Winchester hunt movie / David Ommaney from the 60s

[PerH]

Came across this one today, Winchester movie with David Ommaney in East Africa.

 

[baxterb]

Very good thanks.

typical 60s presentation, but great to see David Ommanney. Notice the Ker Downey and Selby reference. @Wheels you’ll like this.

 

[WAB]

I wish I could have hunted Kenya in those days! Thanks for sharing!

 

[IvW]

Very cool I love these old movies thx for sharing

 

[PerH]

@Hunter-Habib ,one movie for you to see. Perhaps you recognise some of the regions they are in.

 

[Wheels]

Came across this one today, Winchester movie with David Ommaney in East Africa.

Very good thanks.

typical 60s presentation, but great to see David Ommanney. Notice the Ker Downey and Selby reference. @Wheels you’ll like this.

Neat to watch this old video. Thanks for posting it for us. @KOmmanney here is a video of your grandfather if you check back to these pages.

Thanks for the tag Baxter.



Some general thoughts from watching the video:


Especially enjoyed the sandgrouse hunting.

A sub 40" soft boss buffalo was taken as a trophy and for the advertisement. Most hunters at the time probably didn't know the difference.

It was also extremely interesting to see how Winchester went through an entire features and benefits spill regarding their post 64 M70. Winchester showing the advantages of a push feed bolt cracked me up.

It took 50+ people to outfit a safari for Winchester. (I guess I shouldn't complain about tipping eight staff on a hunt)

Never realized Altalia flew into Nairobi.

Loved the old LandRovers and Bedfords.

How neat would a five week safari be these days.

 

[WAB]

It is rather hilarious watching him extol the advantages of the PF M70 over the CRF. I must admit that I would consent to using the PF if I could participate in that Safari!

 

[Newboomer]

I get a kick out of the way they talk in those old flicks. I kind of held my breath when they walked right up to that buf without checking or taking an insurance shot.

 

[Chris S]

Great old movie, As everyone has already mentioned the hard sell on the “new and improved” push feed is winnies is good fun to watch.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Well ... A man's got to do what a man's got to do , for making money . If that means promoting an inferior rifle which the manufacturers are paying him to sing praises about , then I guess that's what he had to do .

Luckily , David didn't actually believe any of these stories which he was paid to sell ... When it came to his own personal back up rifle . For that , he preferred a nice John Rigby & Co .470 Nitro Express Sidelock Ejector ( made in 1912 ) .

The people at Winchester were absolute criminals for promoting inferior products for dangerous game hunting . Until 1980 , they manufactured a factory loaded 300 Gr bluff nosed FMJ solid for the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum . It simply had a lead core covered by a thin luballoy jacketing , without any steel to reinforce the jacketing . These bullets could actually get you killed if you tried to use them on elephant or Cape buffalo . They were almost guaranteed to break apart at the cannelure or rupture .

 

[CoElkHunter]

Thanks for sharing the video. Very cool seeing older African clips.

 

[spike.t]

Got the kongoni and topi mixed up....neat video...great to watch the old time films

 

[.45 colt hunter]

I actually have that movie on a disc, given to me by his son David Hugh Ommanney, who now lives in Denmark and i am also the proud owner of his fathers pre 64 Superior grade win mod. 70 in 300 win.mag. from around 1959. I reckon it must have been rechambered or rebarrelled from maybe 30.06 to 300 win mag, as this cartridge first came out a couple of years later, or it must have been an experimental, as it was given to David by Winchester who was "our man in Africa". His son does not recall that anything was changed on this particular rifle. He once sent it to a gunsmith to have the barrel bedded. I also have his old 22lr win. mod 61 pump, blueing totally worn of, but still very accurate with its old Lyman scope on it. A win mod. 101 o/u that has a brass medallion on the stock, that says "Presented to David Ommanney, our man in Africa., with deep appreciation, from his friends at Winchester" (See attached picture)
I cannot remember where i read or heard this quote, but David once said, that the pre 64 mod 70 was the best bolt action rifle ever made and that " i was never paid to say that "
I really love these old guns and i wish they could tell me about all the adventures they had seen together with David Gream Ommanney. These great guns are still in fine condition and are being used as they should be, for hunting and i do not plan to part with them as they represents something from the good old days of african safari, that it will be difficult to find anywhere in the world. I wish i had known David senior. One day i will take the Win mod. 70, 300 win mag. to Africa again. It won't be the same as it had previously experienced, but i will enjoy taking this rifle back to where it was put to work for more than 30 years.
I have a few more pictures if someone out there are interested.

 

[baxterb]

@.45 colt hunter very cool! The quote you refer to is in Brian Herne’s White Hunters, taken from a personal communication Brian had with David in Asheville NC.

 

[Wheels]

I actually have that movie on a disc, given to me by his son David Hugh Ommanney, who now lives in Denmark and i am also the proud owner of his fathers pre 64 Superior grade win mod. 70 in 300 win.mag. from around 1959. I reckon it must have been rechambered or rebarrelled from maybe 30.06 to 300 win mag, as this cartridge first came out a couple of years later, or it must have been an experimental, as it was given to David by Winchester who was "our man in Africa". His son does not recall that anything was changed on this particular rifle. He once sent it to a gunsmith to have the barrel bedded. I also have his old 22lr win. mod 61 pump, blueing totally worn of, but still very accurate with its old Lyman scope on it. A win mod. 101 o/u that has a brass medallion on the stock, that says "Presented to David Ommanney, our man in Africa., with deep appreciation, from his friends at Winchester" (See attached picture)
I cannot remember where i read or heard this quote, but David once said, that the pre 64 mod 70 was the best bolt action rifle ever made and that " i was never paid to say that "
I really love these old guns and i wish they could tell me about all the adventures they had seen together with David Gream Ommanney. These great guns are still in fine condition and are being used as they should be, for hunting and i do not plan to part with them as they represents something from the good old days of african safari, that it will be difficult to find anywhere in the world. I wish i had known David senior. One day i will take the Win mod. 70, 300 win mag. to Africa again. It won't be the same as it had previously experienced, but i will enjoy taking this rifle back to where it was put to work for more than 30 years.
I have a few more pictures if someone out there are interested.

View attachment 420188View attachment 420189View attachment 420190

Thanks for the neat information.

Rifles with provenance just seem to have a bit more character to them. Congratulations.