I grew up surrounded by a million acres of the Huron-Manistee National Forest. Every fall, thousands of hunters would come “up North” to hunt deer in the outdoor paradise that was my back yard. Hunting was a way of life in the world I knew. If opening day of rifle deer season fell on a weekday, schools cancelled classes and businesses closed their doors. At 12, us lads were eligible for Hunters Safety and were out hunting.
By 12, I had been shooting for years. We had shotguns, rifles, and my BB gun in our house. My favorite was the Marlin 39A, gold trigger edition. The 39A is a .22 caliber lever action rifle with iron sights. It’s the first gun I loved. I loved it for the most basic reason; it never missed. When I did my job, the Marlin did its. On a bench, it could hit the red milk jug caps at 100 yards. Consistently. And mom just hated when I shot the heads off her clothespins. I blissfully plinked through hundreds of bricks of .22 shells.
When friends and relatives came up, they often stopped by so I could sight in their rifles. My dad was talking to a family friend that owned a 30-06 with a scope and he couldn’t hit a target with it. My dad volunteered me to sight it in. When Jim and I talked, he explained that he didn’t hunt any more and needed to get it sighted in so he could sell it. I bought it as-is for $150.
Like Jim, I completely missed the target on my first shot. Then I studied the rifle carefully and noticed the scope was mounted wrong. I remounted the scope and a few rounds later had dialed it in. Anxious to see what it could do, I set up a 200 yard target and dialed it in with a few more rounds. I learned that I had scored a Savage 110, prized by enthusiasts for its accuracy. I had a new love.
I went from taking body shots with my 30-30 to head & neck shots with the 06. Like the beloved .22, when I did my job, the 06 did its. Every. Single. Time. But unlike the .22, my love for the 06 has always been restrained. Since getting it, I’ve never hunted big game with anything else, but I don’t shoot the 06 very often. While I’d happily plink all day with the .22, pinching off more than a handful of rounds with the 06 ceases to be fun. In fact, it hurts.
Last week, a buddy and I went to the range. After putting 15 rounds through it, my right shoulder cried mercy. So I switched and put the next 10 rounds through left-handed. A consequence of not shooting often is that my accuracy is not what it used to be. At 100 yards, my 25 rounds were in a softball sized pattern. And my right shoulder was bruised.
The next day, Google introduced me to LimbSaver recoil pads. So I bought a recoil pad fitted for my Savage. Check out the difference between my factory pad and the limbsaver.
