By: Jeremiah Polacek
When it comes to rimfires, 22 LR in particular, I think just about everyone is familiar with the cartridge. Most of us probably grew up shoot-ing it as a kid, or have fond memories of our first rifle, likely a small rimfire. I distinctly remember my first rifle, a Henry Mini Bolt Youth G2 chambered in 22LR. It was a fine rifle for a kid starting out at four years old – with strict supervision from my Dad. However, I quickly out-grew it and wanted something more; my sights were seton a Marlin 15 YS, which I had read had a micro-groove barrel and a self-cocking action and had the same fiberoptic sights I liked on the Henry.
It might be hard to believe that a 7-year-old kid understood such things, butI grew up in a family where guns and hunting were a staple. Many dinner table conversations revolved around what new rifles were acquired by family members and what tags were drawn that year. I was also a voracious reader, and one of my favorite pastimes was browsing gun catalogs and magazines that my dad would bring home. That Marlin was carried for many years, and Ihave many good memories of the rifle. As I sit behind my desk and type this article, many of those memories are coming back to me as the rifle quietly refreshes distant times of adventure.