Another crappy 30-06.

[ShadeTree]

JC Higgins M50. Had 1 of these some time back and sold it. Had a couple other projects going on at the time and the few times I shot it, it didn't shoot that great so I moved it on. This one was a different animal. Much nicer stock, and compared to the previous M50 plus a same action FN commercial Mauser in 300 WM I had briefly, this is the slickest action. I have $375 into it, I couldn't pass it up. Lot of rifle for the money.

Took it apart like I do all used rifles I buy and it was full length bedded. Found a couple problems I fixed before ever shooting it. Magazine was extremely tight in the stock due to bedding. Like had to drive the magazine out with a brass punch tight. Big no no. Also bedding would've been causing the bolt stop to be hanging up on recoil. Relieved both those areas. Scope bases were wrong and only had 1 screw in each base due to holes not lining up. Bet with the bedding and scope bases that thing balked big time about shooting accurately. Put weaver bases and rings on it and kept the cheap 3-9 Tasco that came on it.

Shot it a couple times with both 150's & 165's. Shot well enough with both but ALWAYS threw the third shot out, every time, and ALWAYS to the right. Heat & a tight area. It was tight all the way down the forearm but particularly in the last 1/3. Took some of that out and tried it again today. I've got it really close. Now instead of throwing the third shot, it is simply walking the shots left to right. These shots were in order left to right. 4 shot group measures .875.

Didn't account for that tight forearm pinching the barrel up and it shot low now almost off the paper, but was just testing group so kept going.

 

[nhenry]

Looks like you got yourself a shooter. What do you think is causing the walking, or is that not of concern?

 

[ShadeTree]

Looks like you got yourself a shooter. What do you think is causing the walking, or is that not of concern?

Tightness in the forearm. There is still no barrel clearance on either side the whole way down and I took a reasonable amount out. If I attempt anymore it will be very little at a time as it has shown all along it will put the first 2 pretty close, and now is even better and is not throwing a wild third shot out to the right. I'm gonna let it have support all the way down because overall it likes this set up. I don't want to ruin the good in pursuit of perfection.

 

[Guy Miner]

Great looking rifle with a lot of potential.

Guy

 

[6mm Remington]

Really pretty rifle in a great cartridge. I think you should keep working on the stock bedding and get it so it's got a little clearance all the way down from about 3" out in front of the chamber. I sure see the potential. IMR4350 and 165 gr. Accubonds & Partitions really liked 57.4 grains in two different rifles and shot beautifully in both. One was a Ruger 1B and the other a Remington 700.

 

[DrMike]

That is a most handsome rifle. It is almost too pretty to believe that Sears sold it.

 

[ShadeTree]

That is a most handsome rifle. It is almost too pretty to believe that Sears sold it.

I don't believe it is a factory stock. I don't know any JC Higgins that came with rosewood endcap and grip cap. The fancier M51's did have checkering and a raised cheekpiece, but still not this kind of stock. Works for me.

I feel bad for whoever put the work into it years ago. That was a lot of work to full length bed it like they did, and there's no way it shot worth a hoot. Bottom metal is bedded also and it is pillar bedded in the rear. They did a nice job overall. Just a little more knowledge on how things work and they would've had it.

I have probably 3 hrs into fixing. Removing the necessary bedding for clearance all the way around the magazine and I also carefully drill out the bedding at the front action hole so that Mauser front pillar that comes up from the bottom metal has plenty of clearance. That and working slowly removing wood on the inside of both sides of the forearm and I took a little bedding out of the barrel channel as well.

 

[JD338]

Beautiful rifle. All the little tweeks are going to pay off and it will be a shooter.

JD338

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Nice looking rifle. As is that's more than minute of deer but we all like the best we can get. As you said not wanting to mess up good for perfection. Go forth and slay them. Dan.

 

[PJGunner]

Very nice looking rifle. It's definitely been restocked. Currently I have four J.C. Higgins M50s, one of which was used as the basis for a custom 7x57. It was originally a .270 Win. Of the other three, one is strictly all original and the other two have had wood removed by their previous owners to be more suitable to them. I'd planned to have those two made into customs in one cartridge or another but life, like lack of funds got in the way so they're all still in 30-06 which really isn't all that bad a place. Some have Timney triggers and some do not. I've never found the original two piece triggers to be all that much of a problem as long as the stock screws were properly tightened.
Frnkly, I much prefer any bolt action be based on a genuine Mauser action. The FNs qualify as they' were built under license by Mauser.
Paul B.

 

[RL338]

Look like it’s rifle buying season on here. For the price I think you did well.