Dad's side of the family were not gun people. His only gun was a single shot .22 for varmint control and an occasional squirrel dinner. His dad's only gun was a pitted, loose fitting 16 gauge single shot. But mom's family were avid hunters. I grew up as a gun nut without any guns until I was 10 and dad traded a pig for a Winchester model 37 .410. Through my teen years I worked on the farm to earn gun money and had an Ithaca 37 12 gauge and a Stevens .22 semi. My first varmint rifle was a Remington 788 in .22-250 that I used on groundhogs and crows. No huntable deer population in my youth, so I didn't have a deer caliber rifle until I was in my 30s. From there it has been a fun trip.
