Why am I messing around?

les

les

Hammer Time Executive member
I will admit that I am a fan of the 30 caliber. I'm a little frustrated with myself. I have a 308 Winchester; a 30/06 Ackley Improved; a 300 WSM; and a 300 RUM. I've discovered that the 300 WSM and the 06 AI are really close in performance with the WSM edging it out a little. Right now none of them feels like "an old friend." Even my Ackley Improved that was my only gun for about 20 years has lost its familiarity. I've got plans for the 308. When I shoot the WSM or the RUM, I feel like I am cheating on my first love the AI. I know that sounds dumb, but it is hard to deny feelings. I'm enjoying my 2nd RUM, but I don't shoot it as much as I thought I would. More and more I am liking the 300 WSM. The 06 AI is in need of a refresh. The 308 is getting one first.

At this point, I'm going to suck it up and really get to know the 300 WSM. It clicks so many boxes. It is light. It has all the power I need. I have it set up just right! It is fun to shoot. It has a lot of cool factors. I like that it has a Proof Research Carbon barrel. I like that the action has been trued. I like that the stock is able to be customized to comb height and length from the factory. I really like the tang safety. It feels good in the hand. I still have not rung it out. I guess that is next.

Anyone else have this quandary? I keep hearing the siren call of the 300 RUM!
 
I know the feeling. My first rifle is a 30-30 bolt gun. Carried it and shot alot with it. Haven't used it since getting my 270win and then the rum. Its really hard to put the rum down, with how well it fits me. If I wasn't distance limited with the 30-30, I'd still be using it. I'm secretly hoping I need a straight wall cartridge rifle, I'll get a barrel for it in 360 buckhammer. Then I'll have to use my first love!
 
For one I miss on the regular I sent my .375 H&H to a young friend in Alaska-He's coveted it for a couple of decades so its in good hands.

I cheated on it chasing more velocity, and never found the same level of "feeling".

Her sister the .300 H&H was a close second, I definitely mourned shooting that barrel out.
 
@les - and all this time wasted away from that Ishapore... :ROFLMAO:
I get it though, sometimes a gun just fits you, you build confidence with it, it hasn't been finicky, and you catch yourself admiring it against the tree or watching a movie! Cartridge ballistics come second as long as it's hitting what you're aiming at and stacking meat.
 
Sounds like we need to restart the thread, " If I only had one". Before Hammers, I went from a tried and true 45-70 marlin man to a, "I have no clue I love them all".

Right now I'm leaning towards my 300 H&H Remington classic smoking the 124s. After the muzzle break was installed last year coupled with a new recoil pad, it's hard to put it down.

💥🚀🔨☠️

For such a short thread, there's been an awful lot of mention of the 270 Winchester 🤔🤔 At least I can tell who played in the band in high school.😂🤣🤣🤣
 
joe16 said:
Sounds like we need to restart the thread, " If I only had one". Before Hammers, I went from a tried and true 45-70 marlin man to a, "I have no clue I love them all".

Right now I'm leaning towards my 300 H&H Remington classic smoking the 124s. After the muzzle break was installed last year coupled with a new recoil pad, it's hard to put it down.

💥🚀🔨☠️

For such a short thread, there's been an awful lot of mention of the 270 Winchester 🤔🤔 At least I can tell who played in the band in high school.😂🤣🤣🤣
Click to expand...
If I only had one it’d be a 270 C’mon Back
 
BFD said:
@les - and all this time wasted away from that Ishapore... :ROFLMAO:
I get it though, sometimes a gun just fits you, you build confidence with it, it hasn't been finicky, and you catch yourself admiring it against the tree or watching a movie! Cartridge ballistics come second as long as it's hitting what you're aiming at and stacking meat.
Click to expand...
BFD - There is the serious gun category. Guns for hunting. Then there is the fun gun category. The Ishapore, the Danish Rolling Block, and a couple of vintage 22 Long Rifles fall into that category. I'm down to my last 5 boxes of cheap military ammo for the Ishapore.
 
