Steyr Mannlicher MCA project

[pacecars]

I have decided to go ahead and make my "One rifle to hunt the world" with. I am going to have this Steyr Mannlicher MCA .30-06 converted to 9.3x62mm and top it with a gloss Leupold 2.5x8 scope with a #4 reticle. Should be suitable for Prairie Dogs to Pachyderms

 

[mark-7mag]

Very nice !

 

[Lilly001]

Interesting choice in both rifle and caliber.
Why not a win 70 or a REM 700 in .35 Whalen?
Seems it would be about the same and a lot less$$.

 

[pacecars]

The easy way would be to gt a new Ruger Hawkeye African in 9.3x62mm, which is a very good choice. I like the Mannlicher rifles and want this to be a unique gun. Cheap is a relative term. I don't consider this a really expensive project especially when you consider true custom firearms or even the last Mannlicher I saw in 9.3x62, it was over $10,000. This is just one of those projects that seems right to me

 

[pacecars]

Nothing wrong with the .35 Whelen but the 9.3 offers more power and history

 

[GregoryB.]

I like your style. Life is to short to hunt with a ugly rifle in a boring caliber.

 

[Lilly001]

The easy way would be to gt a new Ruger Hawkeye African in 9.3x62mm, which is a very good choice. I like the Mannlicher rifles and want this to be a unique gun. Cheap is a relative term. I don't consider this a really expensive project especially when you consider true custom firearms or even the last Mannlicher I saw in 9.3x62, it was over $10,000. This is just one of those projects that seems right to me

Yes. Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. And you will end up with one heck of a gun. Good luck.

 

[pacecars]

After talking to several gunsmiths, if it doesn't feed the 9.3 as is it will probably be an expensive project that will require a lot of work to the magazine. It looks like I will have a very nice .30-06, which I don't have any rifles chambered for it. Of course a .338-06 might work also. As soon as I find a nice gloss scope I will take it out and if it is accurate it will be a .30-06

 

[Dub]

Lately I've become intrigued with the .30'06.

For some reason or another I've never owned one. I've all around it in my choices......and now my desires are simply to get back to the basic classics.

I'm working up two .30'06 bolt guns now that'll get the lion's share of my future hunting. Looking forward to it.

Ammo availability and such a wide range of bullet types. It's going to be fun.


I like that classic rifle you've chosen.

I believe you will be very well served with both the gun & the '06.

 

[pacecars]

One of my first guns was a .30-06 and I have had many more just because the rifles I like were in that chambering. When possible I chose other calibers just to be different because everyone else had a .30-06. Since I don't have a .30-06 at this time and the difficulty in making the MCA a 9.3x62mm I will leave this one as a .30-06 and go another route to a 9.3x62mm. In retrospect this will be my one gun to hunt North America.

 

[model88_308]

I now own two rifles chambered in 9.3x62, one in .35 whelen and one in 9.3x74R (double rifle). The 9.3x62 is a GREAT cartridge, at least as versatile as the Whelen, but without some of the attraction of the lighter bullets weights in loadings for the Whelen.

My bolt gun is a CZ550 Carbine with 20.5" barrel and the other is a #1 Sporter with 22" tube. Both have gotten pretty tough to find now. The CZ is a great commercial Mauser action, but needs some work to be as smooth as a M70 for instance (both CRF).

If I was wanting to build a nice semi custom rifle in 9.3x62 today, I'd look for the best looking wood on a M70 Super Grade in 30/06 or .270 and have it rebored (rebarreled) in 9.3x62.

The Whelen does have the luxury of using commercially loaded 180 & 200gr loadings adequate for much of what you might use it for; deer hogs & black bear.

While there's nothing wrong with your scope of choice (I own about 20 Leupolds and one is a VX3 in 2.5-8x36) I think you'd be much better served by a VX-R in 2-7x33 or a similar VX6 or VX5 with illuminated reticle. The difference between a non illuminated reticle VS illuminated in low light MUST be experienced to appreciate. That is a VX-R in 2-7x33 , with Firedot Duplex, on the CZ. I also own another VX-R 2-7x33 with Firedot #4 reticle.

 

[pacecars]

It will only allow two down and feeds fine for those two. The hang up is the neck is too thick and rubs on the little bar that comes up from each side on the out side part of the mag. It looks like a little judicious filing or dremel would take care of it. I will not be attempting that until I find a spare mag assembly to try it on. It looks like a .338-06 or .35 Whelen wouldn’t have any trouble at all