quote:

Originally posted by buffalobreath:
my first hi power rifle was a 3006 my dad had reblld and put on a mark 1 1903 Springfield. i was living in Bangkok,Thailand at the time. the original rifle was captured from the Pathe Lao in Laos. it was origionally give to Chiang Kai Shek to fight Mao. i had to do a lot of gardening for it. My brother got a 30 m1 carbine as well same way. the Thai armorer made teak stocks for them. we still have both of them.

Now that's some interesting history!

Remington Safari Grade Model 700 - 375 H&H.

Has taken numerous African and NA big game species with it.

My first high powered rifle was a Marlin Model 336 in 30-30. I was newly married and working my way through the University by working construction. Second week of marriage, no money, got dogged off by the weather, happened to be near a sporting goods store when I eyed the rifle. I used my whole paycheck to buy the gun, a case and box of shells, total cost $96.00. When I got home my bride said, give me your check I need to go to the grocery. At that moment I realized what I had done. All I could do was hand her the rifle, she said "all of it" I said yes, the look I got would have stopped a train. I and the marriage survived that ordeal, I still have the rifle and use it to train my grandson's to shoot. My wife has said that is the one rifle I can never swap. We laugh at that now, and treasure all we endured to get where we are today, with many fine rifles to shoot. Good shooting.

It was 1968, I was 15 yrs. old. I had earned about $70.00 helping in the hay fields. This is at .75 cents an hour. I put the money down on the counter at Eddies Market and Eddie got a 30-30 Win. off the wall and handed it to me. It just reminded me that that Fall in school I wrote my term paper based on a book called " The Right To Keep And Bear Arms" , I think I got a C+.

I bought my first "high power" rifle when I was, oh, I dunno — perhaps 12. I paid $25 for an ancient Model 94 Winchester, in .32-40, which had once been a target rifle, I believe. (But is a .32-40 a high powered rifle?)

It had an easily-unscrewed octagon barrel (no, it wasn't a take-down), and it was pretty accurate, too. It had precious little recoil, and you could hear the "whoosh" of the bullet going down-range.

I was 15 and had money from firewood burning a hole in my pockets. A friend of mine who was a crop duster had a Rem 700 BDL in 7mm mag with a Nikon 3-9X40 on her. $350 and she was mine. Making your own money and decisions is part of growing up.

I was 11 and the lawn money itched to buy a rifle befor X-mas. It was a sporterized rifle, in 7.62R, a Finn/Rus war capture that was in the Sears mail order catalog for less than $10. Bonus, it came with 100 free rounds of ammo. More surplus ammo was available at $3/100. They had my business until I found Norma and Lee. A year before at the age of 10, I got my first shotgun(a 410 of course) for $7. My first big money purchase came several years later by purchasing an autoloading M-1 Garand. The rifle was bought at an auction for $75 and no ammo! Add 50 more years.

I bought a Remington Model 600 in .308 Win. from Gibson's in Las Cruces in the mid 60's I believe. Shot it with iron sights for a while until I could afford a Bushnell scope. A few years after I bought it I bought a Lee Loader and started rolling my own.

Forgot to mention, it was $99.95 plus tax as I recall.

Having had good luck with my first rifle(Ruger 10/22)I went with Ruger again.This time the M77 in 7x57mm.Now over 30yrs later I've never once regretted my choice of gun or caliber.

bucko,

Nothing wrong with the rifle or cartridge, it shoots very well with pretty much everything I've fed it (although it seems to prefer 180-grain ballistic silvertips), I just can't shoot a lighter rifle as well as a sporter in hunting situations. I killed the only deer I shot at with it and a bunch of ground hogs, but I still don't feel as comfortable with it as I do with my sporter weight .30-06 or with friend's .300's. I haven't had my .375 H&H long, either, but I'm shooting it too well for me to go to a light gun again. So, since it won't see much use, I think I'm going to put the .300 towards a .223 I've been wanting to do some serious rifle shooting practice with. Sure, I'll kick myself someday, there's just something I don't like about those lighter rifles, though. Unfortunately for me, it has a beautiful piece of wood on it, too (a serious affliction I have, too).

In 1976 I was 15 years old and prowling the gun shops and gun shows with a pocket full of my own hard earned money. I cut wood, hauled hay, cleaned off and re-fueled roofing trucks and labored for anyone needing a strong back and not much skill.
In one of the gun shops between Eugene and Springfield Oregon I found a new in the box Ruger M77 in 22/250 with a sporter weight barrel with the the "200th year of our American Liberty" stamp on it and I knew it had to be mine!
I paid $176.00 out the door for it and got the guy to throw in sling swivels too and to be honest with you I don't remember a thing about paperwork or ID, I did it on my own and told my parents when I got home. The next weekend I bought a new in the box 3-9x40 Leupold scope at a gun show for $109 out the door. Big money for a kid in those days but I wanted the best!
I shot a lot of everything with that rifle (primarily graydiggers and deer) and hot rodded the hell out of it being a reloading kid thinking faster = better. I shot that rifle so much that I eventually washed the barrel out and for years put up with larger than 1" groups then had it re barreled in 1996 by Norm Thompson of Monument Colorado and still shoot this rifle today.
Before I bought this rifle I had bought a shotgun when I was 10 from my uncle with profits I had made from selling a sheep. I eventually sold it and I really have a hard time with that thinking I should have kept that ugly .410 bolt action forever.

