I've got an early 80's 700 Classic in .270Win and it's without doubt my go to rifle for about everything. I've shot most all north American thin skinned game and a few heavy weights up to elk. Only thing ever done to it was I lightened and smoothed the trigger pull just a tad, and added a "Redfield" Tracker 3X9 scope with a 44mm objective on a one piece Leopold mount. Always used my own handloads. Only factory loads I ever remember shooting was a few Federals. By far the majority of shots made with that rifle over the next 30+ years were <200 yds, but one exception.
Then ......... back in the late 80's my dad and I went to Wyoming on a hired and guided Pronghorn hunt. We each had tags for 1 buck (any size) and 2 does. Hunting was really bad due to weather, and it being late in the season, and things weren't looking too good. During the first couple days I had made a couple decent shots on 2 does out around 200+/- yrds. The guide had mentioned I was shooting pretty well for an alligator and hog hunter, and that usually those from the east generally didn't even know which end of the rifle the bang came from and couldn't hit the side of a barn. Of course then he would laugh, knowing I was somewhat of a fair competition shooter. Dad was having trouble with his eyes watering from the high winds whenever he would try to take a look through his scope for a shot and was still without a score.
On the last day of the hunt we spotted a nice buck with a small herd of does 'way, way' out there !!! They had taken notice of us and were getting fidgety and on the move but not yet in a full run. The guide asked me if I thought I could take him at that range. What range????? .... this was way back before the invent of hand held 'range finders'. I felt pretty good and wanted a buck really bad, so said "why hell yeh!" (Kentucky elevation here we come !!!
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I leaned across the hood of the truck, took a couple deep breaths, released about 1/2 the last one and squeezed it off. What seemed like a minute later that buck threw his head up and crumpled like a wet rag. The guide stepped it off the best he could to 403 yds. Entry hole (.270Win 130gr Sierra SPBT Game King, w/55grs IMR4350) was directly behind the left shoulder. He looked pretty impressed (the guide, not the goat), and I just smiled slyly as I put the rifle back in the truck and acted like I could do that every day of the week. In full dis-closer, I wouldn't have taken a second similar shot again that day for a million bucks. Ha ha!
My one and only hired, guided hunt, and my best trip ever with my dad. Also my 'claim to fame' whenever he and I were together telling hunting stories to other hunters around various camps/fires.
