Thread: Calibre Choice in the 1970's

@rewa yeah nar those trebly m55's are inherently accurate.For one the trebly just is, and secondly as you rightly say the m55 action and build quality is right up there.Barrels of quality Swedish Bofors steel, then expertly cut rifling rather than budget hammer forged or button rifled.Excellent factory bedding system to complete the package.If it was me I,d just shout the old girl a recrown & back in business.To rebarrel it would also devalue it as an appreciating firearm into the future

Actually, now I think of it, Barry Lissingtons shop, on the Square, was the ultimate Cave. When you walked in, you had to stop and let your eyes adjust,it was so dark. For a small fee, you could fire their old BSA slug-gun at a target, (through an OSH-approved long-box, Cinders). I watched an old-guy discreetly pass-over a pistol from the war, didnt know what to do with it and wouldnt deal with the Feds. He left quickly, so myself and another school-kid were allowed to stare wide-eyed at it for a few minutes..the good old days

Originally Posted by rewa

Actually, now I think of it, Barry Lissingtons shop, on the Square, was the ultimate Cave. When you walked in, you had to stop and let your eyes adjust,it was so dark. For a small fee, you could fire their old BSA slug-gun at a target, (through an OSH-approved long-box, Cinders). I watched an old-guy discreetly pass-over a pistol from the war, didnt know what to do with it and wouldnt deal with the Feds. He left quickly, so myself and another school-kid were allowed to stare wide-eyed at it for a few minutes..the good old days

Norm Hansen on George Street had a slug gun gallery.
Lissington’s became Halletts and moved to Main Street. Most will remember the smart are son Menzies

Originally Posted by Tahr

Norm Hansen on George Street had a slug gun gallery.
Lissington’s became Halletts and moved to Main Street. Most will remember the smart are son Menzies

Certainly remember Menzies and agree with your summary of him.
Ran into him several times at NZDA National's. He always had the best of gear right down to shooting shoes. Money cannot always buy results.
Died a couple of years ago. Dark past.

Slightly off topic but what about all those sports stores way back when.
My old man bought me a TOZ 22 and a sporterised 303 from Turner and LeBruns in Christchurch when I was about 14. Then I bought a BSA CF2 in .270 from Cromb and Merritt in Cashel st. That thing did a couple of trips into Fiordland and thats where it should have stayed. Must have been fit and strong back then to heave that thing up all those vertical faces
Then I bought a Sako Finnbear in .270 from Alan Millars in Dunedin, and then later a Forrester in 22.250 for long range bunny sniping. Very accurate and worked a treat, but only for the first shot, cos it was so bloody noisy that all the rabbits dived back in their holes where it was safe and quiet. I remember Allan had a Mannlicher .270 on the shelf and it was a thing of beauty. He wanted to trade both my Sako's plus some cash but I resisted, only cos with a young family I didn't have spare cash
Then I turned to the dark side and bought a Winchester Featherlight in .223; I glass bedded it and man was it accurate, then a Ruger M77 in .223, then a Vixen in .222 but had it rechambered to .223; all from the local gun store here in Blenheim. Sold that for another Sako in .270 from Hamills in Nelson, and then to a Mk5 Weatherby from H and F in Nelson
Finally set myself up with another Sako Vixen and a customer built 6.5 06 so I guess I'm pretty well done

I lived thru all those years, dairy farming family in rural NZ . Learned on a Lithgow model 12 which I had unsupervised privileges with from age 12, and a box of ammo each month from Dalgety's. The only centerfire in the extended family was a 12g side by side that I never got to shoot. Bought a scoped sporter 303 as a student in Wellington at 18 for bugger all with 2 boxes of ammo and had it for about 4 yrs during which it shot several fence posts and a goat. Sold it with most of the ammo intact to buy a motorbike. Didn't know anyone close enough who went deer stalking and never somehow summoned the wherewithal to get past reading magazines and go out on my own. With secret aspirations newly married, I bought a fully wooded Lithgow in pristine nick from a crate of them in a Hamilton shop for about $27 in 1977, along with a Lee Loader, sleeve of primers, bottle of slugs and a jug of powder. Oh, and an Aussie reloading book. Did a nice-if-I-say-so-myself sporterising job on it. Again it shot a few fenceposts, a large rat and some Raglan goats. Then I took up fly fishing instead. Eventually it was all sold to fund a bassinet. Then came the suits and career, along the way I acquired a Marlin 30-30, Ruger 10-22 and a Mossberg 500 with both barrels. The Marlin actually shot a fallow deer much to the disgust of the Riverhead meat-hunt operators who couldn't stop calling it "that dirty thirty". Ok so I couldn't blow a parry up at about 10 football fields away but that was pretty good venison. Now the suits have gone, the bassinets are borrowed for the weekend only, and I have more rifles than I'll probably ever get to hunt with. And I've still only shot the one deer. Clearly I was looking the wrong way all those years. A lot of goats have graced the freezer, a couple of wallabies and countless rabbits fell to the bow, but next year is the year of the deer, one way or another. And I can choose from 22 Hornet, 222, 223, 22-250, 6.5x55, 7x55, 308, 30-30, 303B, 32-20, 44-40, 357Mag, 45 Colt/.454 Casull. Half of them were first used pre-mid 1970s as far back as 1940s. Better late than never I guess. And no, I pay no attention to the myth about the man who owns only one rifle...

