30-06

D

Don Fischer

New member
I have a 30-06 I inherited from a guy that was like a dad to me back in 1995. I've shot it quite a bit but never hunted with it. Past 8 or 10 years I haven't even shot it much. decided it's gonna be my elk rifle this year. Had it to the gun smith years ago and the barrel he described as badly pitted, shure don't shoot like it though.

Bud had it made for himself when he was discharged from the army in 1945. He was wounded in the Pacific and spent a bunch of time in the VA Hospital in Walla Walla, Wash. The rifle is a 1903 Springfield and was built by Paul Jaeger! Have my own scope on it, 2 3/4x Denver Redfield. The trigger is the standard two stage military trigger with an attitude. Extremely smooth, My favorite trigger. Take up is smooth but definite stop to fire. Then breaks like glass. I have an idea what happen's is the trigger loads up your finger and then a whisper send's it off.

I don't know if I can get some photo's in here or not but will give it a try.

30-06
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First three shot group @ 100yds
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Second group
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Not to bad for a worn out barrel!
 
Pitting you can see. Doesn't always mean the barrel is no good though.
I'd be thinking 165's with IMR4064 instead of 180's.
Can you see that front sight in the scope? Won't matter but it might come off easily.
 
Pitting you can see. Doesn't always mean the barrel is no good though.
Click to expand...

Yep, very much this. I have had a couple old rifles with rough looking barrels that shoot great, and a couple with really good barrels that didn't.

One thing you may find, if you give it a real good cleaning, accuracy may drop off for a while, until you get some rounds through it.

Some people claim that the copper and powder fouling builds up and "smooths out" some of the pits, not sure if I buy that explanation, but I have seen improvement on some rifles.

On edit: I am not saying you should clean the hell out of your barrel, but that if you do happen to do so, accuracy may suck for a while until you get it sufficiently dirty again.
 
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Had a Carcano carbine that was like that.

I first got into old bolt action military rifles in the 70's seems they all had pitted bores back then, but shot OK. Had a Model 1938 Italian Carcano carbine (same rifle that shot Kennedy) for 9 years, very moody about ammo, but boy with the right loads was very accurate, but it pained me to see how it had been neglected with corrosive primers and was pitted.

Saw your groupings, pretty darn good. I probably would leave the current barrel on. But, on the other hand, there are all these new fangled custom barrels you could mount on it. As this is more of a keepsake, yeh, I would stick with what is on it for memory's sake.
 
What kind of attitude does a trigger have? Does that mean it is a hard pull? If so I would see if you do something about that.

No idea who Paul Jaeger is, guessing he was some big rifle builder years ago?
 
Paul Jaeger was a German gunsmith operating out of Jenkintown PA. He is a renowned gunsmith and inventor. He built top grade, expensive and now collectable firearms.
 
No the trigger is sweet as can be. All my other rifle's have 3# trigger's that break like glass. This military trigger worked over is super. It's the
favorite of mine!
 
A pitted barrel doesn't mean it is a bad barrel or not accurate. The rifling and muzzle crown are much more likely to affect overall accuracy. Leave it be, and shoot the hell out of it. Nice old sporter. I have a sporterized 30-06 Springfield too. Not as nice as that one though. Can be great deals on the used market, and some show excellent workmanship from 50's and 60's era gunsmiths.
 
Also we are talking short distances for 30-06.

Not sure what we are looking at in pics, some tight some open. But at 100 yards not big deal.
 
Berserker, back when my eyebones were young and healthy, I had the occasional one-MOA group via a Weaver K2.5 on my Enfield. Handloads...
 
"Impressed you can shoot a 100 yards with that scope."

Really??? I made most of my local reputation as a marksman using a 4X scope at ranges up to 400 yards. A 2.5 X with clarity is good enough for most uses up to 250-300 even with senior citizen eyes.

The downside of a pitted barrel is the increased fouling as the pits gouge metal from the bullet jacket and sometimes a pitted barrel may shoot more accurately with some residual fouling filling the pits.
 
Can't see the wood very well but it looks quite nice. Built by Jaeger, it is a treasure you can be proud of. I have seen many rifles with questionable looking bores that shot very well. Looks like yours is shooting about an inch, and that is extremely good for a sporter 30-06. Good luck hunting with it.
 
Berserker, I got that scope brand new in the 70's.Love the thing matter of fact I've probably killed more game with that old scope on an old 660 in 308 than any scope I have. I've also got an old 1-4x Redfield on another rifle. I really like low power scopes on hunting rifle's.
 
I like my scope one 2-4 for hunting. But for testing loads and sighting in, I like to crank it up.

But judging from what people say about themselves, they are better shots than me.
 
An occasional 1 MOA, is waste of time to me, when working on loads or sighting in scopes. Occassional, is bad most of the night. Hunting, sure.
 
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