aarondhgraham
New member
Let's talk about single-shot .22 rifles,,,
Martinis, bolts, break-opens,,,
That weird Remmie 55.
Any single-shot rimfire rifle is fair game for conversation.
I often wax poetic about single-shot rimfires,,,
Because I believe that they are the ultimate heart of riflery.
I believe that if you master shooting a single-shot .22,,,
You are 95% on the way to mastering any other type of rifle.
I own three single-shot rimfire rifles:
Each has their unique virtues,,,
As well as their detriments.
I'll start this thread with an ode to my H&R Sportster,,,
When I decided to get back into guns around 2005,,,
This was the rifle I ordered from the local GS.
When I was a kid I lived right on the edge of civilization,,,
I lived on the north side of SW 89th street,,,
That was the side with lots of homes.
The south side of SW 89th street was one row of homes,,,
And miles of open fields behind those homes,,,
It was the early 60's and times were good.
Me and my buds all had .22 rifles or a shotgun of some ilk,,,
We roamed those open fields like tribal warriors,,,
We hunted the land and ate what we killed.
I once had to skin, cook, and eat a field mouse.
Our "code" demanded it of me.
Targets of opportunity, like dirt clods,,,
Became dragons to slay or tanks to bust,,,
It all depended on the mood of the moment.
We were just kids for crying out loud,,,
But we were well armed and formidable in our naivety.
My friend Silas had a break-open .22 rifle of some ilk,,,
He was an absolute sniper with that rifle,,,
Very deliberately he would hit his mark,,,
Then eject the empty over his shoulder.
He was so danged cool about it,,,
James Dean-ish as it were.
I selected that rifle to start with because of that memory,,,
Then I spent a happy summer at the range relearning to shoot with it.
I own several other rifles now,,,
They are fancier/better/cost way more,,,
But that H&R break-open will always be a personal favorite.
Just for the memories it invokes.
Thanks for reading this little remembrance of mine,,,
Tell me (us) a story about you and your single-shot .22 rifle.
Aarond
.
Martinis, bolts, break-opens,,,
That weird Remmie 55.
Any single-shot rimfire rifle is fair game for conversation.
I often wax poetic about single-shot rimfires,,,
Because I believe that they are the ultimate heart of riflery.
I believe that if you master shooting a single-shot .22,,,
You are 95% on the way to mastering any other type of rifle.
I own three single-shot rimfire rifles:
- H&R Sportster with a nice Cabela's brand 4X scope.
- Henry Acu Bolt with an unremarkable house brand 4X optic.
- Crickett rifle that I purchased so I would have something for my friends kids to shoot.
Each has their unique virtues,,,
As well as their detriments.
I'll start this thread with an ode to my H&R Sportster,,,
When I decided to get back into guns around 2005,,,
This was the rifle I ordered from the local GS.
When I was a kid I lived right on the edge of civilization,,,
I lived on the north side of SW 89th street,,,
That was the side with lots of homes.
The south side of SW 89th street was one row of homes,,,
And miles of open fields behind those homes,,,
It was the early 60's and times were good.
Me and my buds all had .22 rifles or a shotgun of some ilk,,,
We roamed those open fields like tribal warriors,,,
We hunted the land and ate what we killed.
I once had to skin, cook, and eat a field mouse.
Our "code" demanded it of me.
Targets of opportunity, like dirt clods,,,
Became dragons to slay or tanks to bust,,,
It all depended on the mood of the moment.
We were just kids for crying out loud,,,
But we were well armed and formidable in our naivety.
My friend Silas had a break-open .22 rifle of some ilk,,,
He was an absolute sniper with that rifle,,,
Very deliberately he would hit his mark,,,
Then eject the empty over his shoulder.
He was so danged cool about it,,,
James Dean-ish as it were.
I selected that rifle to start with because of that memory,,,
Then I spent a happy summer at the range relearning to shoot with it.
I own several other rifles now,,,
They are fancier/better/cost way more,,,
But that H&R break-open will always be a personal favorite.
Just for the memories it invokes.
Thanks for reading this little remembrance of mine,,,
Tell me (us) a story about you and your single-shot .22 rifle.
Aarond
.