Trey Veston
Member
Along with the dozens of fine rifles and pistols I inherited from my father, I also inherited my grandfather's hunting rifle. Notice I didn't say "a" hunting rifle, or "one of his" hunting rifles. Nope. My grandfather was the complete opposite of my father whereas my father made a living out of collecting, buying, and selling thousands of fine firearms over the years as well as had dozens made for him by the finest gunsmiths around, my grandfather was a strict minimalist.
For about 50 years, he only owned three firearms for hunting just about everything in Idaho. All three are Remington models, and all three are semi-automatics. For trap line duties, rabbits, squirrels and other small game, he had a Remington Speedmaster in .22 Short.
For pheasants, grouse, turkeys, and waterfowl, he had a Remington Sportsman 12ga shotgun.
And for coyotes, deer, elk, moose, and bear, he had a Remington 740 in .30-06.
The rifle is like a time capsule from the 50's. My dad loved to have the nicest rifles and fancy gunsmithing. My grandpa saw guns as tools and treated them as such. His 740 shows where he re-applied some varnish on the stock and got it on the receiver and buttplate and didn't bother to wipe it off. He wrapped pink trail-marking tape around the leather sling so he wouldn't lose the rifle in the woods. It is by no means pretty or fancy, but it has taken dozens of big-game animals over the years. In fact, I have the rack of one of the whitetail deer he shot with it.
I love guns with honest wear and that have interesting stories behind them.
The rack...
For about 50 years, he only owned three firearms for hunting just about everything in Idaho. All three are Remington models, and all three are semi-automatics. For trap line duties, rabbits, squirrels and other small game, he had a Remington Speedmaster in .22 Short.
For pheasants, grouse, turkeys, and waterfowl, he had a Remington Sportsman 12ga shotgun.
And for coyotes, deer, elk, moose, and bear, he had a Remington 740 in .30-06.
The rifle is like a time capsule from the 50's. My dad loved to have the nicest rifles and fancy gunsmithing. My grandpa saw guns as tools and treated them as such. His 740 shows where he re-applied some varnish on the stock and got it on the receiver and buttplate and didn't bother to wipe it off. He wrapped pink trail-marking tape around the leather sling so he wouldn't lose the rifle in the woods. It is by no means pretty or fancy, but it has taken dozens of big-game animals over the years. In fact, I have the rack of one of the whitetail deer he shot with it.
I love guns with honest wear and that have interesting stories behind them.
The rack...
on your grandpa's gun and your story. I had a sister-in-law that used one of those to bring down a black bear. It was singular honor for her. Husband, none of her brothers, or brothers-in- law ever got one.
