On another board there was a string asking "What was your first deer rifle?" I posted there and then got to thinking that alot of people respond to various posts with terms like "resale value" etc. I never consider this when I'm buying a rifle and as a matter of fact I still own the very first "big game rifle' that I ever bought, do you?

My first deer rifle was a left handed Remington 788 in 308 Win with a 3X9 Weaver Marksman scope, Weaver mounts, a padded leather sling and swivels, bore sighted and a box of ammunition (150 grn Remington CoreLoks) for $154.00 in 1975.

I took a 3x2 blacktail buck 15 minutes into my first hunt with the 6th bullet I shot out of it. (I used 5 to sight it in)

I still have everything including the gun, scope, mounts, sling, receipt, owners manuals (for rifle and scope) except for the original box of ammunition. The gun still shoots MOA with 44 grains of IMR4064 and 165 grn hornady BTSP, even with the .300" jump to the lands due to the worn throat.

Nope My first was stolen when it was sent back to Savage to get rebarreled. I nice model 99 take down in 250-3000 it had developed excess head space and would crack the caseings off.

Some wounderful postal worker decided they needed it more then me. I recived the insureance check but that didn't replace the rifle my Dad brought for me.

I have all of my first guns - 22lr Ithica 49(1963), 22lr High Std. DoubleNine, 30-30 336 Marlin (1966), 20ga Ithica 66 (1968), 357M three screw RBH (1971), 300MkV (1973).

Hog Killer

My first deer rifle was a 44 Mag Ruger Deerstalker. It had a 2.5X Bushnell scope with a post reticle. It was a very good rifle and i killed a lot of deer with it. I wish I still had it.
My second rifle was a Pre 64 Winchester Mod 70 "Westerner" in 264 Win Mag.
I had both of them for several years. I thought At the time I thought had the best close cover deer rifle... and the best long range deer rifle.
Looking back after 35 years of additional experience... I just might have been right.

My first rifle was a Savage 99 chambered for the 308 Winchester. My dad gave it to me for Christmas when I was thirteen years old. It shot an absolute pile of game became semi retired and at a weak moment I sold it to finance a spotting scope.

Then along came the 300 WSM train and the owner of "my" Savage seemed to think he needed to hop on board. I helped him finance his deal by buying it back and this time it's going nowhere.

I knew there was something I liked about the WSM stuff.

Chuck

My first deer rifle was an australian Lee enfield no.1 mk III. I bought it at Bills in Lillydale for $80 on layaway. I sporterized it with synthetic stock, scope mounts and a simons 3x9. I sold that rifle, dies, 200 brass, 2 boxes of 150 gr sierra bullets and all my Lee reloading stuff in 1998 to a 15 year old kid for a pair of hundred dollar bills. Dan hunted deer with my family for a few seasons. shortly after the twin towers were hit he enlisted in the Marines. He is now an E-4 stationed in Iraq.

Yes, I do!

When I just turned fifteen years old in August, 1972, I bought my first deer and elk rifle with money are earned from farm work that summer, plus some that I'd worked for and saved before that. It's a Remington 700 ADL in .30-06, and it was the apple of my eye when I first bought it, and in its own way it still is. I always love to get it out of the safe and listen to all the stories it has to tell, which are many but few.

Just before deer season that year, I went down to the local big sporting goods store and bought a Bushnell "Custom" 3-9x scope, and the store mounted it for me (for FREE!) in FREE Weaver top mounts. Price of scope package: $50 U.S.!

The rifle was and accurate -- more accurate than I was -- and that scope worked OK for that hunting season and the next. But by the third hunting season, I finally had the rifle out in some serious rain, hunting blacktails in the Wilson River Summit area of the Oregon coast range. That $50 scope fogged like a milk bottle on the first day of the hunt, and I was disgusted. That night in camp, I studied the situation and made the decision to remove the scope and hunt with the open sights, which I was smart enough to have carefully sight-in with the same 165 gr. Hornady load I was shooting.

After a little more thought, I took that scope and pitched it into the canyon just off of camp. My neightbor was along on that trip, and he was some twenty-five years older than I was. When he saw me toss that scope, he exclaimed, "That scope could have been FIXED!!!!!"

To which I dryly replied: "I DID FIX IT!"

Later that fall, I went to a gunshow and found a used, but mint, Leupold M8-4X scope and a set of new Redfield SR mounts for just under $100. That scope has never given me the slightest trouble, has never fogged, and remains on that rifle to this day.

