Nostalgia for old guns

[lagrangedave]

We could make a trip up to Charlie's if you want...……….

 

[Nicodemus]

We could make a trip up to Charlie's if you want...……….

Maybe next year. My Lady still healing up from that knee replacement and I`m staying close till she`s well..

 

[Dirtroad Johnson]

First deer hunting trip in my life was in Talbot County as it was the only county close to us with a deer season. I carried a single shot stevens 20 gauge with slugs. I got the crap scared out of me by two Vietnam vets in full camo including face paint. They were turkey hunting in the fall with 22-250 rifles...………..the bullets whistled …………...

Talbot county was big time in the 70's before we had good populations around the counties in our area. Lot of the local folks here worked with the railroad out of Fitzgerald & would run the tracks to Manchester thru Talbot county. They would hunt deer in there off time & come back home to Irwin & Ben Hill county spreading the word about the deer & doe days. The 1st time I went with some of the folks that had been before we got permits from Ga. craft, I killed 2 deer on that trip & thought I had did something (a doe & a spike). Yell it was brown it's down in those days.

 

[Bobby Linton]

This rifle fits me to a T. This long barreled rifle will be buried with me.View attachment 945166

Where is the family plot, if you dont mind me asking?????

 

[Darkhorse]

My Grandfather grew up in Macon county near the flint river. He never saw a wild deer. He had a reputation of being a dead shot with either .22 or shotgun. When I was growing up he only had a .22 Auto and that's the rifle I associate with him, my brother was there when he passed away so he has the gun now.
Today I have a number of rifles both .22 and centerfire. All the rifles have shared kills of elk, deer and hogs. But the ones that speak to me are my flintlock longrifles, especially my .40 caliber. I built both these rifles and put 150+ hours into each one. When I hunt or practice with these rifles I almost feel a kinship, something I never feel with the others.

 

[Bobby Linton]

My Grandfather grew up in Macon county near the flint river. He never saw a wild deer. He had a reputation of being a dead shot with either .22 or shotgun. When I was growing up he only had a .22 Auto and that's the rifle I associate with him, my brother was there when he passed away so he has the gun now.
Today I have a number of rifles both .22 and centerfire. All the rifles have shared kills of elk, deer and hogs. But the ones that speak to me are my flintlock longrifles, especially my .40 caliber. I built both these rifles and put 150+ hours into each one. When I hunt or practice with these rifles I almost feel a kinship, something I never feel with the others.

I know what you mean. Two years ago I got into TC encores. Great guns, functional, practical, but they just don't speak to me the way my family guns do. I get pleasure from some of my firearms just holding them in the stand, remember where the dints and dings came from. Dont get me wrong though, when I get to go out west on an antalope hunt, the TC pro hunter is going to be the right tool for the job and I dont take grandpa's shotgun marsh hen hunting.

 

[Cmp1]

I bet that gun represents more than wood and metal to you when you think of your dad. My grandfather farmed his entire life on 100 acres. I think his 30-06 rifle was a fairly new addition. He loved squirrel and quail hunting. Don't think deer even crossed his radar outside of his vegetable garden.

Yep,,,,I used my Dads Light 12 for pheasant when I was a kid,back when we had pheasant,,,,

 

[bullgator]

I have been blessed with the means to buy a new rifle ever year or two, but sometimes I feel like something has been lost. I remember my grandfather's gun rack. A 30-06, .22, and a side by side double and that was all he ever needed. I remember men in my family that I identified with a caliber or a rifle because for decades that's all they ever shot. "That Uncle Joe sure is a sharp shooter with that .243 he got after the war".... anybody else feel like with the affluence we lose a little bit of the nostalgia for a man and "his" gun?

I completely understand your point. We have it good these days with both the advancements in firearms and our abilities to purchase them. They are no longer just basic tools but mild investments.
I also am torn between the practicality of synthetics, stainless, polymer, and striker fired guns, and the beauty and warmth of good blued, wood stocked rifles and classic revolvers.

 

[Nicodemus]

I understand what ya`ll mean. My Model 1885 has soul.

