arriving next week and I can't wait to get it in hand to test it. I will top it with a 20x Unertl, and a set of Palma iron sights. It will then be ready for "any-rifle-any-sights" and "any-rifle-iron-sights" competition.

As always, your comments are welcome. (pictures: first the rifle - and the 15 collected)

http://www.buckstix.com/buckpics/30-378-000.jpg





http://www.buckstix.com/buckpics/brevex15.jpg



--------------------
"You never pay too much for something, you only buy it too early."

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lancaster
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Reged: 06/05/08
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Re: BREVEX No. 15 joins my collection of Brevex Magnum Mausers [Re: buckstix]
      #384765 - 10/05/24 03:48 PM

is this a 378 Weatherby case necked down to .30 caliber? must be a firecracker!
surprise me that this actions only made in a small numbers ending in a long range rifle and not with a big game rifle. the need for big bore rifles was maybe low compared to pre war times but I thought that the brevex actions had fill exactly this niche. do you have an idea what the brevex action cost in its days straight from the factory?

--------------------
Norwegian hunter misses moose, shoots man on toilet
.
bringing civilisation to the barbarians

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buckstix
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Reged: 07/11/12
Posts: 1243
Loc: Whitetail Country
Re: BREVEX No. 15 joins my collection of Brevex Magnum Mausers [Re: lancaster]
      #384770 - 10/05/24 08:19 PM

Yes, a 30-378 is a 378 Weatherby case that is necked down to 30 caliber. It was a wild-cat cartridge when Roy Dunlap built this rifle, but now its a factory caliber available from Weatherby. Although most Brevex actions were used for Big Game calibers, they were used any time a Magnum length action was required. Sales in the U.S. were from Tradewinds. They were the sole Importer, and the actions were reasonably priced. During the mid 50s through the 70s, Brevex was the only MAGNUM action available. There were only approximately 450 actions made. Here is a 1955 ad.



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"You never pay too much for something, you only buy it too early."

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lancaster
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Re: BREVEX No. 15 joins my collection of Brevex Magnum Mausers [Re: buckstix]
      #384773 - 11/05/24 05:29 AM

thanks for the ad, if I go with this calculation https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1955?amount=1 a brevex action in 1955 had cost 1380 $ bei today's buying power. such calculations are allways to be taken with one or two grains of salt but its a fact the action allone had then some value. this in a time when americans could buy surplus military mauser rifles with a perfect standard action for maybe 10 $.
so I would say the guy who order your long range rifle then was not some kind of hobo

its a memory to americas golden age when everything was going up and the future looks fine.

--------------------
Norwegian hunter misses moose, shoots man on toilet
.
bringing civilisation to the barbarians

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93x64mm
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Re: BREVEX No. 15 joins my collection of Brevex Magnum Mausers [Re: lancaster]
      #384774 - 11/05/24 06:24 AM

Holy doley - this will be a 'screamer' alright!
My 308 Norma magnum gets Hornady 178gn A-Max's out at just over the 3000 fps, it could be loaded hotter but I've got a load that shoots to the same POI as the 180 flat base Hornady's in my rifle.
I had my rifle long throated like the Weatherby's so I can push these out without the very high initial pressure. It took me years & different powders to fine something it even remotely liked, hope your testing goes faster than mine - I would recommend the use of the slowest of powders!
Your rifle will make mine look like a snail!
Looking forward to the range report as always & congrats on your new baby!
Is the action colour case hardened & the colours just faded?

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buckstix
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Loc: Whitetail Country
Re: BREVEX No. 15 joins my collection of Brevex Magnum Mausers [Re: 93x64mm]
      #384852 - 15/05/24 03:03 PM

I got the rifle in hand today and I am super pleased. The Brevex action is case hardened, The barrel is a star-gauge P.O. Ackley. There is a wooden single-shot tray that is signed by Roy Dunlap. The action is glass bedded with the barrel free floating, and there is a Canjar M-2 trigger. I can,t wait to get some ammo ready.

http://www.buckstix.com/buckpics/30-378-0000.jpg



--------------------
"You never pay too much for something, you only buy it too early."

