Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Your First 22?

I saw this thread in the Hunters Campfire section and thought it was a great thread but we might get more comments here. I'll repost my response.

I got my first 22 when I was 11 years old. Here is how it happened....

I had just started trapping and was in need of a 22 to dispatch the coons that happened to find one of my traps. I had been saving money for a summer by selling nightcrawlers. On a hot Saturday in July, there was an auction down the street from my house. Even at 11, I had been to enough auctions to know that they sometimes had guns. As I looked through the tables of mostly junk I saw wood and steel ,a Winchester 67. I went home to ask my Dad if I could buy it. He talked it over with my Mom and was told that my Gramps would have to go along to bid for me. I had $55 and all the confidence that I would soon own a real rifle. My Gramps and I went to the auction, why is it that they save the guns for the end? I was nervous and excited all at the same time. Finally the bidding started for the 22...$50, $55, $60, $65. I was sick and heartbroke. I almost started crying on the spot. $70, $75, $80. Sold!!! I looked up at the auctioneer and saw him handing me the gun! He handed it to me and said, Son here is your gun. My Gramps had been bidding behind my back the whole time. I hugged him, grabbed the gun and ran home.

I was one of my best days!


ddj

Winchester 67 with a peep sight for me! Loaded with a pocket of 22LR shells and my first decent coonhound a bluetick, Ann, we did alright. Raised enough money to buy a dozen leghold traps and a dozen conibear traps. Those were the days! After a few years I graduated up to a Remington 511. Still have both rifles.

On my 13th birthday, Dad brought out a short box that was kinda heavy for its size, and said, "Grandma and Grandpa thought you'd like this for your birthday". It was four boxes of Federal .22 ammo in the then red and white boxes.
Then Dad walked out of the room, and came back with a long white box, and said, "I thought you might want something to shoot them out of". It was a Marlin M60, just like the one Grandma had bought Grandpa, that I'd admired a LOT the summer before. I was tickled spitless.

That was in October. At Christmas, I got a Weaver D-4 .22 scope and put it on the rifle. That rifle has probably killed several pickup loads of rabbits and squirrels. That's no exaggeration, either.
I still have it, and use it a fair amount.

a marlin model 60 long about 1980 long ago wore out !! still have the skelton thought

late 70's Marlin 25 .... nifty little rifle, will be my daughters someday (after she outgrows her pink cricket)

A "Tru Test" single shot, close the bolt and pull the nob on the bolt to cock it.
Dad had it and let my brother and I shoot it a bit.
I got better than Dad realized and told my cousins "I can shoot the glass ball off the lightning rod"
Betca can't! so I got in trouble but got the rifle after an appropriate time to think of my choices with a firearm.

Remington 581 for Christmas in 1977; still have it.

I think I was 12, in the Boy Scouts and it was rifle badge time... No guns in the house and dad did not want to buy one. He did have a good friend, Art Vonn who wrote for Field and Stream. He offered dad a rifle for me to use. I was able to keep it for about 9 months.. In later years I found out how lucky I was. It was Winchester 52!!

Dad & Mom bought me my first .22 the Christmas I was nine. It wasthe first firearm I was allowed to keep in my room with the ammunition. I had a .32-20 of my own as well.

It was a Model 55 Winchester. A single shot, self ejecting, self cocking,self safing slamfire. Never very accurate and a bugger to take apart and put back together. My oldest daughter has it now.

That summer,my uncle Hubert Johnson gave me his chicken coop gun. It was a Remington tube fed bolt action with a tube safety. Now that was a gun! I got the rust off it, refinished it and added peep sights.

Ruger 10/22.

First was a Remington single shot 540, if I remember right. 1962, I was 10.

Later that year I bought a Ruger BearCat. My first handgun.

Mom had to sign for it, as they wouldn't sell it to me.

Now have a Winchester 67, (not the 67A). Just like the one that my Dad had since he was a boy. With the grooved forearm. Made about 1936.

Virgil B.

On my 9th Christmas, my Grandfather gave me his Iver Johnson Single Shot Safety Rifle. I still have it ---- 56 years later.

I got a Cooey Ranger (Model 60) under the Christmas tree in 1967. Santa brought it, but I think he got this rifle at Eaton's department store. Sadly, I no longer have it.

My first Cooey is probably why I prefer tube mags to this day.

Thx a great story D!

Thx for sharing

Dober

(side note, my first was a 580 Rem, still as accurate as most all .22's I've ever been around. I also did some trap line work with a 67. Cept mine was more like $7...grin)

received my first .22 as a Xmas present in 1962 as an eighth grader.

it was a iron-sighted rem model 572 fieldmaster. much later, about 1969 procured a used 2-7 ted williams 3/4 inch scope. it might have been half inch, not sure.

i still have them both, and they look like they have been through a war.

A Kodiak 22 magnum, still have it!

Christmas 1966..Marlin 39A-Golden. I was 14 years old. Sold the gun while was in college...

Bob

Winchester 1890 adapted for long rifles, sometime in the very early 60's.

Glenfield model 60, bought it from a friend in high school, still have it.it now sits in my garage and its for garden and chiken coop raiders.

Marlin/Glenfield 25. Pawn shop find when I was 18.

"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.

I was 14, and bought a 10/22 blue, walnut carbine, open sights from Target for $66.

