I've been hunting, or as I call it, sleeping in treestands since I was 11. So for over 20 years I have hunted. Well, not really hunting, just hanging out in the woods with a shotgun. I remember the first gun I really got to use out hunting. It was an old 12 gauge single barrel shotgun. It kicked like a mule, and the hammer was extremely hard to pull back. Of course, I wasn't exactly pulling it back the best way possible. It was a terrible gun. The barrel was bent or something because it always shot 3 foot above where you were aiming at. I spent one day missing squirrel after squirrel with that gun. I must have missed 12 squirrels that day. I did end up hitting the last one I shot at that day. It was 5 yards away, and I only put two shot in it.
Since that shotgun was terrible I moved on to the gun I still use today. The Remington 1100 Trap model semi-automatic shotgun with a full choke 32 inch barrel. I started carrying that gun when I was 12. Some of my friends didn't believe that I could shoot a 12 gauge that young. I told them any one of them could shoot my shotgun... if they could lift it. It's a damn heavy shotgun. A couple of years later I picked up a 30 inch modified barrel for it. Because of the new steel shot I had to use out duck hunting I needed a barrel that could be used for steel shot. Besides the 30 inch modified would put out a much better shot pattern for duck hunting.
At one time I had a .303 British Enfield rifle. I never really used it, and it kicked harder than any gun I have ever shot. It was brutal. Since I was never crazy about it, it got sold. The only other rifle I have owned is my muzzleloader. I have it for specialty hunts where you are only allowed to use muzzleloaders. It really is a cheap gun. It's actually pretty terrible. In fact, I was moving it around a couple of months ago, and most of the trigger broke off. It can be replaced, but I'll get around to it sometime. Maybe I will.
After having problems with putting down hogs while out hunting I decided I really needed a pistol to carry on my side. A friend of mine decided he needed to go bigger with his pistol. He thought his .357 just wasn't enough, and that he needed to carry a .44 magnum. He has little guy, big gun syndrome. I could write an entire post on it, I really could. He also carries a .306 (thirty-ought-six.) My Dad and I always ask him if he plans on having the bullet gut the deer or hog so he doesn't have to.
The .357 is a great pistol in that it's quite acurate (for a pistol anyways.) The first time I got to use it was in my front yard. I was taking the garbage cans out to the curb, and a cottonmouth moccacin was right there in my front yard where I put the cans. I got the .357, put snakeshot in it, and killed the 4 foot poisonous snake right there in my front yard. Later on I killed another moccacin in my neighbor's yard. I also finished off a rattlesnake out hunting one time with it. Come to think of it, I've never used the .357 on a deer or hog, but I've taken out a number of poisonous snakes.
When my Grandfather died I inherited three of his guns. I immediately gave his 20 gauge to my cousin so that one of his sons could use it. His main shotgun was the exact same model as my main shotgun. It's a Remington 1100 semi-automatic. It has a 28 inch modified barrel, and it also has a smaller stock. It's like I now have his and her matching shotguns.
I also inherited a very rough and old .22 rifle from my Grandfather. The stock (the wooden parts) of the gun was really rough so it was refinished. Unfortunately, it was refinished very badly. I haven't even had a chance to fire it. Heck, I've had it for 2 and half years now, and haven't even thought about firing it. But, then again, I haven't been to the range in a while now. Maybe some day I'll get around to sanding down the wood, and restaining it.
So that's all the firearms I've ever had. Some gun owners go through that many in two years. They're always trading, and trying to get something better. That or they get bored, and have to get the next new thing. So here's the funny part. I have never had to buy a gun from a dealer. It's true. Except for the pistol, I have always inherited my firearms.
Well, since my girlfriend Roxy (not her real name) has been having trouble with her stalker of an ex-boyfriend, we talked about her getting a firearm. She has always wanted me to teach her how to shoot. Well, I kind of took the whole stalker thing as a sign to get her, her own firearm. Well most people think pistol for "home defense," but nothing beats a shotgun. It's easy, it's packs a much bigger punch than a pistol, and you just point and click. So I decided to get Roxy a 20 gauge shotgun.
I went to a shop (who will remain anonomous) that I knew was a good shop. I when in, and told them I wanted a 20 gauge, single barrel shotgun with a 20 inch barrel. The "Boss" was a real laid back guy. He was cool. The "Assistant" was very intense. It was avery funny dymanic between them. I didn't want to go into the circumstances behind getting the shotgun, but I didn't want to lie either. They asked me what I was looking for. I told them it was for home protection for my girlfriend. The "Assistant" was all about that. He was like, "Dude, go with the 12 gauge. Get her the most bang for the buck." I then told him she would have to go to the range, and practice, and I didn't want her getting her ass handed to her every time she shot it. The "Boss" picked an older gun off the wall, and said this might be something I was looking for. It was a 20 gauge single barrel shotgun made by Harrington and Richardson. I looked it over and said that it was perfect. But they agreed that it wasn't quite perfect. It needed to be sawn off. The Boss then handed me a sawed off shotgun, and told me about how it was easier to get around corners with it. I said that I wanted something that didn't look like a thug gun. If anyone would ask, it was Roxy's gun for squirrel hunting. Besides the barrel was short enough.
I just found the whole thing kind of surreal. I didn't want to say anything about possiblely shooting a stalker, but they were all about killing someone. They wanted me to have the best possible way to kill someone. Yes, a 12 gauge it more powerful, but if you're shooting an intruder at 5 yards, it's not going to matter if it's a 12, 16, 20, or 28 gauge. At that close a range shooting buckshot, it's just doesn't matter. It's pure destruction.
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