Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Witless wisdom from the around the gun counter...

I posted this years ago but since we're piling on I'll tell the story again.

Several years ago Weatherby introduced the Ultra Lightweight line of rifles. My son, then two or so, and I headed to the local G.I. Joe's, a sports and outdoor store, to pick up some lawnmower batteries. A real man can't leave a store like that without a peek at the guns, so I showed my son the ropes.

As I approached the counter I noticed the new Weatherbys. They had two, one a .270, the other a .30-06. They looked identical, the only difference being the size of the hole in the barrel. The .270 was priced at $1175, the -06 was $575. I asked to look at the -06, it was really nice. I asked the clerk about the price difference. He replied with the surety of ignorance and told me the .270 was the new UL and the -06 "was just a Mark V." I pointed out the similarities and even argued with him a bit, but he was not to be swayed. So I bought it.

Sure enough, we get to the checkout, beep, the price comes up $1175. The $575 hangtag was still in the triggerguard and that's what I paid. Funny thing, I never saw that clerk again.





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A while back I went to the local Bass Pro to see what they had. I was planning another moose hunt and just like to go look at different rifles. I asked the young sales person what they had in 300 Win Mag, he said we have those! We go all the way up to 308! I asked 308 what? He replied 308 Winchester! I tried to explain it to him but he just wouldn't listen, he said the 308 Winchester is more powerful because it's a bigger number!

I've had the interchangeability conversation with people regarding .22 WMR and .17 HMR, also.

"Buy the .22 Mag because when you can't find ammo for it you can still shoot .17's in it!"

i made the mistake of going hunting with a yahoo one time. he had a rusty mess of a savage 99 and i had a 308 ruger. he asked what i was shooting and i said "308". he said ya me too. he ended up shooting (and missing with) all his ammo so i offered him a handful of my 308's. he was trying like hell to crunch those babies in there with no luck and i asked to see his gun. two guesses what it said on the barrel. hint, it wasn't 308.

and that was the last time i hunted with him.

From the OTHER side of the gun counter...

I had a customer ask what was the fastest powder, and I replied Bullseye. He said he'd take a pound. Just to make conversation I asked him what he was going to reload.

He said "Aught Six, and I want it to be the fastest."

I might've saved a life that day.

Ringman?