Did you have a gun-sports related hobby? Tell us about you and your hobby.

Got into hunting/shooting young with my grandfather. Saved up and purchased my first gun at 13. Still have that Cooey 39 lol. My kids all learnt the respect of firearms and how to shoot with it.
Had/have several other higher powered rifles and shotguns which have kept the freezers full since. My favorite has been a SS Sako 75 in 300WM. It has been my go to for the past 20 years. Wore the barrel out in that time and actually just got it back last week with a new 26" Benchmark barrel. Added a break this go around as the body isn't what it used to be and am just not ready to give it up yet.
Started precision loading 20 years ago as well. Had over 1200 rds down the .300 pipe before replacing it. My second choice in the field is a SS Browning A bolt in 338. We have some big critters up here.
Picked up a Glock in .40 while my back was recovering from a surgery 4 years ago just to smell the powder again. It's a fun plinker along with the 10/22 while letting the bigger bored rifles cool down.
 
Thornton69 said:
Got into hunting/shooting young with my grandfather. Saved up and purchased my first gun at 13. Still have that Cooey 39 lol. My kids all learnt the respect of firearms and how to shoot with it.
Had/have several other higher powered rifles and shotguns which have kept the freezers full since. My favorite has been a SS Sako 75 in 300WM. It has been my go to for the past 20 years. Wore the barrel out in that time and actually just got it back last week with a new 26" Benchmark barrel. Added a break this go around as the body isn't what it used to be and am just not ready to give it up yet.
Started precision loading 20 years ago as well. Had over 1200 rds down the .300 pipe before replacing it. My second choice in the field is a SS Browning A bolt in 338. We have some big critters up here.
Picked up a Glock in .40 while my back was recovering from a surgery 4 years ago just to smell the powder again. It's a fun plinker along with the 10/22 while letting the bigger bored rifles cool down.
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I'm a big fan of Sako's as well. They're pretty much all I've ever hunted with. I have 3 model 75's, a TRG-S, and a couple Foresters. I'd really like to have a custom rifle built off a sako action.
 
I plincked an old Remington (94?) .22 in the 70's at squirrels and chipmunks. In the 80's and 90's I hunted Grouse in the old strip roads of WV. Started with an 12 gauge 870, but couldn't pump it fast enough when the birds would get up! So I bought a used 1100... it was too heavy, so i ended up with Franchi. Hunted ring necks in Iowa several times during the same period. My BIL eventually moved to Texas and took the dogs with him, so that pretty muched ended my bird hunting.

Tried deer hunting for awhile, but never had the patience for that. Now I just collect guns for personal protection mostly.
 
hblock72 said:
I'm a big fan of Sako's as well. They're pretty much all I've ever hunted with. I have 3 model 75's, a TRG-S, and a couple Foresters. I'd really like to have a custom rifle built off a sako action.
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Pretty much what I did with this one. Lots of character to the stock as it has been up a ridiculous amount of mountains and extended hunting trips with me. Left it alone but had it re-bedded and added a 10T 5R 26" Benchmark with removable brake. Hopefully it will still be the tack driver it used to. My oldest son has the same rifle in 30.06
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I used to enjoy trying to enter for fun, the Civilian Marksmanship Program matches out my way with my M1 Garand or Springfield 1903. However the only range that would host the matches locally was a USMC range and they cut off all access to civilians due to supposed "security concerns". Then COVID rules shut down our only public/outdoor range which only goes to 100 yards. It only just recently partially opened again and its a giant PIA to get there for target shooting since now they started a online appointment system which is months out for a 1 hour appointment since they can't find staff to work as range officers there. Basically all I can do now is look at them in their display case while I smoke a cigar and enjoy a whiskey now. I really need to find another place to live.
 
Just got back from range, too windy for boating, glad i have 2nd hobby.
Colt Navy never ceases to amaze me on accuracy. I musta got a real good one.
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The Colt pocket pistol is kicking my butt. Was never intended to shoot much farther than across a gambling table (4” barrel) but I am determined to get it shoot accurately at 40yards. It’s getting there. Will take time. I did get one in the red circle today.
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Now I get to spend 2 hours cleaning them.
 