The first rifle that I purchased was a Remington BDL .270, with a Redfield 2X7 scope. Now, many rifles later, it's still in the family. It belongs to my oldest son.

My first rifle was a Winchester Model 70A in 7mm Magnum with a Weaver 4X scope. I won't ever sell it but haven't shot it in 20 or so years. Because of this thread I think its time to take it out and shoot something again for old times sake.

300 savage I paid $50.00 for it. It was beat to hell and weighed a lot but shot straight. I wish I had it back. Those old lever actions were virtually indestructible.

I was an old fart at 32 before I bought my first centerfire rifle and that was in the early 70s. I got it from a coworker as I was going on my first deer hunt to Wyoming and needed a rifle. It was a custom mauser with a remington barrel in 3006 on a G33/40 action. It cost me $150 and don't remember if the herters reloading equipment was included or if it was extra. It currently has a 257 bob barrel on it. I loaned it to one of my sons to go deer hunting and he still has it and won't return it to me as he lives in AZ and I live in OH.

Rad

My first was a hand-me-down from my Dad. Remington 740 in .308 with a Tasco 3x9 in 1978.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
The first rifle that I purchased was a Remington BDL .270, with a Redfield 2X7 scope. Now, many rifles later, it's still in the family. It belongs to my oldest son.

This was my first rig, too...got my first buck with it...only I wasn't smart enough to keep it!

I guess I'm just plain different. I live in a shotgun zone, and given a "gun nut" father and uncle, while I brought a number of "intermediate" caliber rifles (.223 AR's) for shooting games, my first high power hunting gun is/was a .416 Rigby Dakota 76. Within a year it was blooded in Africa. If you are talking about given, a post 64 Win model 70 .25-06 which I have shot groundhogs and crows with.

The first rifle that I bought was a Ruger M77 MK II in .308win Sold it 4 years ago...big mistake...still miss it ! It was very accurate after the trigger was fixed and free floated the barrel.

The first rifle I bought was a Winchester Model 70 .270. I paid $330 for it 13 years ago. I earned the money working at Sonic Drive In when I was 16.

The first rifle I bought with my own money, was a Steyr-Mannlicher 270.

Remington Mohawk in .243, still got it, shoots better than me, though I ought to put a new trigger in it, the factory one is terrible.

How's this for a classic? 1903 Springfield sporter in .30-06 given to me by a gun nut uncle.

I bought my first "high-powered" which also happened to be my first rifle, when I was 21. It is a Winchester M 70 Classic stainless in 30-06, because that is the biggest caliber I could get that wasn't a magnum that was commonly available. I put a 4x Leupold on it that I picked up for $125, and was into a life time rifle for under $800. I think I have over 1000 rounds through it. That one is not for sale at any price.

Interesting thread,

Good hunting,
Graham

This is gonna date me.

Mail order 1950's vintage M98 Mauser by FN - $16.00

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Smith:
It was 1968, I was 15 yrs. old. I had earned about $70.00 helping in the hay fields. This is at .75 cents an hour.

Darn and I thought 4 cents a bale was tough(2 for me 2 for my truck 2 apiece for the other three guys, and yes we all rotated)


Great stuff guys, keep it rollin' !

My first rifle was a model 670 Winchester in 300 Win Mag with an El Paso Weaver Steel Tube K6 scope mounted on it.

Bought the scope and rifle new from Jack Cate's Army Surplus store in Graham Texas in 1969.

Had that rifle for about 30 years and killed many deer with it, wished I still had it.

My first high power was a Sako in 7mm Remington mag with Sako mounts and a Weaver 3 X 9. I bought it from Mashburn Arms in Oklahoma City in 1977. I remember paying $295.00 rifle only and having to put it in layaway and make payments.

I still own that rifle today and it has many a great story to tell.

M700 BDL in 7mm Rem. Magnum. Isn't it amasing how ones tastes change.
Thanks, Doug

Savage 110 30.06 I sold it but ended up with another 30.06. I love this cartridge for what I hunt.

A Ruger No1 light weight sporter in 30-06 I picked it up and fell in love with it. I had two other rifles before this a 99 sav take down in 250-3000 that was stolen and a 03A3 that I sporterized But they were gifts so they don't count.

I still have the no1 have not hunted with it years but it killed a lot of game when I did.

I came to it a little late in life but in 1978 my wife got me a REM 700 270 Win for my birthday ,until then all my hunting was with a shotgun. Good Luck

The first gun I bought was a Marlin lever action in 45 Long Colt. I bought it along with a Ruger in .454 casull. Sold the revolver but still have the rifle.

Greg

Browning a-bolt .300 win mag

My first rifle was a chinese SKS I bought for $116 when I was 16.

I was 16 (1973)...rifle was a Savage 110 chambered in 257 Ackley Improved, 40 degree.

Got the money for it by cleaning toilets and sweeping floors after school.


Tim

My first high power rifle was a Rem. 25-06 BDL that I bought from a friend in 1975. Great rifle, took a lot of game with it.

Remington 660 carbine in .222 Remington with a Browning 3x9 variable scope. Bought it used from one of my Dad's coworkers for $200 when I was 11.

Used it to kill five mule deer and two elk....before I learned it was not powerful enough to kill a deer or elk. Still have it to this day.

My first and only centerfire rifle is my .375 Ruger Alaskan. I bought it last May. My dad had deer trouble on his farm and through the deer permits he got from DNR and my handloads, I shot 11 deer over the summer with it (I consider this shooting not hunting, but still). It quickly became my favorite gun.