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Many of us came by our first rifles via a father, grandfather or favorite uncle, and most typically in the form of a .22 LR. For many, many years, the rimfire rifle has been a centerpiece in gun cabinets around the world. Young boys and girls learn to shoot<\/a> with one. Teenagers squirrel hunt with the trusty .22 before moving on to bigger, more powerful weaponry for deer, elk and other animals. And then, a little later in life, we return to that one rifle that\u2019s created so many lasting memories.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> Over the years, we\u2019ve been fortunate to shoot quite a few rimfire rifles<\/a>, whether squirrel hunting<\/a> or just plinking targets. As often as we think ahead, it\u2019s nice to sit and look back at the times we\u2019ve had coming up as hunters and shooters. It\u2019s the tools we\u2019ve used as much as it is the animals we\u2019ve harvested that tie it all together. The following are memories as told by two members of the TRACT team.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> If you\u2019ve been keeping up with TRACT<\/a> since the launch of our website late last year, then you probably know that I\u2019m an advocate of the Ruger 10\/22. The reason? Simple. It was my first rifle<\/a>.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> When it comes to a virtually fail-safe rimfire rifle, you can\u2019t go wrong with the Ruger 10\/22. It\u2019s the perfect rifle<\/a> for a youngster because it\u2019s fairly lightweight, there aren\u2019t too many moving parts, it\u2019s extremely durable and ultimately, it\u2019s not difficult to use. The latter is an important aspect for any piece of equipment used by a kid just starting in the outdoors. You certainly don\u2019t want them to lose interest due to complicated things they can\u2019t figure out quickly.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> Despite the thousands of rounds that have been shot from this Deluxe Sporter model, the rifle remains a centerpiece in my gun safe. It\u2019s the special memory of a Christmas morning some 35 years ago that propels me to pick it up everytime I open the safe, no matter the various other guns I\u2019ve acquired over the years. Of course, as you might imagine, today the rifle wears one of TRACT\u2019s rimfire riflescopes<\/a>. – JL<\/strong><\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> I can still, clear as day, remember walking into Mr. Bill\u2019s house. My dad had just said, \u201cFollow me.\u201d And so I did. Yet, for whatever reason, I had had a sneaky suspicion that whatever waited on the other side of that visit to our neighbor\u2019s musty old quarters was something good.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> A kid\u2019s intuition is generally correct. Kids don\u2019t overthink anything, they only know to trust their instincts. How I figured we were getting a rifle is still a mystery to me all these years later. But I just knew. Imagine my disappointment when Mr. Bill reached behind a door and handed me a fishing pole. It must have been the look on my face that sent him into the laughing\/coughing fit that ensued. The pungent odor of unfiltered Marlboro cigarettes filled the room (He smoked in the house). As did a whole bunch of junk, including a pool table covered with a dusty, blue tarp; various fishing and hunting gear<\/a> and a crystal-like bowl filled with strange-looking orange candies that my dad silently suggested I don\u2019t try.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> When Mr. Bill handed me the Browning SA-22 rimfire rifle I could hardly contain my excitement. I knew it! It was a Grade 1 with the original walnut stock, blued receiver and barrel, and open sights. The take-down design rifle, produced from the mind of John Browning himself nearly a century before, has been the pride of our gun collection for nearly three decades now. With few repairs over the years – mostly replacing springs that inevitably wear out after thousands of rounds – the SA-22 still shoots tight groups<\/a> into targets and small game alike. – JW<\/strong><\/p> <\/p> <\/p> If you have a favorite memory hunting or shooting with your rimfire rifle<\/a>, tell us about it. We like all stories concerning guns and hunting<\/a>. Well, almost all stories. Regardless, if you\u2019re talking, we\u2019re listening.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p>RUGER 10\/22 – Jon LaCorte, Co-Founder<\/h2>
BROWNING SA-22 – Josh Wolfe, Marketing<\/h2>