Who, What, When?

[hard_r]

The greatest man I have ever met, the man who taught me shooting, fishing, camping, hunting, manners, morals, and generally how to be a man. My Poppa. He's my dad's step-father, but he is more of a grandpa than my biological grandfather who I see once every couple of years, and never taught me a thing.

The gun was a daisy single shot bolt action .22. My dad has it, and I imagine I'll teach my kids to shoot with it if I ever have any. I was six years old. When I was 11 he bought me my first deer rifle, a single shot .223. When I outgrew that he "traded" me for his .30-06. When I was 12 he gave me my first handgun, a Rossi .38.

I never shot a deer in front of him until last year. He came up to sit in the stand with me, he hasn't hunted since 98. I killed a little 8 point and dropped him DRT. Poppa gave me a high five, said, "Perfect shooting, son." I tried to tell him it was because of him, and how he shaped the man I became, but I got lost in tears instantly. He just patted my shoulder and said,"Let's go get that buck, partner." He knew. It was not my biggest deer by far, but it will always be my absolute favorite.

I don't have any shooting pictures, but here he is teaching me to fish on my first ever fishing trip. Foss Lake, 1989:

 

[Biggsly]

You guys have some great stories.

 

[HMFIC]

I was born with a rifle in my hand, snorting gunpowder and drinking from a Hoppes #9 bottle. A son of a gun is what I be. Dad made sure I could hold a proper sight picture before I knew my numbers and letters.

 

[okietool]

I don't remember how old I was, but it was my maternal grandfather, at one of his friend's farm ( I won't name him ), it was at. .22 semiauto pistol and it blacked my right eye.

 

[been]

9 years old. went shooting out at Wagoner with Step dad and a friend of the family who was Polish. First gun i ever shot was an RPK.

 

[Boehlertaught]

The man that lived across the street from us in the early 1960's took me dove hunting. I was probably 8 or 10 years old and use my new Savage single shot .410, I still have it. I don't remember bagging any doves but I remember he did though.

 

[YakBasser]

I pretty much grew up on My Grandparents place Summers and Weekends. 560 acres, 5ponds lotsa small game and deer and Yotes. I cant remember a time when I didnt have something to shoot. BBs and Pellets shootin Pigeons and Rats out the barns, then later, a 1890 Winchester with the rifling shot outa it. Magazine was gone, and a cleaning rod with a fingerloop stayed in the tube instead. The action would cycle back and I used the cleaning rod to knock out the L/R shells, but you had to load the next by hand. The pump lever was broken so i had to pull the forearm back fwd and then push the bolt down with My thumb. I was supplied with .22 shotshells for shooting. They wouldnt let me shoot bullets because of the rifling, but alota thngs that crawl and fly were killed in those old barns and around the place with that old Winchester and I Still have it (-:

 

[ldp4570]

My Dad in 1965 with his Winchester 22lr, shooting off the dam at my grandfather's lake. In 1967 I got my first rifle, a Remington 581LH .22lr. I still have that rifle, and just recently gave it to my son Alexander to care for.

 

[n423]

My best friends Dad took us to a wooded area near Belle Isle old power plant.

We shot a Winchester pump .22. I was 8 or 9.