Anyone have a Grand European 30-06? I bought one at Tulsa and need to work me up a load for it. I have it toped with a Leupold varix III 1.5-5 Any suggestions?

Shawn Massey
www.masseysfineguns.com

Shawn:

Did this rifle have mounts on it when you got it, or did you add them?
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"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

It already had them on it when I bought it. The mount is the long mount that sets over the rib and the rings are the quick release style with the lever.

I also got some 318 Westley Richards rounds made and loaded from 06 brass, thanks to you and others on this site for help! I also bought 75 rounds of loaded Kynoch ammo from William Larkin & Moore at Tulsa! I am ready to do business with my 318.

Shawn Massey
www.masseysfineguns.com

Does it have any markings as to what it was regulated for? I would try a variety of factory loads and see what comes closest to regulating. I think I would try some 150-165 loads first then 180’s.
Bill

Shawn, for what it is worth... The .30-06 Browning Continental's were regulated with 150 grain bullets. When I had claw mounts added that changed... now my Browning likes 200's. Had I know that would be the outcome I probably would have paid extra.!

PS: IMR 4320 and 4350 with the 150's was awesome.

quote:

Originally posted by Shawn Massey:
Anyone have a Grand European 30-06? I bought one at Tulsa and need to work me up a load for it. I have it toped with a Leupold varix III 1.5-5 Any suggestions?

Shawn Massey
www.masseysfineguns.com

Shawn, I hesitate to tell you this, but you will be a very lucky man indeed, if the Winchester Grand Europian regulates with anything! these rifles were not regulated in the normal manner, but were placed in a jig and brazed together! I have one, a 9.3X74R in my gun vault as we speak, the will shoot 1" groups from each barrel, but the bottom barrel shoots at the same elevation, as the top barrel, but four inches left of point of aim, and the top barrel shoot fourinches right of point of aim, at 50 yds, and at 100 yds forget it. This rifle was a very expensive lesson, for me, in buyer bewear! I just marked it up to a learning process, and put the rifle in the back of the vault, and for got I have it!

The other problem is these thigs were not soldered but brazed, makeing them not a good candidate for re-regulateing! They are beautiful rifles, and I hope your's is somehow accidently regulated properly!

I'll concur with MacD37.

Many of the guns didn't shoot that well - if at all and many owners over here had them re regulated - and once done, they turned out to be very good guns and shooters.

Hope you got a good one.

Shawn

you might try some factory loads before you start handloading. I would try 2 different loads with each bullet weight, 150 165,180 and 220gr.

keep very good records marking the targets as to which is the top bbl and which is the bottom.

Save the actual targets.

you might see a trend develop as to which weight the rifle likes best.

You might also find that, say, the rifle puts 150gr bullets fron the top bbl into the same group that the bottom bbl does with 180gr. bullets.

Or maybe nearly all bullet weights hit the same place fron the bottom barrel but the top only hits close to the bottom with one load.

This might give you some idea where to start with your handloads.

For instance my 9,3x74R Chapuis shoots accurately and regulates good enough to hunt with 286 Woodleighs and 286 Nosler Partitions with the same powder charge, using the same sight zero, out to over 250 yards.

But, the double shoots smaller groups with a Partition in the left bbl and a Woodleigh in the right.

Do a little testing and let us know what happens.

Thanks for all of the advice!

I have a friend that goes by K80 on this site that had several factory loads, and he give me 4 round of each. I am going to start with that and see what happens before I load any new loads. I sure hope it shoots OK, like MACD37 said, it is a beautiful rifle!

I did shoot 8 rounds of 165BT reloads through it right after I bought it, but I shot from a led sled. I have learned since that you should hold the rifle over a rest in hand so it will recoil naturally. The shots were high at first, and after I adjusted the scope, the bottom barrel would hit dead center and the top barrel 4" left of the bottom. I also shot it offhand at 25yds and they both hit in the bullseye.

I can tell I am going to get hooked an double rifles!

Shawn

Welcome aboard the wacky double rifle train, Shawn! I promise you it will not be a boreing ride!