I learned about a lot of things that have stuck with me form that old Remington 700..........

AD

Nope--traded it in a moment of weakness for some Zeiss binocs. 700 BDL (270 Win) w/ 2x7 Redfield and it liked just about any 130 grain bullet and several different powders. As I recall I had less than $200 in the whole rig. Killed my first whitetail with it on the evening hunt of the last day of the season that year. I think of that rifle often and of the many deer that fell to it. Don't own any Remmys now but they'll always have a place in my heart. Hmmmm..Allen and I must be about the same age...

My first deer rifle was a new 270 Sako Finbear which some bastard broke into my house and stole. I never even got a chance to deer hunt with it. My next was a Rem 30-06 which I hunted successfully with for years until I got the magnum fever I now use a Rem 300 Win Mag.

Nope--Ithaca model 37 featherlight 16 gauge and Remington model 760 gamemaster 30-06 Springfield. Both stolen along with everything else in the gun cabinet while away at college. Damn thieves!

Yes, I do. My first big game rifle was a #4 Lee Enfield from Parker-Hale. It has been rebarrelled to 30-40 Krag and I still carry it more than any of my "better" rifles. It is my "lucky" gun. Or as close to "lucky" as any gun can be when carried by yours truly! With it, I learned about reloading and learned about shooting. I can't imagine ever selling it. Wouldn't go for much anyway! Regards, Bill.

My first Deer rifle was given to me by my Grandfather; for my 13th. birthday. He won the 35 Marlin 336 for 10 cents, the previous year. That should give some of you an idea of how old I am! Plans are to give it to my grandson; who is 2 yrs. old right now. Guess I'll have to wait a few more years... I've owned many, many firearms since, but none with more sentimental value.

My first "any" rifle is a Remington 600 in 6mm. It has a 1.5-4.5 Weaver V4.5 and Weaver rings. Also has the original leather sling that was bought with the rifle. I inherited this gun when my grandpa died. He had about 6 guns, and my uncle asked me if I was to want only one, which would it be. I told him I wanted that 6mm because grandpa had told me a lot about the rifle, and I had no rifle at the time. The gun shoots tight, and took a 170 class whitetail for me the second season I hunted with it. I have since "retired" it, thinking one of my boys might enjoy hunting with it someday.

I bought my first, which I still have, back in 1976 when I was 18 when I was a freshman in college. It was a Marlin 336C in a .30-.30 caliber. I topped it with a Bushnell 3x9 scope. I haven't used the gun for hunting in 20 years but I'm happy knowing that in the back of my safe, it is still there.

Yes I do. It is a Remington Model 660 in .222 with a 3x9 Browning scope. My Dad purchased the whole outfit second hand from one of his coworkers for my 11th birthday. I used it that fall to kill my first mule deer buck and subsequently used it to kill four more mulie bucks and my first bull elk. That was before I got a little older and learned that you can't kill big game with a .222. Still use it to shoot mountain lions after the hounds bay them up (does little pelt damage).

Chet

Mine was a sporterized 03 Springfield and is long gone.

Still got it and shoot it. It started as a bare low number '03 action someone gave my dad. I picked up a mail order new-in-the-grease surplus 4 gr. barrel and had a local 'smith fit it along with Williams 9D peep. I picked up an ugly semi-inletted stock at local discount store and fitted it my self. Think I was about 11 at the time. Down the road I mail ordered a Bearcub 4x scope and had the same 'smith mount it in a Weaver qd side mount. I killed my first deer with it when I was 16 and have killed at least one other plus an antelope with it. It shoots very well, all things considered.
C.G.B.

Well I used my Dads 270 Weatherby Vangaurd (which he still owns) until I turned 21 when I bought my own rifle. A 300 RUM a 700 LSS.

WAY TOO much gun. Capable of shooting farther and better than I am able to. I should have gone with a 300 win mag. The WSM wasn't out yet or I might have gotten one of those.

Still have mine. A pre-64 Model 70 in 30/06 that my dad bought new shortly after returning from Europe in WWII. He passed it along to me when I was 14. For better than 30 years it has been my most prized possesion. Today happens to be my son's 14 birthday. He doesn't know it but there is a long package wrapped in the closet for him for when his mom brings the cake out.

