When I was 15, a second cousin (who was older than my Dad) took me under his wing, taught me to reload and loaned me a scoped 243 to hunt with instead of the open sighted 94 and 99 I had hunted with the previous 3 years. Bagged my first buck and groundhog with that loaner.
I used his equipment until I bought my own at 18. I'm not sure what he saw in me way back when, but he did and turned me into the gun looney that I am now.
Dale
