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JOC had plenty of caliber choices in his day besides the 270 and 30-06. The 270 Weatherby, 7mm Rem Mag, 300 Weatherby and 338 Win Mag were all available as well as the 300 H&H, 375 H&H and 375 Weatherby. With all of the additional caliber's available now it's really hard for to see where any of them are filling a real need. Jack chose the 270 and 30-06 for many good reasons and they are as good now as they were then.
Regards,
Chuck
"There's a saying in prize fighting, everyone's got a plan until they get hit"
Ghost And The Darkness
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IIRC Mr. O'Connor used the term magnumitis a fair amount. Don't think he coined it but it was definitely his opinion that you are better off shooting a lighter recoiling rifle you can hit with than a heavier recoiling one you can't.
It's been a while since I read every Gun Digest cover to cover but I do seem to recall that he did not have much use for either the 7mm Rem. Mag or the .300 Win. Mag.
Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery.
Hit the target, all else is twaddle!
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Did JO ever pay for anything? He would be shooting what ever was free of charge.
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He would walk right past the 270's and pick up a 280. Even Jack O'Connor admitted the 280 was a better cartridge. I have read most of what Jack wrote, and never read that statement. He did make that comment about the 30-06 though. I remember reading that too. In regards to the good ol 30-06... The story about this got started in an article by Jim Carmichael.... when he was building a custom rifle with Clayton Nelson,the custom maker,Carmichael claimed that O'Connor told him to build a 280 instead of a 270,because the 280 was a better cartridge. Did he say it? Who knows? Maybe he did.... 280 admirers love to repeat the hearsay(no probative value),and accept it as gospel.But it runs counter to anything JOC ever wrote about the 280,and in print he felt the 280 held no advantage over a 270....he felt that what you could do with one you could do with the other. And you will look high and low for evidence that JOC ever shot a single head of big game with the 280,despite building three of them(at the end of his career)....at least he never wrote about it.He certainly had ample opportunity as he was actively hunting when the 280 was introduced in the 50's....and the 7x64 Brenneke was available since the 20's.He could have used it, but didn't..... OTOH he shot hundreds of BG animals with the 270 from moose and grizzly to Coues deer and African stuff. So, really,there is no evidence that he thought the 280 was better.....just "stories". Great stuff as usual Bob.
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He'd shop around for a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 Featherweight in .270 WIN..... He might try all kinds of things,but this is what he would hunt with.....and since they are still around,he'd have Al and Roger Biesen remodel the FW to his specs. He would do this because he used such rifles and the 270 Winchester successfully on several continents; on African plains game,moose,elk, grizzly,sheep (how many Grand Slams?) He'd write about all the new cartridges (just the same way he wrote up the 7mm Rem Mag,300Win Mag,300 Weatherby, 338, etc),and might hunt with some of them.But I think he'd stay pretty close to time proven classics like the 270, 280,7x57,and 30/06. ********************************************** After reading some of Jack O'Connor's books, I just have to agree with BobinNH's thoughts as to what brand and caliber of rifle Jack O'Connor would have and use. He became familiar with the pre-'64 Model 70s and was well-satisfied with the rifle plus he hunted successfully with several different cartridges, but also preferred the famous .270 Winchester which still is a truly great choice for the majority of thin-skinned big game animals. While Jack O'Connor used his .270 for grizzly bear, I'd prefer something heavier and more of a "stopper", but no one can argue with O'Connor's success with his favorite cartridge, his beloved .270 Winchester. It is, after all, an OUTSTANDING cartridge that just keeps gettin'-things-done, year after year... decade after decade! And, let's face it... just how superior are all these "new" magnum cartridges as compared to the old .270 Winchester? Hmmmmmmm... yes, it's true that they are definitely "superior" in one category... RECOIL !~!~!  Jus' my 2�...  Strength & Honor... Ron T.
It's smart to hang around old guys 'cause they know lotsa stuff...
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I have to agree with you about the Dakota Model 76 Alpine Deluxe. It would probably be in 270 Winchester, but he might go with the 7x57 Mauser for lighter recoil. Talley rings and bases with a Swarovski Z3 3-10x42 scope.