My twin brother bought a Marlin 39A on the same day for a ridiculous amount of $120.

I kept that rifle until I broke the bead off the front sight, and saw a Stainless steel 10/22 that I HAD to have!!

Browning auto-22 in 1972 for me

Ruger 10/22 in 1987, Dad gave it to me when I got my hunters safety card.

same here.my older brother bought it for me when I was 8 years old,in 1971,for $10. still have it,though the extractor is worn out,and the butt plate is missing.
I havent fired it in 35 years.

Does your twin brother still have the marlin?

My twin brother and I got a pair of nylon 66 mohawk browns when kmart closed them out in the early 80's for $50 (about half price). Mine had a tube defect and I think I sold it foolishley to get a marlin 39a. In college, I sold the marlin to my brother for his nylon and cash to boot so I could put a stereo in my truck. Somehow I traded that nylon away too because they were not accurate and bought a marlin bolt... then traded it to my brother for cash and the 39a.

Now I have the 39A and a nylon apache black... will not sell the 39A and never shoot the apache. Shouldn't sell it, but the nylon prices are getting tempting! Every time I see Ingwe's nylon with a red dot, I want to set it up the same way.

I'm spoiled, Marlin 39a

I was about 7 yrs old when I discovered my Dad's Remington Model 12 w/hex barrel in the back of his closest. It was the only gun he had ever owned. Once I let him know I had found it, we immediately went to the store, bought a box of 22 Longs and out to the countryside we went and I learned to shoot. I used that gun until I was able to buy a Remington Nylon 66 (Apache Black) with my lawn mowing money. I still have and treasure both of them.

gnoahhh:

My first firearm was also a .22 Marlin 81DL bolt tube fed. I got it for my 13th birthday in 1949. I still have it. I did do a minor rebuild a couple of years back. Marlin did not stock some parts so Numrich filled my needs. At the time of my birthday I lived on a farm in the foothills of the Cascades in Western Oregon. Shot a ton of "greydigger" squirrels, now practically extinct Western Oregon jack rabbits, various other varmints, racoons, possums, etc. plus Ruffed grouse. Also it was our best veterinary tool as at times we raised, beside cattle, sheep and turkeys. Years later moved to Eastern Oregon and also used it on Sage Rats, jackrabbits and and a rattlesnake or two and a few rock chucks.

I still have it. It still is wonderfully accurate. It has been replaced for the large part by a Marlin 39A and a Ruger 10/22.

ROUNDUP

Mine was a Winchester Model 60 single shot bolt action. My grandma put meat on the table with it, it was my dad's 1st rifle and what he learned to shoot with as well as mine. I had it reblued and I refinished the stock and gave it to my son on his 1st birthday (about 15 years ago). It sits in my gun safe still.

Single Shot Marlin I got in the 5th grade in 1970. Gave it to my little brother, & bought me a Nylon 66 Apache Black in 1975 at the grocery store I worked in from my freshman year till I was a Senior. I thank I payed $69 bucks for it. Got Mom to fill out the paper work, since I was only 15 at the time

In 1948 when I was 12 my father bought me a Stevens .22/410 o/u with a tenite stock. Don't know when the rifle was built but guess it might have been during WWII when wood was in short supply. I shot it for several years but eventually it went down the road.

In later years I got a Savage .22/20 gauge. It had a trigger pull that went 9 lbs. AFTER a smith had worked on it. Because the stock was designed to accommodate either a scope or rifle sights the recoil from the 20 ga. was brutal. Eventually found someone who was enamored of it and let it go.

Today I have a CZ 452 which isn't as accurate as the Browning Gold Medallion it replaced.

Jim

My first was a Grade I Browning T-Bolt, which I have to this day, wearing the same ol' Marlin 4x32 scope.

My first 22 was a Rem. 511-P which I got when I was 13 years old. I just recently sold it to a Remmie 22 collector as it hasn't been shot since I was probably 15 years old. I started shooting in a indoor league when 15 and my Dad got me a 75Win.Target rifle and he kept the 511. I got it back after he passed. The 22LR's have been a favorite of mine for a long time. My search for the "holy grail" of 22LR's ended with this pair of Cooper Americans. Its said there were only around 250 made till Cooper got his 57M action developed going from the 36 receiver. I read where there are very few(less than 10) with all the options on these two. Both were built by Leroy Barry while he was wood shop manager at Cooper. He has his own business now and he still builds this kind of firearm.



So I went from the 511-P to these 2 Coopers. I owned a Rem. 40X clip sporter and 2 different Pre-64 Winchester 52C sporters and handful of Kimbers sporters and was always still looking. Well the search has ended for me with the 2 Cooper Americans. Defination of a Cooper American is a Anschutz barreled action and Cooper woodwork. Best of both worlds with the Anschutz accuracy and Cooper woodwork.

Remington 33 single shot.

My Uncle Tom bought me a Remington 542 pump when I turned 12 years old.

Up til then I used my dad's Crackshot 26.

That particular lever gun never fed the rounds worth a darn. If you held the rifle at an angle, it wouldn't feed.

Thick, glossy, Marlin finish, heavy BBl. I'm sure it went down the road eventually.

I wish I were better at keeping guns, but in the past, when I wanted something I had to sell to get the funds.