Childhood impressions???

[Spats McGee]

As a millenial who grew up in a suburban area and got into guns later in life, I enviously read these posts. I bought my first 22 in 2012 right before the Sandy Hook incident so the majority of my time as a gun owner has been during hostile times for gun owners. Y'all are lucky!

Yes, we are. I had an almost idyllic childhood . . . . small-town Arkansas, extremely low crime, a bike ride away from a large lake (over 20 miles long), opportunities for all of the shooting we could afford. . . . As a teenager, I couldn't wait to get away to the big city . . . . #Iwasadumbbutt #teenagersarestupid

 

[Rembrandt]

1960's were a very different time. School bus driver (also a neighbor) carried a double barrel shotgun behind his drivers seat. Pheasant season had just opened and we saw some roosters in a field while dropping kids off from school. Driver stopped, had one of the high school kids get the gun and hung it out the side window. Gun went off and about six kids went running out to retrieve the pheasant. Today we'd be on the National news and every politician would have a new law in their hand.

For a shop class project I took a .22 rifle to school, kept it in my locker, and brought it out to reblue and refinish the stock. Got a pretty good grade as I recall.

 

[Erno86]

I remember going huntin' to one of my spots (about 5 miles away), with my uncle's 16 gauge Ithaca take down double barreled shotgun, strapped-down in a case; to the upper bar on my bicycle.

Reading Elmer Kieth's magazine article on long range pistol shooting was a hoot...including Jeff Cooper's informative articles in Soldier of Fortune magazine.

 

[larryf1952]

I grew up in NE Kansas. I got my first "gun" for Christmas, 1960, when I was 8 years old. It was a Daisy lever action, similar to the famed "Red Ryder", but it came with a scope on it. I'd worn out the Daisy catalog, carrying it around and looking at it for months. I can still feel the excitement that I felt on that day. I WAS Ralphie.

My grandparents lived in Abilene, KS. I remember the pheasant and quail hunts of the early '60's, with my Dad, Grandpa, uncles and cousins. Trudging through alfalfa fields, down through ravines and along tree lines on cold, late November days. I'd almost soil myself when 2 or 3 pheasants would flush right under our feet. When I was 11 or 12, my Grandpa gave me his Western Field single shot .410 to carry. I got my first quail with that gun.

My Dad owned a Winchester Model 12 in 20 gauge. It's in my safe today, as is his Marlin 39A "Peanut". When I was a little older, I'd carry that rifle on hikes down along the river that ran about a mile north of our house. I remember making an unbelievably lucky shot on a crow that was sitting atop a utility pole, at least 100 yards away. I lined up on the crow, steadied the gun and pulled the trigger. The crow leaned over and fell off the top of the pole...I couldn't believe it.

My God...my God, what a great childhood I had. I feel so sorry for the kids who are penned up inside a house, slaves to video games and fast food, who can't go outside without a police escort. I'm 66 now, but I wouldn't give up my childhood days for anything.