Gofirstclass said:
My grandfather taught me to shoot a shotgun when I was about 12 years old and he taught me well. I learned to shoot with both eyes open and head up, leading the bird. The gun was an old square back Model 11, 16 gauge. I busted up a lot of clay pigeons with that thing. Then when I turned 16 and could drive I did a lot of bird hunting with it. I still have it though I haven't shot it for many years.
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When I joined the USAF I bought a Rem 1100 12 gauge with a full choke barrel and shot birds in FL, MS, LA, AK, NM and MI. One day when I was in the Exchange I spotted a S&W Mod 29 and fell in love with it. Before I was done I ended up with all barrel lengths in both blued and stainless. I used the 6" blued for a hunting gun and managed to bag a caribou with it. Fun gun to hunt with. I'm sorry to say I do not have photos of my hunting. These hunts took place in the early 70's, well before cell phones.

I did a fair amount of big game hunting in AK. The limit on caribou was 3 and I usually got 2 per year. I had a Rem 30-06 semi-auto as my go-to gun and got a nice mountain goat near Cooper Landing in addition to the caribou.

When I got out of the USAF I pretty much gave up hunting. I became a cop and became their firearms instructor and armorer. I also took up competitive PPC shooting and burned a lot of ammo doing that.

Between my competitive shooting, my time on the range as a firearms instructor and my own plinkin' I figure I burned about 100,000 round in my life, and all those rounds were free. From the looks of this target below, I still have a decent touch. This target was from last November--15 yards, 10 shots, rapid fire.

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Mike
A P.S. to the above. My feeble old memory was joggled by something I read above. A friend I worked with and I used to duck hunting in a group of islands on the Columbia River. We cut a blind out of an area of tall brush for the blind and used to paddle out there in my canoe. We'd head out about 2 mornings a week about 5:00 in the a.m. to get our decoys set. Once all was good with the world we'd stow the canoe in the brush, open the jug of coffee and wait.

I got to be pretty decent with duck and goose calls and the best part of the hunt was when I would call birds in off the main part of the river. We didn't have a hunting dog so every time we got birds, we would pick them up using the canoe.

Ahh, blessed memories!

in
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That shot gun looks just like my Belgian Browning A5 Light Twelve. Love that gun with the high receiver.
 
Always been a hunter, sometimes successful, mostly not.
South Texas will SPOIL a northern hunter in about 2.3 seconds!!
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Always have been more interested in "older" designs:
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Have in the past done a number of the CMP Garand matches, including one very lucky 1st place once. Also did a (for me) once in a lifetime trip and did Camp Perry for the National Matches in 2006. Entered the Presidents 100, and National Trophy Individual matches as well as the Garand Match. Had a blast and did not finish last!




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The 1874 Shiloh Sharps was my 50th birthday present to myself and I actually got my hands on it 3 months shy of turning 53!! Haven't been able to use it as much yet as I'd like but I'll get there.




Mostly just an occasional shooter now, as now during the warmer months I'm on my boat on my day off:D
 
Pirate Lady said:
Just got back from range, too windy for boating, glad i have 2nd hobby.
Colt Navy never ceases to amaze me on accuracy. I musta got a real good one.
View attachment 144503
The Colt pocket pistol is kicking my butt. Was never intended to shoot much farther than across a gambling table (4” barrel) but I am determined to get it shoot accurately at 40yards. It’s getting there. Will take time. I did get one in the red circle today.
View attachment 144504
Now I get to spend 2 hours cleaning them.
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40 yards is a long shot for a pistol, I wouldnt sweat not being accurate at that distance.
 
Went range today with only the .31
I got surprisingly good at 40 yards today, even got one in the red center. Don’t know if just lucky or Dead-Eye Dick.
I will take pics of targets later when home and post.
POI is not same as POA, had to aim about, guessing here, 6” below and 4” right of POI. But once i can it consistently the difference between the 2 I’ll be deadly, well as deadly as a .31 can be.
Will say, it’s improving to point I wouldnt wanna be a bad guy on receiving end at 40 yards.
I love a challenge. Besides, day 2 of a 4 day Small Craft Advisory so boat is not happening.
 
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