Was on my way home a few evenings ago and remembered to stop by a small ammo shop. I needed at least another 100 LBT's to feed the Bisley. Looking over their stock I found none about so headed over to their bargain counter. My eyes went right to an older box of Winchester Super X in 375 H&H. Took it over to the fella at the counter and asked if I could open it and take a look. He agreed and I did. The 300 grain Silver Tips were as pristine as a could be. No tarnish or rub marks anywhere. The tag said 30 bones so didn't haggle at all.
That evening I emailed a couple of friends about said box and Bill answered back that he would like to have them for an upcoming moose hunt. I told him that I couldn't think of a better thing to do with that box then give them to him. We met yesterday at my shop and Bill popped in with a gift of some (real) antique rounds as a swap. He also brought in a rifle case that I knew would be filled with "the" big 375 in it.
As we talked about "Big Nan" and some of it's history, Bill explained the full story of how he (and his father-in-law David) came into possession of this rugged rifle. No time to tell that now so I might just leave that up to Bill. This all however, ties in to the reason for picking up the box of Silver tips in the first place. As we talked, Bill explained that the history of Big Nan and Hal Waugh was somewhat recorded in writing already. Bill had the thought that it "might be interesting to find out (in book form) the post history of the rifle and it's being used for Alaskan hunting since Hal's passing.
The plan for this year's chapter (so to say) will be next month's moose hunt back at the old family stomping grounds near Eagle Alaska, where his family and Hal's lived as neighbors. The older ammo will be a tribute to Hal in a way, if by nothing else, as a copy of one of the boxes that was in some of the things he was given with the rifle.
I have to say that it was very neat to (after a dozen years had passed) to work the action and aim through the peep site once more. If I imagined that I was aiming at the chest of a 9' plus brownie, I can only expect you gents would understand...
bhtr
