I think I must be sick!

[Jevyod]

Please tell me this is a stupid idea so I don't do it! Actually please don't:bigsmyl2: I have been talking some to Tim (goodsteel) about building me a 358 Winchester off my k98 Mauser. I am having a problem sleeping because I keep thinking and dreaming about it! I never had a rifle built for me, and the thought is making me excited! I am thinking of getting a California Claro walnut grade A fancy stock with the Monte carlo style comb. Add a Lother Walthar barrel, jewel the bolt, and get a custom bolt knob(maybe a bullet profile!) Let Tim work his magic on it, and viola! A nice rifle! One thing I really do have to work on is the cast mentality. Having been casting for only a short time, I still have this urge for speed like I did with my jacketed bullets! I need to get a grip on the fact that a 358 with a 200 grain bullet moving @2200 fps will make deer and elk and moose? very dead! So should I go for it??!![smilie=2:

[paul h]

Having built a custom 35 on a mauser action I can understand where your coming from, and IMHO the 35 bore is and outstanding choice for big game rifle whether you shoot cast of copper clad.

The only thing I'd suggest is reconsidering either going with a 35 whelen to better fit the full length of the '98 action, or to choose a shorter lighter action to better fit the 358 win. I do think the 358 win is a better choice for a cast round as it has plenty of case capacity for cast bullet velocities, all the way up to 280 gr. As far as an action to base the gun on, the Ruger M77 is a rock solid action and .243, 7-08 and .308's are common enough. If it was me I'd try and find a Steyr Manlicher, nothing slicker than those rotary mags and butterknife bolt handles

[JimP.]

yes, i did the same thing with a new model 98 Yugo action, E R Shaw barrel, 23 inches long, new bolt handle, drilled and tapped for Weaver 2 piece scope mount bases. then i put it in a brown laminated Boyds stock. Beautiful rifle, love the 358 Winchester cartridge. Awesome shooter. Do it, you wont regret it. JimP.

[williamwaco]

I don't think it is a good idea!

( I don't like jeweled bolts. )

[Mk42gunner]

Now just how can we tell you it is a stupid idea when you don't tell us the twist rate of the barrel???? Personally, I would go with a 1 in 14" twist, and with a higher grade of wood.

Not sure about the boolit profile bolt knob; sounds a bit tacky right now.

Robert

[Jevyod]

The Lother Walther would have a 1 in 12 twist. What would be the advantage of a 1 in 14?

[paul h]

Faster twist barrels put more strain on a cast bullet, and hence attaining top accuracy at speed is more challenging.

On my 35 whelen AI that became a 350 Rigby, I had a 1-14 twist barrel that was very friendly to cast boolits. I've found my 1-12 twist Ruger 350 rem mag to not be nearly as cast bullet friendly, though that's probably more to do with not putting in the time to dial in boolits and loads.

But, I like to stack things in my favor and for a cast only rifle I'll use the slowest possible twist. 1-14 is more than enough even for the 358009, and if you'll never shoot heavier than 250's I'd go with a 1-16.

[Yodogsandman]

Just do it! Congrats on your decision!

Besides the obvious caliber conversion stuff, can I suggest that you also get a great trigger, maybe a lightweight firing pin or an increased power firing pin spring. How about some upgrade to the magazine release, too? Modifying the magazine follower to close on an empty magazine?

My 35 Whelen is a 1 in 12 twist and it shoots 158gr to 300gr boolits just fine, all jacketed bullets, too.

[Love Life]

Go for it. Forget what everybody thinks about the looks (it's your rifle), heed the advice on twists, and write the check!! Also, ask Tim his prices on fixing a dinged up stock on a rifle he built...in other words go for some fancy wood if fancy wood is what you want.

[Jevyod]

Ah yes trigger! Forgot to mention it already has a timney!![smilie=w:

[Jack Stanley]

You left it up to this bunch of enablers to talk you out of it ??? ;-)

Jack

[runfiverun]

if you wait a bit he will have the 35 xcb worked out and the round will fit that mauser action properly.

[Jevyod]

Enlighten me! What is a 35 xcb?