One of the best threads in a long time. Thanks to all who contributed.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Haha great timing Plinky.
But I agree with your comment.

edit someone just got deleted while I was writing that.

Hi Jeff hope all is well with you.

Originally Posted by Jhon

I lived thru all those years, dairy farming family in rural NZ . Learned on a Lithgow model 12 which I had unsupervised privileges with from age 12, and a box of ammo each month from Dalgety's. The only centerfire in the extended family was a 12g side by side that I never got to shoot. Bought a scoped sporter 303 as a student in Wellington at 18 for bugger all with 2 boxes of ammo and had it for about 4 yrs during which it shot several fence posts and a goat. Sold it with most of the ammo intact to buy a motorbike. Didn't know anyone close enough who went deer stalking and never somehow summoned the wherewithal to get past reading magazines and go out on my own. With secret aspirations newly married, I bought a fully wooded Lithgow in pristine nick from a crate of them in a Hamilton shop for about $27 in 1977, along with a Lee Loader, sleeve of primers, bottle of slugs and a jug of powder. Oh, and an Aussie reloading book. Did a nice-if-I-say-so-myself sporterising job on it. Again it shot a few fenceposts, a large rat and some Raglan goats. Then I took up fly fishing instead. Eventually it was all sold to fund a bassinet. Then came the suits and career, along the way I acquired a Marlin 30-30, Ruger 10-22 and a Mossberg 500 with both barrels. The Marlin actually shot a fallow deer much to the disgust of the Riverhead meat-hunt operators who couldn't stop calling it "that dirty thirty". Ok so I couldn't blow a parry up at about 10 football fields away but that was pretty good venison. Now the suits have gone, the bassinets are borrowed for the weekend only, and I have more rifles than I'll probably ever get to hunt with. And I've still only shot the one deer. Clearly I was looking the wrong way all those years. A lot of goats have graced the freezer, a couple of wallabies and countless rabbits fell to the bow, but next year is the year of the deer, one way or another. And I can choose from 22 Hornet, 222, 223, 22-250, 6.5x55, 7x55, 308, 30-30, 303B, 32-20, 44-40, 357Mag, 45 Colt/.454 Casull. Half of them were first used pre-mid 1970s as far back as 1940s. Better late than never I guess. And no, I pay no attention to the myth about the man who owns only one rifle...

That is so good. When I first started out unsupervised (10 or so and blessed with 1000 odd acres) my old man would only give me 3 rounds for the .22, no mag, no scope. I thought he was the meanest prick on earth for it......but, by hell you soon learnt how to stalk up real close, use the wind, make your shot count and when I could bring 3 rabbits back all of the time I progressed to 10 rounds and a mag. Very appreciative looking back now. FYI, still have the same Krico .22 that I started out with that the old man bought new in the early 60's. All the pigs as a young fella were with a .303, open sights.

Mmmmm.. I remember back in the day going into town every month or so from the farm in the back-blocks of south Waikato. We'd head straight to the gunshop and look over all the goods. No idea what mum did ...

Began also with a Lithgow model 12 - nice wee 22 and I'd like to have another one. Shot first bunny at age of 6 resting rifle on the old man's forearm. Don't know who got the biggest surprise - me, him or the bunny rabbit! Highly addictive - still shootin them 60+ years later..

Originally Posted by Plinky

One of the best threads in a long time. Thanks to all who contributed.

Greetings Plinky,
Thanks for your kind words. Although mine was the opening post the credit for the thread must go to those that replied alone.
Regards Grandpamac.

Back when 'grandpamac' was starting out the choice was pretty much .303, .303. and .303 - then someone I hunted with bought a 7x57 - and back then I thought they were the only big game cartridges in the world.
Apart from the old snider that Roy Thorne from three houses down took hunting. Roy never owned a car and he'd stand on the corner by our house with that old gun while he waited for his mate to pick him up.
I'd run out when I saw him there, I was just a kid and he'd let me hold that thing - and occasionally he'd give us some venison which my dad wouldn't eat until mum learned to cook it in bear - then he'd scoff it down like the rest of us.
Roy would be one hundred and eleventy if he was still alive and I remember him fainting when he placed a sewing needle between his bicep and forearm and closed it up. When he opened his arm out that needle had disappeared and it took mum ages to get some pliers on it ..............

Some things you just don't forget ...............

started with NZFS in 1975 needed a .222 for the goat work part so bought a Remington 700 BDL in .222 still have it . we were supplied .222 .308 or .270 that was it - the .222 was sako ammo the .270 and .308 came in white packets stamped NZFS - still have some as a souvenir - the meat boys liked their 8x57 and some had 22-250 -magazine capacity was what we looked for on goat work so the Sako vixen that you could load with 7 rounds was the most popular - the Rem 788 in .222 was popular as was the Tikka LA55 but needed to carry spare mags with those if one struck a mob of goats - one culler mate had a BSA CF2 he smashed it around a kanuka after it played up once to often and he left soon after -I used a .308 742 Woodsmaster for years loved it - only misfired once in fact it did not misfire it failed to fully eject round - me mate had a pump Remington in .308 - nice to handle but rattled if you touched fore end -put me right of those - basically for goat work the vixen was king or a BSA Hunter - Parker hale .270 with a Nikko Sterling scope were referred to as loopy specials as they were cheap