Ted Williams 30-30

[jednorris]

My son picked up a Ted Williams over he summer and at first I did not think much of it but when I gave him some reloads I had and we went to the range. All I can say is wow at 50 yds with open sights he was keeping a tight group. The gun functioned smoothly and decent.

[Duckiller]

I have an older Ted Williams. Mine is a Winchester 94 with Sears and Roebuck/ Ted Williams stamped on the barrel. While it doesn't have great collector value it does kill deer.

[JSnover]

My dad hunted with one in the 70s. He gave it to me in the 80s. I had Weaver rebuild the scope in the 90s and gave the rig to my little brother a couple of years ago. Good rifle.

[OverMax]

I've only seen (one) in the past. Young (17-18ish) fellow own it. He liked his apparently. I took notice when not in the woods the young fellow had it in his hands all the time checking its functions admiring and constantly wiping it. Took one really nice big bodied 8-Pt Buck with it in one weeks hunting. But in the taking of that deer he borrowed a 1/2 box of my reloads as the young fellow was stone cold broke and forgot to buy shells. Spent what money he had on a deer license and gas as told. {unknowing to me the Kid had his car parked on my property.} Young Lad had intentions of hunting out of his car. Having only a loaf of bread, 2 lbs of Oscar Mayer boloney and a gallon jug of water. But that idea went awry when he realized NO SHELLS!! So he walked about a mile and a half to my cabin and asked if he could borrow a couple 30-30s. I didn't know at first just was going on with him. But after some friendly conversation and a Coke. I got a good idea what He was up too. {I couldn't leave that happen} Way too cold at night to allow that. Below Zero -0- temps. So the son & I decided its best to bring the kid inside with us before he froze to death.. We adopted the young fellow for near a week. Young man left my place with his harvest in his trunk and what ever shells of mine he didn't shoot up. I kinda slipped a little traveling money (20) in the radio's tape player slot just enough so's to hold it for the kids discovery down the road a' ways. Come to find out later in the day the kid lived with his Grand Parents in a small farming town 90 some miles away who were (as told by the neighbor) in their late 70s. (Damn >a broken home child) The rifle probably belonged to his Grandpa. So that 194 lb field dressed deer I suspect was happily received in that household.
I seen that same young fellow a couple years later. He stopped in to thank me (again!! >a second time). By george if he wasn't wearing Army fatigues home on leave. Drove all that way to see the son & I. After a couple cups of coffee and some chit-chat. Smiling he commented he still had that Sears & Roebuck 30-30 and a couple of those old reloaded shells I gave him. {Kept as reminders. Good time he had.} He stood up shook our hands and a gave me a pat on my back and left. Haven't seen him since. I sure hope he's doing OK. What 'a nice young man he turned out to be ~~~Who happens to own a Ted Williams 30-30 too.

[Four-Sixty]

A great story Sir! Thanks for taking a chance on him.

[lobogunleather]

Winchester Model 94's were made by the thousands for Sears "Ted Williams" line, Western Auto's "Revelation" line, and probably a few others. Some were straight factory 94's, some had "hardwood" stocks other than the usual walnut, some had different sights. They were all pretty good little deer getters.

Probably some interesting opportunities for Winchester collectors in assembling all of the different variation marketed under different trade names. And since the prices of Winchester 94's skyrocketed over the past 20 years or so these "off brand" 94's present some good opportunities for young hunters on tight budgets.

[shtur]

My old hunting buddy had a Ted Williams 30-30, and he took several deer with it. I always brought him a box of the 150 gr Winchester silvertips "I found laying around the shop". We always paced off the distance after each kill, and discovered shots were from 70 yds to 125 yds. So I bought his brothers Sears 30-30 and harvested a few whitetails with it. Those model 94's are fun and get the job done.

[richhodg66]

Overmax, that is the best read I've had in a while. Made my day, thanks for sharing.

[pietro]

Overmax, that is the best read I've had in a while. Made my day, thanks for sharing.

+3 - There's a LOT of satisfaction to be had, by doing the "right thing".

Good on you, overmax, and the youngster !


.

[bouncer50]

I also have a Searwinchester my has a walnut stock. Some had birch stock. A good value for the money that why people bought the sears or hardware stamp ones. One of my local hardware store sold under their brand ? same rifle Winchester i also bought one new 30 years ago. I found a nice one a few years back for a 120.00 bucks a bargain because it said Sear instead of Winchester same rifle same maker.

[hpdrifter]

I found one at a gun show today. They wanted $399 for it. The best they could do was $399 "out the door".

I sure woulda enjoyed having that old Sears-Winchester, but I just couldn't turn loose of the 399. If they'd come down just $20, I'd probably jumped on it. I was looking for a well used 94 so I could change the barrels on it to a 38-55 I got off of egun parts a couple of years back.

I bought a "Winchester 94" many years ago. When I got it home, took it out of the box and looked it over real good while fondling it, noticed it had a "Sears" buttlplate. Kept it many years until I traded it off for some other long lost forgotten firearm.

[OverMax]

Brothern Boolit Casters:
The thread posted is one of my better experiences with the young fellows over the years starting out in this shooting sport. Believe me I have been burned too a couple times being perhaps a little to trusting. But no matter a couple bad apples do not spoil the entire barrel as I believe. Pleased to share and happy y'll enjoyed.

[fordwannabe]

I got a Ted Williams model 100 about 35 years ago(damn I'm getting old) as payment for working in a local gunshop. Honestly I still think I was getting paid to go to "school" from a great mentor, we just called it working. I had it awhile then, I needed car parts so I could drive my car. I was headed into town to sell that gun, and my Dad asked what I wanted for it. He bought it from me and used it for years as his deer gun. Upon his passing my brother got the gun and he has been using it every year since 2001. A lot of memories with that piece of steel and some 'Hardwood" way more than the few hours of work I put in to get it. Heck it even shoots pretty good too.

[rintinglen]

Much of the enjoyment I have had from casting stems from my buddy Jim's Dad teaching me the rudiments back in 1966-67. I was a gangly teen-ager, skinny as a rail, but extremely interested in guns. My own father was a hunter, but viewed firearms as tools, and was no more interested in them than he would be in a hammer. Jim's Dad, on the other hand, liked guns and shooting. He had a modest collection including a 30-30, and a .38 Revolver for which he cast and reloaded. He taught me how to ladle lead from a plumber's pot into the mold, single cavity, of course, pan lube and then size the boolits using hand tools he mostly had made himself. I loaded up a box of 30-30's with boolits that I had cast and you'd have thought I'd built a moon rocket. He took Jim and I out that fall and I fired my first hand loads.

They moved at the end of the school year out near Flint so he could be closer to work and it would be three or four years before I got back into reloading. I owe him for many many hours of pleasure.

[1989toddm]

Great story OverMax! Sounds like I need to watch for a Ted Williams 30-30, I've been wondering what might be out there for a "budget" levergun.

[Sig556r]

My dad hunted with one in the 70s. He gave it to me in the 80s. I had Weaver rebuild the scope in the 90s and gave the rig to my little brother a couple of years ago. Good rifle.

I got mine with a low-mag side scope too, but the iron sights are as efficient.