Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Jack's last rifle

Brad, from the 1950s until his passing, I read every JOC article I could get my hands on. He had a way of making me feel that I was right there with him (and you). I used to always envy you because of the relationship you had with your Dad. It's good to see you on this forum. Thanks...Bill.

Thanks all for the warm welcome and your kind words about my father are music to this old kid's ears. The .30-06 I shot in Southern Rhodesia and later foolishly gave away was NOT the one my mother used to dispatch an elephant on the Zambezi flood plain. I did shoot a zebra with her 7x57 when my .375 was buried under a pile in the Land Cruiser. Both her .30-06 and 7x57 are displayed at the O'Connor Center in Lewiston.

Yes, I believe your mother used her Lenard Brownell M70 on the elephant(?)..

Yes. she shot the elephant with the Brownell M70, using a 220-gr bullet.

Sorry...............

I believe that he was comparing post '64 M70's, Remington 700's, etc
that were available in the 1968 - 1978 era. Ruger M77 barreled actions were available for a time. He thought that they would make a great basis for a custom rifle in that era.

Mr. O'Connor it is wonderful to hear from you on this forum.

I'm sure you have heard this many, many times but it bears repeating. I hope you know what a profound influence your late Father had on me and many others. I read and re-read everything he wrote that I could get my hands on. I will never forget that in High School one of my hunting buddies and I would get out of speech class to go to the School Library and do "research" on our speech topics. Of course in our case, "research" amounted to scrounging up every back issue of Outdoor Life we could find to read his columns and articles. I was not, nor will I ever be a great orator as a result of taking speech in High School, but I sure learned a lot about Hunting and Hunting Rifles and Shotguns!

My big game hunting mentor was Clarence Davis who long ago passed on to his reward. He was a great disciple of your father and of course used a pre-'64 Winchester Featherweight 270. When I was about 14 and saving for a Hunting Rifle of my very own (I had been using my Cousin's bolt action Savage 340 in 30-30) Clarence told me "Son, you can buy any Rifle you want as long as it is a 270 or 30-'06". Naturally I took his advice and bought a 270 and have never regretted that decision!

I owned an O'Connor rifle for a short time, it was a four digit serial number (I think 1936)standard grade prewar M70 .375 with the 24" heavy straight taper barrel. It had been fitted with a Griffin & Howe sidemount, the base had been milled away leaving a sort of neat low ledge on the left side, and a 4X Bear Cub in a Redfield Jr. mount was substituted on top. JOC took it to Africa and gave it to his PH, John Kingsley-Heath. When JKH retired he brought it back to England, I guess it was too much trouble to own there, and it came to auction at either Christies or Sothebys, I forget which, and I bought it. Very accurate with factory ammo, I took it to Alaska for griz but did not get a shot, and sold it to one of the O'Connor collectors. The thing I remember best was the extraordinary quality of the workmanship on a standard grade rifle, careful fitting, superb polish, blue and wood finish. Better, in fact, than on my 1941 Super Grade that I have owned for many years.

i.e.,made in 1936.

I was at the center last year, and enjoyed every minute spent there. The 30-06, I think it was, was not on display at the time. The gentleman there said it was out hunting. Was that you who had it away?

Ted

I have several books of jacks that i have read and re-read dozens of times.

Jack knew what the good stuff was.

Off topic a little, but in addition to hunting, rifle, and shotgun info, I learned a lot about grammar and writing correctly by reading Mr. Jack's articles in Outdoor Life. His writing was so descriptive and flowed beautifully. I still have tattered old Outdoor Life magazines and re-read them occasionally for a step back in time.

In the 1960's, I loved reading the big 3 outdoor magazines. Jack O'Connor was my favorite, but I liked Warren Page and Ted Trueblood in Field & Stream along with John Jobson and the somewhat grumpy Jason Lucas in Sports Afield. Mr. Lucas taught me how to fish for bass, but I've come to learn he did not know it all. Brimfish

Jack got me into hunting, shooting and reloading. My first rifle was a 1971 Remington BDL in 270 and I shot the barrel out with H4831 and 130 grain bullets. I used it as my all around rifle as it was the only one I had for several years. When I had my Springfield built it was supposed to be a 270 but fate intervened and it turned out to stay a 30-06 as the rifle disassembled to make it has a star gauged barrel and the gunsmith was going to see how it shot for me. Excellent is the only way to put it. I have hunted all over but I like the mountains the most and Jack pointed me in the right direction early on. I read every word Jack O'connor ever wrote and was shocked that such a legend in my mind would ever pass on. I can only thank him for getting me started in the right direction and a good life.

Just came across a photo of Jack's last rifle on the 2013 Gun Digest website. Needless to say, the rifle is beautiful & has some very interesting metalwork done on the bolt handle. Looks as if an early Leupold M8-4x compact is mounted in Leupold rings.

The article is by Tom Turpin, our own T-square here on the campfire.

Well it seems he did.. But if he ever shot anything with a 280, he kept it secret.

I know he is best known for the .270 but it was his words about the 7x57 that I remember best. My dad and I have always had a soft spot for it because of that. It took me a while but finally got one this year.

campfire_olgeezer,

Wasn't your father a professor at what would later become known as Northern Arizona University?

I have a friend who attended NAU, graduating in 1982. She's a Lumberjack(ette) and her car has an NAU license plate frame. However, she told me that your father's name was not known to her. Her professors probably had her reading Lost Generation or Shakespeare or Dickens or some other author whose works have probably done nowhere near as good for her life as would've exposure to an authentic American legend. Were her professors dedicated to scholarship they'd had her read "The Art of Hunting in North America". Now that's a true classic. James Joyce would have been blessed were he that caliber an author.

Maybe I ought to buy her a rifle and take her deer hunting. A little culture would do well for her. But first I'll have to buy "The Hunting Rifle" for her. That way she'll know that what she really needs in life isn't sold at Nordstrom.


Adios,

R

Obama has an opening at campaign headquarters.

Thanks 3D for pointing out the gun digest article, it is a nice looking rifle.

Glad to see that it is finally out. I haven't seen a copy of the book as yet, but have looked at the preview copy in the various listings. It certainly does look like a great issue.

I agree that if O'Connor ever shot anything with one of his 280's, I'm unaware of it. Had he lived, and been physically able to do so, I believe he would have used this custom Ruger though. He told Al Biesen when he dropped it off the get off his ass and finish it up as he intended to use it!

TT