Hi fellas! I tried the search function with little luck so I have a quick question for ya... I have a Winchester Model 70 Classic that I rebarreled to 338-06 Ackley Improved. I'm planning on taking this gun to hunt plains game next year but before I head out, I need to get some feeding issues taken care of. It feeds pretty good most of the time but once in a while the bolt will slip over a round, or other times the round will not pop out from under the feed rail smoothly. I've messed with changing followers and magazine springs with no results and I'm definitely not willing to do any grinding on the feed rails(I don't trust my abilities). I understand that this isn't a dangerous game rifle, but I still want everything to work flawlessly. Can anyone recommend an excellent gunsmith that can get this rifle feeding rounds like it's running on ball bearings? I've got a few other things that I want done to it(sights, finish) while it's in the care of a true gunsmith, but the feeding issues are the most important to me right now. Thanks ahead of time for any recommendations.

Cody

Cody welcome.

I shoot a number of Gibbs style wildcats of my own design. What I have found that the usual fedding issue I had was the squared off front shoulder hitting the feed rail first and then either the rear area isn't smooth enough or the spring isn't strong enough to lift the back all the way up. Have you found an issue of one side vs the other or full mag vs last round?

I also understand ones own felt imitations. Hard to put metal back on. There are a number of good smiths that post here that can help you. I'm a 98 man so cant reall suggest a M70 expert.

I shoot a 340PDK imagine your 338-06AI with the shoulder forward. Body shoulder starting at 2.18" 40 deg and .46" dia. MY go to for Elk. Yours will work great for plains game.

Hi Paul,
As far as the round not feeding smoothly out of the feed rail, it happens when feeding from both sides of the magazine, first to last round. Although slightly worse on the right side and with a full mag. When the round gets to the point that it needs to pop under the extractor, everything feels like it gets in a bind and you have to exert quite a lot of force to go ahead and get it to feed.

Regarding when the bolt slips over the rear of the cartridge, it also happens on both sides except it is worse with a full magazine. I suppose that since there is less taper in the case, the rounds are pivoting on their shoulder while in the magazine. I'm assuming that some taper needs to be taken out of the magazine, either by widening the front or narrowing the rear. Narrowing the rear would be the easiest. This would at least allow the rounds to set in proper relationship with each other and get rid of some of the slop. I hope this is making sense.

Oh yes, and Paul, as far as being a "98" guy, all I can say is, "Me too!" That's all I've ever really used since I started hunting as a kid(I'm only 28 now, so to a lot of you I'm still a kid!). As you know, quality/affordable commercial Mausers are getting harder and harder to come by. I have a PO Ackley built FN Supreme Mausers in 35 Whelen Improved hanging around that I inherited from my Great Uncle and I also have a couple of Ackley's own 98 Mauser actions but since there were only a few of these made(100-200?), I'm hanging on to them until I have enough coin to really go all out on a custom gun. Until then, I'm going to have to experiment with the Model 70's for a while.