|
[ Return to Contents
| Post a Reply
| Post a new message
]
Memory down shooting lane...
Posted by Brian Richardson on Feb 14 2006
“Wooden Special”
My first gun was a Wooden Replica model 70 my Dad made that I hunted with all over Alaska. Coon skin cap on my head, wooden fly-weight sporter in hand, trusty pocket knife in the trousers, Zips on my feet… I was hyperactively unstoppable full of energy in my pursuit of all critters big and small. Still have the gun! It hangs in Dad’s shop!
“BBs & Pellets”
Next in the arsenal was a Crossman Pumpmaster BB gun (has the brass coated magnetic bolt) I say has because I still have it! It still calls home in my kid bedroom on te mountainside next to my Grandpa’s US marching sword.
“The .22”
At 8 or 9 years old came a brand new Browning BLR .22 lr. A box of 50 Thunderbolts had to last me a month or it was back to BB guns. I used it for most years w/ irons later having a little saved up $$$ and some help from Dad I in due course put a 3x on top. Joe (still the owner of Great Northern Guns in Anchorage) insisted I could get the little scope & rings as long as I was staying away from sniping my Mom’s bird feeders. I agreed tho’ not quite primed enough for a promise. College days came along and I traded her off for a fancy dancy New Weatherby Mark XII… STUPID! Nothing against the Mark XII (it was an absolute tack driver and pretty cool) however I felt so bad the next day I was at the doorstep of the gun store before opening and beggingly bought my ol’ trusty BLR back BUT at full retail - not to mention now a starving college student w/ not enough ammo to justify blowing off a class or two for hunting! The Weatherby later went down the road for trade toward both a nice side by side and a Winchester 101 senior year of college… Again had barley the gas $$$ to get back to school then back to Alaska! Still have the BLR!!!
“Winging it”
Then 9-10 or so befell the use of Mom’s 20Ga. Remington 870 Wingmaster and a box of #6 that had to stretch a month or it was back to the .22 or BB guns. That gun has some Alaska Territory History… back in the mid 50s before Statehood Mom took her share of Bounty (literally) down in Southeast. Still have the ol’ 20… petite mom at 71 years still insists it’s hers if need arises in defense some day.
“First Break not quite on Cue”
“MY” day was soon at hand for a New Ruger model 77 sporter w/ the top-tang safety in .243 Win. having a fixed 4x Redfield atop.
Dad had asked me to do the regularly scheduled clean & sweep up of the garage when I was 11 --- but he overlooked that he had "hidden" a new rifle “undercover” in a soft case (that was to be a wood, bolt from the blue surprise for my birthday) on the garage shelves well w/ in my exploratory reach. I flew up the stairs howling out the news of my discovery with so much excitement just to know what it was, how long Dad had had it, stories of its exploits, why it was so dog gone polished looking, and exactly why it was not hangin’ out with the rest of his guns never being used. Needles to say I blew the gift giver and ended up being eventually presented with it 2 years later as mine for keeps. In the meantime, I grew to a fondness for Dad’s mid ’50s Winchester model 70 Featherweight. Tho’ still very much Dad’s today – I’d have to call it “the” first big game rifle. I still have the .243 Ruger and she’ll often time paint two eyes w/ a nose on a bottle cap at 100 yards. Nowadays, I shoot it as a varmint/deer/target gun and she isn’t stainless… so the rifle gets very little exercise mixed up in Alaskan foul weather & stalking in Big Bear country.
Hope all enjoyed….
Don’t ya love it when your very own guns can talk!!!
Previous: 28 GA. Brian Richardson Feb 13 2006
Next: funny... fullkurl Feb 14 2006
 Message Thread:
|
