Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles first rifle you bought

Savage Model 24, .22 over .410, bought in 1962....

First firearm I bought with my own $ was a Marlin model 60 from Woolco for the huge sum of $45. My first centerfire (model 70 .243) was a Christmas gift from the parents, but the first one I bought was the Winchester 70 .300 H&H Mag. Think it was in '88.

Sako AII chambered in 308 Winchester. 1988.

Ruger M77R in .30-06.

Purchased at a place called ZCMI's on sale for $199 back in 1978

760 30-06.

700 BDL .243 early 80s

Marlin 336c, .30-30. $159.99.

Remington 700 mountain rifle in 7mm-08; when everyone else was using a 270 or 30-06.

A Win Model 88 in .308. 49 years later, I still have it.

Remington 700 BDL in 308 Winchester topped with a Leupold 3-9x, 2 boxes ammo & a leather suede case,1977. $475 for the package.

Today the rifle sports a custom lightweight stock & is teflon coated.

I bought a Marlin 336CS 30/30 for $125 from the return clearence rack from Service Merchandise. It worked pretty good for me until I picked Mint Ruger M77 Tanger in 30-06 back in 1988 ish for $100. Had tasco scope on it. Scope was pure crap. The rifle on the other hand was great. I still have it. Has a VX3 on it presently. Both myself and the seller knew it was worth more than $100 but he needed the cash and it was all I could scrape together without letting any bills go unpaid.

Weatherby Vanguard 243. Still have it
$320, bought it before the VGS/VGX designations, they only made the full "Weatherby" look.
Was 14, got the $ mowing lawns, farm work and saving my lunch money.
It came in early October, I didn't have any money left after the rifle and wanted to put the scope off my 30-30 on it.
Dad wouldn't allow it, the Marlin was shot in and worked good, I would have to wait until I could afford a scope.
My birthday is 11/9, and when it rolled around, we went to the lgs and Dad bought me a Tasco World Class and Weaver Mounts.

I really don't like that rifle anymore.
But then, there wasn't a billionaire with a new yacht that was more proud.

First bonus I got from my first real job early 80's I bought a SS Rem 700 BDL-DBM 30-06, Still have it today and it has always been a great shooter.

First gun ever bought with my own money: .32 British Bull Dog revolver, for $10, 1968. Don't ask.

First rifle bought by me: M1896 Krag-Jorgensen, original cavalry carbine, 1968, $40. Earned the money by working part-time after school in a slaughter house. Don't ask.

First new rifle: 1972, 700 BDL .243. $130-140 or somesuch, wholesale from the LGS owner who mentored me. Put a Bushnell Banner 3-9x on it, again don't ask.

Sporterized 303 SMLE that I traded a Remington model 11 12 ga for. Myself and maybe 8 other men were standing around a campfire waiting for opening morning deer season to begin. He liked my shotgun and I liked his rifle, so we traded then and there. I didn't kill a deer that weekend but did get one the next. This was in 1967. Traded that 303 away 3 years later.

First long gun I bought with my own money was a Sheridan Blue Streak, which accounted for boatloads of small game and vermin over the years. I still use it for pest control on occasion. I think that was in 1975. Paid for it with paper-route money. The first actual firearm I bought with my own money was a Nylon 66, which cost $40 used.


Okie John

First CF was a Remington Mohawk 600 .308. First RF was a Remington Nylon 77. Wish I still had them both.

1983 Remington 700, 7mm Remington Magnum, Classic configuration. Gone by '87.

I bought a Ruger M77 Mark II stainless 270 brand new in 1992.

Remington 721 .30/06 1969.