I met what I thought was a nice guy at the gun range a couple of weeks ago. I was sighting in my 300WM and he asked me what I was going to hunt with it. I told him Deer, he asked me what the hell I was going to hunt Deer with a 300WM I smiled at him and said because I can. I then turned and walked off leaving the village idiot stammering. I have Deer hunted with a 30-30, 30-06, 7mag, 44mag pistol, 454mag pistol, and a 54cal muzzleloader. I enjoy the challenge each gun gives me and I enjoy being out in the great outdoors. If I could hunt Deer with my 45acp in Kansas I would. I guess the guy was missing the point or a maybe few marbles on what it is all about.

A friend of mine said he would like to take a Deer with his 44mag pistol I told him to leave everything else home and just take his pistol. It worked for me I got a lot of strange looks hunting with just a handgun but when I got my Deer and they got nothing they kinda shut up and quit stairing so much.

It takes all kind of people but some of them need to know when to put a sock in it.

Actually VarmintGuy as the years have slipped by it seems easier for me to tolerate em than when I was young. As a young guy If I didn't agree I went right to it, got me the scars to prove it. Lately I find it much easier to just walk away, their loss not mine. I refuse to let em live in my head rent free.



beemanbeme, I couldn't agree with you more.



Swede44mag. Interesting coincedence. I just got my Ruger RedHawk back from the smith a couple months ago. It's got a new 6 1/2 inch Pac-Nor barrel and Bowen sights, shoots like a dream. For years I been saying I'm gonna pack a pistol and leave my rifle at home (75 percent of the elk I've shot over the years were under 70 yards, ya get a sore back hunkering down looking for their legs under the pine branches), this year I'm doing it.

MD, VH, HF, Been there done that!! Never ceases to amaze me as to the "experts" we encounter!!! Just yesterday had one tell me that his ".243 ADL would outshoot anything anywhere around, using "some of them Green box Remingtons....."I don't know what the grains is"!!! I told him that I'd shoot him gun for gun...100,200,300,400 yards....if I lose you get mine, if you lose, I get yours! He didn't ask what I'd be shooting!!! He also hasn't shown up to shoot yet!!! I think the absolute worst one I've ever encountered was the imbecile that didn't own and had never shot a 17HMR that was sure it "didn't have enough power to kill a groundhog at 50 yards!!!!" He declined my invitation to shoot my 17HMR, "title for title you may say" against his Win. Mod 70 in 22 Hornet at 200 yards!! Forgive me HF! It was one of those "gunshop moments"!!! GHD

This is good stuff guys! I have to add two:

I've just gotten started handloading. The "local expert" informs me during a casual conversation that if I will come by his garage he'll show me his technique. I think I have nothing to loose because I know nothing. I got an RCBS Rockchucker kit for Christmas in 2000 and did not have it out of the box until June, 2004. I read everything I could read and found this forum a few months ago. I've asked all sorts of questions and feel that I'm ready to get started. He proceeds to tell me that if my gun won't shoot IMR 4064 it won't shoot anything. "I only shoot one powder in all my guns. I zero at fifty yards...if it shoots good at fifty yards, it will shoot good at 400 yards. I shoot everything I hunt with a .22-250 or a .223. I use Hornady V-Max bullets (46 gr. I think) for all game. My rifles will kill an elk as dead as anyone's rifle. You must moly coat all bullets and barrels and you must crimp all rounds." Here is perhaps his best one: "I don't own a chronograph...the damn things are worthless and never read the same velocity twice. All they will do is confuse you." He then gets his Hornady manual and points to the ballistic tables for "all I need to know about how my rifle shoots."

Now, here is number 2- My best friend is also getting started with handloading. He goes and sees the same guy. My best friend was planning an elk hunting trip with me this fall. He shows up after he sees the expert and informs me that he is loading 300 Win Mag with IMR 4064 and 110 grain Hornady bullets for our elk hunt. He starts quoting all the ballistics and where his rifle will shoot at each distance based on the tables....He even wrote down how high at 100, 200, how much low at 300 and 400 and then laminated it and taped it to his rifle stock. He has not fired a round past the initial fifty yard zero!!!!!!!!!!!!

I told them both we'd get together soon and shoot our guns one day with a friendly wager on each three shot group (hunter style--hown many rounds in a 3" bull).

Neither of them have any idea how their rifles shoot...I almost feel bad about taking their money.

Born To Hunt: You may just have run into the "winner" of all losers in your recent visit! They would be entertaining if they weren't so dangerous!
Be careful out there!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

BTH, ! Being from Kentucky you may be able to hear the "John Boy and Billy Show" on the radio so here's a line you'll recognize if you hear it!"Tune in next week when we hear GHD say, "Hey Big man, Let me hold the dollar!!" GHD

Gotta tell you how I won $200!! Acquaintance (friend of a friend) was telling me that his Rem700 would outshoot my Ruger77MkII, (both in 270) "...because everyone knows that Rugers are made to a price, their barrels are sh*t, and their receivers are only 'castings'...", his other beef was that Tasco scopes couldn't possibly be as bright as a Leo (I have both).

First wager was on accuracy... $100 in my wallet Didn't tell him I had fitted a Timney, and had the barrel floated, action bedded...

Second on brightness of scope - Leupold is a Vari-X 11 3-9x40, Tasco is a World Class 3-9x40.

Told him to close his eyes so he could not see which was which, guess what!! He picked the Tasco as being brighter!! Another $100 in my wallet

For some reason, he declined an invitation to compare accuracy at longer ranges, and no longer mentions ballistic tables when I'm around...

btw, Leo sits on my Ruger, Tasco on my son's CZ 223. Both beautifully accurate rifles!!

I also used to work in a musical instrument shop (guitars, and stuff), and left when I got fed up with customers telling me what was best and why... most had not even held many of the instruments they babbled on about, let alone play them. Sometimes, when it's raining, or I get bored, or just need a break from clients, I visit my local gunshop (guys there have known me for 35+ years) and listen to the BS from the customers... keeps me sane, and is a great incentive to stay away from retail!