pacecars
.300 member
Reged: 25/09/05
Posts: 130
Loc: Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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I have wanted a Browning High Power since I was a small tot drooling over a 7mm Olympian Grade I saw in a gun shop. Olympians are out of my reach but I have finally found a reasonably priced Safari Grade in .300 H&H Magnum so I can scratch this one off the bucket list.
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Waidmannsheil
.416 member
Reged: 19/04/13
Posts: 2522
Loc: Melbourne Australia
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Looks very nice, well done and in a particularly nice cartridge.
Waidmannsheil.
-------------------- There is nothing wrong with vegetarian food, so long as there is meat with it.
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93x64mm
.416 member
Reged: 07/12/11
Posts: 4422
Loc: Nth QLD Australia
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Sweet rifle that one! If you want to change calibres, I'd do a switch barrel for say a .375H&H that way you can still keep the original barrel as well. Good cartridge the 30 Super! 93x64mm
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Wanabebwana
.300 member
Reged: 11/01/13
Posts: 221
Loc: Canada
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Congratulations Pacecars. In the early '70s .300H&H did not sell well as the .300 Win Mag had become adopted by all. I picked up a new Safari in .300H&H for a discount and then went back and bought the other one the dealer had in stock. In the mid eighties I lost my mind and decided to sell most of my guns.( I did keep my new .222Rem Mag, Medallion grade) These two .300s are the ones I regretted the most.In January of this year I picked up a clean .300H&H and I will not part with this one. Nosler makes ammo with 180gr@ 2950fps which is equivalent to standard .300 Win Mag ballistics. Browning FN are in my informed opinion the finest over the counter post war rifles ever made. I own a .222Rem Mag Medallion grade, a .22-250 Safari as well as Safaris in .270Win,7mmRem Mag,.300Win Mag, .300H&H Mag, .308 Norma Mag, .375 H&H and .458 Win Mag. All FN Mauser actions are long extractor pre 1967( no salt wood issues). I have no interest in the .264 Win Mag but would love to pick up a .338 Win Mag.
Some of my rifles. Left to right. .458,.375,300Win,7mm Rem,.222 Rem Mag.

1962 .300H&H Mag. Stock has been professionally refinished in oil.

