Don Fischer
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- Jun 27, 2017
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Last several tears hunting elk I used 1903 Springfield 30-06 sporterized in 1945 by Paul Jaeger
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Did you buy that from old man Pachmahyer at his gun club in LA? That this is a beauty.My favorite is an old 416 Rigby by Griffin & Howe. I bought it second hand from Frank Pachmahyer around fifty years or so ago. Griffin & Howe are positive it is theirs but it is so old they do not have records of it. Frank claimed it had never been used Before I purchased it. I have used it relentlessly over all of Africa. Savannah elephant, forest elephant, scores of Cape buffalo, plains game, cats. A constant adventure companion. Close scrutiny show bluing gone from the barrel in two places. One spot where it has rubbed on countless safari lorry rifle racks and where my sweaty hand has gripped it at its breach. There is even a claw mark on the stock. After every trip I drop View attachment 177676the action and clean it carefully. I also clean the stock with a high quality antique furniture cleaner then lovingly rub in stock wax. This happens after each and every trip.
My grown children say it will never be sold and be in the family forever. I have a hunch they thought i might ask for it to be buried with me. Kindest Regards
My favorite is an old 416 Rigby by Griffin & Howe. I bought it second hand from Frank Pachmahyr around fifty years or so ago. Griffin & Howe are positive it is theirs but it is so old they do not have records of it. Frank claimed it had never been used Before I purchased it. I have used it relentlessly over all of Africa. Savannah elephant, forest elephant, scores of Cape buffalo, plains game, cats. A constant adventure companion. Close scrutiny show bluing gone from the barrel in two places. One spot where it has rubbed on countless safari lorry rifle racks and where my sweaty hand has gripped it at its breach. There is even a claw mark on the stock. After every trip I drop View attachment 177676the action and clean it carefully. I also clean the stock with a high quality antique furniture cleaner then lovingly rub in stock wax. This happens after each and every trip.
My grown children say it will never be sold and be in the family forever. I have a hunch they thought i might ask for it to be buried with me. Kindest Regards
My favorite is an old 416 Rigby by Griffin & Howe. I bought it second hand from Frank Pachmahyr around fifty years or so ago. Griffin & Howe are positive it is theirs but it is so old they do not have records of it. Frank claimed it had never been used Before I purchased it. I have used it relentlessly over all of Africa. Savannah elephant, forest elephant, scores of Cape buffalo, plains game, cats. A constant adventure companion. Close scrutiny show bluing gone from the barrel in two places. One spot where it has rubbed on countless safari lorry rifle racks and where my sweaty hand has gripped it at its breach. There is even a claw mark on the stock. After every trip I drop View attachment 177676the action and clean it carefully. I also clean the stock with a high quality antique furniture cleaner then lovingly rub in stock wax. This happens after each and every trip.
My grown children say it will never be sold and be in the family forever. I have a hunch they thought i might ask for it to be buried with me. Kindest Regards
Europe read carefully, I wrote my favorite old rifle was my constant companion the ancient 416 Rigby. I have also killed elephant with a 470 Nitro Express, a 500 Nitro express, (both double rifles), a 500 Jeffery, and a 450 Ackley. The later two bolt rifles. I just seem to always have my 416 Rigby handy so it sees more action. Sort of like my old dog Tez here at home. I have taken seven Cape buffalo with my 416 Remington. It works fine, just like my Rigby better. Think it is the individual rifle, not the caliber. If i try to leave it in campi, it gives me a lonely look. Kindest RegardsIf I was able to hunt today, the oldest thing in the field would be me !
and----just for the record, Brent and Ben, are way out of my league. Those boys have some real nice and really old firearms.
What an enjoyable thread to read, as many of your posts reminded me firearms, places and people from days of yesteryear, very enjoyable read.
We have several that are so called collectables that were built before the 1900's but I think the only four that are still used are the Winchester 1890 ( 22 ), Winchester 1894 ( 30-30 ), the 6.5 x 55 Swede and 6.5 x 54 M.S. ( however the swede and m.s. are actually early 1900's from memory, as is the Fox and Parker shotguns that are still useable )
NICE . However, having said that if anyone is planning an Elephant or Buffalo hunt, the only rifle that should be used is the double 450/400 ! with a side lock and a spare one in your pocket. Damn Happy Myles, I buy you books, send you to school, tell you all that I know and you still use the wrong rifle
All joking aside, this gentleman has been there and done that, and is still helping others with upcoming hunts. One last point, if you reread his post, having hunted both species of elephants is impressive. I am not sure that one can even hunt the Jungle elephant now, because of the political turmoil in those countries, but if you ever are able to do so, it is a completely different experience . Two totally different "Africa's "
p.s. how could I forget my old Stevens combination
Panda, the three bullets below the rifle each took a buffalo with one shot per animal during a 30 day Tanzania safari. They are 400 grain Barnes TSX which I have found very effective in that rifle. I was there for my 80th birthday. The claw mark occurred a couple decades ago. I had to interrupt an elephant hunt as authorities required me to take care of a problem leopard. Poor cat had not killed anyone, just eating things like chickens and goats. However, it was lurking around huts and locals were complaining. My PH knew I had successfully hunted cats all over so was not worried about our wellbeing. We went after the cat in a slipshod fashion and Mother Nature taught us not to rush and be over confident. Embarrassingly, i wounded the cat and later was mauled by the poor cranky critter. I finished it off with a huge whack over the head with my old 416. Lucky I did not bend the barrel. It was not a big leopard. All the Best.Claw mark ? please share that story
The rifle is beautiful but so is the room !!!!
What brand of bullet's are those three in the front and what animal did you dig them out of ?
for me the Win 348, 275 H & H, and 303 Ross, however my grandfather loved the Savage model 99 and 95 and has both models
This is my sporterized Rock Island 1903, circa 1918. It’s what I used on my bear hunt and most of my Texas deer hunts.Last several tears hunting elk I used 1903 Springfield 30-06 sporterized in 1945 by Paul Jaeger
Panda thank you for noticing my reloading room. Worth noting my wife suggested it. A few decades back she indicated i spent so much time there it should be nicer and more efficient. I got an architect involved and we worked out the details. Room for everything to be put away. Even the gun safes are behind locked oak doors. these days as an old man with a few health issues I do little reloading and frankly have more ammo for a wide variety of cartridges than I will ever use at this late time in my life. Hell to get old but has been a hell of a life. Kindest RegardsClaw mark ? please share that story
The rifle is beautiful but so is the room !!!!
What brand of bullet's are those three in the front and what animal did you dig them out of ?
for me the Win 348, 275 H & H, and 303 Ross, however my grandfather loved the Savage model 99 and 95 and has both models