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Mr. O'Connor bought his No. 2 Featherweight in a hardware store in Lewiston, Idaho.
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I see its time to start re-reading JOC columns and features from about 1958 to 1968 in my collection of Outdoor Life magazines. May pull a tidbit or two out to mention here.
My home is the "sanctuary residence" for my firearms.
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My home is the "sanctuary residence" for my firearms.
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Jack would have approved of what I picked up, today, the last of my 10-day wait. One of the last pre-64's, a .30-06 Featherweight in really nice condition: ![[Linked Image]](http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i414/yo-andrew/mdl70-001mn.jpg)
"There's more to optics than meets the eye."--anon
"...most of us would be better off losing half a pound around the waist than half a pound on our rifle."--dhg
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Jack would have approved of what I picked up, today, the last of my 10-day wait. One of the last pre-64's, a .30-06 Featherweight in really nice condition: Nice rifle, too bad they put that ventilated pad on it though...
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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...too bad they put that ventilated pad on it though... Does seem a shame, even though it appears to have been a professional job, but that pad saved me $100's; it is the single reason I got this for $800 otd. Plus I would want a pad on any rifle of this recoil potential. Even my .260 Rem has a pad. I'm a lightweight--I know! 
Last edited by pal; 11/18/11.
"There's more to optics than meets the eye."--anon
"...most of us would be better off losing half a pound around the waist than half a pound on our rifle."--dhg
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Nevertheless, very nice rifle there. I've got one with a pad and one I kept with the aluminum butt plate. I enjoy shooting the one with the decelerator recoil pad much more than the other. I was wondering what your $800.00 rifle looked like. Thanks for posting the pics...
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Looks like a nice clean rifle!
No biggie on the pad;by that late in production,the FW's all had a thin plastic butt plate anyway; the aluminum checkered plate was gone.
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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Looks like a nice clean rifle!
No biggie on the pad;by that late in production,the FW's all had a thin plastic butt plate anyway; the aluminum checkered plate was gone. The problem is- that stock looks like it was cut for the pad. I would ditch the ventilated wreck and put a repro Red Winchester Lightning logo pad on it from GALAZAN and rock on. Nice rifle.
Last edited by jim62; 11/18/11.
To all gunmaker critics-
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.."- Teddy Roosevelt
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OT--Yeah, I was tempted to right away change out the pad, thinking: This thing must be hard as a rock. But, now that I've had a chance to give it a more thorough going over, the pad looks OK, so I'll try it for awhile. BTW, it's a 1963.
"There's more to optics than meets the eye."--anon
"...most of us would be better off losing half a pound around the waist than half a pound on our rifle."--dhg
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Looks like a nice clean rifle!
No biggie on the pad;by that late in production,the FW's all had a thin plastic butt plate anyway; the aluminum checkered plate was gone. The problem is- that stock looks like it was cut for the pad. I would ditch the ventilated wreck and put a repro Red Winchester Lightning logo pad on it from GALAZAN and rock on. Nice rifle. Jim may be right about the stock...the Galazan pads are nice.
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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Looks like a nice clean rifle!
No biggie on the pad;by that late in production,the FW's all had a thin plastic butt plate anyway; the aluminum checkered plate was gone. The problem is- that stock looks like it was cut for the pad. I would ditch the ventilated wreck and put a repro Red Winchester Lightning logo pad on it from GALAZAN and rock on. Nice rifle. Jim may be right about the stock...the Galazan pads are nice. I believe I am right. Look at the length of the comb line along the Monte Carlo at the back. Looks pretty short. Unless the previous owner who installed that pad had the LOP requirements of an Orangutan, that stock was most likley cut a bit cut to offset the extra 3/4" of length the stock added.
Last edited by jim62; 11/18/11.
To all gunmaker critics-
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.."- Teddy Roosevelt
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Regards,
Chuck
"There's a saying in prize fighting, everyone's got a plan until they get hit"
Ghost And The Darkness
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