.22-250 Safari grade with Sako Forester action and 22" pencil barrel
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Homer
.416 member
Reged: 07/04/09
Posts: 3081
Loc: Canberra, Australia
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G'Day Fella's,
Wow, thank You for sharing Pacecars and Wannabebwana!
I two have a thing for Post WWII (BSA, Brno, Browning, etc) sporting rifles. Whilst my .404 Jeff is based on a Browning (Safari ?) 98 action, I also need a stock factory complete rifle.
Doh! Homer
-------------------- "Beware the Lolly Pop of Mediocrity,
Lick it Once and You Will Suck Forever"
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pacecars
.300 member
Reged: 25/09/05
Posts: 130
Loc: Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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Thanks Guys. Great looking collection Wannabebwana. The stock has a few spots that are cracking so I may have to strip it and give it an oil finish like yours. Yours looks great. I did see one in .308 Norma Mag that was new in the box. I didn't know they made it in that caliber. The seller wanted both arms. Both legs and my first born
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DarylS
.700 member
Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27710
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
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I re-finished an Olympian Grade .30/06 for a friend. He wanted an identical finish to the original - ie: like a Grande Piano.
That is what he got and paid for - the finish looked a mile deep - came out perfect, like a mirror, and hard. I waited 2 days between each thin coat to make sure they were EACH hard and dry.
Due to the depth of the grain in that soft but lovely Claro stock, it took a total of 56 coats of oil and over 6 months to finish. There were only 4 thin coats over the top of the wood's high spots, polished with rouge and oil. A brilliant finish if done correctly.
Of course, Browning used a dip of Varethane, Polyurethane, some form of plastic or epoxy.
It is possible to make a duplicate finish if you take your time, is what I am saying.
-------------------- Daryl
"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V
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pacecars
.300 member
Reged: 25/09/05
Posts: 130
Loc: Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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I will wait until I get it in my hands to decide on the refinish
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Wanabebwana
.300 member
Reged: 11/01/13
Posts: 221
Loc: Canada
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Homer, Would love to see a pic of your .404J. The Browning FN Mauser action is the same for the Safari, Medallion and Olympian grades except for the engraving of course. It is an FN supreme, (series 400)action with side safety and streamlined bolt shroud shroud. FN rifles had the Mauser type bolt stop but eventually all FNs sold as complete rifles or made for Browning had the spring type flush bolt stop.The build quality of these all milled actions is the finest of any postwar Mauser.(I have a mint BRNO ZG47 and beg to differ with those who say that it is the finest). FN Mausers were discontinued in 1975 due to cost and today you have to pay over $5K for a quality Mauser action alone.
1957 BRNO ZG47, .30-06
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pacecars
.300 member
Reged: 25/09/05
Posts: 130
Loc: Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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I do like the small ring Brno rifles and have found them to be very well made. Had one rebored to 9.3x62mm and it was a nice light thumper
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pacecars
.300 member
Reged: 25/09/05
Posts: 130
Loc: Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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Any recommendations on dies? I haven't had any .300 mags so reloading this one will be new to me. I will be using it on deer and pigs for now. What would be a good deer bullet in this? Would the 150 gr or 165 gr hold up to the speeds or should I go with the 180s?
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DarylS
.700 member
Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27710
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
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Either the 150gr. or 165gr. Mono's would work perfectly - GMX or Barnes TSX or TTSX. I found the 165gr. Copper Trophy Federal ammo shot very well in my .300 Win. Mag. I do not know if they are available for handloading.
I would not use a cup and core lead bullet for deer or pigs in .300 mag.
I would, however use a 180gr. cup and core bullet for those animals and perhaps a 200gr. Nosler Partition for all.
Friend of mine uses that bullet in his .300 WTBY Mag. for whitetail and mulies in farm land. Blows their little melons off and causes no meat damage.
-------------------- Daryl
"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V
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pacecars
.300 member
Reged: 25/09/05
Posts: 130
Loc: Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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I like to keep things as simple and easy as possible and do like the idea of one load for everything
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Wanabebwana
.300 member
Reged: 11/01/13
Posts: 221
Loc: Canada
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Pacecars, The ZG47 is a large ring Mauser. The small ring BRNOs, the 21H and the 22F were very well made with great handling characteristics. The .300H&H works well with 180 gr bullets and they are better suited than anything heavier due to magazine length. Nosler partitions are the only ones I used in my first .300H&H and they do the job on deer, bear or moose. They also shot accurately in my rifle.
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pacecars
.300 member
Reged: 25/09/05
Posts: 130
Loc: Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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I should have worded it better. I meant the Brno 21 or 22 are very nice, I have not got my hands on a ZG47 to compare. Does the ZG47 have a safety on the left side of the shroud like the small rings do?
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justcurious
.333 member
Reged: 17/03/10
Posts: 285
Loc: Germany
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ZG 47 safety:
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pacecars
.300 member
Reged: 25/09/05
Posts: 130
Loc: Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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Cool, I like it
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Homer
.416 member
Reged: 07/04/09
Posts: 3081
Loc: Canberra, Australia
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G'Day Fella's,
Wannabebwana, Sorry mate but I don't know how to post images on this forum? If you like, please feel free to email me. I can then send you some images of my Browning actioned, .404 Jeff?
Thank You also (Wannabebwana and Just Curious), for the images of the ZG 47!
Regards JB
-------------------- "Beware the Lolly Pop of Mediocrity,
Lick it Once and You Will Suck Forever"
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pacecars
.300 member
Reged: 25/09/05
Posts: 130
Loc: Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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Homer, if you send them to my email I can also post them for you
pacecars@hotmail.com
Ronnie
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Homer
.416 member
Reged: 07/04/09
Posts: 3081
Loc: Canberra, Australia
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G'Day Fella's,
Thank You Pacecars, images are on the way.
Regards Homer
-------------------- "Beware the Lolly Pop of Mediocrity,
Lick it Once and You Will Suck Forever"
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pacecars
.300 member
Reged: 25/09/05
Posts: 130
Loc: Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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Hera are Homer's pics of his fantastic rifle!










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Wanabebwana
.300 member
Reged: 11/01/13
Posts: 221
Loc: Canada
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Homer you've been holding out on us. WOW the real deal and a beautiful FN. Do you know who manufactured the double square bridge action on the post war Jeffrey? Looks like a Mayfair.
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Ripp
.577 member
Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
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Quote:
Looks very nice, well done and in a particularly nice cartridge.
Waidmannsheil.
I agree--great gun and really awesome caliber...
Ripp
-------------------- ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..
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Igorrock
.400 member
Reged: 01/03/07
Posts: 1684
Loc: Finland
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Seems that SAKO High Power and bespoke FN are quite similar. I have one customized SAKO in .30-06.
http://www.chuckhawks.com/sako_high-power_rifle.htm
-------------------- http://promaakari.wordpress.com/
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cordite
.333 member
Reged: 29/01/07
Posts: 341
Loc: NW Montana
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I once had an old sako with the fn action in 300 h&h. Marked 300 super. Took a nice bull elk with it. Sure wish I still had it.
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