My first center fire rifle was a 7600 in the ever able 30/06. It was bought after mowing lawns most of the summer of 1983. We had a family friend that did sporting goods sales and he enjoyed helping folks out with the best price he could give. Mine , I think, was sold to me for the price that it cost him. If memory serves me right it was $265. I didn't have money for a scope that year but things worked out just fine anyhow because I killed a spike buck the very first day I hunted with it.
That rifle was stolen from me several years later when I loaned to a friend. As hard as it is for me to believe, that was over 20 years ago. About four or five years ago I finally decided to replace it. But instead of the 30/06 I chose one of its of its offspring the 35 Whelen. I've only hunted it a very few times but the first hunt in the Fall of 2018 I killed a spike buck. It brought back memories of that first 7600 and the kid that hunted it back then. I never intend to be without one again.
I can see me and the 35 Whelen becoming very good friends. I would like to find either a 243 or 308 and have it re-bored to one of the best cartridges to ever wear the Winchester name, the 358 Win. I came close once when I bought one of Grice's limited run in 35 Remington. It was the carbine version with an 18.5" Barrel. I kept about a year without firing it and sold it at a gun show for what I had given for it. Someday, if the world doesn't all die from the Covid 19 virus, I'd love to run down a 760 in 35 Remington and maybe keep it that grand old cartridge. No need for a 760 in 35 Rem and another in 358 but I guess "need" has little to do with it...
Goat
