Old Reliable
DEADLY ACCURATE AND POWERFUL .30-06
Story by Dale Valade for the Blue Mountain Eagle
or every rifleman and hunter,
For others, perhaps “the one” got away at some
there exists a certain weapon
point. As they got older, priorities changed, and in
of somewhat enchanting, if not
a desperate moment “the one” was sold and the
mystical, properties. This is the
money went to pay rent or buy groceries. Maybe
one they would grab if the
they saw something shiny, which somehow
house was on fire and let the
diminished their “Old Reliable” just enough to feel
rest go to perdition. The one
all right about sending her down the road. Regrets?
they value above all the rest
Oh, they regret it all right and usually quite deeply.
and view as the favorite. Sometimes it has a
For me, it’s not my first .22 nor my first deer
nickname or has somehow been a source of good
rifle that I consider “the one to rule them all.”
luck, if you will. Just like each of us, each one has
Fifteen years ago, I blew a half month’s wages at
a very unique and interesting story.
Nydam’s Ace Hardware right here in John Day to
For some, it was their very first smoke pole, and
buy it. Darren showed me three rifles that day, and
whenever they clutch it in their hands, they’re
this is the one that followed me home. With it I
instantly transported in their mind’s eye to a vivid,
have taken a myriad of coyotes, a badger, various
if not immortal, childhood memory of days gone
other varmints, more than several deer and elk. I’ve
by. This was likely a .22 rimfire of some sort with
even used it to put down beef cattle and as backup
basic open sights good
on a bear hunt.
enough to score hits on a
At one point, I
tin can out to 75 or 80
nearly sold it. I was
yards if the wind stood
broke, and it was well
Fifteen years ago, I blew a
still. Perhaps it was on a
worth what I was
half a month’s wages at
hot summer afternoon
asking. I thought to
spent trading maternal
that I would
Nydam’s Ace Hardware right myself
insults and shooting
replace it with a newer,
here in John Day to buy it.
ground squirrels. Merely
flashier magnum caliber
holding this amulet
rifle once I was able. I
Darren showed me three
awakens
sleeping
remember well the day
rifles that day, and this is the I told Dad that I had put
memories to become
immortal dreams to be
one that followed me home. it up for sale. My father,
relived again and again.
in his usual loving way,
Maybe this memory
told me that I should
took place on a cold autumn morning. Perhaps it
duly extract my cranium from my posterior to
wasn’t a .22 but their first “big” gun. At last they
make room for his foot if I was to be foolish
were going to become a man. Mother bundled
enough to sell that rifle.
them up and handed off a brown bag of
“Everything you’ve pointed that rifle at has hit
sandwiches to Dad with a kiss on the cheek as they
the dirt. Son, some men spend their whole lives
headed out to a favorite duck pond or deer haunt.
looking for what you already have, and you’re
As they yawned and staggered toward the truck,
going to get rid of it?”
the excitement was already building inside.
The old man didn’t live as long as he has by
Hopefully they could keep a steady nerve and
being a fool. I immediately took it off the market,
shoot straight, just the way Dad and Grandpa
telling all interested parties they were out of luck.
taught them to.
That’s only one of the many good lessons I’ve been
Perhaps, for some, “the one” belonged to
party to in my time.
Grandpa and has been handed down to them.
Nope, for me, that gun “Old Reliable” still
Maybe it has been in the family for several
resides in my gun cabinet. Every year I take her
generations and was carried on the trail by pioneer
hunting for whatever big game tags I’m lucky
ancestors and was used to hunt buffalo and elk and
enough to draw. I have always had a Leupold
to defend the homestead against any would-be
scope mounted in steel rings for sights. It’s pretty
malefactors. Like other heirlooms, its very
plain Jane as far as looks go: a standard factory
existence is revered and honored. It will be kept,
stock full of dents, dings, scratches and gouges
used and passed on again for as long as it lasts.
from the miles we’ve shared. It was fitted with a
F
‘‘
MyEagleNews.com
Dale has taken a
myriad of coyotes,
a badger, various
other varmints,
several deer and
elk with “Old
Reliable.”
Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad by John Petersen
of Idaho Falls a few years back because the factory
pad began to split. She’s on her second barrel, a 24-
inch Douglas just a little larger in diameter than her
first, installed by Randy Wills of Bend. Randy also
tuned the Winchester factory trigger to a perfect 3-
pound pull. The old military-style leather sling
belonged to my grandfather and has been a great
aid to making shots in the field where no other rest
was available.
When I look at that rifle and take it hunting or
shooting, it’s a tome of the miles we’ve shared, the
freezers we have filled and the great memories
with family and friends, some of whom are no
longer walking this earth. She’s no speed demon
as far as velocities go and lacks a lot of the pizzazz
that folks nowadays consider necessary for big
game hunting. In a world of polymers and carbons,
she’s walnut and steel. Maybe you could even say
she is fleshy, weighing 9 pounds loaded. This, for
me, is a plus rather than a minus. I have always
been able to shoot straighter from all the various
field positions with a heftier long gun. It’s the rifle
for which I will no doubt be remembered when I’m
long gone and hopefully will be cared for and
passed on just the same.
Oh, I almost forgot, you all will want “the rest
of the story.” For those of you who care about the
numbers and specs, the legend stamped on the side
of the barrel reads “.30-06.” It may not be all you
ever want, but for myself and thousands of other
sportsmen across the globe, it’s all the rifle we
need. Its ubiquity of ammunition and components,
deadly accuracy and awesome power are the main
reasons for me that it is “The Rifle.” Whether I am
hunting badgers or bears or anything in between, I
feel perfectly confident in the power and
performance of this caliber and rifle.
For those out there just getting into the shooting
and hunting sports, I implore you to take a second
look at the rifle that you choose to make yours.
While a big, heavy magnum or a light speed freak
may be en vogue, the classics last forever. They
outlast and usually outperform all candidates that
appear to supplant. While numbers can be made to
reflect any opinion, actual performance is always
what counts. Whatever you choose, take care of
her, and she will last. Maybe someday your
grandchildren will hold your rifle in their hands
and reminisce fondly of the memories they’ve had
and will yet create while hunting with Grandpa’s
rifle.
Your rifle, the one, the only one worthy to be
called “Old Reliable.”
Dale Valade is a local country gent with a deep
love for handloading, hunting and shooting.
GRANT COUNTY HUNTING JOURNAL 2018 • 17