Dec 2, 2017 5 min read

The world is, and always was, full of superstitions. Most of us who have common sense find such thinking as silly yet those innate fears still linger with us to this day. The black cat passing in front of us is bad luck, and how often have you heard the phrase find a penny, pick it up and all the day you’ll have good luck? Only those who don’t use logic would believe such dribble, right?

However, I bet that each of us carry a bit of that illogical thinking and, I must admit, especially so in the hunting fraternity. Even in the field of favorite cartridges and favorite rifles there lies a bit of illogical thinking. A person downs a couple of bucks with a single shot each time and that is the best round for deer. This type of thinking leads us to the world of make believe. Can one picture John Wayne with anything but a lever action Winchester? How about Clint Eastwood with anything but a cap and ball colt?

Among writers of yore. Warren Page, who writes gun and hunting articles for Field and Stream, carried a 7mm Mashburn Magnum on most of his hunts. Jack O’Conner a bolt action 270. So it goes. Then there was Elmer Keith who thought that the 30-06 was barely big enough for an emaciated coyote. You liked the writer so you adopted or accepted his philosophy about guns.

I once knew a hunter who swore by the .243 but said he didn’t trust the Remington 6mm. Now there is an illogical statement for they are both loaded with identical bullets and the small amount of velocity difference favors the 6mm. In reality, the 6mm hits slightly harder and I doubt that the animal can tell the difference. These prejudice choices can fall under the guise of superstition. Am I guilty of such?

I must admit that I am. In my gun cabinet are rifles that I have used afield and missed the shot that was offered. I consider them bad luck rifles despite the knowledge that it wasn’t the gun’s fault but my own.

In another direction, I have rifles that I feel are lucky. That old pre-64 model 70 Winchester that is tucked away in my gun safe is my pet that has served me well. It is chambered for my lucky cartridge, the .270. We are always more comfortable with that pet rifle that works wonders. This particular Winchester falls within the family of collectible rifles, but as a collector piece it is a failure. You see, on the rear bridge is etched in scroll Ed Haley. When Mr. Haley passed away, I bought the rifle from his widow and the gun has been good luck ever since.

For some time the editor of the Pennsylvania Game News was an outdoor and firearms writer named Bob Bell. Bob appeared in many national magazines and the yearly Gun Digest. Bob is now in his 90s and living in California with his daughter. I hadn’t heard or seen Bell for quite some time and was surprised to receive a letter from him about six months ago. He questioned my use of the .264 magnum for deer hunting. He asked me if I had deserted the .270. I was astonished that he remembered my fondness for the .270 and that he even recalled the writings of this small-time writer from Washington County. Yes is my answer to all. My Winchester .270 has the killing power over and above other .270s I have or have had before. That’s crazy superstition.

Now, this past week or so, another hunter I know has been building a case for his rifle to be a big-game rifle superior to all others. It was about five years ago that this friend had a problem with his rifle, and it was right before bear season. After some discussion, I lent him my .300 Winchester magnum to use for the bear season. The rifle was hardly a collectible, for in reality it was a mongrel. I had bought it from a fellow who had taken a pre-64 model 70 in 30-06 and re-chambered it to .300 Winchester magnum. Upon taking it home, I placed it in a McMillan stock and the darned thing shot like there was no tomorrow. Well, this friend proceeded to bag a bear with it and kept it for the upcoming deer season. Wouldn’t you know it, he got a buck with it, too?

Now, he wants to buy it from me, so I decided to sell it and the rifle is his. Another pet gun has been created. Now, perhaps it is truly an exceptional rifle or perhaps he is confident of the rifle’s capability and that is a great aid in shooting. Either way, superstition has made a good deer rifle into a great big-game rifle. And isn’t that lucky?

George Block writes a Sunday Outdoors colum for the Observer-Reporter.