 

[lagrangedave]

I have an old 700 30/06 with an action so smooth. Bought it for $150 on a payment plan with a dearly departed friend 25 years ago. He goes with me everytime I take it out.

 

[Bobby Linton]

I have an old 700 30/06 with an action so smooth. Bought it for $150 on a payment plan with a dearly departed friend 25 years ago. He goes with me everytime I take it out.

That's it in a nut shell, almost brought a tear to my eye. I like the way you put that.

 

[killerv]

I have my grandfathers a5 16ga with a cutts. He talks about those cutts like they hung the moon. I have his uncles win mod 67 that he put the hogs they raised down with. My grandad still opens up the safe door so he can look at his guns while watching tv.

I love savin old forgotten guns from pawn shops. A little elbow grease can do wonders on them. Old walnut 22s are my fav. Recently picked up an mod 1890 gallery gun made in 1905. I bet it can tell a story.

 

[Nimrod71]

Those were the days. I remember well, all the old men around the deer camp showing off all their new hunting weapons. Oh, how I loved that new Marlin 30-30 Mr. Gibson had. My mother said I was to young to hold a gun like that. He handed it to me, I felt ten feet tall, holding a real high powered rifle for the first time. That's been 60 years ago and I still love to hold a rifle. Rifles have become a part of my life. But the new ones hold no interest, I prefer the guns made before 2000. There is just something about their look and feel. I also prefer wood stocks. People tell me they prefer plastic stocks to wood because they don't show scratches as bad. To me the scratches and dents in wood are reminders of times and hunts gone by. I love my Rem. 700 BDL in 6mm Rem. I bought it in 1972 and let me tell you it has brought down many a deer and hog and put down a number of varmints. Yes it is scratched and dented but those are trophy marks. I will keep it forever.

 

[Quepos1]

My Dad didn't deer hunt although he hunted some more as a social event because they hunted with dogs. I remember when I was a little boy of about 5 we went on a hunt in Chattahoochee County and he killed a 10 point with his Browning Sweet 16.

He never owned a deer rifle as he didn't like venison or deer hunting. He loved rabbit hunting and we always had a pack of beagles, we also dove hunted a lot, and quail hunted near Thomasville.

My Dad had the Sweet 16, his Father's Ithaca 12 ga double barrel, a Browning SA 22, and several revolvers.

 

[44magpastor]

My dad's arsenal for years

A 1955 model JC Higgins, single shot 12 gauge.
A 1975 model Marlin 336, in 30-30.
A 70's model Mossberg lever action, 22 carbine

He also owned a S/W 38 that he never shot....and a Browning 12 gauge humpback...with a polychoke. I only remember him using that 2-3 times, for doves and ducks.

 

[bilgerat]

When My grand Pa died all he had in the closet was a ole Stephens 12 Gauge double barrel and a marlin 22 lever gun. He fed 8 kids with birds, rabbits n squirrels, and vegges from the garden.

 

[Mattval]

I can relate. My Dad had a Rem 742 6mm. 1100 12 ga and a browning SA-22. That's all he needed. He was the 6mm guy. Our friend David had an ancient Win 94 30-30.

 

[Bobby Linton]

"6mm guy" I like that. Shooting something obscure enough that people remembed him by caliber.

 

[killerv]

6mm is such a great round. I had one in a ruger for several years and had great success with it. I didn't reload at the time and ammo was hard to find locally so I let it go. I passed on an old model 7 in one last year, wish I had gotten it.

You always had the rich guy at the camp with the 742 basket weave stock. And the then browning bar was it. Nothing like old kwik sites and gun chaps too.

 

[nrh0011]

I hope.

There weren`t any deer when I was a youngun and we didn`t get a deer season till I was a big ol` boy. When we did finally get a season, we used our shotguns since nobody in these parts were gonna buy a rifle just for deer hunting. We hunted fall turkeys, "summer" ducks, and squirrels.

To this day I miss hunting turkeys in the fall more than anything.

Alabama still has a fall turkey season, something to think about.