gltaylor said:
For some reason I've never owned a 270????
Don't know why. Got most of the rest (non-howitzers)!
Click to expand...
The only 270 I have owned was the Weatherby version. Growing up, my Grandpa hated the 270 Winchester. I moved to Oregon in my early 20,s and you didn't see too many 270s around. However when I started hunting with my father-in-law, one of the guys in the group hunted with one. We had a private ranch to hunt on, so the elk hunting was excellent. The three times Steve hunted with us, he made 3 very good shots on elk with his 270 Winchester. The first one I helped him track for almost a mile over 3 ridges. The second one I helped him track for close to 2 miles. (Actually the easiest one to pack out.) The third one was a 2,000 yard track down a ravine, and a nasty pack out. That is my reason for never owning a 270 Winchester. Fast forward to 17 years ago, and my partner Eric hunted only with a 270 Winchester. We had out of state tags (I lived in Oregon then) for northern Idaho. He drilled a nice 5x5 elk and it went down. It then stood up! It took about 20 steps and I had a clear lane, so I drilled it in the neck with the 30/06 AI and it went down like a brick. I got chewed out by Eric. "I wanted a one shot kill!" I didn't say a word to him. I just said to myself, "I don't want to track an elk for a long distance again." He had made a good double lung shot. Two years later I had moved to Idaho, and he got the same out of state tag. He went with his two cousins this time. He again drilled a nice elk with the 270. He told me he had to track it for close to a mile, and the pack out was nasty. I saw him drop many deer and antelope with that gun in the 12 years we hunted together. He now hunts elk with a 338 Win Mag.
 
.270 win was my first rifle and my go to rifle for 20 years. I now don't own a single 270....kind of saddens me!! I have been looking hard at the 6.8 western to fill that void. The only problem is brass is a problem. Not many make quality brass for it.

All the above being said.....my go to rifle right now is the 300wsm. We own a couple and they both shoot soooooo goood. It's hard not to love a 300wsm.
 
Last edited:
gltaylor said:
All that means is many here grew up reading Outdoor Life and Jack O"Connor. His 270 exploits were legendary😁
Click to expand...
The first three rifles I bought were a 270 Winny, a 257 Roberts, and a 220 Swift because Ol' Jack said they were good.
He wasn't wrong, but I sold the "skinny ugly", made the Bob into a 6.5x284, and I'm still shoot the Zoomie Swift, surprised I haven't melted the barrel.
I got dumped by my first High School girlfriend, so I learned pretty early on to not get too attached to stuff. When it comes to rifles, I like being fickle. It gives me lots of options when I head to the range.
 
Littlebighorn, that makes me smile! Speaking of getting dumped by your first High School girlfriend. That happened to me, and she traded me in for my twin brother! I do regret selling my 220 Swift. I just didn't work with it enough to figure it out, and I needed the money to continue my Winchester 1886 collection. That collection made me enough money so I could by my house in Idaho, and I look back at that time in my life with pleasure as I enjoyed the guns as well as the looking for them. I don't own a single one anymore.
 
gltaylor said:
All that means is many here grew up reading Outdoor Life and Jack O"Connor. His 270 exploits were legendary😁
Click to expand...
Locally lots of first person stories that didn't make the book were less awesome.

I have a friend that has successfully taken most if not all North American game with his.

Never saw that level of awesome in my experience. Largely bullet related, I have an improved opinion of it these days.
 
les said:
The only 270 I have owned was the Weatherby version. Growing up, my Grandpa hated the 270 Winchester. I moved to Oregon in my early 20,s and you didn't see too many 270s around. However when I started hunting with my father-in-law, one of the guys in the group hunted with one. We had a private ranch to hunt on, so the elk hunting was excellent. The three times Steve hunted with us, he made 3 very good shots on elk with his 270 Winchester. The first one I helped him track for almost a mile over 3 ridges. The second one I helped him track for close to 2 miles. (Actually the easiest one to pack out.) The third one was a 2,000 yard track down a ravine, and a nasty pack out. That is my reason for never owning a 270 Winchester. Fast forward to 17 years ago, and my partner Eric hunted only with a 270 Winchester. We had out of state tags (I lived in Oregon then) for northern Idaho. He drilled a nice 5x5 elk and it went down. It then stood up! It took about 20 steps and I had a clear lane, so I drilled it in the neck with the 30/06 AI and it went down like a brick. I got chewed out by Eric. "I wanted a one shot kill!" I didn't say a word to him. I just said to myself, "I don't want to track an elk for a long distance again." He had made a good double lung shot. Two years later I had moved to Idaho, and he got the same out of state tag. He went with his two cousins this time. He again drilled a nice elk with the 270. He told me he had to track it for close to a mile, and the pack out was nasty. I saw him drop many deer and antelope with that gun in the 12 years we hunted together. He now hunts elk with a 338 Win Mag.
Click to expand...
I’ll never be without a 270
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top