Hunting guns

[pastorp]

I was thinking about my youth and I can not remember me or my brother owning anything but shotguns or 22s until I was grown. The only rifle that I ever knew my brother to own was a old Winchester pump in 22rimfire. It had the exposed hammer and a short octagon barrel. He only used shorts in it but killed everything up to one 700lb hog with it.  . Of course lots of crackers never owned a centerfire rifle. Just using shotguns & 22rifles.

My father never owned a rifle in his entire life and that was pretty common in the deep south where shotguns could be used for everything just by changing the shells you bought.

I was looking at sports mans warehouse last night and could not find shorts or cb caps either one. All they had on the shelf was long rifles. My how times change.

I remember my dad buying 5 rounds of fresh ammo for his 32 s&w every year. He would shoot the 5 in the gun & load er up for another year. Anyone remember when the hardware store sold lose reounds? My how times change.

Guess I'm getting old.......er!

Regards,

[Glanceblamm]

I can pickup the specialty ammo, say a CB Short or CB Long at anyone of the four farm and home outlets in my area. They also have a lot of WMR or HMR ammo.

Wish I had one of the old Winchester pumps, I can remember them being common but also remember the scratched up scoured out rifling from farm boys using the bird shot for the implement shed pigeons n sparrows. This included other models of course (usually a single feed bolt gun where one had to manually pull the knob back to cock the piece)...(I still have a Savage 15A, very good condition, very good sights, creepy trigger)

Ours was mainly Shotguns and .22's also but the main stay was the Phesant and Quail with both populations being excellent. I always did have an eye on the Red Fox and ended up buying a WMR for this critter...I can remember an Uncle saying that it might be ok but I should have got the Rem 5mm because it would shoot to 100yds with no drop at all from the bullet I did not need my first Centerfire till the Coyotes started showing up.

Anyone remember when the hardware store sold lose rounds?

I do not remember that but it certainly would have been a good sales technique as the proprietor could easily double his money by adding a cent or two. Also to be considered, and in the generation older than myself, The Grandfather or the Father may have given the youth just a couple of shells for the .22 telling him "You better brang back a couple of Rabbits\Squirrels or those two shells!"

[Cornbelt]

I remember the old gal at the corner grocery offering to sell 2.5" .410 shells apiece, or the whole box for $2.50;  -back when kids could buy ammo. It was different after '68 GCA, but you just had to be more creative.

[Flynmoose]

I have my Dad's model 33 Remington, the first gun we both shot. That one was
sent to my Great Grandparents farm, east of Eugene, Oregon. There it was used
to feed several families during the depression. I can remember my Grandmother
canning venison in the early fifties. It seemed that she did this after a visit from
my uncle. When I got old enough the rifle became mine and I slew all manner of
varmints for farmers in my area. I also shot mistletoe out of the trees to sell for
Christmas money.
FM

[guzzijohn]

In the late 60s early 70s the pawn shop in my town would sell me individual 45-70 rounds for quarter to use in my father's old trapdoor that he bought for a dollar during the depression. When asked why he bought it he said it was for shooting rabbits by using .410 shells in it since he could not by a shotgun that cheap at the time. During the depression he also bought a Remington model 12 for a buck.
Guzzijohn

[tuck2]

 I  started useing dads old Remington pump 22 RF back in 1947 when I was in grade school. In the spring of 1949 I was given a new Remington 121  pump 22 rimfire rifle . I had a gunsmith in Cheyenne , Wyo. mount a Weaver side mount J 4 scope on it. There was a 20 Ga and a old 12 Ga single shot shotgun for hunting pheasents . There were plenty of pheasents to hunt untill the 1949 blizzard killed most of them. The stores sold rifle and shotgun ammo by the box but I would save up some money so I could get some. The first center fire we had out in the country where I lived was a Winchester Mdl 70 270 which I purchased in 1952. I was the youngest kid in my family to shoot a mule deer and pronghorn.  How times have changed , when I went into town to go to high school there was a  rifle, shotgun , or hand gun in the pickup so I could hunt going  to and comeing back from school. I was a teenager when I purchased my first hand gun . All I did was put down the money and walked out the store with ammo and the gun.  How times have changed.

[Rex in OTZ]

as a teen of the 1980's had used mainly shot guns and .22's seen lots of old stuff, like High Standard and H&R, Mossberg, Winchester, Remington. mostly pumps and and semi's in .22, seen quite a few Store Chain bolt action shotguns (Montgomery Ward, Western Auto, Gambles, Gibsons, Sears/JC Higgens) in 12ga and 16ga
Even seen a levermatic Kessler in 12ga.
My first hunting gun was a Marlin Glenfield 110 in .22lr
As a Kid us boys shared a Ithica 12 ga long tom single shot and later on a winchester 1400 12ga.
As one graduated in proficency we went to semi's for the most part, I bought my first .22lr with my own money ACE hardware store had a fall time sale on Ruger 10/22's for $85 (coon hunting) later on went to a Marlin model 60 and a winchester 9422 in .22lr, some good hunting was done with them guns, learned the Ruger had a tendency to drop mags in the dark while trailing coon one soon learned to "pop mag"(draw mag from coat pocket and insert) when ready to shoot, them folding sights dident fare well for night shooting, winny and marlin won hands down in that department.
good hunting guns were accurate and easy to carry, had a heavy barrel 10/22 for a short time, it sat at home allot after the workout carrying that steel barbell round, a good accurate .22 shouldent have to weigh 8pounds and snag on every bit of buck brush in the country, extended mags soon were discarded, extended mag releases are nice on a shooting line but suck at night under hunting conditions
I loved my neighbors Remy Nylon .22 that was a hunting gun! there 552 was pretty good too.

[hillbill]

my first gun that i purchased was a 39a marlin 22. must of been about 78-79.it was the most expensive 22 at wal mart but i had done my research and knew what i wanted.i saved for a long time for it.i loved it and how many tree rats i killed with it is hard to say. my next big purchase was when i was 16, i told my dad i wanted a 357 mag and he kinda laughed at me, he said save up the money and ill get it for yu.bout a year later of choppin wood and driveing tractor, i presented him with the money for a ruger blackhawk.he was kinda stunned.he tried to get out of it but was good to his word.imagine handing over a 357 mag to your 16 yr old son in this day and time.i learned how to reload for it and killed tons of squirrels and rabbits with it.my brother has that gun now and im proud he has it.just wish he would get broke enuf to sell it back to me!

[nova71]

boy that brings back memories, my first rifle was a Winchester 62, my uncle gave it to me when I was 7 years old. The little grocery store up the road use to sell 22 shorts for a penny a piece . I lived with my grandmother and when she would send me to the store I would look in the ditch all the way there hoping to find an empty soda bottle, I would turn it in for the 2 cents deposit and buy 2 22short shells. then go hunting when I got home.... life sure was simpler then..... I kept that rifle till my late teens when somebody stole it out of my car.. almost everyone had a rifle or shotgun in their car or truck. we use to drive down the back roads at night and shoot rabbits when they would jump up. I always got the right fender cause I shoot left handed... sure can't do that anymore...lol