First Rifle

[SakoSteve270wsm]

A Remmington 788 in 243win.Had a cheap 3-9x either a tasco or bushnell can't remember.....man that was awhile ago :roll:

 

[Hegland]

Savage 110 in .243 when I was 17. I ran a D6 Cat for a summer job and the first week out of school I clocked over 80 hrs. Paid for the rifle, Vari X II and a box of ammo.

 

[375hh1973]

When I was 13 I saved my pennies and bought (had my dad do the paperwork) my first deer rifle. I had wanted a lever gun for the longest time. Now, you must realize that EVERYBODY had 30-30s so I had to get something cooler. I studied Marlin and Winchester catalogs, looked at ballistic charts and decided that I just HAD to have a Winchester M94 in .356 win. I called about 10 gunshops all across the state before I found one that had a .356 in stock. My dad and I made the road trip and picked up the rifle. Dad used the trip as an excuse to buy a new Browning A-Bolt in .270 as well. I put a Leupold 2-7 on that M94 and had a blast with it. It made me realize how much ammo cost when I had to buy my own. I shot 2 deer with it- both does. One was at about 20 yards and the other was at 125 yards. Both deer went down, like right now. Then I went into the Navy and had to have a long range bolt gun so that nice little M94 got traded in. Not a deer season goes by that I don't find myself hunting thick stuff, wishing I had a nice lever in a hard hitting caliber with a low power scope....

 

[MattC]

Hi Everyone,

This seems like a good a place as any to introduce myself and to tell you a little about myself. I will try to keep it on topic so as not to derail the thread... too much! :wink:

My first rifle was a Stirling Model 1500 22 magnum. That soon gave way to a .243 Remington.

Both were sold off after about two years of ownership. An interstate move saw to that.... I no longer had an excuse to own a firearm and licencing was refused.

That was was back in the early '80's. Shooting gave way to fishing and photography. With the move back to Central Australia I get to do very little fishing. Photography is still a passion.

My current job is on a 10,500 square km (~4000sqmi) cattle station in Central Australia that requires the use of a firearm. My current issue (company) rifle is another .243 Remington that has seen better days. It remains safely locked away in the gun safe. It has a few issues that need addressing by a gunsmith (or an 8lb sledge hammer :shock: )... I refuse to use it.

So after 20 something years away, I am currently in the process of purchasing two rifles. A 22-250 Tikka Varmint for dogs (really common feral pest) and a 30WSM Varmint (for pigs, goats, brumbies (feral horses), water buffalo and knocking the odd sick or injured beast. Just a couple of inexpensive work horses that will hopefully shoot straight and last a while. I guess these could be my first rifles... round 2.
I am also working up a shopping list of all of the accessories and extra gear that is required when it is the intention to load gun specific ammunition. I enjoyed loading my own before.
Things are never simple. There are so many choices, so do not be too surprised if I fire a few questions in the direction of you good folk.

Cheers

Matt

 

[Guy Miner]

Welcome aboard Matt! Seems like you've got a bit of shooting ahead of you. That's generally a good thing! :grin:

 

[JD338]

MattC,

Welcome to the Nosler Forum. Great bunch of folks here with a wealth of knowledge and eager to help out.
Best wishes on the new shooting sticks. :grin:

JD338

 

[old #7]

I was 9 years old when I inherited my dad's Ruger M-77 in 243.
Made in the two hundredth year of American liberty.
We shot milk jugs filled with water at 200 yds. I could see the lid fly off in the 6x18 tasco scope. After the milk jugs were gone we would shoot the lids. When the lids were gone we would shoot the legs off of my friends dad's target stands. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[taylorce1]

My first shotgun is a Model 1300 Winchester 12ga at age 16, I used it for a 4-H shooting sports project. Had to use my Mom for the purchase, but used my money that I earned. My first center fire rifle is a Parker Hale Midland .243, age 18 first rifle purchase and got my first mule deer and pronghorn with it. My first rimfire was a Ruger 10/22 that I bought when I got of active duty in 96 I was 25. I still have all but the 10/22, I donated it to a friend at work who was looking to get his grandsons into shooting.

