John, I got a kick out of your dad's alway using .22 Longs rather than LR's; it brought back memories of my father. Dad hadn't grown up during the Depression, he was providing for my mom and my older sisters all through the Depression and Dust Bowl era so never wasted money. I remember quite well him telling me not to buy LR's, that Shorts were cheaper and worked just as well. So I bought Short HP's and killed a jack rabbit or 6 with them.
Also I had the privilege of shopping at the old Mashburn Arms here in OKC and Sisk Bullets in Iowa Park, TX which were much like the stores you've mentioned, in fact, IIRC Sisk was an old frame house.
