I have been hunting and shooting since I was six or so and now, I am soon to be 78 in August. I have always preferred centerfire weapons but now I have "graduated" to .22 LR because I had cataract surgery last year and my back always hurts, and my father-in-law passed in 2005 after we hunted together every Oklahoma deer season for 30 years in a row. My dad was a bird hunter (who died in 1979 when I was 31) so I grew up shooting quail and doves and a few ducks and teal until 1969 when I graduated from college, got married and enlisted in the Oklahoma Army National Guard for 8 years. While bird hunting with my trusty Stevens .410 single shot full choke shotgun, I had to limit out with 12 or 13 shots, 1/2 a box, of shells back then. After a few years, ten shells were enough even though dad and his hunting buddies burned several boxes of 12 GA shells every time we went out and congratulated themselves on always limiting out, too. Made me a better shot, though. Shot Expert in the Guard with the M1, M14, M16 A1 and M16 A2 as well as the M60. The M14 and M60 were always my favorite weapons and the M16s were just awful IMHO. I am left-eye dominant, but I am right-handed so there were always these tiny little red circles on my right cheek every time I fired the M16A1, the Matel special, and I had to keep my top shirt collar buttoned to keep the darn hot brass from burning my throat and chest, too. After a few years I was the company supply sergeant and was in charge of the ammo detail once when we went to Ft. Sill for annual familiarization and qualification. We drew too much ammo, and the Brass did not want to admit they could not count, so we had 1,000 rounds or so to burn before we left the range after everyone had qualified, so the officers were John Wayne-ing it and firing an M16 on full-automatic and having a good time. There were about five magazines left when they quit and told me to finish off the last hundred rounds. I had fired a couple of short bursts when the rifle jammed, and I ejected the magazine and hit the forward assist lever while having the weapon pointed down and down-range. A round partially seated in the chamber cooked off and blew the bolt out of the past my right ear and the discharge filled my hand with unburned powder in 1/8th inch specks. Hurt like heck. I had fired only 7 rounds plus the one that cooked off. Lucky it did not kill me or someone else. The Brass said I'd have to sign a statement of charges for the rifle, but I told them to forget it. They are the ones who abused it, not me. Never heard what happened to that. Probably got an armorer to say it was a malfunction. That is the only mishap with a firearm I have ever had, but I still remember it well. Hunted mostly in Oklahoma for white tail, in Colorado for mule deer and elk, and Wyoming for Pronghorn and mule deer. So, no one I want to hunt with anymore, too many injuries from motorcycle and automobile accidents, two full replacement hip jobs, and eyes that don't see as well as they did have stopped my hunting. Hence, the .22 revolvers, pistols and rifles although I still have bolt actions in .308 and .223/5.56X45; a 30-30 single shot New Englander; a High Point 995 carbine; a .50 caliber muzzle loader; and some .380 acp and 9MM pistols; plus a couple of 12 GA pumps. Sold my 7MM Rem Mag 1885 High Wall Browning single shot (my favorite deer rifle) for more than I paid for it after 15 years of use. Don't look for competition .22 LR shooting, just to do the best I can with what I have. Glad to be her and expect to learn a lot.
