Do you remember the first centerfire rifle you fired and do you reload for that caliber today?

[orifdoc]

I'm not positive but it was probably a Rem 700 in .25-06. I have that gun today and recently started reloading for it. It's probably about 40 years old now, but still easily inside of MOA.

 

[Greyfox]

My first was a Italian Carrcano Carbine in 6.5x52. My buddy and I pooled our hard earned lawn cutting money and mail-ordered the rifle off a surplus firearm ad in a magazine back in the early 60's. It cost us less then $10 for the rifle and a box of surplus ammo…..Times have surely changed! Shooting it was a brutal experience for a coupe of scrawny kids! While that rifle is long gone, ironically, the 6.5 caliber has been one of my most used/reloaded calibers in a centerfire rifle to this day.

 

[C-130 Dude]

A 6mm Remington! Shot my first deer with it and still reload for it! It was actually my Moms as my Dad had bought two REM 700 ADL's with a 20" tube! I think he paid a whopping $99 a piece for them!

Oh the days!

 

[C-130 Dude]

Greatgpa's iron-sighted 30-30 Win lever killed first deer with it 6 yro. It is still in the family passed on down to the future. Don't reload anymore. Saving money is meaningless, irrelevant, virtually unlimited replenishable resource; heartbeats....NOT. At my age I've clearly become the weak link limiting factor in the consistency, precision chain. I can improve consistency by reloading, however, the small gain is irrelevant for hunting, banging steel. I teach some kids how to reload essentially to pass along the knowledge to the future keepers of the hunting/shooting brotherhood.

I started showing a few kids also. This knowledge will be lost if we don't. My age and eyes hold me back now. But I do enjoy making up some rounds and going out to go boom.

 

[C-130 Dude]

8 Mauser......I grew up in a family that didn't shoot, hunt, or fish. I was alone in that desire , but it was strong none the less. I did odd jobs at 12 years old to buy an old military surplus 8mm at otasco for 89 bucks. I bought a couple hundred rounds of surplus ammo and had to start saving money again to be able to shoot within a couple days, lol.

Holy moly, 89 bucks. The old days.

 

[C-130 Dude]

The first center fire rifle I shot was a 30/30 Winchester. It was was from a friend that snuck it out of the house at a very young age. My family was not into hunting, but my Dad allowed me to buy a Remington shotgun when I was 15. I was too busy working to pay for my motorcycle racing to spend $$ on another firearm until the 80's. I bought the Savage 110 30.06 and this was my main deer hunting rifle for many years. I did not reload for a long time. Started buying more rifles and other firearms. The addiction has only grown and reloading really pushed me over the edge.

Yeah, my ocd gets going at times.

 

[C-130 Dude]

Winchester Model 94 in .30 WCF when I was about 14. Got into loading a few years later and still load for the same rifle, and it still kicks like a mule. Took my first deer with it some time around 1958. That was a California black tail.

Something about mules. Hmm...

 

[C-130 Dude]

The first one I ever shot was a Savage 250-3000. I remember you could tell how many rounds was in the gun by the number count on the side of the reciever. It was my Dad's gun. Don't have any idea what he did with it. I shot two or three deer with it as I remember.It was a blast as a 12 year old

Haven't seen one of those for a while.

 

[C-130 Dude]

Back when there were corner grocery stores only, My Dad would stop after Church on Sundays to get bread and milk for his family. A 50-round box of Peters .22 caliber shorts was on the grocery list one Sunday morning and that same day in the afternoon my brothers and I shot our first ever cartridges out of my dad's Winchester pump gallery .22. That was about 1960 and I never forgot the smell of gunpowder and gun oil after that.........One of the best days of my life!

Oh that smell. Still puts a grin on me.

 

[C-130 Dude]

First centerfire was a old mauser action chambered in a 308 win, sporter weight rifle. I had bought it to enter deer hunting in about 1985. Had sketchy rings and a cheaper than cheap scope. Was nowhere near on target and never got it zeroed. Traded it pretty quick. I do load these days for a 308 win that I'm pretty fond of.

I like my 308 too.

 

[C-130 Dude]

10 year old....375 H&H?
Father should be charged with ...child abuse!

There's a long story about this. Its not as bad as you think. I still have the gun. I'm 66 now.

 

[C-130 Dude]

I think it teaches respect for firearms.

Yes it does!

 

[C-130 Dude]

When I was 12 my Dad let me shoot his pre64 model 70 in 30-06. The thing was a tack driver even back then, two shots back to back touching at 100 yds. This rifle would never lose zero year after year. My son now has it as it was passed to him by
my dad. I still reload for this caliber as my first deer rifle at 14 was a sporterized Enfield in 30-06 bought from Sears of all places. I killed a lot of deer with it and had it rebarreled and restocked about 20 years ago as I shot the barrel out. Still groups .75 MOA with very little trouble. 58 years on this one now and still looks great!

Sears had lots of stuff, back when. RIP

 

[C-130 Dude]

Good ol' .303 British in a $29.99 sporterized No4 Mk2. Got it for Christmas at age 14. Still have it. Barrel is like drain pipe and shoots crappy. Also usually has case head separation on reloads cause of headspace. Keep a coat hanger with hook on it for yanking case out of chamber. Can't bring myself to part with it. Sad I know.

Dave

Wow. Rebarrel it maybe? Let it shine again. The old horse would like it.