I bought this old .30-06 used when I just graduated from high school. I saw it in a pawn shop. I had an opportunity to hunt out in Colorado and did not have a rifle. The $200 price tag was the max I could afford so it followed me home. Over the years, I have killed plenty of deer and hogs with this old gun. Its been dropped from a tree, fallen off the truck, and bounced around over the past 35 years. However, it still looks good. Better yet it still shoots good.

I got invited to go hunting next weekend and thought I should do a little practice. I loaded up some 165 Sierra BT with 57 grains of IMR4350 (which is over 20 years old). At hundred yards I was shooting about a one inch and change group but had a few clover leafs that made me smile. My optics are as old as the gun. I have an old 3x9 Redfield Accutrac made in Colorado when they competed right up there with Leupold. That old glass is still holding up as well as the gun. I wish my eyes were though.

This old M77 would not be considered a precision rifle by any means. However, with hunting loads pushing 2800 FPS I still feel as confident as I did way back then as a young man. Who would have had guessed that this old pawn shop find would still be serving me so well after all these years and all those miles on the trail.

I have the resources to purchase a newer gun and scope. I choose not to. This coming week end as I watch the woods come alive with the morning sun, I'll have that old M77 across my lap knowing that if I do my part on the shot, it will do its part.
Wish me luck!

Good luck! I have one of those and they are beautiful guns.

Well this weekend was a success. However, it did not quite play out like I thought. My daughter wanted to hunt with my Ruger. It was strange letting someone else hunt with my gun. However, how could I refuse the request of my lovely daughter to use my favorite rifle on her first hunt. She took a nice doe at over 100 yards.
I had to hunt with my Browning BAR which had never seen the woods before. We both took does and I took a nice buck on the last hunt.

That's an excellent addition to the history of that rifle!

She said "Dad, I took my first deer with your rifle." I responded " well, 35 years ago I took my first deer with this same gun".
She looked at me and gave me a big grin.

Her sister asked her how she enjoyed the weekend. She told her sister that it was one of the best ever.

I felt the same way. Seeing her hunting and enjoying the woods was awesome for me. Getting the buck was just the icing on the cake.