I've run across an available older Musgrave single shot bolt action target rifle action marked RSA, large flat bottom, small ejection port, Mauser claw-type extractor, .308 bolt face, cocking piece safety. Looks just like a flat-bottomed Mauser single shot action except is plenty long enough to handle .30-06 or even longer cartridges with a little bolt stop modification . I know these actions were quite popular in the '70s and '80s at Bisley and in Canada, South Africa and Australia for building rifles to shoot prone out to 1,200 yards...and in Palma-style matches at 800,900, and 1,000 yards..

This a heavy, very solid & rigid all-steel action with no slot for a magazine in the bottom of the action at all. Has matching 2 digit SN on barrel and receiver sight, but not on action itself.

Any suggestions as to what to use it for?

I would ask, is the ejection port long enough to use something longer than an '06?

I am doing a Savage RB/LP SS action to build my 308 ZT/SS*.

Rich

*ZT = Zero Taper on the case.
SS = Square (90-degree) Shoulder
no logic, other than my personal curiosity.

I believe it is long enough for just about anything one would want to put in it. But I would have to measure the ejection port length and width to tell you if a fired case would be ejected without having to withdraw the whole bolt. That would work fine, but it would be a real PITA to do after every shot. The bolt stop is very easy to use and the bolt is very easy to remove and put back in, but it is not something I would accept.

As there is a ton of metal there to work with, I would just lengthen the ejection port and shorten the bolt stop. Your cartridge sounds like an interesting experiment,

I was considering either a .280 AI or an 8 m/m-'06 AI. But someone may have a much better idea... I really can lay my hands on four of them if I get into this whole hog.

50 BMG? :-)

I think the diameter of the bolt face would prohibit .50 BMG, Jon...it could pretty easily take belted mags I suspect, but am not sure how much bigger it could go regards case head diameter.

I am too old to get kicked like that anymore, anyhow.

check out the 6,5x68 Shuler...

I'm interested to see what you decide on... I have one of those actions sitting in the safe waiting for me to decide the same... I was contemplating a 284 win F-class gun just for something a little different.

A deep throated, 9 twist heavy 26" barreled 30-06 to handle the heavy for caliber 30 caliber long range match bullets. You should have, accuracy, range , no powder room infringement and modest recoil . roger

I have a action like that! It was a 308 botface single shot. I opened the boltface to take a 300 WSM and also opened the ejector port to get the short and fat WSM cases. I also modifyed the action to accsept a Remington style trigger. The orginal trigger was pretty good but I use my Musgrave for long range benchrest and wanted a Jewell trigger on it! The rifle shoots decent but it have SS Sako barrel fitted and I think the accuracy will benefit from a really good matchbarrel from Krieger, Bartlein or sim. But they are really hard to get to Sweden (where I live) at the moment :-(