Old Corp
Member
On the various gun/shooting forums, I've observed that it's quite fashionable to 'slam' the clerks and employees that work at gun shops.
One rarely encounters a post of "I encountered a clerk that really knew what he was talking about and I appreciate the guidance". Those don't seem to show up.
No, it's not a 'fantasy job'. Enjoyable at times? Yes, definitely.
Just taking the past week as an example - this is what I've encountered and was paid to endure:
- 'Joe Rifleshooter' enters. "Lemme see that M1 Car-been you got up there."
Dutifully handed forth, I get regaled with an extensive story of how a friend (it always seems to be a friend) that had one, and he "casted his own bullets and RE-loaded some. And he killed a BUNCH of deer with it out at 350 yards and no scope, 'cuz ya can't scope these puppies, and he lobbed those casted bullets out at those deer and killed a bunch with it."
Trying to enter just a tidbit of useful information into the mix, I offer up that this is a Universal commercial carbine that someone polyurethaned the stock on, and that it was not quite as desirable as a good quality GI model.....to which I just received a look as if I may be demented.
- next was a person who had NEVER owned or even shot a centerfire rifle.
His interest was drawn to an entry-level Savage .30-06 SS bolt gun with a low-end scope on it, used.
Did ask some pertinent questions about the differences in performance between the .308 and .30-06 cartridges.
Once satisfied that the .30-06 would meet many needs (perceived and otherwise), then I get an entire treatise on his plans "to do alot of 1000 yard shooting".
My observations is that novices, especially novices on the right-hand side of the Mississippi River where I've spent my life do not even know what 1000 yards LOOKS like, let alone be able to strike anything but a mountainside at that distance. In this case, I'd be fairly certain that a big yellow school bus would be pretty safe at 300 yards from this nimrod.
So, before one falls into the fashion of deriding GS clerks, spend just a moment and think what we get to hear each working day......
One rarely encounters a post of "I encountered a clerk that really knew what he was talking about and I appreciate the guidance". Those don't seem to show up.
No, it's not a 'fantasy job'. Enjoyable at times? Yes, definitely.
Just taking the past week as an example - this is what I've encountered and was paid to endure:
- 'Joe Rifleshooter' enters. "Lemme see that M1 Car-been you got up there."
Dutifully handed forth, I get regaled with an extensive story of how a friend (it always seems to be a friend) that had one, and he "casted his own bullets and RE-loaded some. And he killed a BUNCH of deer with it out at 350 yards and no scope, 'cuz ya can't scope these puppies, and he lobbed those casted bullets out at those deer and killed a bunch with it."
Trying to enter just a tidbit of useful information into the mix, I offer up that this is a Universal commercial carbine that someone polyurethaned the stock on, and that it was not quite as desirable as a good quality GI model.....to which I just received a look as if I may be demented.
- next was a person who had NEVER owned or even shot a centerfire rifle.
His interest was drawn to an entry-level Savage .30-06 SS bolt gun with a low-end scope on it, used.
Did ask some pertinent questions about the differences in performance between the .308 and .30-06 cartridges.
Once satisfied that the .30-06 would meet many needs (perceived and otherwise), then I get an entire treatise on his plans "to do alot of 1000 yard shooting".
My observations is that novices, especially novices on the right-hand side of the Mississippi River where I've spent my life do not even know what 1000 yards LOOKS like, let alone be able to strike anything but a mountainside at that distance. In this case, I'd be fairly certain that a big yellow school bus would be pretty safe at 300 yards from this nimrod.
So, before one falls into the fashion of deriding GS clerks, spend just a moment and think what we get to hear each working day......