A few years ago financial constraints caused me to sell my 2 "storebought" CF rifles, a 280 Rem and a 7mm-08, both M700s. Neither of those cartridges were widely available in every little country store like 30-06, .270 .308, etc, but were still stocked in most "gun shops".

Over the last few years I have slowly been building up my arsenal by finishing up some M98 Mauser projects and restoring my Dad's old sporterized US military rifle that he bought in the late 1950s.

So, you would think that I would have something chambered in a round that was more readily available right? Yeah right.

Here is my current home grown CF arsenal.



Top: Completed 2014, 8X57IS, VZ-500 commercial Yugoslavian intermediate length LR M98 action with "butterknife" bolt handle & lever floorplate release, $45 K98 take off barrel custom contour, 3-pos M98 style safety, Timney Sportman trigger, English walnut Oberndorf Classic stock. 2700 fps 200gr Speer Hotcore. Leupold 3-9 X 33 compact scope. Shoots < 1/2" 3-shot groups @ 100 yds.

Middle: Completed 2016, 8mm-06 Ackley Improved, 1943 J P Sauer & Sone K98 action, 1904 Portuguese Vergueiro bottom metal with hinged floorplate, trigger bow release, lengthened to 3.450" internal magazine length, 98/29 take off barrel cut back to 26" custom contour, 3-pos M70 style safety, Timney Sportman trigger, 1/4 sawn black walnut classic sporter stock, Pachmayr "Decelerator" recoil pad. 2900 fps 200gr Speer Hotcore. Kales 3-9 x 42 "American" scope. Shoots just over 1/2" 3-shot groups @ 100 yds

Bottom: Completed 2017, 1899 vintage 1898 Springfield 30/40 Krag. Early 20th century sporterized, 22" barrel, Bishop black walnut Monte Carlo stock cut down to replicate the original modified military stock, Pacific K-2 receiver sight. 2580 fps 160gr Hornady FTX.

All of the above are hand-loading propositions given my geographic location that prohibits mail order ammunition sales.

I still have another VZ-500 IL LR M98 action, a 1934 Mexican SR M98 action and an 1939 vintage Oberndorf K98 action on the shelf awaiting the time and $$$ to bring them to life.

So, is there a 30-06, 270, 308 or perhaps a 243 in my future? Not a chance.

The VZ-500 is already mated to a Shaw 7 X 57 barrel awaiting head-spacing and contouring, I have a .264 blank #3 contour barrel (6.5x55) for the Mexican and a M98/29 barrel (8x68S) for the K98 action.

So, if/when I get those 3 finished I will then have 6 rifles that I can't run out & buy ammo for on a moments notice.

8x57IS
8mm-06 A.I.
30/40 Krag
7x57
6.5x55
8x68S.

Am I a glutton for punishment or what?

What a nice bunch of Sporters you have there and the ones "on deck" sound great too.
The whole concept of off the shelf ammo is highly over rated. I've hunted all over the US and a trip over the water and never needed factory ammo not even once.
Keep up the good work.
I have some common cartridges but mostly hunt with oddballs like 6.5x55, 257 Roberts, 9.3x62, 400 Whelen. My son has killed a pile of Deer Elk and Antelope with a .284 Win, none of which you can buy anywhere to speak of.

I have bought off the self ammo twice in the last 30 years. One was a 300RUM that I couldn't wait for the components to try out and the other was a 223 that I couldn't get to shoot so in frustration I bought a box of ammo. Turns out it had a bad barrel.
Even though I shoot a lot of 270, 30-06, etc I have never bought factory ammo for any of them.
Nice bunch of rifles BTW.

Apparently you do it to yourself because you want to. Nothing wrong with using non "mainstream" cartridges. Just keep plenty hand loads available to yourself.

Do you do your own stock work?

The 8x68s is a potent round. A friend had two and of all the rifles that slipped through his fingers, they're his biggest regrets.