Jeff

I sold mine. It was a new Rem. 722 in .222 R. that I got for my 14th birthday along with a Lyman Eze Loader outfit and a Lyman 6X Wolvorine scope in Beuhler mounts. That Fall I killed my first buck which was a eight pointer that dressed 180 lbs. The load was the 55 gr Sierra Semi Pt over IMR 4198. At that time I had already made the senior rifle team and I shot rifles a lot. The shot was a difficult one as only the bucks neck and head were showing at about 175 yds. The bullet hit the deers spine and was recovered, a perfect mushroom, under the skin on the far side.

The next year I shot another buck at dusk with the same load while my dad and I watched concealed behind a stone fence. I shot the buck in the heart from a rest at about 100 yds. The buck ran off with the does into the rain. We never could find it, not even the next day. My dad could not shoot as he had peep sights on his 06 and he could not make out the buck from the others.

This result had a profound effect on my opinion of small bullets.

I used that rifle after that for woodchucks and other smaller game. When the barrel wore out I bought a new one as the stock did not fit me anyway and the rifle was very heavy for such a small round. I still have that scope and mount.

You bet I have my first's! Mine was a Stevens 110 270 win. My other first was a great looking blond. I have had the blond 22 years, and the stevens 21. Love them both. Ron

You bet I do. When I was shoping for my first rifle I decided to get the perfect second rifle for any hunting I could consider. I bought a Rem 700 BDL in stainless in 30-06. When I'm too old to use it I'll pass it on.
Gene

quote:

Originally posted by Skibum:
Still have mine. A pre-64 Model 70 in 30/06 that my dad bought new shortly after returning from Europe in WWII. He passed it along to me when I was 14. For better than 30 years it has been my most prized possesion. Today happens to be my son's 14 birthday. He doesn't know it but there is a long package wrapped in the closet for him for when his mom brings the cake out.

Jeff

Sounds like a happy day in the skibum
household.You put a smile on my face.thanks

Yep, still have mine. My trusty Savage 340 30-30 bolt action. First with open sights. That old wide front blade would cover up most of the deer at 100 yards but I made a few longer shots. I eventually put a 4X Weaver on it. What a POS. But it brings back old memories. Makes me appreciate the rifles I have now.

Yes i do its a remington M700 BDL in 30/06 I bought when i was 15 back in 1971 i even have the same weaver V4.5 varible scope but thats on my second deer rifle a remington 760 BDL pump in 30/06 which i gave to my son who will turn 16 in april, this fall will be his first deer hunt. I did send that scope to weaver a couple of years back they cleaned it resealed it and changed all the o rings i think it cost me 50-60 dollarsThey did a great job. As for the M700 i promised that to my 10 year old.

Yep, a Sauer 200 in 9.3x62 topped with the same Schmidt & Bender 2.5-10x56, on EAW pivot mounts. I was going to buy something low-end, when my dad chipped in. Took my first roe deer with it, a small doe, just NE of Berlin. Took my first whitetail with it, a small doe, just NW of Calgary. Took my best red stag with it, in SE Poland. It's a slick gun, I love it, it's not for sale!

Frans

I got a Winchester mod. 70 in .243, Christmas day 1960. I later traded the rifle to a friend who's relatives still hunt with it. I killed my first deer with that rifle...In later years, all of my guns were stolen in a break in, so at least I still know where the rifle is.
I still have the first pistol I ever shot. It was dad's 32 Colt automatic.

Yes, model 70 300 win mag bought in 1972, used it to shoot a doe last year. Buy other guns but always return to my old favorite. It is on its third stock as the first two factory ones cracked. I also have the 4X Weaver I bought for it still, although it is not mounted on anything.

BigB

My first rifle was a twin to the rifle shown by Spring. I took some real nice whitetails with the rifle with open sights. It now wears a fixed 3 power scope and has become the grandson rifle that all start on. Two down and three to go plus a new grandaughter. Good shooting.

I too sold my first rifle. It was a Marlin 336c in 30-30win. I took 3 deer with that rifle, and it performed as good as any other deer rifle I have owned as long as the shots stayed under 200yards.
I still kick my butt wishing I had kept that rifle, I constantly would turn heads with the 1" groups it would plug at 100yards off the bench, I had a 4x Redfield Tracker on it before I sold the scope to a buddy and went to a williams peep sight, even with the peep sight I could still nock the heck out of standard playing cards at 100yards.