I confess that two factors that often go into my gun buying/building decision-making process are influences from the writers for shooting periodicals and the personal feeling that I simply “should” own some particular firearm. Case in point: maybe 20 years ago I got the urge to have a truly big bore rifle. Don’t ask me why I wanted one. I wasn’t planning an African safari and I have never heard of any elephants or rhinos running loose in my neighborhood. But I wanted one just the same simply because I felt that I “should” have one.
So I bought an Interarms Mauser in .458 Winchester. The rifle was OK, but it was a standard length commercial Model 98 action and was less than special looking. It just didn’t look like a safari rifle which was what I wanted despite the lack of safari planning in my future. Also, I started reading more and more about the shortcomings of the 458 cartridge. I grew dissatisfied with my purchase and sold the 458.
A few years earlier the late Jeff Cooper had written a three-part series detailing his quest for a “heavy rifle.” He started with a BRNO 602 action which is a true magnum-length action with the claw extractor and general design of the true Model 98. He chambered his rifle for a wildcat round developed by Tom Siatos that utilized the .404 Jeffrey case “improved” by blowing out the shoulder and necking up for a .458 bullet. As an editor for Guns & Ammo magazine at the time, he padded his job security by naming the new caliber the .460 Guns & Ammo (.460 G&A). The round fell midway between the 458 Winchester and the mighty .460 Weatherby in power, launching a 500 grain bullet at around 2,300 FPS compared to 2,000 for the Winchester number and 2,600 for the Weatherby.
Siatos felt that the Jeffery case, being unbelted, would have certain advantages over the belted magnum rounds. First, the case was smaller without the belt so less metal had to be removed to accommodate the round between the feed rails of the rifle’s action. In theory the extra “meat” would make the action stronger and less likely to flex during firing. Also, the unbelted case might feed more smoothly and reliably from the magazine.
The idea of building a rifle using a wildcat cartridge also appealed to me on the “I should have one” theory. If I knew then what I know now, I would have gone another route. But at the time I was into the idea of having a wildcat so I went looking for a suitable rifle.
This cartridge requires a magnum-length action. I couldn’t find a 602 like Cooper used (later I acquired one but left it in as issued condition) but I did find a Remington Model 30S. The Model 30 was a descendent of the 1917 that saw service in WW I. They made it a bit more sporting in appearance, losing the dropped magazine that made the rifles look pregnant and the huge “ears” that protected the rear sight. The standard rifle and carbine models came in several calibers with 30-06 being the most popular. The 30S was the deluxe version with a receiver sight and a fancier stock. The best thing about the Model 30 is that it is a true magnum-length action.
I found the rifle in a local shop and it was in sad shape. Showing much wear and abuse, the stock was split through the pistol-grip and held together with electrical tape. The price was a little high given the condition, but it was perfect for my purposes and I bought it.
I delivered it to my gunsmith with instructions to turn it into a first-class safari rifle. He used a Douglas 458 blank and chambered it for the 460 G&A cartridge. I specified a 25” barrel to make the most of the caliber’s potential. Many old European sporting rifles feature long barrels with some being as long as 30” and I like the look of the longer tube (but I didn’t want to get too crazy with this). I wanted a ramp front sight on a barrel band so a Ruger front sight from a #1 Tropical Rifle was used. The front sling swivel was mounted on the barrel rather than the fore-end of the stock in true safari rifle fashion.
The stock on the rifle is actually a replacement. The first one was of a gorgeous wood with a lot of figure but it split in two upon the first test firing. Another stock of plainer but sturdier walnut was made up.
Before shooting I had to buy cases and dies to make the ammo. No store-bought fodder for this bad boy is even available. This is where I started to regret the decision to go with a wildcat cartridge. The cases were horribly expensive, like $2 each! This was 20 years ago, remember. The last time I saw some of these for sale the price was over $4 apiece.
The RCBS dies were from their “special order” category and the retail price was $140! I nearly died. The smith needed some rounds for final chamber testing and firing so I bought one box of loaded ammo from a specialty maker. The 20 rounds set me back $90. Wow.
As if the cost of the dies wasn’t bad enough, I had to pay it twice. In 1995 I accidentally dropped the dies into the trash while living in Cincinnati, OH. Those dies are in the Cincinnati landfill at this moment. I had to buy a second set. I cried real tears.
The finished rifle was beautiful, but I have to admit that I don’t enjoy shooting it too much. It kicks be bejeebers out of me and after maybe three rounds I am flinching so badly that hitting the target is out of the question. I have made up loads in the heavy 45-70 class using lead bullets and those aren’t too bad. But full-power loads are brutal.
Do I really need this rifle? No. Why do I keep it when I can’t shoot it well or often? You got me. I guess I just feel like I “should” have it.
Here’s the Remington 30S in 460 G&A.
