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First one I hunted with was my uncles savage 99 he bought when he was a young man in the late 30s. My first center fire I bought is a sako finnbear l61r in 30-06. Still have them both.

First one I hunted with was my Uncle's Sportized A3-03 in 30.06. I was 9 and it kicked the crap out of me. Got my first scar from the scope kissing my eye brow when I was 9. Bled like crazy, but I never felt it. Probably would be considered child abuse, nowadays.

1952 Model 70 FWT in .308. Dad bought it from a friend of his dads for $200 in 1983 for me to hunt with. Great gun, still have it.

Redhead

I had an 1892 .32-20 but I was a little young to hunt deer. I first hunted deer with a borrowed .25-35.

When I was 12 dad bought me my fist "big gun" a .300 Savage. I killed my first deer, a nice buck and a bonus doe with it that fall.

I learned to handload for that rifle so I could shoot it as much as I wanted. A lot of Speer half jackets ahead of Ball C-2 as I recall.

Win 351 WSL.

A post 64 Winchester model 94 in 30-30. A jamming piece of junk that I peddled to a guy that just HAD to have it, even after I told him about its "issues."

After that was a BAR in 7Rem Mag. Since then I've had a "few more."

Marlin 30-30 that my dad bought new for me when I was 13 I believe. Still have never taken a deer with it...

My first real deer rifle in my mind though is a Winchester 670 .243 that I bought from my step-dad for 125.00 bucks. Took my first buck with it and many other deer.

This subject comes up periodically, and I'm sure I've posted this story before, but once more won't hurt... (Altho' it might near brings tears to my eyes to relate it...)

Back in '68, my Dad promised to take me deer hunting. When we were set to leave, he took his .30-30 Win (Pre '64 M-94 Std carbine) out of the gun cabinet and presented it to me with the words: "Here, this is yours to use for as long as you want, and when I'm gone, it's yours."

I used that rifle for the next 3-4 years, then acquired a nicely sporterized 8mm Mauser.

In the Spring of '73, my Dad came up to my house and said he needed the .30-30. I thought perhaps he had a varmint or something he wanted to shoot. I didn't think anything of it. That fall when I went out to sight in the rifles for deer season, I looked in his cabinet, and couldn't see the .30-30. So I asked where it was. He replied: "Oh! I traded it for a CB radio..."

I was devastated! Even tho' I didn't use it that much anymore, I still liked it, and used it every year. He passed away about 20 yrs ago, and I never told him how much that gun meant to me. About 4-5 yrs after that incident, I asked him who he traded it too, and he didn't even know. I was going to buy it back at any price.

Today, I have one much like it; a Pre-War in .30 WCF. and in nicer shape. But it's just not the same... And I've never hunted with a .30-30 since. Or any lever gun, for that matter...

The 'ol man had maybe 6-8 guns when he passed... He didn't leave any of them to me... I don't miss him at all...

GH

Remington 760 Carbine 308.

This one belonged to my grandfather. He used it for moose hunting later in life after he switched from a 99. Upon his death, my grandmother sold off all his guns to folk outside the family as she hated guns and didn't want the kids to get them. I was the only grandchild that hunted in the family so getting it back was important. I tracked down the fellow and offered to buy it. He was kind enough to sell it for what he paid, $325 with 3x Weaver. Still own it. Might give it to a brother who has two boys, depending on how the boys grow up.

Remington 742 Carbine 30-06

788 in 6mm. Still one of my more accurate rifles, despite the nasty trigger.

The first one I hunted with was a Remington 700 in 6mm, although the first deer I ever shot was with Dads 6mm Varmint Special. That was my only CF for 12 years, I sold it back to Dad and bought a 700 RS in 270, that was my only CF for 11 years.

Sold that one in 99,caught the fever and can't say how many since then. I know I have more than a dozen "deer" rifles today, including the 6mm I got back when Dad died. I have Grandpas "big rifle" too, a 243 model 742.

M700 ADL 30-06,I have been deer hunting with it since I got it when I was 14.

Deer taken with my T/C Hawkens 50 cal. Remember it like it was yesterday. Purchased new in 1986 and have shot 18+ deer since then. Still have it today. My buddies hate it !



Ken

First hunted with was my Dad's sporterized 03A3 Springfield at age 13.

Savage 110 in 30.06 !!!!!! god that thing kicked like a mule.

A model 94 Winchester 30/30. Like an idiot, I traded it for a shotgun. To make up for it I've acquired about a half dozen over the years.

A Winchester model 94 in 32 special, back in the early 60's.

After lusting the magazine glossies for 20 years or so, I bought a LH Weatherby Mark V in 270 Wby Mag. My very first center fire! It was a wonderful rifle. Found it in the next town via a print ad in the hometown newspaper. Some guy bought it for a western hunt that never happened ... nice Leupy VXII and 5 boxes of ammo and brass. Took my first 8X whitetail with it in Wake County, NC ...