I have two older brothers that would "let" me go along on some of their varminting excursions. After my Grandmother Helen from Ohio would visit, I was LOADED with money (at least, I thought so). She did not like Eisenhower and always saved the Ike dollars for me. Well, gas was 29 cents a gallon, pepsi is 10 cents a bottle, and 100 round packages of Winchester 22 LR was 69 cents per 100. For three Ike dollars, we would put 5 gallons of gas in a 1965 Plymouth Valiant 4 door (slant six, three on the tree, blue 4 door sedan - I knew you needed to know this!!!), a couple bottles of coke or pepsi, and a couple hundred rounds of 22 shells.
We were prepared to go by noon on Saturday (or any day during the summer months) with a Remington nylon 66, another 22 bolt action rifle with a folding front forearm and clip fed (I have no clue what brand of rifle this is - it left with one of my older brothers), and a Hi Standard over/under deringer (the most inaccurate pistol ever made - I still have it!).
The Remington was a semi auto, so we would only load 3 or 4 shells at a time, to save ammo of course. The bolt action was very accurate as well. For some reason, we always thought is was more accurate when the forearm was in the down position. Looking back now, I think it was because the rifle looked cool and we tried harder to hit our shots when the rifle was in the "looking cool" mode. The deringer was something else. Loud, fire spitting, lead spitting, ear splitting, and always burned the hair off of your knuckles when you shot it. Mom could always tell when we snuck that puppy out of the house, but we never knew how she could tell. (maybe the smell of burnt hair and powder residue around the fingers??? - mom's know everything) Did you know that you can blow up a red ant hill with a 22 deringer? Not only are the ants biting you now, but it IS possible to start a fire deep in the ground by firing a 22 into a large anthill.
After moving to a ranch (mom remarried), I thought my world had crashed. 50 miles...from NO WHERE! ..literally!
Pellet gun worked ok, until I wore out the air pump system. Finally, my step dad gave in and let me use the 22 out of the ranch 4x4. Woohoo! I am on my way again. Kind of different shooting a peep site on a Remington bolt action with a cracked stock, but I learned how to hold the rifle without getting my hand pinched by the split everytime I shot it. Ammo was definitely not in abundance at the ranch 50 miles from no where either. By the end of day two, I was OUT! 100 rounds and 97 prairie dogs were pushing up daisies in the sky. Step dad did not believe me and would not give me any more bullets. So, the next time I went to town, which seemed like forever, I bought an entire BRICK!!!! Then the gun was taken away because I shot too much.
We moved back to town after the lease on the ranch expired and I was able to buy MY first rifle. Mr Ruger 10/22 was my new friend. Living a little over a mile from town has it's benefits. One of them....PRAIRIE DOGS! By this time, my little brother was 6 years old and, for some reason, liked to tag along with me on the "walkabouts" over the hills. We had a favorite spot where we could sneak behind a huge boulder that overlooked a small valley with a flat floor and the boulder provided a large flat to shoot from. Shots ranged from 20 yards to over 200. That wideview Redfield scope was something else. We easily shot 15,000 rounds out of that 10/22 over a couple of summers. In the pictures I posted in another thread, I think the circle is continuing and I am proud to be a participant!!!!!
So, do tell, what got you started?
My little brother on the right holding my first Savage. 12FV single shot in 223 1:9 twist.
Picture taken in Montana along the Marias River.
... So what's the problem with a few guns and related items..... 
