I may have told this story on this forum before but if I did, its been a long time.
"BkinSD's" post about his wonderful shooting pre-64 Winchester Model 70 Featherweight reminded me of this "humbling" encounter I had with a 270 Featherweight a LONG time ago.
The year was 1968 and I had bought one of my first NEW Rifles. The Rifle was a BEAUTIFULLY stocked Ruger #1-B in caliber 6m/m Remington. I will never forget that Rifle, it had serial number 1,300!
I had to put it on lay-a-way and make payments on it. Finally I got it home and mounted a Redfield 4x12 variable scope on it and began load development.
That Rifle shot REALLY well right from the start.
I was in my local sport/gun shop bragging about its accuracy when along comes a fella I knew to be a "serious" Varmint/predator/big game Hunter.
His name was Rusty Watson, for any of you out in the Pacific Northwest, where I lived at the time.
Rusty grins at my wallet bound grouping and relayed how he had a Winchester Featherweight in caliber 270 Winchester that could "out shoot it/me"!
Well being young (21) and dumb at the time I challenged Rusty to a shoot-out - much to the hoopla and amusement of the shops countermen and other customers.
I challenged and he set the terms for the contest. 3 shots from a cold gun at 200 yards group size NOT score was to be the winning factor.
Two hours later we meet at the Renton Fish and Game Club Range which was very well protected from the wind by tall trees all around.
We were to shoot side by side on adjacent benches. The target was the official benchrest type. I was so proud of my target/group which turned out to have the 3 shots there at 200 yards in just a hair over 1.00" - alas, and to my chagrin, Rusty put his 3 shots into just a hair over .500" grouping there at 200 yards!
I ate some humble pie that day - I was so sure my amazingly accurate Ruger #1-B would outshoot that "old-timey" light/short barreled Rifle.
Lesson learned.
I recall specifically that Rusty's Rifle had a Bausch & Lomb 3x9 variable scope with the tapered crosshairs on it. He was shooting the then newish Sierra 90 grain H/P bullets in his Featherweight.
I don't know if that grouping by my then new friend was a fluke or not but he did not seem overly excited about that really nifty performance that day!
Long live the Riflemans Rifle.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
"BkinSD's" post about his wonderful shooting pre-64 Winchester Model 70 Featherweight reminded me of this "humbling" encounter I had with a 270 Featherweight a LONG time ago.
The year was 1968 and I had bought one of my first NEW Rifles. The Rifle was a BEAUTIFULLY stocked Ruger #1-B in caliber 6m/m Remington. I will never forget that Rifle, it had serial number 1,300!
I had to put it on lay-a-way and make payments on it. Finally I got it home and mounted a Redfield 4x12 variable scope on it and began load development.
That Rifle shot REALLY well right from the start.
I was in my local sport/gun shop bragging about its accuracy when along comes a fella I knew to be a "serious" Varmint/predator/big game Hunter.
His name was Rusty Watson, for any of you out in the Pacific Northwest, where I lived at the time.
Rusty grins at my wallet bound grouping and relayed how he had a Winchester Featherweight in caliber 270 Winchester that could "out shoot it/me"!
Well being young (21) and dumb at the time I challenged Rusty to a shoot-out - much to the hoopla and amusement of the shops countermen and other customers.
I challenged and he set the terms for the contest. 3 shots from a cold gun at 200 yards group size NOT score was to be the winning factor.
Two hours later we meet at the Renton Fish and Game Club Range which was very well protected from the wind by tall trees all around.
We were to shoot side by side on adjacent benches. The target was the official benchrest type. I was so proud of my target/group which turned out to have the 3 shots there at 200 yards in just a hair over 1.00" - alas, and to my chagrin, Rusty put his 3 shots into just a hair over .500" grouping there at 200 yards!
I ate some humble pie that day - I was so sure my amazingly accurate Ruger #1-B would outshoot that "old-timey" light/short barreled Rifle.
Lesson learned.
I recall specifically that Rusty's Rifle had a Bausch & Lomb 3x9 variable scope with the tapered crosshairs on it. He was shooting the then newish Sierra 90 grain H/P bullets in his Featherweight.
I don't know if that grouping by my then new friend was a fluke or not but he did not seem overly excited about that really nifty performance that day!
Long live the Riflemans Rifle.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy