It’s a tie.
62 years ago I was deemed old enough and responsible enough to take Grandpa’s Winchester 42, .410 pump shotgun, out to Uncle Frank’s farm (Grandpa’s brother-in-law) and hunt by myself. It was my first time shooting that little shotgun. The gun was magical! The quail flushed close even though I had no dog, and after 3 doubles I went down to the river where the doves came for water late in the afternoon. I took a half dozen doves with less than a dozen shells, and it was time to go. I took possession of that little gun in 2017 after my uncle (Grandpa’s son) passed. I will never have another hunt like that first one. And I don’t need one.
The Winchester 42 is tied with another Winchester, a 52-D target rifle, owned by Jim McClain, #1 shooter on our high school ROTC rifle team. Jim was a senior, I was a junior. At the practice range one day after class I sucked up my courage and asked if I could try his rifle. “Sure”.
I was shooting a Remington 513-T at the time. A decent rifle to be sure, and I did well with it. But snuggling Jim’s 52 into my shoulder and kissing the Redfield Olympic rear sight with my eyebrow was simply exhilarating. One shot, 50 feet, offhand. Squeeze— pinwheel!
I did not press my luck. Quitting while I was ahead, I thanked Jim and returned to my lane. Yeah, it was mostly luck. Mostly. But a good gun helps a shooter to be lucky, I think.
I can’t rationally justify racking a 52-D next to Grandpa’s .410. But it could still happen.