Originally Posted by mtnman1
Not to take away from many of the other "bad" influences around here, but, I give Allen Day a lot of credit for my perspectives about winnys. I was always a fan of his writings. I didn't always agree with his perspectives 100%, but he clearly based them on first hand experiences. Shame he's not still around or I'd be asking him what he thought I was doing wrong in my build. (besides not building a 300 win mag of course). Always seemed like a pretty smart fella.


Allen and I became friends around 1999. We often talked on the phone. As much as he liked the 300 WM, he absolutely loved the 270. I do miss him... shame he died so young.

Funny how I've really come around to the 270. Just does about everything well, and I'd not hesitate tackling a grizzly with one.

Anyway, my one and only complaint about the pre-64 is the bolt handle... it really needs to be scalloped to accommodate a lower mounted scope. Aside from that, hard to argue with them in 06-based stuff, where I think they are at their best. Nothing out of the box IME handles 06' cartridges as well as a pre-64. I like the Fwt's best off all.

I'd never checker the bolt handle... a smooth bolt is the absolute ideal for a hunting rifleman. It could be a smidge bigger, but that's ok. It's good enough.

Once upon a time I was a 338 WM guy. It's terrific on big elk, but I got sick of its recoil, and I grew to learn any good cartridge with a properly placed bullet does just fine on any elk that ever walked. I generally prefer a 375 H&H over the 338, and still think a 270 and 375 are about as good a "world pair" as exists.

Here's an unfired 1961 30-06 I picked up in 2008 or 09 and dropped in a Hunters Edge. Only thing I'd change now is make it a 270 with a 1" pad:

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“Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” Antoine de Saint-Exupery