Guns, I just love 'em

I have had a life long "love affair" with firearms. I just love the darn things. Why this is I cannot say. It's just a distinct part of me.

The firearms I like most are really special works of art and beauty. My favorites are custom stocked with walnut on blue steel. Oh, the wood is out of this world beautiful with its color, grain, figures of fiddleback, tiger stripes, feathered, contrasting colors and especially the depth of multiple coats of hand rubbed oil finish. The wood fits against all the metal parts like it grew there. They are truly works of art that give me pride of ownership!

Oh yes, they go hunting with me too but only if the weather is predicted to be nice. On sloppy, snowy, rainy days and rough terrain, others not as special go with me. Those "not as special" fill a different niche. They are robust, tough, made for Rocky Mountains, rocky terrain, ice covered ridges and foul weather where nicks, dings and scratches only speak of the hunts and places they have been.

I love to hunt big game. The rifles I hunt with make the sport more enjoyable. For every hunt, the rifle, pistol or shotgun chosen, becomes a part of the adventure and adds to the enjoyment, the enrichment of the occasion. The gun is a reflection of me and what I want the sport to be. It is the one I have chosen. It isn't just a tool. It is one I have practiced with extensively and it does what I want it to do, ...if I do my part.

Rifles and pistols tie for first place on my list of favorites. I hunt with both. Shotguns not so much. But a day finding lots of pheasants is a day of joy.

With rifles I have taken trophies from antelope to an Alaskan Brown bear. Choosing the correct rifle and ammunition for the game and the hunt is an enjoyable and educational undertaking. The terrain, the weather, the distance shots are expected and the animal sought, all are considered when putting together the right combination.

Hunting with a handgun requires getting much closer to the animal. The closer one gets, the more the excitement and the adrenalin rise. The handgun requires me to get much closer to the animal, similar to hunting with a bow. More practice with the hand gun is required, compared to hunting with a rifle. Choosing the right handgun and ammunition can be even more critical than choosing the correct rifle.

I feel invincible when I am hunting. I really do. No, I don't always shoot an animal on every hunt, in fact I seldom do, I just feel like I am in my world. I am where I am suppose to be. I have conquered the wild, if only for a day.

Philip is a retired Air Force officer where he was an intelligence analyst. He is also a retired law enforcement officer. He has an undergrad degree in criminal justice as well as a master's that is heavily weighted in criminal justice. He has had, in his words, "a love affair" with firearms all his adult life. He also teaches concealed carry classes. Contact him at philipgintheswan@gmail.com