Steel wool, Tung Oil and a Sears 30-30, project finished pics inside!

[R.W.Dale]

Check out my latest creation! It's a Sears store brand version of a Savage 340 30-30 that I got in trade for a Mossberg M44us. First thing added was a B-Square scope mount holding onto a Nikon Pro-Staff 3x9x40 via a set of ultra low burris zee rings. Then came the straight line thumbhole stock from Richards microfit. It took something like 12 weeks to get this stock made but it was well worth the wait! After a good deal of inletting, bedding with quicksteel, sanding and prepping came 10 coats of tung oil applied over the course of a week and lastly 2 coats of spray on spar urethane for that final weatherproofing and high gloss finish.

So whatchya think? Probably not what you expected clicking on a 30-30 thread huh? I'll try to snap a better photo in natural lighting tomorrow.

 

[Deer Hunter]

Very slick! You did an amazing job!

 

[takhtakaal]

Use copper wool next time. Zero chance of stragglers rusting away in your finish.

 

[jeepmor]

Saaawwweeett. 30-30 bolt action, cool.

I don't understand why you did 10 coats of tung oil then used urethane. More penetration into the grain for an overall harder (longer lasting) finish?

As for steel wool, works great, but those little stragglers are a real concern. I usually resort to some sort of wet/dry sandpaper instead until I know for sure the grain is fully sealed up and the pores full. Leaving the sanding dust in the pores helps fill them up and coalesces when more layers of finish is applied. I wipe with a tack rag, but don't use compressed air to clean out the pores. They usually seem to be filled in two or three coats of all poly type finishes, not sure on tung oil, but lots more for sure.

Not to critique by any stretch, it's just that I used to be a woodworker and this topic was often a point of discussion with other sawdust makers. We dealt with a lot of oak and could not use steel wool due to the open pores so prevalent in that species.

Now go scratch it now so you won't cry when the kid drops it.

 

[Mr White]

Nice. Probably one of the best looking J. C. Higgins .30-30s out there.

 

[dracphelan]

That is beautiful.

 

[db_tanker]

very nice looking...now...range report! it can't be simply for looking at!!!!


You must take to range and let everyone oogle at it...then oogle some more when you load it up with 30-30.


D

 

[Snarlingiron]

Very nice. I shot my first deer with a little Savage bolt action 30-30, so I have a soft spot for them. Wish I still had it.

 

[Arkie]

Now that's nice.

Natural light? It's raining! Don't get it wet. LOL.

 

[Jim Watson]

Wow, Roy Weatherby meets J.C. Higgins.

 

[O.S.O.K.]

nice job

how's she shoot for you?

I've got a Steven's version:

It's got a TC 4x scope in an original mount.

 

[R.W.Dale]

Natural light? It's raining! Don't get it wet. LOL.

While it didn't rain all day it sure did get windy and cold.


Anyhow as to accuracy so far this rifle hasn't been an outstanding performer. About 2 to 2.5moa in most cases certianlly OK but just not great. But I suspect this stock with it's much better bedding will help with this issue. With the old stock any loads that went faster than 2250 FPS would see a dramatic decrease in accuracy, LIKE 8" groups type decrease regardless of bullet weight, leading me to suspect bedding problems.

 

[Hutch]

Your rifle, you can do as you wish, but that seems like putting spinning hubcaps on a '73 Vega, or a 50 dollar saddle on a 10 dollar horse. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

 

[R.W.Dale]

Your rifle, you can do as you wish, but that seems like putting spinning hubcaps on a '73 Vega, or a 50 dollar saddle on a 10 dollar horse. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

Not really, the cost was less than you'd suspect. The original stock was cracked in a couple three places and if I'm gonna spend $85 for an OEM style replacement stock that looks as if it were made from an old pallet I'll spring an additional $45 for something nice.

 

[paintballdude902]

that finish is how i do my guns
000 or 0000 steal woool than many many coats of tung oil then some spray on poly to protect it from water

 

[loosehorse]

I like the plain tung oil with out the urethane...but each to his own!

 

[Commander Guineapig]

very nice!
that looks awesome...
I sure do like tung oil, and I am glad you suggested it to me recently!
big thumbs up!
GP

 

[rangerruck]

thanks for the idea of the urethane finish , just what I was looking for. Also, there is a very nice 3030 savage floating around at the Houston gunshows, but it ain't that nice!!!

 

[Ash]

It's amazing what can be done with a sow's ear! I have always liked the humble Savage, but they never put good wood on one, so they always have looked as cheap as a bolt-action shotgun (though I have one of those which I treasure from shooting days of my youth). Yours looks great and forces the viewer to take the rifle that much more seriously.

Ash

 

[Wolfgang2000]

That is a very good job. With the popularity of the 30-30 cartridge I'm surprised the 30-30 bolt gun hasn't been more popular.