Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Tell me about this Winchester…

Let’s have some fun - best guess as to model and chambering (!) - I don’t have the answer. Picture was posted up in AK forum. Give reasoning. If you know for sure - or know who it is - let it run a bit …

Looks like the south end of kodiak island. Bill Pinnell and Morris Talifson old guide area

Looks like a Featherweight

Man, that’s a cool picture!

That’s a helluva iconic sorta picture.

Looks like a 1952-1953 308 fwt: Wild azzed guess on the cartridge, but definitely an early fwt. Picture was taken in 1957 and the rifle looks like it's been hunted a couple/few years. Could be a 1955 30-06 too. My best guess on cartridge. My reasoning: the date of the picture, the front sight hood is missing and it's a low comb. Definitely an early featherweight though..

The guy is in the Kodiak national wildlife refuge. Nice bear too!!! Don't know who it is though. That's a great picture. Probably a professional photograph for back in those days. Wonder if it was in field and stream or some other magazine?

AK, when you find out, let us know.

That's cock. Way cock.

The photo was taking by Will Troyer who managed kodiak national wildlife refuge at the time. We will probably never know who the person is USFW just calls it “ happy bear hunter” far as caliber I’m going with 30-06 with whatever “premium” 180gr ammo they had back in 57.

I'd vote 220's..

Anyone think it’s a 358?

Wonder what those odds would be!

It's very possible. Catalogued from 1955-1957. I was thinking more along the lines of 308 and 30-06 though. Back in those days, the 30-06 was considered a "big" cartridge. Especially when loaded with 220's.

If you find out, let us know.

Don’t imagine I will unless someone knows who the hunter is. Will Troyer passed and I haven’t had any PM’s. I’d love to know myself; the picture is so iconic.

I’m going with 06 because even as a territory in 1958, 06 ammo was plentiful, doubt much 358 Winchester ammo floating around up here at the time.

The picture is really cool. Thanks for sharing man.

Quick story that somewhat relates. I have an older Marine Raider buddy from WWII who is 99 or maybe a 100 this year. He was sorta like a Grandfather to my first company and Detachment One. He was always at special occasions we held and always the special guest. Rode rubber boats into Makin and some other Jap held ground before mainstream Marines hit the beach.. Anyhow after WWII he went to school, became a biologist. He purchased a M70 270 Winchester and then moved to Alaska and stayed there for 30-40 years. Anyhow, we had alot in common as Marines but man, he had some awesome accounts of running over the Alaska landscape with his 270. I have some hardcopy pictures I'll get out one of these days see if I can get them posted up. He had some large bear, moose, caribou, etc he took while he lived there. At the time when I met him I was a young SSgt and I remember saying "Chuck, you used a 270 for everything".. He responded he never had any trouble taking animals and loved that old rifle. Haven't heard from him since our last Raider reunion last year, but man, the stories he told me from 2003 till about 2016 everytime we'd see one another were amazing, not to be outdone with what he did as a Raider but very cool nonetheless.

It's an old fw for sure, pre war maybe? But that dude is on another level. Open sights and a giant man eater strapped to his back...I bet it's an 06. I wouldn't think 300 h&h due to barrel length. That pic screams America. Bad azz.

Agreed, one can do just about everything with a 270

Yote, you need to get a book called "The rifleman's rifle", written by Roger Rule.