Thread: Old school hunting

Originally Posted by Louie

I don't think it had the built in tank frame, he did offer to bring his white spirits cooker of the same vintage though

No, the Mountain Mule 'Expedition' packs like this one were the much more modern, lightweight versions available in the 1970's. The original welded and galv steel frames 'tanker' and non-tanker were still available then too, but the progressive hunter and tramper went for the aluminium framed Expedition !!

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

@grandpamac And even later than that. I bought my first centrefire in 1980; a year after I left school. It was an ex WW2 K98 8x57. It cost around $70 and I had to put it on layby because my butchery apprentice wages couldn't afford that cost. I put an old 4x32 Pecar scope on it. It was beaten up and had a very fine crosshair reticle, but again, was all I could afford. But even then, it was mostly BSA's and Parker Hales that were the predominant new rifles we saw in Taranaki.

Funny; to this day I can still remember firing my first ever centrefire shot through that rifle, and the trepidation before I pulled the trigger; I would have been 17. I'd got my gun licence at 16, and because I asn't 18 mum and dad had to agree to me getting it. The only reason they did was because I'd had firearm training in the ATC. They bought me a Stirling .22 for my 16th birthday.

About 2 years later I bought a new Ruger M77 .270 from Sutherland Sports in NP. Cost me $434, and mum hit the roof when I told her the cost! I paid a deposit, put it on laybuy, took it home. I drove to NP every Friday night to put $20 down on it until I'd paid it off!

You're just a young fella, 10 quid was a good wage in the mid sixties, apprentices about 6.

@BruceY Me too. I've had this rifle for about 2 years now, A BSA 1916 .303 SHTLE III* (FTR), I mostly use this rifle and my Howa 223 now,, The 303 shoots 2" three shot groups



And this 1944 SMLE for about 40 years, Was originally my pig bail rifle.