Definitely not using the phrase to disparage RinB's current post nor anyone else's, but I've seen this phrase pop up often and usually in relation to which firearm or caliber one should use.
I know a bunch of people at work who have been hunting since they were old enough to do so, they look forward to going hunting every year which they do without fail and always get their deer and elk. They know where to find the game, they have excellent woodsmanship and tracking skills, they hike way back into the boonies to get it and carry it out.
But almost to a man they have only enough familiarity with their firearms to shoot straight enough to kill the game. Ballistics is an arcane and unnecesary science to them except to know where to sight in. The .30-06, .270, 7mm RM and .300 WM are the only calibers I've heard mentioned, I don't know any who use something that would be "campfire cool". Rifles are mostly factory stock Brownings, Remingtons, Rugers and Winchesters although one guy likes to use his Grandma's handed down sporterized Springfield. Most only have one or two real hunting rifles and maybe a couple of .22's for whistle pigs. One guy had his rifle "glass beaded" (sic) for accuracy but if they own five centerfire and rimfire rifles total that's a lot. The rifle is just a kill stick, something to dispatch the game once they've hunted it. Almost all of them shoot factory ammo, there are only three of us here at work who handload.
On the other hand many of the guys at the rifle range own some pretty esoteric stuff although I don't know what all they use for hunting. I would call them serious rifle loonies and most all of them hunt.
So what distinguishes a "serious" hunter, and what is the opposite - a frivolous hunter?
