I was warned.....

[DutchV]

A fellow at my office is a gun owner, or so he says. Out of the ten or so tall tales he told last week, the best was that "you have to aim high with a ported pistol because it the recoil pushes the muzzle down. And aim low with one that isn't ported."

I used to think he was okay, but not any more. And yes, I just smiled and nodded.

[gds]

A fellow at my office is a gun owner, or so he says. Out of the ten or so tall tales he told last week, the best was that "you have to aim high with a ported pistol because it the recoil pushes the muzzle down. And aim low with one that isn't ported."

I used to think he was okay, but not any more. And yes, I just smiled and nodded.

My word.... that is... well that is just ignorant beyond belief.

I used to bite my tongue in certain settings like that. Not so much anymore. My co workers know not to try any gun advise in my presence. It will result in a verbal beat down if it is wrong. That includes the Boss.

[John A.]

Did you know that at one time, a drivers license was not required to drive on race tracks, because it was considered "off road".

True story.

[tallburnedmidget]

Yeah this is life.

Rebel I'm glad you are a sensible person, gun store owner, and manager. In my neck of the woods I hear a lot of what everyone here is saying not only from regular people but sadly from the guys behind the counter of the gun store and it has pushed me to a point of avoiding the stores like a plague unless I absolutely must go into one.

On the bright side of things. If the world was full of hard working, capable, and sensible people then I wouldn't have a job hahahha. I get paid to come in and do work for companies because their employees should be able to do that exact same work but can't. I tell all my young graduating cousins and my nephew that they need to work hard, get good grades, and get some education or skill to be able to take care of themselves in their life.

Then I tell them that if they don't I'm fine with that too because they will never take my job or be a threat to my career so they can do otherwise if they like. I tell them that I need under-acheivers like them to step on as I make my way to the top. I don't tell them this in an arrogant way I tell them in a way that represents how the real world is dog eat dog. I tell them to realize that one man's failure is another man's opportunity to succeed.

In any case I'm just glad we have a good community here and I surround myself with great people. As for the others I wish them no harm or ill will but I'm glad they are watching Kardasians while I'm working to succeed now and hopefully continue to succeed in the future

[plant.one]

first off rebel - i feel your pain. i dont even talk to other people when i'm in the gun shop or at a gun show anymore. just not worth my trouble. only a recipie for frustration.

No matter how hard we try we can't fix "stupid".

sure you can. it'd be simple.

take the warning labels off everything and make personal injury lawsuits from product misuse illegal. it'll sort itself out in about a year or so.

[Flatliner]

take the warning labels off everything and make personal injury lawsuits from product misuse illegal. it'll sort itself out in about a year or so.

I actually got out of Jury duty by telling the plaintiff's attorney I thought he was an idiot. He asked if I felt that someone who designed a curb that a higher than average number of people injured their ankles on should be held accountable for the bad design, I responded that people should watch where they are walking...

[plant.one]

take the warning labels off everything and make personal injury lawsuits from product misuse illegal. it'll sort itself out in about a year or so.

I actually got out of Jury duty by telling the plaintiff's attorney I thought he was an idiot. He asked if I felt that someone who designed a curb that a higher than average number of people injured their ankles on should be held accountable for the bad design, I responded that people should watch where they are walking...

just proof that most times honesty truly IS the best policy

[Dolomite_Supafly]

No child left behind did exactly that, left an entire generation without any common sense or the skills to make it through life on their own. And some of those have decided they want to try their hand at hunting with miserable results. And when their skills prevent them from harvesting an animal it is often the equipment, or caliber, that is to blame. I promise you I could take a deer with a 22lr because I do have the skills, and discipline, to only take a shot I know with great certainty will lead to success. But there are some that could not harvest a deer even if they had the best caliber, the best equipment and the best shot.

100 years ago the vast majority of deer were taken with a 30-30. The 300 Blackout is a modern version providing similar performance out of a modern rifle. 300 Blackout is more than capable of taken deer, either supersonic or subsonic, providing the shooter has put in the work to learn HIS limitations. Rarely is the choice of calibers the problem. The problem is most shooters are unwilling to put in the work to hone their skills needed to ensure they can make a clean kill when the time comes. Instead they think they can substitute velocity for skill but as we have all seen if you don't have the skills it doesn't matter how fast that bullet is going you are going to loose the animal, leaving it to suffer a slow and miserable death.

