Thread: Calibre Choice in the 1970's

Greetings All,
Reading through the posts on Hermitage's thread I realised how spoilt for choice we are now compared to the time I bought my first new center fire rifle in the mid 1970's. I plunked my money down and bought a Remington 700 ADL in .308 Win at the long gone Carlton Sports in Hastings. It cost $243.00 and I still have it. My other option was a Winchester M70 in .270 Win but it was $30.00 dearer. US made rifles had just become more common with import controls easing. Previously BSA and Parker Hale were the standards of the day, cheaper in .308 Win and, I think, .222 Rem due to less import tax for some reason.
I fished out an old 1979 Shooters Bible from my library and found that the 700 ADL was offered in only nine cartridges. .222 Rem, .22-250 Rem, 6mm Rem, .243 Win, .25-06 Rem, .270 Win, 7mm Rem Mag, .308 Win and .30-06. Other models and manufacturers added a few more but didn't widen the choice much. The .223 Rem was only offered in Varmint rifles and all stocks were made out of dead trees. A look in the scope section looked pretty thin as well.
There would not have been much to support an internet debate, not that the internet even existed.
Regards Grandpamac.

I always noticed 308 and 222 rifles were cheaper than other calibres back in the 70’s, often wondered why.


My Finnwolf was the only one available in the local gun shop in 1973 and was luckily in 308 so that’s how I ended up with it.
From memory Finnwolfs only came in 243 and 308.

Almost all the hunting guys had 222, 243, 270 etc etc back then, none of them alphabet cartridges!

Among others, I carried a portugese mauser in 8x57, fully wooded. these were a refurb, re barreled from 6.5, if I recollect. they looked like new. I've never minded a heavy rifle. Norma made sporting ammo in this caliber.

In 1967 I bought a Sako Forester in that maligned (by a few) chambering of 308W.
I was told by older members of my branch NZDA that I was mad spending that sort of money.
Within the next 10 years (the 70s) most of them had replaced their old 303s.
I paid 59 pound 17/6 for the Sako. Just b4 change to DC. My take home pay as an apprentice was 10 pounds a week.
I still have that rifle. Other safe mate's have come and gone.

Back in the 1960's .22 and .308 calibre rifles were given a discounted Duty rate because they were calibres manufactured by CAC in Auckland. Whilst the only.308" bore centrefires granted that status were chambered in .308 Winchester, the .22 exemption was granted to all rifles with a nominal .22" bore diameter (.22 RF, .22 Hornet, .222 Remington, .22/250, etc), even though CAC was only manufacturing .22 rimfire at the time. Illogical but typical bureacracy!
I switched from .303 to .30/06 in 1967 and still use it, although I have taken many animals quite happily with the .308 over the years (and a few other caibres as well).

And back in the 60s the govt of the day protected CAC. When I got my 308 you couldn't buy imported 308 ammo.
The shop I bought my 308 from presented me with a box of 10 rounds of SAKO factory ammo with a statement of "cherish these".
A couple of year later I scored a box of 20 rounds of Winchester factory.
I started handloading very soon after I got my 308. I used Norma Re brass, Hirtenberger primers and Nobels 2. These components from recollection were quite available so the handloading scene must have already been around for a while.

Sorry GPM getting a bit off topic.

A few 7x61 S&H were around then in Schultz and Larsen. Also a very very small sprinkling of Schultz and Larsen in 270.

I was using my fathers Brno 22 hornet back in those days.

Yep. First was a smle I cut down in 1964. Next a Parker Hale 7*57 which used to skin my thumb on scope ring so went back to 303's. Bought a Shultz and Larsen 7*61 M68DL in 1969 and still use that brand today.

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

I always noticed 308 and 222 rifles were cheaper than other calibres back in the 70’s, often wondered why.


My Finnwolf was the only one available in the local gun shop in 1973 and was luckily in 308 so that’s how I ended up with it.
From memory Finnwolfs only came in 243 and 308.

Almost all the hunting guys had 222, 243, 270 etc etc back then, none of them alphabet cartridges!

