Do you remember the first centerfire rifle you fired and do you reload for that caliber today?

[Calvin45]

My first time at bat with a centerfire was an original H&H .375. I didn't know the difference back then. The one I have now, since I was 24 in 1979, is a Win 70-1969 vintage. A real hoot to shoot.

and I don't have any of the old school shotshells of his yet but they were different! "Imperial" brand (made in Canada by CIL I believe). You recall the whole reason they went to 3 and 3.5 inch shells was to try and duplicate the performance of old school high brass 2.75 inch lead shot loads. Whether they succeeded or not is debatable. 1.5 oz payload I believe, brass halfway up the dang shell! They don't make them like that anymore, the Winchester super x steel goose loads in 2.75" don't hold a candle to those vintage shells both for kicking the snot out of the shooter and right properly blasting whatever is in the way off the face of the earth! . Perhaps a product of "the good old days" before pressure testing haha. Dang those shells STOMPED!

 

[C-130 Dude]

and I don't have any of the old school shotshells of his yet but they were different! "Imperial" brand (made in Canada by CIL I believe). You recall the whole reason they went to 3 and 3.5 inch shells was to try and duplicate the performance of old school high brass 2.75 inch lead shot loads. Whether they succeeded or not is debatable. 1.5 oz payload I believe, brass halfway up the dang shell! They don't make them like that anymore, the Winchester super x steel goose loads in 2.75" don't hold a candle to those vintage shells both for kicking the snot out of the shooter and right properly blasting whatever is in the way off the face of the earth! . Perhaps a product of "the good old days" before pressure testing haha. Dang those shells STOMPED!

I used those double XX shells a lot. But the high brass were indeed in a class all of their own. Like throwing a handful of lead. Whats pressure testing? HA! I bought some of those Imperial shells at my local Coast to Coast in ND for duck season when they were out of Winchester.

 

[villagelightsmith]

.32-40, back when they were about as popular as the 30-30. Back then you could get ammunition for it anywhere. Wish I still had it.

 

[C-130 Dude]

.32-40, back when they were about as popular as the 30-30. Back then you could get ammunition for it anywhere. Wish I still had it.

30-40. I have forgotten what it was like to shoot that. As I remember, it was not too bad. Been a long time. Thanks for the memories.

 

[villagelightsmith]

and I don't have any of the old school shotshells of his yet but they were different! "Imperial" brand (made in Canada by CIL I believe). You recall the whole reason they went to 3 and 3.5 inch shells was to try and duplicate the performance of old school high brass 2.75 inch lead shot loads. Whether they succeeded or not is debatable. 1.5 oz payload I believe, brass halfway up the dang shell! They don't make them like that anymore, the Winchester super x steel goose loads in 2.75" don't hold a candle to those vintage shells both for kicking the snot out of the shooter and right properly blasting whatever is in the way off the face of the earth! . Perhaps a product of "the good old days" before pressure testing haha. Dang those shells STOMPED!

Uh, Calvin? When they went from 2.75 & 3" Magnum to 3 1/2" magnum, they also did a number on the pressures. I had a few hundred 3" Magnum shells that had been baking in the hot summer attic for about 50 years ... these were the old Remington Nitro-Express shels. Apparently the nitro would semi-liquify in the heat, leach its way into a form that would detonate rather than conflagrate. I never chased them over a chrony, but I knew a half-dozen of the things would pound the livin' snot outa me, give me a "Nitro" headache and defoliate a Canadian Honker farther than anything else I ever shot. I do believe there are a few boxes of those brutes still around in the attic, still baking in the heat every summer, lying in wait to bust another stock against the shoulder of another innocent child who wishes he could hunt elephants or other monsters of his dreams.

 

[C-130 Dude]

Uh, Calvin? When they went from 2.75 & 3" Magnum to 3 1/2" magnum, they also did a number on the pressures. I had a few hundred 3" Magnum shells that had been baking in the hot summer attic for about 50 years ... these were the old Remington Nitro-Express shels. Apparently the nitro would semi-liquify in the heat, leach its way into a form that would detonate rather than conflagrate. I never chased them over a chrony, but I knew a half-dozen of the things would pound the livin' snot outa me, give me a "Nitro" headache and defoliate a Canadian Honker farther than anything else I ever shot. I do believe there are a few boxes of those brutes still around in the attic, still baking in the heat every summer, lying in wait to bust another stock against the shoulder of another innocent child who wishes he could hunt elephants or other monsters of his dreams.

Now listen very carefully, tip toe very quietly up to the attic. Carefully pick up those rounds and....chuck em out the nearest window you can find, then duck! No, seriously be careful with those. I dont mean to joke around here because this is not a laughing matter. We all know about old stocks and the issues therein. It is a very good idea to get rid of those rounds ASAP! Lest you and your house go boom boom. Stay safe and have fun.

 

[Calvin45]

Uh, Calvin? When they went from 2.75 & 3" Magnum to 3 1/2" magnum, they also did a number on the pressures. I had a few hundred 3" Magnum shells that had been baking in the hot summer attic for about 50 years ... these were the old Remington Nitro-Express shels. Apparently the nitro would semi-liquify in the heat, leach its way into a form that would detonate rather than conflagrate. I never chased them over a chrony, but I knew a half-dozen of the things would pound the livin' snot outa me, give me a "Nitro" headache and defoliate a Canadian Honker farther than anything else I ever shot. I do believe there are a few boxes of those brutes still around in the attic, still baking in the heat every summer, lying in wait to bust another stock against the shoulder of another innocent child who wishes he could hunt elephants or other monsters of his dreams.

Yikes!!!! That's a hard pass for me, be safe man! If you're a die-hard masochist you could always just shoot normal shells but whittle the butt of your shotgun into a wedge shape so it really digs into your shoulder . IvE shot some non-baked non-ancient rem nitro mag loads…of the 3 inch shells I do recall they were among the snappiest.

 

[Son of a Gun!]

A friend's dad's old Savage 99 in 22 Savage High Power when I was pobably 9 or 10! And yes I load ammo for it as my friend still has it! Can't find the proper bullets for it now Hornady has .227 cal. but it takes .228 cal. Guess we can use cast bullets and Sellier & Bellot has factory ammo if you can find it! My first hunting rifle was A Remington Model 700 in 30-06 Sprg. that I shot my first deer with when I was 12 years old. I still have it and load for it too!

 

[C-130 Dude]

A friend's dad's old Savage 99 in 22 Savage High Power when I was pobably 9 or 10! And yes I load ammo for it as my friend still has it! Can't find the proper bullets for it now Hornady has .227 cal. but it takes .228 cal. Guess we can use cast bullets and Sellier & Bellot has factory ammo if you can find it! My first hunting rifle was A Remington Model 700 in 30-06 Sprg. that I shot my first deer with when I was 12 years old. I still have it and load for it too!

How the years go by!