I haven't hunted since 2001. The biggest reason is not because I do not want to hunt but because some hunters do not have the discipline to only take the shot when they know with 100% certainty what they are shooting at and what is behind it. At least 10 times each year I read stories of hunters being killed by fellow hunters. The number one reason why is the hunter sees movement and assumes it is an animal then shoots, killing a person. Because of that I refuse to go into the woods any more during hunting season. I often ride horses with my wife and my #1 concern is someone seeing four legs and taking a shot through the brush.

I have family that have been lifelong hunters and have been hunting for generations. At least once a year they use one of their tags to take an animal that is bound for a slow miserable death. Often times it is a deer that someone thought they could head shot only to knock their lower jaw off.

100 years ago a missed animal often meant you were going to bed hungry. And those hunters realized this so they honed the skills needed to make a clean, ethical kill. I have watched hunting shows where the hunter uses the spray and pray technique. They have an AR and mag dump into a crowd of animals hoping at least one can't run away. It is sad because that glorifies this type of hunting which is not only unethical but down right cruel when you consider a gut shot can take days, or even weeks, to kill the animal. I don't care if it is the biggest buck in the world or the smallest animal in the woods we have a responsibility as hunters to take our prey as quickly and humanely as possible. As ethical hunters it is our responsibility to try to teach our fellow hunters to take game in an ethical manner. And if they refuse to listen then I say shame them until they quit hunting altogether. I used to get a chuckle out of stories like this then I realized that a hunter that is unethical is often unsafe as well and an unsafe hunter is something none of us want in the woods with us.

I hear new hunters talk about buying a new hunting rifle that they claim they will use to harvest deer at 800, 900 or even 1,000 yards. And when they do I ask them how many rounds they have fired and it is never enough. As Mike eluded to there are some who believe they can laser bore sight a rifle on the wall of their trailer and then take deer at distances seasoned hunters would never take.

[rebel]

Here's a good story told today in my store.

Greg is a good customer who regularly competes in small bore BR, 600 yard BR matches and recently UBR in Tennessee in which he took 2cd and 4th place in two matches with a brand new rifle, one whole week to fire form and work up a load for. He is a shooter's shooter, a gentleman, gracious and polite. So he was hunting on a private track with his brother in law. BIL gets a shot on an ancient buck, white nosed and reduced to like a 16 inch spike.
BIL misses and Greg gives him a hard time about it. Two days later, they go hunting again. BIL takes one four wheeler trail, Greg the other. BIL scares this old buck out of his thicket and he crosses the trail 40 feet in front of Greg, who stops the ATV. The buck stops and looks back at him. Greg moves the ATV up another 10 feet. The Buck just watches. Greg pulled his rifle up and said to himself " If you just going to stand there, I guess I'll shoot you." and with all of the skill the man has, let the air out of his lungs and carefully pressed the trigger.

He clean missed it at 30 yards. Further investigation showed he had hit a piece of brush he didn't see through the scope. The bullet deflected plowing the ground at the bucks feet. Greg was laughing and making fun of himself the whole time at the shop. Redeemed himself by killing a big coyote on the stand that day.

Point is - if a man that shoots like Greg does had this happen to him, anyone can. Hunting is not bench rest. Greg however was prepared, having shot the rifle, zeroing and finding an accurate load for it over the summer, between shooting matches. So when bubba comes in for some "thutty-thutty" shells and I ask what brand his rifle prefers and he says "Whatever, they all kill." I inwardly cringe.
I can't get on my high horse to much and run away customers, but I can shame the one that knows better.

[Dolomite_Supafly]

I was in a shop a LONG time ago. A customer and shop owner were having a discussion about a new wiz bang caliber. Customer was looking for a new gun to shoot groundhogs. Owner said he had just what the customer needed, customer perks up. Owner said the new caliber is so powerful that the only thing left of a groundhog would be the teeth. Owner said the new caliber hits so hard that it literally vaporizes the animal and the only thing that can stand the heat is the teeth. He said the bullet didn't drop at all in the first 300 yards and only an inch out to 500. Thinking the shop owner was playing a joke on the guy I sat back and waited for a punch line that never came.

The customer bought the BS. Hook, line and sinker. Bought a brand new rifle, in a brand new caliber and paid a premium for it.

When I asked the caliber he said .17. Thinking he was talking about 17 Remington I said yeah it is a pretty powerful round but I think you are exaggerating a bit. Owner said he wasn't talking about the 17 Remington so it piqued my interest. Ands that is when he handed me a loaded round.

The new wiz bang caliber that doesn't drop an inch in 500 yards and will, literally, vaporize an animal? 17 HMR

I say that because it isn't just the customers who can be full of it but some shop owners are full of it as well.