I love the opportunity to tell a story so thanks Pap. I bought my Savage .222/20 gauge 44 years ago, in the woods, in VA spring Gobbler season. I was in the middle of a 14 day backpacking-hunting, trout fishing expedition with my life long hunting pard (first met at age 14). VA Spring Gobbler season then was daylight till noon Mon.-Sat. so to make full days we changed from guns & cammo into hip waders and ultra light spinning rigs until back to the campfire time. VA weather in mid April has ranged from 75 & hot sunny to 18 & snowing sideways, so always packed for both.
Anyway, on a beautiful, sunny day when the Gobblers were jarring the ground with fighting talk I’d heard another hunter shoot 4 times. Ran into him at midday lunch time sitting on a buck trail in a saddle on top of a mountain and looking mad. Seems he’d called up “biggest gobblers he’d ever seen” 4 times. Missed 4 times.....with this “brand new sorriest gun he’d ever owned.” And when he “got down off that mountain he was going to sell it at a loss just to get rid of it.”
Kept talking and he said he’d give it away right there for $100.00. I always carry my “mad money”, peeled off a crisp one and the deal was done.
Since then I’ve taken many, many turkeys, fox squirrels, bobcats and coyotes with it. My son took his first two Gobblers with .222 head shots & it’ll go to him “someday”.
Yep. A great gun.....with a pretty good story.