I think the less duty on 308 and .222 was because a NZ company (CAC) made ammo in those calibers. It was to support local industry. Later CAC added .270 and I think .243 but the duty on those rifles wasn't dropped.

Originally Posted by zimmer

A few 7x61 S&H were around then in Schultz and Larsen. Also a very very small sprinkling of Schultz and Larsen in 270.

Also the .308 Norma Mag was around at this time. There is no off topic in posts that look back to older times Zimmer. Feel free.
Regards Grandpamac.

I was very fortunate to work in Tisdall's sports shop in PNth after school for 3 years from 1963. There was rack after rack of rifles (50 maybe?) and I oiled them with Youngs oil every week. I loved that job and was full time during the school holidays.

People could look at and handle all of the rifles.

The gun smith we used lived over on Main Street and I used to bike over there with guns to be repaired over my handle bars, and bring repaired ones back. No covers for them. Nothing said.

I can remember and see every rifle at Tisdalls like it was yesterday - and still smell the oil.

Yes, Schultz & Larsen in 7x61 & .270, Parker Hale in 308Norma Mag. BRNO's. Sakos etc. Lots of Savage lever actions because Tisdalls were the agents. My favourite rifle on the rack was the BSA Majestic, but I have never owned one. There were some exceptional military mausers in 8x57 - short carbine models. They looked brand new. They were agents for Anchutz too. Later when I was meat hunting I bought an Anchutz 308 for $199 new. One of my sons still has it and loves it.

I went on to own many rifles and hunting has been a passion ever since. The Manager (Jim Newman) was the first person to take me hunting - I never had a Dad so Jim took me under his wing. Jim took me up the Pari in the Ruahines and my first shot at a deer (missed) was with his BSA Hunter in 7x57. The Manager before Jim when I started was Ray Garner. Good people.

308 and .270 would ave been by far the most popular calibers, followed I think by 7x57.

Started with a cut down SMLE .303, then an Alpine in 270, didn't like it and went to a shortened PH in .308 until I walked into a Mod 88 Win in .308. Used that rifle for years and still have it and came across my treasured BSA "Hunter' Viscount in 7x57. Too nice & collectable so back to a .308 X Bolt at the moment. The first rifle I have bought brand new. I have quite a few other rifles/calibres I have collected over the years but the above were/are my regular use rifles.

Originally Posted by Tahr

308 and .270 would ave been by far the most popular calibers, followed I think by 7x57.

On my first tahr hunt in the group of 4 of us I was the odd one out, having a 308. The other 3 had 7x57s. A mixture of BSA and BRNO.

I can recall the gunsmith you mention Tahr. I bought a cleaning rod off him.

My first "rifle" was a .20 (yes .20...) Sheridan pump up air gun when I was about 13 or 14 (1976-ish). Muldoon was PM and there were limits and duties on everything so we couldn't get .20 pellets. Only .177 and .22. So had to use .177 and crawl super close to within 5-10m and head shoot rabbits the occasional hare and even a stoat. The problem was that if you lowered the muzzle the pellet fell out the end of the barrel! And; you can imagine the accuracy! That's why I had to get so close!

When I was 16 (1979) my parents bought me a .22LR Stirling bolt action. I had to get their permission to get my FAL because I wasn't 18-years old, A year later I bought my first centrefire; an exWW2 K98 8x57 Mauser with a 4x32 scope. It cost me $78 and my apprentice butcher wage was $48 a week. It was all I could afford, the BSA's etc were waaaaay out of my price range. I had to put the Mauser on laybuy.

I can remember the first time I fired it; was crapping my pants before I pulled the trigger. Well it jumped about a bit more than my .22, and of course it roared because I wasn't wearing ear-pro....

About a year later I bought a brand new Ruger M77 in .270. I loved that rifle and never should have sold it. It cost me $434 (1980) and my mum absolutely hit the roof when she found out the cost. I was still on about $50 a week. I bought it from Sutherland Sports in NP on a Friday night took it home with my laybuy book. Every Friday night (no Sat trading) I'd drive to NP and make a payment on it. They'd staple a receipt in my laybuy book. I paid it off over a year-ish. I can't imagine a sports store doing that now! I know I only put a $50-ish deposit down on it before taking it away.