Who was your mentor (regarding guns, hunting, etc.) ?

[Carlos88]

I'll start. My Dad.

My earliest recollection of being around guns, reloading, etc was sitting in Dad's lap blowing out primer residue after he scraped the pocket with a Grace screw driver ('63-'64). It is remarkably efficient.

He had a bedroom dedicated to his hunting goods, 3'x3' reloading table, five or six sets of dies, a C&H press and a powder scale. The cartridges were .22LR, .243, .270, 30-06, .38 Special, 44-40, 44 magnum. All were rifle cartridges except the .38 which was a S&W Combat Masterpiece, 4" barrel. The 22LR was a cut down Model 75 Target model with a sporter stock. The .243 was a Mexican Mauser (1910) with a Browning barrel and a Weatherby styled stock and a K4, .270 was a Husqvarna 1600/1640 with a custom stock, 21" Douglas barrel and a Leupold 3-9x42 attached by Weaver mounts, .30-06 was Model 70 FWT with a K3. Both of the 44's were rebarreled 94s with 18" Douglas barrels.

We shot weekly. Mostly 22LR which was used to conserve powder.

I'll post a little more later.

 

[Bucklowery]

Definitely my Dad. I always wanted to be like him

Thanks

Buck

 

[Old Rooster]

My dad was in the army and always gone so a friend of the family mentored me.
I have mentored many young ones to the point that they were great reloaders and shooters.

 

[cornshank]

My mentor was a friend of my dads , who was a hunting nut, named jack . He also was part owner of a big sports shop .
Jack took me under his wing , and got me started hunting with his family and friends.
It was around the early 70's , he and his friends hunted hard , no slings on rifles and most of the time they ran jump dogs, so the shooting was off hand ,and moving targets.
I copied every move at 14 years old , still I don't hunt with a sling .
Jack and his wife moved to Oregon years ago but I still drop in and see them occasionally.

 

[brcfo_outdoors]

I am in the other camp, unfortunately. No one taught me anything, and I have had to learn everything for myself through trial and error. Some lessons seem to have stuck better this way, but others I have completely missed.

 

[257 STW]

Without a doubt. My dad.

 

[338weatherby]

My dad and grandpa. I used to listen to them for hours talking about new guns, cartridges, scopes, etc. I would absorb all I could. I started studying all the latest ballistic charts I could get my hands on. By the time I was 12 I had finally got the respect of my grandpa to the point that he'd call me to ask what I thought of this cartridge or that one (usually the newer stuff he wasn't familiar with). Dad bought me my first rifle at 8 (marlin model 60 still in safe), .410 at 10, model 4 .243 at 12, then a M700 in .270 along with my first press and reloading equipment at 14. I owe it all to both. They spoon fed me this addiction! Just before my grandpa passed I picked up a 1st year production Winchester model 1910 that I'd been searching for since he first told me stories about the old .401. I brought it to the assisted living place he was at and seeing him light up that I remembered the stories was priceless. I miss him and am still fortunate to have my father around still. Although we don't get to shoot together anymore, we can still spend lots of time talking guns.

 

[338 dude]

I am in the other camp, unfortunately. No one taught me anything, and I have had to learn everything for myself through trial and error. Some lessons seem to have stuck better this way, but others I have completely missed.

Me too my dad didn't hunt although my grandfather was a gunsmith and a mechanic as well. He gave me my first gun,a double barrel 12 gauge that I still have.

 

[RUFUS-6.5x284]

My dad and grandpa, I followed their footsteps dove, quail and rabbit hunting. Neither deer are turkey hunted I picked those horrible habit up all on my own.

 

[Bravo 4]

I am in the other camp, unfortunately. No one taught me anything, and I have had to learn everything for myself through trial and error. Some lessons seem to have stuck better this way, but others I have completely missed.

This was me as well, never had a mentor so mostly trial and error (mostly error). I always say that I may not know what to do but I probably know what not to do and that usually translates into the same thing. Young folks need someone that will give them guidance, then if only they would listen. Mentorship and discipline are the two things lacking in our society today.

 

[FEENIX]

I am in the other camp, unfortunately. No one taught me anything, and I have had to learn everything for myself through trial and error. Some lessons seem to have stuck better this way, but others I have completely missed.

Same here! I made sure my sons (now 31 and 34) had what it takes to keep the tradition alive and well.

 

[Ol' Red]

My Grandpa and my uncles were my mentors. I used to sit and talk about hunting with my grandpa in the evenings when I lived with him. He was born in 1893 and had many stories of hunting and trapping in the old days. My Uncle gave me my first .22 rifle ( still in my safe) when I was 12 years old. It was the start of hunting and shooting that has grown every since.

 

[just_jon]

Definitely my dad. He was fond of saying "take your kids hunting and fishing and you will never have to hunt for your kids".

 

[jessej]

My earliest recollection of being around guns, reloading, etc was sitting in Dad's lap blowing out primer residue after he scraped the pocket with a Grace screw driver

I did that.

Learned the BASICS from my daddy.
Learned how to makem shoot gooood from a place on the innerweb called
longrangehunting.com. Y'all should look it up sometimes