Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles The rifle nobody wanted...

My father immigrated to the Great USA in the year of 1961, when he landed in Portland, Oregon, his sponsor Fred, who we the kids call "grandpa freddy" was an avid sportsman. Taught my dad english, found him a job, and made my dad to who he is today. My dad started his first job at a deli shop making bacon, ham and the usually deli meats. His boss there, Carl, knew Grandpa Freddy quite well. One day after work, Carl asked if my dad can give him a hand at home, he had shot a deer and needed some help butchering. When my dad got to his place, He saw all sorts of game heads. It was then my dad saw his first north american deer, hanging inside of Carl's garage. "It's a deer, a blacktail deer." Carl told my dad. After they butchered the deer Grandpa Freddy came by and picked my dad up. My dad told Carl and Freddy, "I use to hunt wild pigs, water baffalo, and tigers back in China, I sure miss hunting, okay if you take me out?" Carl and Freddy smiled and happily showed my dad the ropes. "You got a rifle?" Ask Carl. "No, back in China we used bamboo crossbows and spears." Then off they went to the local sporting goods store. Grandpa Freddy and Carl gave numerous rifles for my dad to shoulder and try out. After handling almost 30 rifles, all three decided on a bolt action .270 winchester with a fixed 4xpower Bausch and Lomb. Since that year my dad has been killing deer and feeding the family.

It was in the year 1984 when My dad moved to Stockton, CA and established here. He hunted pigs, upland game bird, waterfowl and did a lot of fishing. Work got in the way and he only hunted deer 2 days of the 30 day season. Still, he always gets a deer. I was born in the year 1986, and he taught me how to hunt when I was 12. My brother, was 18 at the time and my younger brother 10. Every year we would go deer hunt. My dad had aquired more rifles by this time, 4 to be exact. A 30-30 lever, a 30-06 auto, a custom 700 .308 and that old bolt action 270. My brother always wanted to carry the 30-06 as that thing can put 5 shots into a nickel at 100. My younger brother, being a small fellow, always wanted the 30-30. And my dad would never let anyone touch his custom 700 .308. So I carried the old bolt action .270. Over my teenage years I shifted into ballgames, girlsfriends, and parties. I stopped hunting from the age of 16 until I was 19. During college I made a few friends that were die hard deer hunters. They insisted I go deer hunt with them that season. I agreed. Being a poor college kid, I stopped by my Dad's place. My dad had told me my brother took the 30-30, and Uncle Houng took the 30-06 auto, and I can't touch his custom 700. So I grabbed that old .270 bolt rifle like I have been. That night, me and the guys headed to the hills and into deer camp. The next morning we decided to sight in our rifles. Everyone popped out their customs synthetic stocked sniper rifles with big huge high powered scopes shooting only cartridges that has the word magnum all over it. Everyone was sighted dead @ 200. Then the guys ask what I shoot. "It's a bolt action .270 win," I said. Everyone laughed. "What model?" they asked. Being the kid who only knows how to shoot and hunt deer, but know nothing of his particular gun, and never even bothered to look at the brand name after all those years of hunting with it, I simply said I don't know. They insisted I let them see it. I went to my truck and in a old canvas gun case I pulled the rifle out. When I turned around the guys and thier old man just stared at the rifle in awe. "let me see that, WOW, OOOOOOHHHHHH, SWWWWEEEEETTTT, OH MY!," everyone yelled. I'm like what? what is so good about this old gun? Everyone explained to me that the manufacturer doesn't make the gun anymore and it is one fine damn gun. They made fun of me how I never knew it was a peice of fine hunting equipment. One guy even asked me to sell it for $2500. When they handed me back the rifle, I looked on the side of the reciever, it said WINCHESTER. On the barrel it was stamped MODEL 70 .270 WCF. And on the floorplate, SUPERGRADE. It was a 1950 model, in super clean condition. For so many years nobody wanted to hunt with it, ever since that day, it's been with me. But my dad still says I need to return it to it rightful owners. I am still kissing his butt, hopefully he will pass it on to me one day. Yeesterday, my dad stopped by my place. We had a few drinks and chatted a bit. He told me I should go look in my gun safe, I got a weird feeling and went to checked it out. I opened my safe, and the first thing that caught my eye was a red ribbon and a card that read. "Merry Christmas You little rascal." That ribbon and card was attached to that old rifle that nobody wanted to hunt with.

Great Story!!!!

yep a good one for the season


don't matter a whit, but you mentioned dad hunting in China, is he in fact Chinese?

Very cool!

Great story! Rare treasures for the unknowing!

Yes he is Chinese, Cantonese to be exact. My mother is Thai. Makes me a chinthai

That is a great story.

That is a great story! And one hellofa rifle!

That is a great story!! Congrats on getting one of the best rifles ever made for a christmas present, sounds like your grandpa freddy and carl really helped your Dad get a good gun when he wanted to start out hunting here in the US.

Wonderful story.

VK...awesome story! The bond with your Dad will moisten the eye as my dad has long since checked out of this place.

And here is the true caveat...Your Dad comes to this country, GETS A JOB, learns the language, and raises a family! Never lose sight of that!
Where I live, (and not all but a lot!), I see people come here, have no desire to work, shuffle around the streets being less than productive, multiply like rabbits, and get on the Government teet! It PO's me to no end as my grandparents came here and became friggin' millworkers to support their families!

OK...that was my soapbox Archie Bunker moment...I feel better.

Great story - I would rather read stories like this than all the discussions (even though I enjoy them) on what brand rifle or what cartridge to kill whitetails, etc. Congratulations on receiving one of your families treasures - you obviously have a fine Father.

Great story. Even cooler dad!!!

good story

Wow. If the Supergrade is the rifle that nobody wanted, makes me wonder just what the .308 is!

+1!!!

Great story VK.

Great story - you do realize that the rifle must never leave your family, right?

Thanks for sharing.......humbled me and made me feel your pride all at the same time. Wish you many more happy seasons with your rifle and your Dad...

elkjaeger

Wonderful story, wonderful rifle. Glad it's still in the family.

I would love to see a photo of that rifle!!!