Yes, Ted- I started with a Stevens Walnut Hill .22lr-- but as our area had public dumps, and they closed at noon on Saturdays- rat shooting with our .22 rifles became a real big deal. I had saved my lawn mowing $, and bought a Rem 550, also with a Weaver scope 4X-- tube magazine, the whole package-- I always shot .22LR Hollow-Point Kleanbore ammo. I have an ad for that period (1954-1955) and it shows the 550 at $48.75, the sleek 552 at $54.95

We had rats galore, you'd pop one, and a few minutes later the "pall-bearers" showed up. We also shot them on farms, but only on dirt floored buildings, not holding livestock. Too risky of a ricochet on a cement floored "pole barn" bldg.

I gave that Remington to my oldest grandson recently- he's mainly a target shooter, but his Dad and I love summer evening wood-chucking- He has a .22-250, I have an older Sako 759 BA in .243Win- both rifles wear Leupold VP scopes- we also get fox, and coyotes and feral cats on occasion.

Some reader of F&S magazine asked Dave Petzal- Gun Edito: What past hunting/shooting experience would you like to relive again today- And his answer was: "Rat shootin' with scoped .22's at the local dump- 1950's era".. Me too--

Last edited by Run With The Fox; 01/27/19 03:39 PM.
"The field is the touchstone of the man"..