Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Your First 22?

"Touching" story, Trouthunterdj...

I started out shooting my Dad's Remington, bolt-action rifle with a tubular magazine that held about 15 long rifle cartridges.

I can't remember HOW or WHEN I got it, but at about age 14 or so, I ended up with a new Marlin Model 39A with a Micro-Groove barrel which turned out to be one of the most accurate .22 rimfire rifles I've ever had.

Only my relatively new CZ453 (4 years old) "Varmint" model (bolt-action, hammer-forged, 20 inch, heavy barrel with a single-set trigger) with Wolf Match/Target ammo is more accurate.

While still in high-school, I use spend many-a-summer-day walking some deserted old railroad tracks 'way out in the country, shooting sparrows and varmints and havin' a "ball"!

At the end of about a 3 mile trek down the deserted railroad in the hot summer sun, I'd arrive at a distant farmer's apple orchard sweaty and thirsty... and the fully red, ripe, juicy apples at the tops of the apple trees looked yummy.

And so, with the Model 39A's accuracy, I use to shoot the stems of the juiciest red apples at the top of the trees in half and catch the falling apple before it hit the ground. The Marlin did it's job quite well.

I'd usually have two or three juicy apples at a "sitting", then... thirst satisfied, I'd walk back down the tracks to my car, shooting at things as they presented a target.

There weren't any houses in sight except for the farmer's house and barn on a hill about a mile from the apple orchard and I hoped the farmer didn't mind if I "borrowed" a few apples from time-to-time.

LIFE was "good" 'back then... and the Marlin was WONDERFUL!


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

A Sears (made by Marlin)single shot with the knob you had to pull to cock it. Very accurate, but it didn't take me long to graduate to a Mossberg bolt action with a magazine. Shortly thereafter, I bought a 1917 Enfield from my uncle Bill, along with 5 boxes of Winchester ammo and a bunch of military ammo, for about $20 and got into handloading. The rimfire didn't get shot much after that as my Dad bought 125 gr Sierra seconds from their plant when it was in Santa Fe Springs in paper sacks by the pound....great jackrabbit fun!

Winchester model 67 22LR single shot which was handed down from my grandfather to my dad then me. I never mounted a scope as it was plenty accurate with iron sites and young eyes. I still have it tucked away in the safe. It's in great shape and was the first rifle my son ever shot

Remington Model 121 Fieldmaster. Iron sights. Given to me by my father that had -0- interest in hunting, fishing, or the outdoors. He was a golfer. I believe he acquired the 22 from a personal acquaintance that had a nice gun collection, but was never revealed to me. My Grandparents on my mother�s side had 60 acres well out in the country, with a crystal clear spring fed creek running the length of the property. To me as an 11yo, the farm seemed as large as Texas. Thus began the adventures of a hunter and fisher spanning the next 51 years.

DMc

Glendfield Model 60. My uncle gave it to me for my 8th birthday. I was way too small to shoot it. For a couple of years I would sit in one folding chair and prop it on the back of another chair and plink away.

That rifle also taught me about valuing the things you have instead of always getting something new. When I was about 12 I wanted to sell the Model 60 and buy a 10/22 because I wanted something with a "clip". Dad sat me down and told me that we didn't sell guns unless we had to and definitely didn't sell guns that were gifts. I've sold a couple as I got older but the handful that were either gifts or passed down from family members will never leave.

Remington 121 Fieldmaster... My dad and I got it at a gun show when I was about 11. I use it all the time.

My first .22RF was a Remington Nylon Model 10 single shot. I already had a number of military surplus center fires, and wanted something that was cheaper to shoot. It also gave my girl friend something to shoot while I was shooting a "real" gun. It was very accurate for an $18.00 rifle back in 1965.

My first .22 was a Marlin model 989M2 {M1 carbine styled semi auto}. I bought it myself when I was 12 {well, I gave dad the money for it anyway} with fur money from my trap line. Before that I had been using dad's old bolt action Marlin 81DL.

Remmy 552 Speedmaster

Winchester 72A bolt action with a Weaver 4x scope.

Marlin M81DL, which had been my Dad's first .22 also. Still have it. First 'new' .22 ( not a hand-me-down) was a Mossberg semi auto that peaked out from under the Christmas tree in 1965. Still have it, too. First .22 I bought with my own money was a pristine Winchester M52A I got for $40 in 1968. My God, what a step up from the Mossberg and Marlin! I mowed a sh*t load of grass to buy that rifle! That was the gun I used to take back and forth to school while riding the school bus (member of our HS rifle team)- different times...

The local gun shop was running a closeout deal on W-W MarkIII pistol match ammo, for $5/brick when I bought the 52 from him. I think I bought the bulk of that ammo that he had, too. The rifle loved it, but OMG that $5/brick came mighty dear! It's what prompted me to get a 'real' part time job. But then cars, girls, beer, etc. took priority and the 52 went the way of the wind.

My firstt 22 was a Ithica saddle gun, single shot. Very heavy and it had the biggest sights I had ever seen. Sold to my little brother and stepped up to Rem. nylon 77

My Grandfather's Mossberg 152

My first 22 was a single shot Stevens in the 50's with pull knob on the back of the bolt/

Glenfield model 60 22LR. Still got it but it is need of a serious makeover.

My Dad gave me a Remington 580 when I was six years old in 1972 and we spent a lot of time in the field hunting Jack's together. It was the first and only rifle my Dad gave me, he died when I was thirteen.

It is getting a few upgrades now including a fullsize stock to replace the youth stock and probably the Leupold 3x9 Ultralight that is on my 57M.

It shoots bugholes with SK Jagd Standard Plus.

Ruger 10/22, bought it new when I was in my twenties. Still have it, just put new Techsights on it for an upcoming appleseed event.

My first 22 was a 10/22 (one laying down) my father bought me for Christmas in 1976. It has a Leupold 4X Rimfire scope, mount and rings. I removed the original Sling mounts and put in post but I kept everything. I will not modify this gun any more.

The one on the right is the wifes "Walmart special" her first .22, which is my favorite. It's got a Volquartsen trigger job, Leupold mounts and rings, Leupold Ultralight Scope and a Ruger Hogue Camo stock.

The one on the left is a Mannlicher we bought for the grandchild, it will be his first. It has a Leupold 3x9x33 scope, mount and rings and a Hunter strap (Hunter strap added because it actually has "Hunter" imprinted on it and that's the grand kids name).

Ithaca Model 49 Saddle gun, single shot.

In 1971 at age 11 I got a Savage Anschutz mdl 184. I remember going to the store with my dad and he paid 82.00 for it new.