Cheap guns or expensive ones?

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Sniper66

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Hard to title this story, but wanted to share it because it tickles me. Last week I took my nephew and his grandson squirrel hunting in my favorite squirrel woods. I've hunted squirrels for 65+ years and my nephew almost as long. We both carry very nice .22s with equally nice optics and shoot .5" groups at 50 yds with high-grade ammo. The grandson (age 14) carries a cheap Savage with a low end scope (his dad bought a "combo" against my advice) and shoots bulk plinking ammo.
At the end of our hunt the score was:
Me--0
Grandpa--0
Grandson--6. He shot 8 shots and killed 6. And had a 1,000 watt smile.

Us old farts got skunked, but we have a great story to tell and couldn't be happier with the outcome.
 
I had a real nice Ruger 77-22 back in the 80's. Beautiful wood, and finish. Put a nice 4x Leupold on it. Looked great. Paid a good buck for it. Thing wouldnt shoot a half-dollar group at 50 yards. My el-cheapo $139 10-22 with a cheap Tasco scope on it would shoot into a dime at the same distance. o_O

Damn that 77-22 was pretty. :)
 
Sniper66 said:
old farts got skunked, but we have a great story to tell and couldn't be happier with the outcome.
Click to expand...

I didn't see how many rounds you old farts fired...
I killed 10 in one day, but never 6 (the limit here) in one trip. I never killed 4 in one trip when the limit was 4 here years ago, so I've never killed my limit of squirrels, ever. .22, .410, cheapie, nice gun... whatever. None of them changed that score.

Kudos to the kid on not just his success and shooting, but having the patience to wait for a clean shot. Sounds like he's been instructed well.
 
trackskippy said:
I had a real nice Ruger 77-22 back in the 80's. Beautiful wood, and finish. Put a nice 4x Leupold on it. Looked great. Paid a good buck for it. Thing wouldnt shoot a half-dollar group at 50 yards. My el-cheapo $139 10-22 with a cheap Tasco scope on it would shoot into a dime at the same distance. o_O

Damn that 77-22 was pretty. :)
Click to expand...
Been there, done that. My 77/22 wouldn't shoot 2" groups at 50 yards with any ammo. A walnut stocked Ruger American wasn't much better. An old 552 Remington that looked as if it had been dragged behind a truck would shoot 10 shot groups you could cover with a dime.
 
Inexpensive guns doesn't mean they are "cheap". I have many old Mossbergs, Marlins, Glenfields, Stevens/Savage that were inexpensive new and got for bargin prices used over the years. Especialy the "house brands". But are very accurate and reliable. I'll take them everytime over the new, hitec, fat stub barrel, plastic black rifles now for sale.
 
Bag limits exist in every state. Here is Kansas the squirrel bag limit is 5. It is rather pointless since so few people actually hunt squirrels. Whenever I tell someone I hunt squirrels, they invite me to their yard. In the woods I hunt most, a 2500 acre ranch with about 600 acres of woods, I have killed my limit many times. Occasionally I was unable to resist easy shots on the way to the car and ended up with 7-8 for the day. Yeah, it's over the limit, but what the hell, I figure it makes up for the days I got skunked or killed only 1-2. Of all the wild game I've pursued over the years, squirrels are still my favorite. Time alone in the woods restores my soul.
 
Cheap guns rule. I picked up an NEF pardner in 20ga and never having shot a 20 before or having been to a turkey shoot either, stopped st one on the way home from Walmart where I just bought said 20ga. After 45 minutes I got asked to leave the shoot as I had made over $300, won several hams, turkeys, and sides of bacon. Some of those guys were pi$$ed and they had serious money in their long barrels and goose guns.
 
Don't have a squirrel photo available
Only one at hand is this 20" I'm sure I've
posted here before.
I picked up the Handi rifle on sale when one
of the chain stores had " Any In stock Handi
Rifle on sale for $179" on a clearance before remington ran H&R into the ground.
I also had a printed " $20.00 off any purchase over $100.00" coupon
They kicked a little over honoring the discount, but neither sale had wording
otherwise, so I got my Handi for $159.00
It's been a good one after I figured out a
load
20210126_202836.jpg
 
Young eyes & young reflexes will out shoot the old guy all the time.
I'm a good shot with my .22 but I tried to compete in a .22lr bowling pin competition & got skunked by a 14 year old girl.
We had five pins to knock over then one steel target to knock down. I was on my third pin when I heard her steel target ring. LOL
I can knock around a golf ball at 100 yds but I don't have the speed that I had years ago. I hunt squirrels with a shotgun now. LOL
 
Yep...my young hunter is 14 years old and a very experienced hunter already. In addition to the 6 squirrels the other day, he's killed a few deer with his .243 and his bow and several turkeys with his 20ga. As I write this note, he and his grandpa are viewing trail cam pictures and plotting a bow hunt for this weekend. I have no doubt he'll be successful...he always is. One of these days he'll have lots of fine guns; he'll inherit some of mine and all of his grandfather's.
 
TaurusG2C.jpg There's "Inexpensive" and "Cheap"...don't confuse the two! I've seen some relatively inexpensive guns which were well made. I just picked up one a couple of days ago.

Now, I fancy myself a revolver snob. A number of very nice vintage S&W's and Colt "snakes". I'll admit they're my weak spot. I also have a couple of very nice semi auto's but they're just not as pretty!lol!

So what did I go out and get?

A TAURUS...yes, I said it...a TAURUS G2C 9mm for EDC. I wanted to replace my Walther PPK...and read/watched some very favorable reviews. I "pulled the trigger" as it were up at the Cabelas in Green Bay. Out the door @ $279. Took it out the next morning and put about 100 rounds through it both FMJ's and Hollow points. Ran like a top. The sights were way off out of the box, but fully adjustable for elevation and windage. Feels better than my Sig in my hand and for such a small "cheap" gun, the recoil is very well managed. I've shot the similar Glock and Sig....and to me, the "cheap" Taurus is every bit as good. A little "rough around the edges" in comparison but for the difference in price...there's no complaints here. "Inexpensive" Yes, "Cheap", No....
 
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