For my 12th birthday, my dad gave me a rifle

[pwd72s]

A remingon model 510 single shot .22, known as a "targetmaster". He bought it from a friend who was a state police game cop. Think he paid $20. If my memory suffices, it was confiscated from a poacher. No serial number, but a letter code remington uses tells me it was made in 1950. Iron sights only, but it is a tack driver. I've often wondered if it groups as well as the bull barrel accurized Ruger 10 22's I've seen used at the local range. But being iron sights..never really tried...also my eyesight hasn't ever been great..nearsighted, glasses since 4th grade. figured it would be foolish to go against the scope guy with a 70 year old single shot.

Then I found this video...Hmmmm. (sorry, tried to embed...too big)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prVsNRVXM10

[A930Rocket]

[pwd72s]

Thanks...the video is bench shooting by a guy who owns both...pretty interesting group comparison.

Mine has taken jackrabbits, squirrels, porcupines, rats (when we were allowed to shoot at the local town dump.) and yes, A coyote...did a lot of shooting during my 15th summer, on a friend of my father's cattle ranch near Adin, Ca...when not bucking alfalfa bales, another guy & I tramped all over the area...

[LWJ]

Beehive on the bolt? I think those 510's are pretty awesome. But then I am a bit of a luddite. They have a reputation of being shockingly accurate. Lucky you!

[GH85Carrera]

I can vividly remember riding my bike to the local hardware store, with a 22 rifle on my back, going in and buying a box of 22 LR for 50 cents. One penny per shot. We would go to a local dump area and shoot at cans and bottles. Several kids, all with 22s.

[pwd72s]

The days long before smart phones...back when nobody panicked when seeing a kid carrying a gun.

[Rick Lee]

I thought that was the model I got when I was about 10 too, but mine had to be cocked by pulling back a little charging thingy on the rear or the bolt. And a previous owner very skillfully carved finger grooves into the stock. I sold it about 15 yrs ago. Great starter gun. My mom almost divorced my dad over it. Huge fight.

[Jeff Higgins]

You guys might find this surprising, but I did not own a firearm of my own until I was 18 years old, after my dad had died. He never thought I needed one of my own, since his were effectively mine as well. Never locked up, easy access anytime I wanted to shoot one. He had to be with me until I was about twelve, after that I was good to go, all on my own. As long as I paid for my own ammo which, of course, I obtained by buying all on my own at the local hardware store. At first with a note from dad, but once they all knew me, that was no longer necessary.

Dad made it abundantly clear that I was responsible for every round that went down those barrels. "You can't call one back. There are no 'do overs '". Beyond that, it was clearly understood that if he ever heard of any "shenanigans" whatsoever, it was "game over".

Just how much we have given up since then truly saddens me. The sense of responsibility that served to instill in a kid, then a young man, I feel is irreplaceable by any other means.

I treated my two boys pretty much the same way. The only difference was that they were treated to their own rifles at their sixth Christmases. Single shot Chipmunk bolt guns. My now six year old granddaughter is now the proud owner of one of them, my four year old granddaughter gets the other one in two years.

[masraum]

I had BB and/or pellet guns from the time that I was probably 11 or 12. I don't think I ever fired a spoon that ran on powder until I was 25-30 and then it was a 22 single shot rifle and a 454 Casull. It was another 10 years before I fired a selection of handspoons. I still haven't fired a long spoon other than 22, but other than a bigger boom, I don't think I'd have a problem with anything in the normal range of stuff.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I thought that was the model I got when I was about 10 too, but mine had to be cocked by pulling back a little charging thingy on the rear or the bolt. And a previous owner very skillfully carved finger grooves into the stock. I sold it about 15 yrs ago. Great starter gun. My mom almost divorced my dad over it. Huge fight.

I suspect you're thinking of the 514...very similar to the 511 other than the safety...

here's a video if you want to confirm:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py0_mBsml8w&list=PLDJl73D94x4X5YeinN41S7_j2h0KeDu5h&index=13

[stevej37]

My father bought this one for me when I was 10-11 years old. I had already shot his 22 bolt action rifle and was ready for my own.
I still have it and shoot it often....22 semi automatic Sears rifle that shoots shorts, longs, or long rifle. I'm not sure...but I think it was made by Browning.

[oldE]

Dad presented me with a single shot .22 around my 12th birthday. I had been shooting the little pump action. 22 for a few years, but the sear was warn and it could not be trusted to stay cocked when a round was chambered. Several times I had the hammer fall and the round fire as the slide went forward. Not good. Odd thing: the extractor on the first rifle broke after a round or two. The replacement did the same. The solution to the problem became a tube fed, bolt action repeater.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

You guys might find this surprising, but I did not own a firearm of my own until I was 18 years old, a.

Same here but I learned to shoot on my high school rifle team.