allstajacket
WKR
I grew up on a farm in western Michigan, and my Dad was an avid hunter. He lived and breathed hunting. Unfortunately I didn’t get to learn as much as I would have from him, as my parents split up when I was 5, and I moved to the suburbs with my Mom.
I didn’t get to spend a whole lot of time with Dad until I was in my teens as my parents constantly battled for custody/visitation. Something we see all too regularly nowadays unfortunately. When I did start seeing him regularly, hunting season was always during the school year. He lived 4 hours away so a quick trip wasn’t possible. I did get to hunt with him a couple of times, but I did not get to shoot a deer. He was constantly trying to arrange for a hunter safety class for me, but it just was nearly impossible due to the little time and great distance. My mom never made it a priority, so it just didn’t happen. Eventually I would find a class and take it while I was in college, and I didn’t end up shooting my first deer until my late 20’s.
Dad got me my first rifle a Ruger 10/22 for my 10th birthday and I spent much of my time with him plinking off of his deck into the back yard down below. We’d put up targets onto old pieces of plywood, and I remember making it a goal at one point to cut the board in half. I was hooked. We did many “woods walks-“ he with his 12ga Remington 1100 in-hand, and me with my 10/22, and a few spare magazines in my pocket. We’d rabbit hunt most weekends I visited in the winter, and got more than a few. I can remember being so proud, walking back to meet up with Dad, who had been hunting the other side of the woods, with a rabbit in my hand, only to see my dad with rabbits hanging out of nearly every pocket on his jacket.
Dad was old school and lived on 30-40 acres, with another 30-40 more connected that either he owned, shared, or leased (I never asked) with a big field taking up about 2/3 of his property. It alternated soy beans and corn every few years. We shot in the field a lot, mostly at gallon milk jugs filled with water. He always used his 30-06. A rifle I later learned was a Mossberg 810AH. It was beat up, and had duct tape around the bottom holding together what I could assume was the magazine well/floor plate. It still seemed like he could hit anything at any distance with that rifle.
Dad died in a motorcycle accident when I was 17. He didn’t have a will, and I didn’t really get to keep many things of his. His gun collection went to other family members, including my own 10/22. (I’ve since found that a cousin that has it claims I can have it - so I will pursue this at some point.)
For years I’ve been looking for the same rifle, or even a similar version in another caliber. Today, I randomly checked the internet, as I do every few months, and there it was! On armslist at a pawn shop in Texas. I gave them a call and made the purchase.
If it arrives with enough time before Michigan deer season, I’ll be taking it into the woods with me. I’ll have to find a cheap scope to slap on it, but I’m sure I can find something.
Never thought id be this excited about an old Mossberg.
I’ll provide an update when it comes in! Thanks for reading!
(Picture from armslist listing)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I didn’t get to spend a whole lot of time with Dad until I was in my teens as my parents constantly battled for custody/visitation. Something we see all too regularly nowadays unfortunately. When I did start seeing him regularly, hunting season was always during the school year. He lived 4 hours away so a quick trip wasn’t possible. I did get to hunt with him a couple of times, but I did not get to shoot a deer. He was constantly trying to arrange for a hunter safety class for me, but it just was nearly impossible due to the little time and great distance. My mom never made it a priority, so it just didn’t happen. Eventually I would find a class and take it while I was in college, and I didn’t end up shooting my first deer until my late 20’s.
Dad got me my first rifle a Ruger 10/22 for my 10th birthday and I spent much of my time with him plinking off of his deck into the back yard down below. We’d put up targets onto old pieces of plywood, and I remember making it a goal at one point to cut the board in half. I was hooked. We did many “woods walks-“ he with his 12ga Remington 1100 in-hand, and me with my 10/22, and a few spare magazines in my pocket. We’d rabbit hunt most weekends I visited in the winter, and got more than a few. I can remember being so proud, walking back to meet up with Dad, who had been hunting the other side of the woods, with a rabbit in my hand, only to see my dad with rabbits hanging out of nearly every pocket on his jacket.
Dad was old school and lived on 30-40 acres, with another 30-40 more connected that either he owned, shared, or leased (I never asked) with a big field taking up about 2/3 of his property. It alternated soy beans and corn every few years. We shot in the field a lot, mostly at gallon milk jugs filled with water. He always used his 30-06. A rifle I later learned was a Mossberg 810AH. It was beat up, and had duct tape around the bottom holding together what I could assume was the magazine well/floor plate. It still seemed like he could hit anything at any distance with that rifle.
Dad died in a motorcycle accident when I was 17. He didn’t have a will, and I didn’t really get to keep many things of his. His gun collection went to other family members, including my own 10/22. (I’ve since found that a cousin that has it claims I can have it - so I will pursue this at some point.)
For years I’ve been looking for the same rifle, or even a similar version in another caliber. Today, I randomly checked the internet, as I do every few months, and there it was! On armslist at a pawn shop in Texas. I gave them a call and made the purchase.
If it arrives with enough time before Michigan deer season, I’ll be taking it into the woods with me. I’ll have to find a cheap scope to slap on it, but I’m sure I can find something.
Never thought id be this excited about an old Mossberg.
I’ll provide an update when it comes in! Thanks for reading!
(Picture from armslist listing)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
