pre6422hornet
Handloader
- Jan 24, 2012
- 974
- 9
Every once in a while you come across something that you totally forgot about, put away in your brain, only to have it come back like a flash flood during a deluge.
Back in 1995 I started reloading during my junior year of college. My great Uncle who taught me, pushed me to buy a RCBS rockchucker kit and I never looked back. During our conversations in his reloading room we talked about ballistics, rifles, handguns, etc... His rifle of choice was his prized Browning Safari in 3006 that he used all over the US to take all sorts of game. He purchased this gun after the Korean war and it was a Pre Salt wood Browning. During our conversations he would tell me that if he was to ever have a rifle that would cover anything in NA that "needed killing", it would be a 338 winmag. I was just a young 20 year old soaking up all the information like a sponge. I always took my Speer Manual with me to his house to make notes, etc.. Well in Dec 1995 my Great Uncle had a massive heart attack while walking across the factory floor at Sauder Woodworking and was dead before he hit the ground. He always said he wanted to go with his boots on. We always said he died of a broken heart as he passed 9 days after my little brother crossed over. As everything was settled I was given a few of his rifles, which I still have and always will.
Fast forward to 1998 and I was immersed in the working world and an older gentleman befriended me as I worked with his wife and he took me under his wings. When we were discussing what rifle I should buy for my first western hunt, I said I wanted a 338, he said " a 338 hurts on both ends Pat"... He shot a .270 win and had killed quite a few elk and mulies with no issues, as did one of his friends. When it came time to buy my first big game rifle, I went with the .270win. 2 elk and 2 mulie bucks in 4 years cemented my love of the .270 and I never looked back.
Back about 4 months ago I grabbed that old Speer manual, which hasn't been opened for probably 14 years, and started flipping through the pages. The memories came flooding back of all my times spent working on guns, reloading, bs'ing, etc with my Uncle.
I came across notes that I had written including:
" Smith and Wesson has the best factory trigger"
"Ruger makes a helluva strong single acition"
" Nosler makes the most effective big game bullet"
"why would anyone want a plastic gun ( Glock)" Sorry Uncle Rich I disagree with you on that one.
"The pre 64 model 70 is a very fine rifle"
" The 338 winmag will be my first rifle"
"Wyoming for Antelope"
"Montana for Mulies"
Anyway I started thinking about that 338winmag note and realized that I had blocked that out of my mind for a long time. Not sure why, but I did. I guess after being successfull with the 270 I just never thought about it.
So now I was like a man obsessed. I started the search. I found one that looked good, not abused, so I went for it. I found it at Perry County Firearms in PA, a very reputable Pre 64 dealer. The add said it carried an extra hole in the rear bridge where someone had installed "magnum" mounts, but that hole would be covered by a regular mount so I wasn't worried. I called PC and talked with the owner who was very nice and he assured me the stock had been refinished, there was the extra hole, but other than that it was unmolested. We agreed to the transaction over the phone and I sent the money. I wasn't really worried about the extra hole and stock refinishing as this gun was going to get used.
Upon recieving the rifle I was pretty bummed. The stock was cracked behind the tang and under the wrist ( common areas for cracks in the m70), the stock had been glass bedded, and a hole was drilled in the stock kind of like a cross bolt and filled in with epoxy. There was also holes drilled at a 90 degree into the stock behind the recoil lug, middle and rear screw, also filled in with epoxy. Needless to say I was very upset. I emailed PC and very politely explained the situation and how I felt that I was misled. PC did step up and offer a full refund plus shipping costs. I mulled this over for a few days and after discussing with Scotty, I decided to keep it. He convinced me that I got a great deal, and the action alone was worth what I paid. I have a few old crossbolts laying around that I can drill out the epoxy and install, or maybe get a new hunk of walnut and make a stock for it as a tribute to my uncle.
Here she is as she sits. She hasn't been shot much by the metal finish. She was made in April 1960 and has a hand checkered stock. Now I have the 22Hornet, 243 win, 270 win, 338winmag, and the 375H&H I think I have all my gaps filled. Throw in the model 71 348 and there isn't a terrain out there I can't hunt.
and the " strengthening of the stock"
I have since procured dies, bullets, and cases. Time to start loading again. I think my Uncle would be proud.
