What are your go-to guns?

by Brian A, Friday, November 06, 2015, 14:34 (3244 days ago)

This is a game we have not played in a while and a little ways down Cable mentioned many of our go-to guns are not necessarily our best-made, fanciest, or coolest guns, but just one that reliably gets the job done for us whenever called on. Now, we all know that there is no such thing as the all-around gun, so maybe we should break this down into categories that everyone can relate to. How about medium game, small game, birds, varmint, plinking, concealed carry and home defense? Don't forget a little story about each one and why it is so special to you. I'll start;

Medium Game - Husqvarna carbine w/Mannlicher stock in 30/06 sporting a Redfield 4x scope that has a dot reticle. This is my always dependable deer slayer that was given to me by my grandfather after I borrowed it from him to kill my first deer.

Small Game - Winchester 69A wearing a Redfield 1.5X scope. It is a bit battered and the exterior has some pitting, but with ammo it likes, it will put every round into a squirrel's eye at 25 yards.

Birds - Remington 870 express 12 ga., it is a parts gun with an after-market synthetic stock set and a 21" Rem-choke bbl, that I picked up at a gun show. I painted it with flat black automotive spray paint, then camouflaged over that with acrylic paint.

Varmint - Browning B-78 in 22-250 wearing a 10X Weaver scope. Instant death on coyotes and woodchucks. It is easily the prettiest of my go-to guns and is a bit of heavy beast, but it always gets the job done.

Plinking - S&W Mod 18, have no idea how many rounds have been put through this, at least 10,000, but it will shoot into 3/4" at 25 yards if you do your part and is just a joy. My Dad bought this new in the mid-50s and gave it to me when I wanted to learn how to shoot a double action revolver.

Concealed Carry - AMT DA Backup, it is a bit heavy by modern standards and they have a poor reputation for reliability, but this one has been extremely reliable for me and is even fairly accurate for a pocket gun, with 10" plates at 25 yard in very serious jeopardy.

Home Defense - S&W 629 Mountain Revolver loaded with heavy 44 special loads. It fits my hand and I have put so many thousands of rounds through it we are old, good friends.