The spectrum of people who 'pay to play' is actually pretty interesting if almost unbelievable at times.
I assume that�s right.
There are the walking Cabela's ads on the one end, to the plain speaking flannel shirt-wearing, self-made multimillionaires you'd never guess, to the guys who have every bell and whistle (and probably post really nice targets from the bench) but can't make the simplest shots without fiddling with pods, sticks, or other gimmicks, to the quiet hunter in the plainest of old tattered gear - none of it Bean, Bauer, or Cabelas (who happened to be very wealthy) but wouldn't shoot any of the good bears he was put on because they weren't what he wanted, but he didn't care because he was hunting bears (and he tipped well anyway).
But I read countless comments and questions from everyday Alaskan resident hunters who go on long float hunts and the like who buy non-flannel fairly expensive raingear, tents (including $2K AO tents), backpacks (KUIU, etc ..), boots ($$$), scopes, binos, spotting scopes , etc � I�m talking about ordinary Alaskans who hunt a lot so they sometimes spend a little to get above-average gear of certain types.
But no hunter from the lower-48 who has ever bought any decent type of rain gear or tent (often also for hunting everywhere) and who has to �pay to play� (because of AK regs) to hunt AK BB probably has ever shown any competency at all as a hunter or even a human being at all, right?
Just because a person hires a guide (mandated by law) so he can hunt BB, doesn�t mean that he�s necessarily an idiot or someone who doesn�t prepare like the devil for such a hunt. It�s nice to ridicule, but there actually are a lot (if not a majority) of really competent hunters and people generally down here--even if they occasionally wear a non-flannel synthetic shirt.
Anyone who shows up with a rifle only bore-sighted to (as stated above) a deer camp, or to a bear camp or whatever, isn�t likely to do well whether their carrying a .17 or a .677. or whatever.
I had futilely dreamed of hunting BB since I was a little kid, when hunting such dangerous creatures as squirrels and ducks. Getting my first deer on my own as a teenager was one of my favorite memories. Later I joined the Marines and, only about five weeks later spent 2-1/2 weeks doing NOTHING but shooting. We spent around ten hours a day doing nothing but dry-firing and live shooting all day every day. That was the fun part, forgetting all the tortuous things they put us through just to try prove we could not handle it for 13 weeks (depriving us of food and sleep for days at a time while making us work all day and hump 15 miles at night), then four weeks of the same at MCT, and then more later. I shortly then ended up in a shooting war in Kuwait where people were actually shooting back at us. I only point this out because I wonder where this arrogance from people from certain backgrounds comes from again, essentially, condemning anyone who hires a guide in AK�if they own a decent pair of hip waders. Some people aren�t complete pansy fools just because they do so.
Anyone from outside of AK who can hunt BB necessarily has to pay for it--by law. Just because someone does so doesn�t mean that they are a complete pansy idiot, even if they buy a decent pair of boots or a decent rain jacket. You�re forgetting that in your �unbelievable� range of the spectrum. Before my last hunt, which was a BIG deal to me, I spent hundreds of hours and considerable funds on practicing with my rifle and martialing my gear. My 1-1 guide was amazed at how I would help with everything. When it was time to put up a tent, I was working to help. When we had to portage around some downed trees, I was working my ass off, when I could have been sitting on my ass. Point is that I am not the caricature of the hapless �pay to play� hunter you describe. More importantly, many, many others aren�t either. Sure, there are guys who show up with bore-sighted rifles of whatever caliber�big or small, and who stupidly �fiddle� with gadgets and can�t hit the side of a barn if they see some fur. But there are many who come prepared and have experiences, some of which, even if in other ways, rival you own bravery in confronting dangerous experiences.
The Mark V stock is renowned for reducing felt recoil. Believe it or not, it works for me. Add great recoil pad. Most importantly, when practicing, add a good SHOULDER PAD!!!!! I know countless people who have, shockingly tried that, and found it really, really helps. You can even add temporary, removable weight to the rifle (e.g. 1-lb bipod) when shooting for long range sessions. Even further reduces felt recoil. With all that, you can shoot a medium or big bore for hours without complaining. You don�t need to if you don�t want to, and it�s not necessary, but it's not crazy to do so. In the field, you won�t notice that you�re not shooting a .243 when aiming at a deer, elk, caribou, black bear, or brown bear--no matter what you're shooting if you're used to practicing with it.
Shoulder pad! It makes it easy.