 

[MattC]

Hi Guys,

Follow up from my previous post.

The deal for the Tikkas fell through. The dealer from whom I was making the purchase messed me around with promises, lies and finally price increases. That was the end of that.

A couple of weeks later I was in Adelaide and dropped into a dealer that I used to do business with many years ago (had both good and bad from them, but more good ), who has a very broad range of brands. I finally got to handle some new rifles. This might have been a bad thing because I spent considerably more (2x) than intended. Six weeks later (after sorting the paperwork) I received two Sako 85 Varminters in 223Rem and 308Win. I topped them with Leupold Mark IV 3.5-10x40 LR/T M1 Ill MilDot scopes. I decided to give the previous choice of high powered barrel burners a miss and stick to rifles that I could at least learn to shoot properly before wearing them out.

Cheers

Matt

Edited to remove the waffle

 

[DKA]

My first centerfire rifle was a Marlin 30-30, at that time everybody that was anybody had one. That was in 1965.

 

[matts318]

Well technically my first rifle was a foreign 22 LR, still have it, my first deer rifle was an old remington in .243 but never shot a deer with it, that same year I got my grandfathers .270, it was a winchester model 70 xtr sporter, since the time I was 10 I have shot every deer I ever shot with that rifle untill last season! I consider this my first real rifle, I still have it and will never sell it!

I love this rifle and it will always be mine, its the one thing I have to remember my grandfather by! I was 10 years old and shooting a .270 with hot 140gr hand loads, my friends thought I was crazy, I thought It was normal! haha, I love this rifle!

 

[dakotaelkslayer]

My first centerfire rifle: Well, on a whim I decided to apply for a coveted Michigan elk tag. As luck would have it, I was drawn for a "hunter's choice" the first time I applied. The wife and I went to Jay's to find me an elk rifle. I picked a beautiful Ruger #1 in .280Rem. My wife saw the price tag and immediately denied me! She spotted a .280Rem in a NEF Handi-rifle and said, "How 'bout this one?" She obviously like the price tag.
Needless to say, the NEF topped with a Bushnell Trophy was a SHOOTER. And the dainty 139gr. Hornady Lt. Mag round dropped the bull in his tracks on a double-lung/heart shot.
May not be as purty as a Ruger#1, but she'll outshoot 99% of 'em.

Jim

 

[FOTIS]

That is what you get for taking the wife gun shopping! :lol:

 

[MarkUtah]

My first rifle was a plain jane Winchester Ranger 30-06 that my Dad bought me when I turned 16 and was old enough to hunt. He talked me into a 30-06 as that is what he shot and he beleived that a 30-06 could do anything (he still does!!) I was young and wanted to try out some of these new calibers on the market so i sold the 30-06 to my brother a couple years later and bought a Win 70 Featherweight in a .280 Rem.

Mark

 

[Mike Fontaine]

6 years old; Win 25-20. I just sold it for $3500.00 :wink: and bought 2 nice new rifles :lol:

 

[USMCDM24]

My first rifle was a Ruger 10-22 that my dad bought at a dirt cheap price. I could shoot dimes all day. My first centerfire was a M700 CDL in 30-06 with a cheesy Bushnell scope I bought at Walmart.

 

[GISMatting]

I hunted with my grandpa's Ruger M77 .25/06 for several years, received a Ruger M77 MKII .25/06 as a graduation gift. I started with a Ruger 10/22 when I was 12 or 13, shot countless thousands of rabbits and coyotes with it, now it has a Volquartsen action, barrel, stock, & trigger.

 

[Northwoods Hunter]

Approx 1962, Rem 700 ADL 30/06. First loads were hammered out on a Lee Loader.Rick.

We must be the same vintage Rick!
Same set up for my first...add a V 4.5 Weaver scope. 8)

My first handloads were with the Lee handloader kit with the plastic dippers 180gr Soft points...Either 3031 or 4831 powders... :roll:

 

[flyfish]

My first rifle was a Remington Model 788 in .243. I still have it but it's in semi retirement. I shot a pile of chucks with it and have taken several deer with it too. Maybe some day I will pass it down to a grandchild.