Vintage pre 60's elk rifles, what do you have?

[Durango Mike]

My favorite is this 350 Griffin & Home on a Remington 30 express action made in Sheridan Wyoming.

 

[runningmt]

Model 88 Winchester in .308

First year of manufacture, my Great Grandfather purchased new in 1955

 

[Ben Lamb]

Pre-64 M70 featherweight in 30-06 & a Mauser Model B (not sure of the date, but the bbl is new) in 35 Whelen

 

[Durango Mike]

Model 88 Winchester in .308

First year of manufacture, my Great Grandfather purchased new in 1955

Need a picture, had one a long time ago in college upstate NY, shot a nice deer with it.

 

[OntarioHunter]

This is late WWII 30-06 Springfield that Dad and a coworker sporterized in the Hungry Horse Dam machine shop circa 1962. I restocked it again in the 1980s. Shot all my big game with it since 1964. I also have the 760 Remington 30-06 my mom's dad bought for Dad in 1952 two weeks after I was born. That was first year of production for the 760.

 

[Durango Mike]

This is late WWII 30-06 Springfield that Dad and a coworker sporterized in the Hungry Horse Dam machine shop circa 1962. I restocked it again in the 1980s. Shot all my big game with it since 1964. I also have the 760 Remington 30-06 my mom's dad bought for Dad in 1952 two weeks after I was born. That was first year of production for the 760.

Very cool!

 

[Durango Mike]

Amazing how much fun it has been shooting things with some history. I have spent a lot of time mid day holding a rifle that I have taken on numerous trips, some with friends that are no longer with us thinking about how many good times we had. Every nick and scratch has a memory, pull guns out of the safes once a year to clean and it takes me half a day because I always sit and think of the hunts they have been on. My dad fought through the pacific and never wanted to pick up a gun again, I was lucky to have a best friend whose dad took me hunting ducks, still have the 12 ga LC Smith i bought at 12 years old, my mom thought it was ELSIE as in a girl friend until the store called her t come pick up L C.

 

[the nikster]

Unfortunately I don’t have a photo, but if you are willing to walk...up on the windswept divide between Idaho’s units 58 and 59 there is a tree. It is a wind twisted warrior from days gone by. Seeking shelter I once huddled with my back against the ancient relic, doing everything I could to just to catch my frozen breath. As I sat there with both my bones and my teeth chattering, I looked about me. To my left was about 6” of rotted bighorn curl laying behind the tree where I imagined a monarch once slept. To my right was the oldest rifle I have ever seen. The wind, blowing pebbles under the tree, had nearly worn through the wooden portion of the firearm. Most of the octagonal barrel was rusty and flaking. I did not touch it. It belonged to the mountain.
I imagined the man and day. They were probably similar to my when and where. It is hard to imagine why or how the rifle was left there. But it was easy to fathom why, when he discovered he had left it, he never went back. I never did.

 

[Letthemgrow]

You got a GPS coordinate on that?

 

[Durango Mike]

Unfortunately I don’t have a photo, but if you are willing to walk...up on the windswept divide between Idaho’s units 58 and 59 there is a tree. It is a wind twisted warrior from days gone by. Seeking shelter I once huddled with my back against the ancient relic, doing everything I could to just to catch my frozen breath. As I sat there with both my bones and my teeth chattering, I looked about me. To my left was about 6” of rotted bighorn curl laying behind the tree where I imagined a monarch once slept. To my right was the oldest rifle I have ever seen. The wind, blowing pebbles under the tree, had nearly worn through the wooden portion of the firearm. Most of the octagonal barrel was rusty and flaking. I did not touch it. It belonged to the mountain.
I imagined the man and day. They were probably similar to my when and where. It is hard to imagine why or how the rifle was left there. But it was easy to fathom why, when he discovered he had left it, he never went back. I never did.

I am glad you left it, it is history and I hope the next person who walks that path leaves it too. I once found an ax in a tree that had grown around the blade in Vermont, pre cell phone cameras so I never got a picture. Always a memory of a great day over a good dog hunting grouse.

 

[choc dogs]

1959 m70 in 375 H&H. It mostly gets carried for memories, sometimes during elk season.

 

[Durango Mike]

View attachment 1561581959 m70 in 375 H&H. It mostly gets carried for memories, sometimes during elk season.

 

[Durango Mike]

Redfield receiver sight and a terrific rifle/caliber the memories are the best! Way cool rifle!

 

[Durango Mike]

Way cool rifle, I am sure the memories are better!

 

[pre6422hornet]

1949 model 70 in .270 ( she has tasted antelope and whitetail)
1950 model 70 in .375 and a Lyman 48
1956 model 70 in 300H&H
1959 model 70 in .338winmag

None have taken elk, as I always seem to have my 1997 Model 70 in .270 every damn time an elk jumps out in front of me and then drops

 

[nrpate05]

Winchester Model 70 30 Gov't 06, dates to 1942 I believe. I should get a picture up at some point.

 

[F250]

Winchester Model 54 in .270 Win. purchased by my grandfather around 1930. I have shot a couple mule deer with it.

 

[UP North Farmer]

Savage Super Sporter in .300 Savage
v

1949 Winchester M70 in .30-06


1948 Winchester M70 in .257 Roberts

 

[Wally Dog]

I'll try find an image of my 1959 pre 64 300 H&H topped with a B&L Balvar 8. I'ts seen many a elk fall.

 

[Durango Mike]

Savage Super Sporter in .300 Savage
View attachment 156182v

1949 Winchester M70 in .30-06
View attachment 156183

1948 Winchester M70 in .257 Roberts
View attachment 156184

I'll try find an image of my 1959 pre 64 300 H&H topped with a B&L Balvar 8. I'ts seen many a elk fall.

I remember the Balvar mounts, had one on a 243, had a Unertl 10X on a 222 mag Sako that accounted for plenty of upstate NY woodchucks.