Back in 1995 I started reloading during my junior year of college. My great Uncle who taught me, pushed me to buy a RCBS rockchucker kit and I never looked back. During our conversations in his reloading room we talked about ballistics, rifles, handguns, etc... His rifle of choice was his prized Browning Safari in 3006 that he used all over the US to take all sorts of game. He purchased this gun after the Korean war and it was a Pre Salt wood Browning. During our conversations he would tell me that if he was to ever have a rifle that would cover anything in NA that "needed killing", it would be a 338 winmag. I was just a young 20 year old soaking up all the information like a sponge. I always took my Speer Manual with me to his house to make notes, etc.. Well in Dec 1995 my Great Uncle had a massive heart attack while walking across the factory floor at Sauder Woodworking and was dead before he hit the ground. He always said he wanted to go with his boots on. We always said he died of a broken heart as he passed 9 days after my little brother crossed over. As everything was settled I was given a few of his rifles, which I still have and always will.
Fast forward to 1998 and I was immersed in the working world and an older gentleman befriended me as I worked with his wife and he took me under his wings. When we were discussing what rifle I should buy for my first western hunt, I said I wanted a 338, he said " a 338 hurts on both ends Pat"... He shot a .270 win and had killed quite a few elk and mulies with no issues, as did one of his friends. When it came time to buy my first big game rifle, I went with the .270win. 2 elk and 2 mulie bucks in 4 years cemented my love of the .270 and I never looked back.
Back about 4 months ago I grabbed that old Speer manual, which hasn't been opened for probably 14 years, and started flipping through the pages. The memories came flooding back of all my times spent working on guns, reloading, bs'ing, etc with my Uncle.
I came across notes that I had written including:
" Smith and Wesson has the best factory trigger"
"Ruger makes a helluva strong single acition"
" Nosler makes the most effective big game bullet"
"why would anyone want a plastic gun ( Glock)" Sorry Uncle Rich I disagree with you on that one.
"The pre 64 model 70 is a very fine rifle"
" The 338 winmag will be my first rifle"
"Wyoming for Antelope"
"Montana for Mulies"
Anyway I started thinking about that 338winmag note and realized that I had blocked that out of my mind for a long time. Not sure why, but I did. I guess after being successfull with the 270 I just never thought about it.
So now I was like a man obsessed. I started the search. I found one that looked good, not abused, so I went for it. I found it at Perry County Firearms in PA, a very reputable Pre 64 dealer. The add said it carried an extra hole in the rear bridge where someone had installed "magnum" mounts, but that hole would be covered by a regular mount so I wasn't worried. I called PC and talked with the owner who was very nice and he assured me the stock had been refinished, there was the extra hole, but other than that it was unmolested. We agreed to the transaction over the phone and I sent the money. I wasn't really worried about the extra hole and stock refinishing as this gun was going to get used.
Upon recieving the rifle I was pretty bummed. The stock was cracked behind the tang and under the wrist ( common areas for cracks in the m70), the stock had been glass bedded, and a hole was drilled in the stock kind of like a cross bolt and filled in with epoxy. There was also holes drilled at a 90 degree into the stock behind the recoil lug, middle and rear screw, also filled in with epoxy. Needless to say I was very upset. I emailed PC and very politely explained the situation and how I felt that I was misled. PC did step up and offer a full refund plus shipping costs. I mulled this over for a few days and after discussing with Scotty, I decided to keep it. He convinced me that I got a great deal, and the action alone was worth what I paid. I have a few old crossbolts laying around that I can drill out the epoxy and install, or maybe get a new hunk of walnut and make a stock for it as a tribute to my uncle.
Here she is as she sits. She hasn't been shot much by the metal finish. She was made in April 1960 and has a hand checkered stock. Now I have the 22Hornet, 243 win, 270 win, 338winmag, and the 375H&H I think I have all my gaps filled. Throw in the model 71 348 and there isn't a terrain out there I can't hunt.
and the " strengthening of the stock"
I have since procured dies, bullets, and cases. Time to start loading again. I think my Uncle would be proud.
