The range of calibers and quality of optics these days is amazing. So what did your dad hunt with? Easy on my end; the old Rem 12 gauge auto! He carried shot and slugs; not much worried about anything over 40 yards. Kicked like a mule, too!

We had this old Savage 22 rifle that Dad said he burnt out the bore long ago with La Palma (?) ammo, which I think was corrosive. It had an ancient, skinny little 2x weaver scope. But I would wait until night as a kid and take that out when my eyes got used to the dark in the midwest and pop rabbits. Youngsters that argue the itsy-bitsy pros & cons of light gathering in today's optics need to take a look at the old stuff!