Here’s my friend Ron shooting the rifle. Note the amount of muzzle rise in the lower photo showing the gun in recoil. He actually likes this rifle and has offered several times to buy it from me. I guess maybe I should sell it to him but I can’t bring myself to do it. I put it my will so all he has to do is outlive me and it’s his.
So I bought an Interarms Mauser in .458 Winchester. The rifle was OK, but it was a standard length commercial Model 98 action and was less than special looking. It just didn’t look like a safari rifle which was what I wanted despite the lack of safari planning in my future. Also, I started reading more and more about the shortcomings of the 458 cartridge. I grew dissatisfied with my purchase and sold the 458.
A few years earlier the late Jeff Cooper had written a three-part series detailing his quest for a “heavy rifle.” He started with a BRNO 602 action which is a true magnum-length action with the claw extractor and general design of the true Model 98. He chambered his rifle for a wildcat round developed by Tom Siatos that utilized the .404 Jeffrey case “improved” by blowing out the shoulder and necking up for a .458 bullet. As an editor for Guns & Ammo magazine at the time, he padded his job security by naming the new caliber the .460 Guns & Ammo (.460 G&A). The round fell midway between the 458 Winchester and the mighty .460 Weatherby in power, launching a 500 grain bullet at around 2,300 FPS compared to 2,000 for the Winchester number and 2,600 for the Weatherby.
Siatos felt that the Jeffery case, being unbelted, would have certain advantages over the belted magnum rounds. First, the case was smaller without the belt so less metal had to be removed to accommodate the round between the feed rails of the rifle’s action. In theory the extra “meat” would make the action stronger and less likely to flex during firing. Also, the unbelted case might feed more smoothly and reliably from the magazine.
The idea of building a rifle using a wildcat cartridge also appealed to me on the “I should have one” theory. If I knew then what I know now, I would have gone another route. But at the time I was into the idea of having a wildcat so I went looking for a suitable rifle.
This cartridge requires a magnum-length action. I couldn’t find a 602 like Cooper used (later I acquired one but left it in as issued condition) but I did find a Remington Model 30S. The Model 30 was a descendent of the 1917 that saw service in WW I. They made it a bit more sporting in appearance, losing the dropped magazine that made the rifles look pregnant and the huge “ears” that protected the rear sight. The standard rifle and carbine models came in several calibers with 30-06 being the most popular. The 30S was the deluxe version with a receiver sight and a fancier stock. The best thing about the Model 30 is that it is a true magnum-length action.
I found the rifle in a local shop and it was in sad shape. Showing much wear and abuse, the stock was split through the pistol-grip and held together with electrical tape. The price was a little high given the condition, but it was perfect for my purposes and I bought it.
I delivered it to my gunsmith with instructions to turn it into a first-class safari rifle. He used a Douglas 458 blank and chambered it for the 460 G&A cartridge. I specified a 25” barrel to make the most of the caliber’s potential. Many old European sporting rifles feature long barrels with some being as long as 30” and I like the look of the longer tube (but I didn’t want to get too crazy with this). I wanted a ramp front sight on a barrel band so a Ruger front sight from a #1 Tropical Rifle was used. The front sling swivel was mounted on the barrel rather than the fore-end of the stock in true safari rifle fashion.
The stock on the rifle is actually a replacement. The first one was of a gorgeous wood with a lot of figure but it split in two upon the first test firing. Another stock of plainer but sturdier walnut was made up.
Before shooting I had to buy cases and dies to make the ammo. No store-bought fodder for this bad boy is even available. This is where I started to regret the decision to go with a wildcat cartridge. The cases were horribly expensive, like $2 each! This was 20 years ago, remember. The last time I saw some of these for sale the price was over $4 apiece.
The RCBS dies were from their “special order” category and the retail price was $140! I nearly died. The smith needed some rounds for final chamber testing and firing so I bought one box of loaded ammo from a specialty maker. The 20 rounds set me back $90. Wow.
As if the cost of the dies wasn’t bad enough, I had to pay it twice. In 1995 I accidentally dropped the dies into the trash while living in Cincinnati, OH. Those dies are in the Cincinnati landfill at this moment. I had to buy a second set. I cried real tears.
The finished rifle was beautiful, but I have to admit that I don’t enjoy shooting it too much. It kicks be bejeebers out of me and after maybe three rounds I am flinching so badly that hitting the target is out of the question. I have made up loads in the heavy 45-70 class using lead bullets and those aren’t too bad. But full-power loads are brutal.
Do I really need this rifle? No. Why do I keep it when I can’t shoot it well or often? You got me. I guess I just feel like I “should” have it.
Here’s the Remington 30S in 460 G&A.
Here’s my friend Ron shooting the rifle. Note the amount of muzzle rise in the lower photo showing the gun in recoil. He actually likes this rifle and has offered several times to buy it from me. I guess maybe I should sell it to him but I can’t bring myself to do it. I put it my will so all he has to do is outlive me and it’s his.
