My FAQ Pt. 1

I thought I would take a minute and answer some of the most frequently asked questions in our store.  I'll break it into two parts with the second coming later this week.

Q.  What is the best of choice of shotgun to start a young boy or girl shooting?

Usually the choice is between a 20 ga or a .410.  I favour the 20 ga. with light loads.  It’s more productive for breaking targets with more shot and wider pattern.  There’s not significantly more recoil with 7/8 oz. loads and it’s much cheaper to shoot.

 Q. When buying a set of binoculars, should I buy the most magnification and largest binoculars or less powerful compact binoculars.

I recently saw a mass merchant selling 16x binoculars for under $100.  For certain applications these may prove OK;  however, any defects will be twice as noticeable and they would be much more cumbersome than  a normal magnification  set of cheap compact binoculars.  The best set of binoculars should cost over $200., be between 7-10x and be compact enough to hang just under your chin on your chest.  You will have more clarity from 8x-10x binoculars in a better, mid-size set than the large, cheap 16x and will carry them with you instead of leaving them in the camp or auto.

 Q. I have a smooth bore 12 ga. rifle sight slug barrel.  What should I use for ammo?

Many slug shotguns shoot regular 12 ga.2 3/4” Remington, Winchester or Federal rifled slugs very well.  We have found, for consistency in ranges 50-80 yards, Challenger slugs or Rottweil slugs with a Brenekee type slug and base wad are the best performers.  The most important thing is to shoot and sight in your shotguns with at least 20-30 rounds of ammo over a couple times at the range.

 Q. In a serious big game bolt action rifle do I need a detachable clip magazine or should I buy a drop floor plate magazine model?

Most big game hunters prefer a drop floor plate.  You won’t lose it and it’s very dependable.  African trophy hunters and guides mostly prefer floor plate, Mauser -type action rifles for dangerous game.

 Q. When pistol shooting, what should my first handgun be?

As anyone who has read any of my ramblings knows, the answer is a 22LR semi auto target sighted pistol.  Smith & Wesson, Browning, Ruger, etc. all make excellent 22 pistols.  The 22LR is cheap to shoot, easy to control and very accurate.