I started out with military rifles because they were cheaper. When I was 12, my dad got me a sporterized 6.5 Carcano carbine that I used for my first few mule deer. Then, at 15, I bought a 03 Springfield from Montgomery Wards for 29.95. I worked on the trigger and modified the stock and used that rifle through high school and beyond. It worked well with an aperture sight.
A decade later I began to buy factory sporters starting with a Rem 700 30-06. I also started mounting scopes on my rifles at that point. Now I have more rifles than I really need, but it's fun to have some variety.
