45Guy
Member
I got the phone call from my cousin this past Sunday that my grandfather had passed away in his sleep while on vacation in FL. He would have been 68 this week.
He helped my mom raise me for the first 5 years of my life, and had been a big influence on me all through my 20 years. And he will continue to influence me.
Some of my earliest memories of him were his basement reloading room, and the ever-mysterious gun room upstairs. He taught me the 4 Rules, and eventually, five rounds at a time, how to hit the bullseye at 25 yards with his Nylon 66. From there I was hooked. I wanted to shoot all day, every day, and I still want too. The first time I shot a bottlecap at 50 yards, it was him next to me and that Nylon 66 in my shoulder. "Take a full breath, hold it, let half out, and ssssqqquuueezzee that trigger" he told me. And I hit it low and left.
He taught us (my cousin & I) how to shoot that rifle, as well as others, and his pistols too. But the biggest thing he taught us was shotgunning. He had won some trophies in his day, and had went to many a local and state trap tournament. He taught us on a Remington 1100 in 12g that was made specifically for trap. And that is our main passion to this day.
A specific memory comes to me every time I think of him trap shooting. It was a beautiful summer day at the range up by his cottage in Northern Wisconsin. The range was a small local range on a back road with an overhang, two benches and a sand berm at 100 yards. We brought our own clay thrower and 2 shotguns. We (cousin and I) took turns shooting or throwing clays, but ou grandpa shot safety (if we missed he shot) for us all day. He NEVER MISSED a single clay in 3 hours of near constant shooting, but we missed many. And he hadnt shot in almost 20 years!!
He was a great man, who's service in the late 1950's inspired me to enlist in the Marines, and who raised a great family, and led a simple life.
I wanted to share a little of him with you all, and in that way honor him.
-45Guy
He helped my mom raise me for the first 5 years of my life, and had been a big influence on me all through my 20 years. And he will continue to influence me.
Some of my earliest memories of him were his basement reloading room, and the ever-mysterious gun room upstairs. He taught me the 4 Rules, and eventually, five rounds at a time, how to hit the bullseye at 25 yards with his Nylon 66. From there I was hooked. I wanted to shoot all day, every day, and I still want too. The first time I shot a bottlecap at 50 yards, it was him next to me and that Nylon 66 in my shoulder. "Take a full breath, hold it, let half out, and ssssqqquuueezzee that trigger" he told me. And I hit it low and left.
He taught us (my cousin & I) how to shoot that rifle, as well as others, and his pistols too. But the biggest thing he taught us was shotgunning. He had won some trophies in his day, and had went to many a local and state trap tournament. He taught us on a Remington 1100 in 12g that was made specifically for trap. And that is our main passion to this day.
A specific memory comes to me every time I think of him trap shooting. It was a beautiful summer day at the range up by his cottage in Northern Wisconsin. The range was a small local range on a back road with an overhang, two benches and a sand berm at 100 yards. We brought our own clay thrower and 2 shotguns. We (cousin and I) took turns shooting or throwing clays, but ou grandpa shot safety (if we missed he shot) for us all day. He NEVER MISSED a single clay in 3 hours of near constant shooting, but we missed many. And he hadnt shot in almost 20 years!!
He was a great man, who's service in the late 1950's inspired me to enlist in the Marines, and who raised a great family, and led a simple life.
I wanted to share a little of him with you all, and in that way honor him.
-45Guy
