The Sears Model 50 with a 6x J.C. Higgins scope was my first bolt action rifle. I bought it on a time payment deal at a sale at Sears while still in college in about 1955 or 1956. I think I paid about $60 with scope and a box of ammo, and we had a choice of .270 or .30-06. They were sold with Bakelite butt plates with a white spacer between the pad and stock, so your recoil pad was an aftermarket addition.
I still was enamored with Jack O'Connor's writing, and chose the .270. I killed quite a few Coues deer and mule deer, a couple of pronghorn, an elk and a bison with it before I had Harry Lawson restock it with his Cochise thumbhole design.
I also used it in the silhueta metalicas matches in northern Mexico for a couple of seasons in the late-1960s, and even won a tournament with it. These were fired offhand without slings at metal animal targets from 200 to 500 meters.
As someone mentioned, the factory trigger setup was not good, and this became apparent after Lawson tried to lighten my trigger. After having it fire on closing the bolt with a round in the chamber and taking it back to him several times, I installed a Timney trigger myself, and everything worked fine after that.
The only thing I didn't like about that rifle was its safety lever. I carried my rifle on a sling from my right shoulder, and it was constantly knocked off safe whenever it brushed against me. It happened so many times I got so I wouldn't load the chamber until ready to shoot.
It was a great rifle, and I still have it, but I retired it years ago and went through a variety of calibers and makers before settling on the 7 mm Remington Magnum that I put together by building a stock for a Czech-built Mauser barreled action and installing a new trigger and a Model 70-style safety.
Bill Quimby
Last edited by billrquimby; 04/27/09.
