My very first semi auto rifle I bought when I got out of the Army, 1973, was a BAR in 7mm Remington Magnum. I was only using iron sights then and I could hold a 2-21/2: group off a rolled up quilt, laying prone, but at 75yds ( furthest I could find to shoot.) I had bought 175 corlokts factory ammo (hadn't started handloading yet) because I wanted to elk hunt with I later on. "If" I kept that rifle really, really clean, and oiled right ( I bought "real gun oil" then too but forget the name now) it would work. If it got rained on pretty hard ( it rained a lot in that past of East Texas) it would jam. I killed one big yearling with it ( he had to weight all of 75 pounds! ha) and when it hung up, I got spooked. As I mentioned, I had become OCD about reliability. I took to Oshman's in Beaumont and traded "even" for a new Marlin 1894 44 mag and a 12g, vent ribbed Mod 870 Magnum. The boss man kind of fussed at the salesman when we were signing paperwork, but I walked out with the two. I hunted the next couple season with the Marlin, but if you "leaned to the right" when work the action, even it would "hang up". Aaaagh! I went back to my Mod 94 Classic 30-30 and then got off into bowhunting. I didn't buy a "super reliable", Mod 70 ( my first bolt gun that wasn't military surplus) from a cousin until 1975. I sent off and got a Weaver 2x7 "Wide View" and found a fellow who handloaded some match ammo for me ( this was in summertime) it shot great. But I got so into bowhunting, I ended up selling it to to buy some bow equipment/arrows. That Fall I killed my first bowkill buck ( and my biggest WT down there to date!) he was a heavy 10pt (5x5) with a "button" and maybe 140 pounds on the hoof. Really big for that area! But this was in October bow season, no other bowhunters on our lease before me and my BIL! It spoiled me and I hunted hard each October, then when rifle season started I just used the Mod 94, the 742 I bought from my uncle and then began playing with the Ruger 77 280 in late 1977 for the rifle season. Texas then had a 3 deer limit ( in Liberty Co) 2 bucks and one doe ( only with a permit) But Archery started in October, ran consecutively with rifle season which was 3nd Saturday in November and ended January 3rd, or something like that. I miss those long seasons! You "might" get 9 days here, but if you hunt a CWMU ( private ranch w/a state tag) you may get 3-5. That's it.
Last edited by Jim_Knight; 07/06/19.