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lancaster
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Re: BREVEX No. 15 joins my collection of Brevex Magnum Mausers [Re: buckstix]
      #384893 - 17/05/24 03:27 PM

who is who of american gun history you got there.
what is the plan? do you get some kind of factory ammo or a die set? suspect there is no other die you can use for reloading.

--------------------
Norwegian hunter misses moose, shoots man on toilet
.
bringing civilisation to the barbarians

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buckstix
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Reged: 07/11/12
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Loc: Whitetail Country
Re: BREVEX No. 15 joins my collection of Brevex Magnum Mausers [Re: lancaster]
      #384896 - 17/05/24 09:57 PM

Surprise - Surprise .. ! ! This rifle is NOT a 30-378 ... it's a 30-338 ... see picture ... (The seller said it was a typo, and gave a partial refund for his error.)

The question then is; why wasn't this rifle just made as a 300 win mag? (which actually has 5 grains more case capacity) ... Well, ... It took some digging to find out why ... This rifle must have been built in 1958, when the 338 win mag was first introduced. The 300 win mag wasn't introduced until 5 years later in 1963. So, if you wanted a 30 caliber magnum in a long range match rifle in 1958, you simply necked down a 338 win mag. The only other 30 caliber mag available in 1958 was the 300 H&H mag, which wasn't considered a target cartridge.

Now the next question is; "Why did Dunlap use a Brevex Magnum action for a standard length cartridge?" In 1958 a surplus mauser could be had for about $10, and a Brevex sold for $118.50. That remains a mystery.

http://www.buckstix.com/buckpics/30-338caliber.jpg



--------------------
"You never pay too much for something, you only buy it too early."

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buckstix
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Reged: 07/11/12
Posts: 1243
Loc: Whitetail Country
Re: BREVEX No. 15 joins my collection of Brevex Magnum Mausers [Re: buckstix]
      #384911 - 19/05/24 02:06 AM

Well, I made it out to the range today. I added a 20x Unertl Programmer scope and dialed it in at 100 yds. I was a little taken back by the recoil. I'm not used to shooing from prone where you body doesn't "give" under recoil. Most of my big guns are shot standing, where you body is free to move during recoil. Never=the-less, I'm pretty pleased with the results. Next time I'll try to see if I can improve the group by shooting on the bench.

http://www.buckstix.com/buckpics/30-338-TARG.jpg



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"You never pay too much for something, you only buy it too early."

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DarylS
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Re: BREVEX No. 15 joins my collection of Brevex Magnum Mausers [Re: buckstix]
      #384914 - 19/05/24 05:12 AM

Cool beans.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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93x64mm
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Re: BREVEX No. 15 joins my collection of Brevex Magnum Mausers [Re: DarylS]
      #384917 - 19/05/24 07:25 AM

I'd hate to be any game within cooee, she reach out a long way this one!
Interesting choice of powder, rather fast for such a heavy bullet in a short magnum case?
I started with AR2209 (H4350) & my 308Norma which did not like that powder at all group wise even though I was getting factory velocity of 3000fps+ using 180gn Hornady pills!
Groups just shrunk remarkably when using AR2213SC (H4831), one of our 'Fly' shooters put me onto it when he saw my groups of woe!
Might be worth a try for you mate?
My only issue is my particular barrel fouls terribly, so it a 'more than a few beers' to clean that one!

For me recoil is sharp for the 30 Magnums lying down, they do come back very fast, a bigger slower bullet which even though has more recoil doesn't seem to 'sting' as much!
That group is nothing to be sneezed at for a 10 shot group by the way!
You always have interesting range reports, brilliant work as always.

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buckstix
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Posts: 1243
Loc: Whitetail Country
Re: BREVEX No. 15 joins my collection of Brevex Magnum Mausers [Re: 93x64mm]
      #384918 - 19/05/24 07:35 AM

Fast powder is LESS powder weight, which reduces recoil. And, I just happen to have 4895 in the measure. Next time out will be with some 168g HP BT.

--------------------
"You never pay too much for something, you only buy it too early."

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