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 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’s created so many lasting memories.
Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to shoot quite a few rimfire rifles, whether squirrel hunting or just plinking targets. As often as we think ahead, it’s nice to sit and look back at the times we’ve had coming up as hunters and shooters. It’s the tools we’ve used as much as it is the animals we’ve harvested that tie it all together. The following are memories as told by two members of the TRACT team.
RUGER 10/22 - Jon LaCorte, Co-Founder
If you’ve been keeping up with TRACT since the launch of our website late last year, then you probably know that I’m an advocate of the Ruger 10/22. The reason? Simple. It was my first rifle.
When it comes to a virtually fail-safe rimfire rifle, you can’t go wrong with the Ruger 10/22. It’s the perfect rifle for a youngster because it’s fairly lightweight, there aren’t too many moving parts, it’s extremely durable and ultimately, it’s 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’t want them to lose interest due to complicated things they can’t figure out quickly.
Despite the thousands of rounds that have been shot from this Deluxe Sporter model, the rifle remains a centerpiece in my gun safe. It’s 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’ve acquired over the years. Of course, as you might imagine, today the rifle wears one of TRACT’s rimfire riflescopes. - JL
BROWNING SA-22 - Josh Wolfe, Marketing
I can still, clear as day, remember walking into Mr. Bill’s house. My dad had just said, “Follow me.” 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’s musty old quarters was something good.
A kid’s intuition is generally correct. Kids don’t 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 and a crystal-like bowl filled with strange-looking orange candies that my dad silently suggested I don’t try.
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 into targets and small game alike. - JW
If you have a favorite memory hunting or shooting with your rimfire rifle, tell us about it. We like all stories concerning guns and hunting. Well, almost all stories. Regardless, if you’re talking, we’re listening.
If you have a favorite memory hunting or shooting with your rimfire rifle, tell us about it. We like all stories concerning guns and hunting. Well, almost all stories. Regardless, if you’re talking, we’re listening.