Remembering the Older Days of Reloading/Shooting

When I grew up in the 50's - Ammo was free. Dad bought it. :) But I had to mow our big lawn every Saturday morning - it went all around the house - and had other chores - such helping take care of our horse, cow and calf, some sheep, goats, chickens and geese. While dad was a Doc - both he and mom grew up on large ranches/farms - so we had a couple acres in the suburbs of beautiful Klamath Falls, Oregon. And hunting as good as it gets? - especially for a combo of Big Mule Deer - and being on the Pacific Flyway - with 30 mile long Klamath Lake -- Big Honkers too - Ducks all over - and plenty of Pheasants in the hay fields.

As for Dad - the ole
saying still applied: You can take the boy out of the farm - but not the farm out of the boy.
Dad free stuff was the best!🤩
 
I can remember buying shot for less than $5 a bag wads were 1.25 and Bluetooth powder was was less than 5 dollars we loaded all magnum loads to hunt with for everything from doves to ducks we loaded magnum shells for about 1 dollar a box. In 1968 before they changed the law and you couldn't mail order a gun my dad bought a couple of herters rifles with scopes for less than 75 dollars a piece they bought loaders, primers, and all the other supplies from herters delivered to the house in the mail those were the days 😀
While I can't recall 25# of shot at $5 locally, I did purchase a lot of Lawrence shot at $6.99-$7.99 per bag, and I think we made one large order at a cheaper price than that. I do recall reclaimed shot at $5.99.
 
Yep, I did the same thing myself... mine wasn't $16 but... it was cheap, cheap enough that I could afford it and shoot in as a younger hunter. It's got two Idaho whitetails to its credit and a metric ton of Yotes, and I didn't even use the bayonet, fair chase. 🤫 😂

View attachment 448578
Yep, nice rifle and gear there!
I still have my Dad's M1 carbine in the safe. The kids will have to flip on who ends up with it...lol
 
I celebrated with my wife and son, I don't remember what was done….probably a trip to Tasty Freeze! 😉 memtb
Same here, and who remembers the Sunday drives with Mom and Dad?
Just driving around the country and getting a Rootbeer float some place way out there? I remember when the gas stations had "gas wars" in the 1950's, a gallon of gas was the same as a pack of Camel non-filters...22¢!!
 
Same here, and who remembers the Sunday drives with Mom and Dad?
Just driving around the country and getting a Rootbeer float some place way out there? I remember when the gas stations had "gas wars" in the 1950's, a gallon of gas was the same as a pack of Camel non-filters...22¢!!
Ever get one of those huge root beers in those large cardboard cups from A&W?
 
Lol! I started at $2.35 per hour! And $1.00 per wagonload of hay...had to stack the wagon (avoiding the flying bales), then stack in the barn hay loft. Lol! The military was easy compared to that.🤣 (and I spent a year in the desert!)
I was raised on a farm so we didn't actually get paid. Just a roof and meals. My first paying job was at a TG&Y around 1977.
 
Kids back then, mostly never stopD moving, all Summer long. Remember looking at bottoms of pairs of old canvas Converse with Zero treads left, still took em to Salvation Army, for the next owner. These i-phone Kids today, not as much action, unless it needs a set of keys to operate.
 
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Same here, and who remembers the Sunday drives with Mom and Dad?
Just driving around the country and getting a Rootbeer float some place way out there? I remember when the gas stations had "gas wars" in the 1950's, a gallon of gas was the same as a pack of Camel non-filters...22¢!!
For a few cents more per gallon ya could go to a Full Service station. Pull in to the pumps and 3 to 4 guys in aviation coveralls, would start cleaning the windshield, checking the oil, check the tire pressure. Ethyl or Regular sir?
 
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For a few cents more per gallon ya could go a Full Service station. Pull in to the pumps and 3 to 4 guys in aviation coveralls, would start cleaning the windshield, checking the oil, check the tire pressure. Ethyl or Regular sir?
Back in those days, all gas was full service. There was no such thing as "self service". If a driver attempted to pump their own, my station manager would call the cops. Saw it happen lots.
 
If they knew ya and they were WrenchN on a couple rigs up on the racks, they"D have ya pump yer own, better than waitN. Just leave the cash on the counter. Call the cops, that is Hilarious! Around the side of the station could get used oil for free. Couple quarts in the 51 Plymouth, would help that flathead-6, make it to next oil change. Full Service, that was a station that did tire repair, mufflers, brake jobs etc. and pumped gasoline. Some stations only had gas and oil.
 
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