oldhammy1
February 6, 2006, 03:57 PM
So I finally expended some political capital with the wife, and went out and bought a 12 Gauge SxS. I ended up settling on the Stoeger Uplander Special. It looks great! Has double triggers, removable chokes, and feels really light. Paid $355+tax, which I think is awesome. I am going out to pattern it in the next little while, so I will post an update. I brought my two boys with me to pick it up (9 and 6 years old), and boy did they have a field day at the gun shop. I had to verify to them that each and every one of the mounts (deer, bighorn sheep, moose, buffalo, elk, etc.) were real, one at a time. It is so amazing to see life through their eyes, and to maybe provide a little for them that I wish I had as a kid. Not that I was deprived at all, but I just love time with them. We went out target shooting that afternoon (I only bring a youth single shot .410 and single shot 22 when I take them), and my 6 year old said something that really meant a lot to me. I asked them before we went if they wanted to just target shoot, or see if we can call in some quail and get some shots off at them. They decided to just target shoot, and my 6 year old said he also wanted to go on a hike. The other agreed, and so it was decided. Then my six year old turned to my 9 year old and said, "It really doesn't matter what we do, as long as we are spending time together". These are the moments you savor as a parent, and I look forward to MANY future outings with my two boys. I have to admit, that it made my purchase of the SxS earlier seem so unimportant, and gave me something more valuable than any gun or purchasable item. No doubt, life is good.