Thread: Resurgence of interest in the old "Three Oh"?

Took the 106-year old girl out for a walk the other day. Been a heap of pigs out, but think the pig hunters beat me to them. Waited til dark, but no luck. Nice to take the rifle for another walk though

Dads sporterised Long Tom. Bolt and action numbers match, but has been rebarreled.



In use ‘55 I think, Fiordland.

Going by the wood, it’s the center rifle.





He would have been 100 this November.
So this is quite timely.
I’ve scrubbed and patched it out. Had it all apart and scrubbed and degunged everything.
When weather and time permits I’ll go out to the farm and have play.
I have zero expectations, but our boy wants to use it as is down south, so fingers crossed.

B

@shift14 That's awesome!!!

My Long Tom sporter

Greetings @bumblefoot and all,
A nice calm day today so I finally got to do a rough sight in on my latest new to me .303. As reported earlier in another thread the rifle was given to me by a friend and has been returned to shooting condition using components from my parts cupboard and those donated by others including Forum members. The rifle had previously had a preliminary firing using loads cobbled together with some of the Greek 174 grain projectles. Today the loads contained 174 grain Hornady round nose projectiles and had been adopted from another .303 that now lives somewhere else. These were very light loads used for shooting targets. Scope is an old 2.5 power Tasco that I bought new around 40 years ago. First shot was right followed by an adjustment. Next shot was left so split the diff and the last shot will do for now. Shooting was done on my 60 metre Casual Sighting in Range here at home and further testing, including some more load developement, will be done on one of the two rifle ranges I frequent.
Many will wonder why I bother with an old relic when my rifle safe bulges with more modern and more capable rifles and I can only say that it I enjoy doing it. At some time in the coming weeks the rifle and I will embark on one of my mid week grandpa walks in the Kawekas and I will enjoy that too.
Regards Grandpamac.

"Many will wonder why I bother with an old relic" People have often said that about me.....

Here's a little vid I did of my first hunt with the 1916 girl in case anyone has a lazy 8 or so minutes No big stags/bucks, but a fun hunt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwbXTk3mSW0&t=426s

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

"Many will wonder why I bother with an old relic" People have often said that about me.....

Nah maybe they said that about your missus lol

Originally Posted by shift14

Dads sporterised Long Tom. Bolt and action numbers match, but has been rebarreled.

Attachment 204240

In use ‘55 I think, Fiordland.

Going by the wood, it’s the center rifle.

Attachment 204241

Attachment 204242

He would have been 100 this November.
So this is quite timely.
I’ve scrubbed and patched it out. Had it all apart and scrubbed and degunged everything.
When weather and time permits I’ll go out to the farm and have play.
I have zero expectations, but our boy wants to use it as is down south, so fingers crossed.

B

Your dad looks like he's taking a gentleman's retreat just after ww1 with the way his uniform looks

Very interesting read in this thread.
Seems im not the only one after a three oh, it was about 10 years ago when we bumped into a DOC ranger in the bush while on a hunt and he looked my mates .303 and said to him it would have been better to have left it in the cabinet!

Originally Posted by Old_School

Very interesting read in this thread. Seems im not the only one after a three oh, it was about 10 years ago when we bumped into a DOC ranger in the bush while on a hunt and he looked my mates .303 and said to him it would have been better to have left it in the cabinet!

I have people look at me like that too. But who cares eh?

@grandpamac My mate in Aussie just sent me this. It's not very high resolution, but interesting. I didn't know they re-barrelled .303s to .375?

I have generally found the exact opposite down here

Leave my muzzleloader or vintage rifle outside when I arrive at a hut
Meet the strangers there and just look like an average old guy out hunting
Quietly bring rifle inside when I know they aren't freaked out by such things
When they notice it's a bit out of the ordinary then they all want to see it

Met some nice guys this way and kept in touch with a few

Some are astonished when you shoot a deer 10 minutes from the hut while they are still sleeping off their excesses of the night before

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

@grandpamac My mate in Aussie just sent me this. It's not very high resolution, but interesting. I didn't know they re-barrelled .303s to .375?

Attachment 211058

Those are all pre WW1 rifles with the bolt cover and magazine cut of. Eight pounds five shillings ($16.50) for the cheapest, and with a pistol grip stock too. Possibly the .375 cartridge was just a .303 necked up? Or it could be the .375 Flanged Nitro Express (2 1/2") which has a slightly longer case.
GPM.

@Scout will be able to expand on the 375s in LEs

He's either got or had some of them