First or worst deer getter

[RT2506]

First deer rifle I ever had was a never issued 1903A3 Springfield. I worked all summer mowing yards, working in my grandfathers tobacco patch, putting up hay and any other odd jobs I could make a dime at to come up with the $40.00 it cost at a local store. That thing would shoot but it would beat me to death as a 100 lb soaking wet 13 year old kid. I drug it through the mountains of TN for about 6 years deer hunting and never even saw a deer to shoot. They were few and far between back then. Killed a lot of ground hogs and wild dogs with it though. Had a cousin that was in the national guard and every month when we went to guard he brought me a 250 round can of ammo. The black tip AP stuff. It was really accurate in that rifle. I really learned how to shoot long range killing ground hogs with that old rifle and it's open sights. At age 17 I sold that rifle like a fool and bought a Marlin 336 in 30-30 Win and that is what I killed my first deer with using a Rem 150 gr HP and open sights.

[Red hunter]

30-30 Marlin 1974 model. I think that every scratch and ding in the stock is a marker for an animal it has dropped. 150 grain core lokts will shoot quarter size groups at 100. I take it hunting a couple times a year just because it is like on old comfortable jacket. All raggy and ratty but it makes you feel warm anyway.

[sconnie264]

Originally Posted by Red hunter

30-30 Marlin 1974 model. I think that every scratch and ding in the stock is a marker for an animal it has dropped. 150 grain core lokts will shoot quarter size groups at 100. I take it hunting a couple times a year just because it is like on old comfortable jacket. All raggy and ratty but it makes you feel warm anyway.

Exactly!

[grit]

Grandpa had an octagon barrelled 94. I think it was as old as he was. He'd fed the family with it at times. I never had a prouder moment when he handed it over to me to hunt with. I loved the smell of saddle leather, gun oil, and powder smoke. That steel butt plate hurt. I killed my first big game with that rifle, a spike elk. I remember the whole world seemed to be shaking!

[kc]

My first Deer Rifle was an old 03 Springfield that was given to me when I was 10.
I had to hide it from my old man, like all of my rifles he sold them at the Bar.
Then my Uncle gave me his MARLIN 336sc when I was 13 and it was beat but is was and is the best deer rifle I ever took into the swamp.

[fmajor]

My first 'hi-power' rifle was a Marlin 336C .35 Rem.

It was a great rifle - ~1" patterns at 100yds, but it was certainly 1/4 Minute of Whitetail!!! I was re-finishing the stock and it became a long, forgotten project and the sanding was pretty bad. I sold it on to someone who could fix it up.... .

My HS graduation present was a Rem 700 ADL in 7mm RM. Love that rifle and once i'm back home in the States i plan to have a re-barrel/true-the-action job done on it (as well as puting on a new, more shooter-friendly stock).

[sambo3006]

I hunted deer with several different guns before killing a deer. My first season I hunted with an H&R 20 gauge single shot and rifled slug. The next year I hunted with both a Marlin 35 Rem and a 700 LH 7mm mag. The next year I hunted with a Ruger Blackhawk .41 mag (cocky, wasn't I). My fourth year of deer hunting I finally killed a deer with a Ruger #1V 6mm Rem with my own handloaded Hornady 100 gr BTSP. I was 17 years old. That was 25 years ago and I still have the antlers. I stupidly sold the rifle but have since bought another one just like it.