I have sold one gun in my life...a 700 ADL .22-250 that I bought for a deer rifle in the early '70s...Don't laugh...in the '70s the deer population was just starting to explode and frankly dad never owned a centerfire...did all his hunting with a 12 gauge and a .22...he had been a market hunter in the '30s and except for WW-II he never shot a centerfire...And, believe it or not eastern NC had a .22 law..couldn't use a rifle larger than .22 cal, so we all went out and bought 22-250s

I love hanging on to guns, they become old friends, each one has special memories...The first rifle I ever bought with my own money was a Remington Speedmaster 552...bought it when I was 16 from a hardware store in Suffolk, VA...I killed a mess of squirrels with that gun...Dad had given me a double barrel 12 gauge when I was 12, choked full and modified...With that gun I have killed squirrels, rabbits, doves, quail, turkeys, deer and ducks....This winter I refinished both stocks, but I didn't try to repair the dings and deeper scratches, because I know how they got there....neither has any rust on, but both have blueing worn off, and both still feel right when I carry and shoulder them...I have other guns, but these two are special....

When it come to centerfire deer rifles, I have one...a 1980 model Ruger .243...It originally came with a Bushnell Scopechief ($130) when I bought it...I think the gun was $250...I replaced the scope with a Leupold a few years back....With it I have killed groundhogs, crows, beavers, coyotes, deer, bears and a few more varmits that I don't need to mention...Just never saw a need for another bolt action centerfire....

Muzzleloaders...I started with a .45 caliber custom flintlock in 1977...I believe it was in 1988, I had a bear get within 35-40 yards of me....Decided a .54 would make me feel more comfortable, so I made a .54 flinter based on my interpretation of a 1770 rifle that would have been made in the Piedmont at that time...I did buy a Knight Disc in 1996...Has no character, gun shoots good, I need the scope and use it a few times a year, but I usually take the .54