[dragon813gt]

Isn't the K98 a long action? 358 Winchester is a short action cartridge. I wouldn't do it if this is the case. If it's a short action then I won't talk you out of it. But the bolt knob a bullet? Your gun and your money. If it was me I wouldn't do it.

[Bzcraig]

No Guts - No Glory! Tim will not do you wrong in any way.

[runfiverun]

it's more than the 358 win and a bit less than the 35 whelen in case volume.
in reality it's awesome :lol:
tim just ain't got to it yet, but he will.
he's still working on the 30 XCB round a titch, which was my last and will be my next rifle built.

[Love Life]

Tim builds a quality rifle and soon as I get off my lazy duff and find a new FFL he'll be building me another.

[fredj338]

I think every hunter or gun enthusiast should have a custom rifle. I finally broke down a few years ago & had a classic, old school mountain rifle built; M70, nice walnut, Neidner skeleton butt plate, skeleton grip cap & shadow cheek piece. Chambered in 280, shoots as good as it looks & yes it has been hunting.[smilie=w: It will probably be buried with me or better still, passed on to one of my boys to pass on to one of his.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v703/fredj338/280-a-1.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/fredj338/media/280-a-1.jpg.html) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v703/fredj338/280-1.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/fredj338/media/280-1.jpg.html)

[Yodogsandman]

How about another consideration... have the ejector fitted to snap over the rim of a single round in the chamber. This modification might have made the difference or not of getting a moose in 2003 for me. Good for single loading at the range, too.

[dragon813gt]

This may be a lever, but it is chambered in 358 Winchester(JES) and Tim made it look brand new for me :)
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/665ACE09-E066-4EE7-AACE-9B1EFC2C9F63-5569-000005F2F6FBA599_zps38933c45.jpg (http://s198.photobucket.com/user/dragon813gt/media/Firearms/665ACE09-E066-4EE7-AACE-9B1EFC2C9F63-5569-000005F2F6FBA599_zps38933c45.jpg.html)

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/113B2107-F4E6-4EA8-AC94-75DA3BB86EAB-5569-000005F2E0547CEE_zps3f26e69f.jpg (http://s198.photobucket.com/user/dragon813gt/media/Firearms/113B2107-F4E6-4EA8-AC94-75DA3BB86EAB-5569-000005F2E0547CEE_zps3f26e69f.jpg.html)

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/78EC3807-4920-4A47-B0DD-E7F21A89DCC3-5569-000005F2DB9E3305_zps89c16008.jpg (http://s198.photobucket.com/user/dragon813gt/media/Firearms/78EC3807-4920-4A47-B0DD-E7F21A89DCC3-5569-000005F2DB9E3305_zps89c16008.jpg.html)

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/338F5579-D2CC-402A-9D47-6A256F7DD24E-5569-000005F2E8FBA253_zps87d800c1.jpg (http://s198.photobucket.com/user/dragon813gt/media/Firearms/338F5579-D2CC-402A-9D47-6A256F7DD24E-5569-000005F2E8FBA253_zps87d800c1.jpg.html)

Just wanted to make your decision harder ;)

[captaint]

I'm in for everything except the bolt handle. I'm more of a classic kind of guy. Get you a nice Talley bolt handle and enjoy. Mike

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Much like you, I 'had' to have a custom mauser built in 358win.

I really like the 'feel' of this bolt handle knob, it has the crosshatch pattern on top as well as the bottom.

http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/boltopen_zps08e65b06.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/boltopen_zps08e65b06.jpg.html)


http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/fullviewrightside_zps8680ebdb.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/fullviewrightside_zps8680ebdb.jpg.html)

[Yodogsandman]

Much like you, I 'had' to have a custom mauser built in 358win.

I really like the 'feel' of this bolt handle knob, it has the crosshatch pattern on top as well as the bottom.

http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/boltopen_zps08e65b06.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/boltopen_zps08e65b06.jpg.html)


http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/fullviewrightside_zps8680ebdb.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/fullviewrightside_zps8680ebdb.jpg.html)

+1 Same here. This is where I get them...

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/ad/104770.htm