Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada I am into the editing phase of the 30-303 book

...and wanted your thoughts on this. It is part of the conclusion to the book. The book is about rebarreling, reloading and shooting a 30-303, a 303 British using a 308 barrel. In my case, I used a No 4 Long Branch. I am in the editing phase, a couple of weeks away from finishing.

A Few Parting Thoughts

First, I want to thank you for reading the book. I mean that.

In 2016, when I told my best friend that I was going to rebarrel one of my old 303s, he thought I’d lost my mind. He argued that it wasn’t worth the time or money. I laughed, and told him to check the prices of new econo-guns like the Savage Axis, Remington 783 or the Ruger American – complete with plastic stocks and pot metal parts. In Canada, they were 450 dollars CDN. The prices have risen since. For the same amount of money, I could fix up my old rifle, one with which I was comfortable, and it would outlast me! Certainly, the quality of my old rifle would be better than any plastic stocked one. More importantly perhaps, it was something that I could pass down to my kids or grandkids.

Whether it’s a Lee Enfield or some other, older rifle, restorations are fun and a great opportunity to learn more about their history. I always scour the used racks of every gun shop that I visit, looking for a diamond in the rough. My diamonds are rifles with ‘good bones’. Ones that can be restocked, reblued or rebarreled to make them new again. These days, rifles get traded or sold off, as the latest and greatest cartridge or action hits the market. Their loss is my gain.

Projects like this are great fun to do with family or friends. My grandsons were intrigued with the idea of wooden stocks and were always asking questions. “Was this rifle in the war, Grampa?”. The oldest, who was 12 when I started, thought it looked cool. “Can I shoot it when you’re done?”

Heck, grab a polishing cloth and we can work on it together! I thought about it and realized that this was something they could use, years from now, when I was not longer around. What a wonderful idea! You cannot put a value on that.

I hope that some people who read this book will take the time to re-work an older firearm. There is no time limit. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars. Sometimes, cleaning it up and getting the metal reblued is all it takes to restore an old rifle.

You can make it a project. You can involve family or friends, like I do with my grandkids. They enjoy spending time with me, and it makes me feel great too!

Shooting is just part of the fun. Learning about reloading, or going to the store to look at the factory ammunition is a great way to teach younger or inexperienced shooters. While you’re at your local gun shop, show them accessories like scopes, slings, or whatever catches their eye.

To the dads, moms, uncles, aunts, granddads, grandmas, or friends: Remember, it’s not about you. Young people find a lot of things interesting. Don’t preach! Let them ask questions. It’s okay if they think ARs are cool, but you don’t. You have the unique privilege of joining an inquisitive mind on a journey toward a new hobby. Walk with them. Do not pull them along!

They will want to go to the range with you. Plan the day for them. If they are new shooters, take a 22 or something that recoils softly. Answer their questions. Listen to their observations. Be their Google.

They already look up to you. There’s no need to impress them with your knowledge. They won’t understand most of what you’d say anyhow.

If you’re a hunter, don’t try to change their mind if they say they aren’t interested in that. They don’t really know what will interest them going forward. Just be happy to hang out with them and answer any questions they might have. It’s important not to push!

You want to guide them along the way, not take over. It’s their journey after all.