Great article. Reminiscing,,, 50 years ago, this year, I killed my first deer here on the ranch where I now live with an old Spanish Ovideo M1916 “sporter" in 7x 57. Sporting a weaver K4 I received for Christmas the year before. Shooting Norma factory 150 grain ammo. $4.50 a box from Gibsons discount store!
I still have the rifle!
In 1969 I was 14 and traded a wore out Remington pump 22 and $11 for a 1893 (M93) Ovideo mauser in 7x57 sporterized by Century Arms. Then bought a 50 rd box fmj spitzers that had berdan priming. By the time that surplus ammo was gone I bought 2 boxes of Remington 175 gr rn loads.At that point a RCBS JR. Press and dies which were followed in by everything else to cover the very basics of reloading cf ammo. I had the rifle drilled and tapped for weaver bases, bolt handle modified, Dayton Traister low swing safety installed and all polished with it reblued. That winter of 70 found me fitting the barreled action to an ECBishop 80% sporter blank ,glass bedding it and finishing with G66 linspeed oil.
I worked up my 1st loads with imr 4350 and 139 gr Hornady spire points then backed off a little and subbed in 140 npt's. They shot good 5 in 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" pretty regular. It took 2-3years to draw a tag for deer back then. Finally drawing a Clay Co. Any deer tag in 1972. 50 years ago this fall. I have a whitetail any deer tag for the west half of Sully Co for this fall I am betting I can shoot another whitetail buck with it again.50 years later. You know I still have some of the red box federal brass I bought from Gibson's in Yankton ,SD back then I am sure it will still work...mb
JOC influenced my early years also.
