I REMEMBER WHEN

[cheek9075]

I remember carrying an AK 47 in a soft case to school in my ROTC uniform, I was going to the rifle range after school with a buddy who's dad was qualifying for law enforcement. I also remember taking firearms to school for hunter safety classes.
Coming in late to school on opening day of deer season and the principle meeting you at the door asking if you done good on your hunt.
I remember growing up learning to respect fire arms and being instructed how to use them and what they where to be used for (hunting and self protection). I also remember when you broke the law you where held accountable for your actions.

I also remember being taught to be a good loser and you dont get a trophy for participating. Doing what my parents ask, and not understanding why, but didn't question what I was ask to do because if I did, I knew I be visiting the wood shed. I remember when going to church knowing that I better behave when there and show respect. I also remember being taught that saying yes Sir and yes Mam when how I answer my elders out if respect. We started every day at school saying the Pledge and saying the lords prayer. If we missed behave in school we got the paddle, no one want to have the PE teacher being called to bring his paddle!

This was 22 years ago.... how times have changed.

 

[topclass2017]

Riding my Schwinn Sting Ray to school with my single shot Winchester across the handle bars. When I got there, I gave it and a box of shells to my teacher who held both until after school when I could go to the hills and shoot at tin cans, lizards, or anything else I found until I was out of ammo.

 

[JFrank]

I remember buying a new 3-9 x Bushnell scope , having the sport shack install it including bore sighted then heading out with an apparent zeroed/ dialed in huntin rig only to wonder why I missed that Elk

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I remember picking up glass bottles to turn in at the cafe on main street, the owner would go to the basement and give us (12 year olds) .22 shells instead of change.

 

[AccelR8]

I remember waking up to the sound of birds chirping coming in through the wide-open bedroom windows as the sun was rising. It was Saturday and my Dad was off work. Going outside to a beautiful blue sky with a German Shepard named Heidi. Turning out our saddle horse “Lucky” to her paddock. A great big vegetable garden with corn, beans, squash, melons, tomatoes, onions...you name it. Apple trees, peach trees, pear trees. My Dad and his walk-behind David Bradley tractor, with all the attachments. A 1955 Chevy sedan that pulled a trailer and a Chevy station wagon. A new garage. Actually this was no particular Saturday, it could be one of many that at the time seemed countless, endless.

I remember the blossoming fruit trees in the springtime. I remember bees in the clover. Flower gardens. Lightning bugs in the evening in July. Fires in the fireplace in the fall and winter and all the family together in the living room. No cell phones, no video games, and the TV was for special occasions; turn it on to watch one show and then it was off until tomorrow. Board games, conversations. Snow on the ground all winter long. I remember birthdays and Christmas. Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Little League (Hardball! Softball was for girls). Church on Sunday.

How I would like to go back, just for a short visit. To see it all again, to hear it and feel it and smell it. Several years ago at a 40 year high school reunion I reconnected with former classmates and friends and we all keep in touch today (Facebook!). We all agree, we were very fortunate to grow up when and where we did and wouldn't change any of it.

…and all of the foregoing is what you write about when you took an afternoon nap and then can't fall asleep at 11 PM!

 

[Steve Blair]

I remember taking my rifle on the bus and street car to go to the dump and shoot rats.

I shot lots of rats at the dump on Route 35 past Lynchville with a Marlin 39a. There were no streetcars or buses in East Stoneham, Maine.

 

[ebb]

I remember when the Everglades were not over run by pythons.

 

[Mills]

I remember saying the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer at the beginning of class.

I remember when the Star Spangled Banner was played at highschool football games.

 

[hogpatrol]

I remember when my mom would give me a dollar for the grocery store. You could come back with a half gallon of milk, a loaf of bread, bag of potatoes, sack of dried beans, pack of hard rolls and a box of spaghetti. Can't do that anymore, too many cameras.

 

[JTEX]

I remember when my mom would give me a dollar for the grocery store. You could come back with a half gallon of milk, a loaf of bread, bag of potatoes, sack of dried beans, pack of hard rolls and a box of spaghetti. Can't do that anymore, too many cameras.

Hoodlum!

.

 

[rjtfroggy]

I remember when fuel oil was cheaper than gasoline and gas was 16.9 a gallon. $5 filled you tank twice.
Most powders were under $3 a lb., and a lot of us loaded with Lee hand loaders. Guys would laugh at you because ammo was only $3-4 bucks a box.
Bought my first F100 for under $1500 brand new, last one in 07 (an 08) was almost 29k and just got a price of $45k for a new one Or 39k for a 4cylinder Ranger. Neither one is going to happen.
Boy I would love to go back in time.

 

[gambleone]

I remember using a .22 short hp to harvest the bullfrogs that were hard to get with a gig. Now there aren't enough bullfogs around to even bother. Probably be on the endangered species list before long.

I remember the same, using .22 short hp for bullfrogs. We would harvest the legs and use the rest to set turtle lines. Get the big snappers and make turtle soup. I was about 12. this was in the early sixties. My dad and his friend and son would go up and down the rivers and usually get our limit. I took a buddy about 2 yrs ago and didn't see one frog. No turtles or snakes. Those were the good ole days.

 

[jackieschmidt]

I remember the gas wars of the '60's. One station would drop it to 20 cents a gallon. the one down the street to 15 cents a gallon. The 11 cents.

We could cruise all night on a dollars worth.

My best memory came 50 years ago, when I waliked into a local pizza parlor and saw my future wife for the first time. I fell head over hills in love with her and to this day feel the same way when she walks into a room.

 

[Steve Nicholas]

I remember when, in high school, I could send a money order for a Russian semi-auto Tokarev to a gun store advertised in a shooting magazine and get it delivered to my door.

I remember Christmas 1955 when my brother and I each got a JC Higgins (Marlin) bolt action .22 rifle.
Dad then enrolled me and brother in a Smallbore league so we would learn to shoot.

My dad worked 3rd shift and when small game season opened, he would get home, gather our gear and take us squirrel hunting. When we got to our hunting area he would give us each one bullet and told us that we could get another bullet when we brought him a squirrel. Dad would then pick out a comfortable looking tree and take a nap... If/when you missed a shot you got to sit next to dad until brother missed a shot or got his limit. It wasn't too long before brother and I would both get our limit. When dad was satisfied with our skills and would give us each a box of ammo and then we would leave him alone to nap in the sunshine.

Those were the good old days!!

Steve Nicholas

 

[rjtfroggy]

My best memory came 50 years ago, when I waliked into a local pizza parlor and saw my future wife for the first time. I fell head over hills in love with her and to this day feel the same way when she walks into a room.

Almost the same Jackie, but I met mine at a McDonald's. Some of her friends new some of mine. 50 years later ( 47married) we are still together. Although I think she likes it better on Sat. or Sun. when I go to the range so she gets alone time, has always supported my shooting or gun buying but now thinks I should down size so she isn't stuck trying to sell it all.

 

[Mills]

I meet my wife at a Pizza Hut 48 yrs ago and I still have my Single shot JC Higgons.
Oh, I still have the wife also.

 

[1K6BRA]

I remember when back in the day if you could hit a beer can at 100 yds you were good to go.
You didn't shoot reloads as they were unreliable,so we thought.
You didn't shoot bolt actions because they didn't shoot fast enough.
You didn't go to the deer woods unless you had a pocket full of shells and you could barely keep your pants up from all the weight.
You didn't shoot anything less than a 270 because those big deer were hard to take down with anything less.Bigger was better.
You didn't talk to your buddies about missing a deer because you didn't get enough beer can practice.
You did ,however, talk if you got lucky and killed a deer with that beer can killer. Tack driver.

Fast forward 60 years

Now if you don't have a gun that shoots .25" at 100 yds ,you can't hit a deer or to some it seems.
Now we don't even bother with 100 yds and go to at least 300 yds.
Now we all shoot or own hand made custom reloads that we don't have primers and powder for.
Now all I shoot are bolt actions with the majority of others.
Now I shoot 6mm's for deer hunting and not fire breathers that belch out flames 2 ft.
Don't care who you are,sometimes you just miss. Lots of scopes and guns take the blame for that. You still don't tell your buddies.

Things have changed for sure in the last 60+ years.
Some things that have not changed. Still like to shoot beer cans,empty not full anymore,still like to deer hunt but it is getting less.
Paper shooting is getting more popular with me these days.Now if all the targets shot are not in the 0's or 1's,something is wrong with scope or gun. This don't happen with me too much, the 0's and 1's.

Things do change.Seems like the more they change the more they stay the same.

My friend I’m glad I’m not alone,thank you for that post that was really good!

 

[topclass2017]

Riding my Schwinn Sting Ray to school with my single shot Winchester across the handle bars. When I got there, I gave it and a box of shells to my teacher who held both until after school when I could go to the hills and shoot at tin cans, lizards, or anything else I found until I was out of ammo.

should also have added how I got the box of shells. Took soda bottles into my red wagon to the local Mom n Pop grocery store for the return deposit, then walked across the parking lot to the local hardware store to buy shells - 49 cents per box if memory serves me correctly. Must have been all of 10 or 11 years old.

 

[AckleymanII]

I remember checking the zero on our deer rifles using the knots on pine trees as a target. We had to be sure that our iorn sights matched the zero on the scope...the smart guys always used thru mounts, of course.

 

[skeeljc]

I remember shooting rats at the local dump with a shotgun and a flashlight. More than once the local sheriff would come out and tell us, "boys it is time to quit because folks are trying to sleep".