A Good Customer

By Rob Watson

When I had my Gun store, I had one firm rule on which firearms to stock. If I like it, it is in. Not like, not in. I am most enamored by accuracy. I frequently was heard to say "If you hit an animal in the right spot it usually doesn't matter what you shoot it with. If you don't hit it in the right spot, it still doesn't matter what you hit it with." This brought me to have the nicest firearms the store could afford... but not many. I also kept the finest optics the store could afford... enter a complete stranger.

One slow day a tall dark stranger (actually, medium height, medium build) walked into the store. I greeted him with a friendly "hello" and invited him in to look around. After a few minutes he came to me and asked a question I have never heard before. "If you could have any rifle in this store, which would you have?" I immediately showed him a very pretty Browning with the latest technology. He wanted to know why... "it is beautiful, the technology makes it extremely accurate, the caliber is great for all but the really big animals, and it is made by the most reputable firearm manufacturer in the world."

"OK" he says, "If you could have any scope in this store, which would you have?" I picked out a nice, range finding scope with excellent optics designed for the velocities of the rifle he purported to want. I described the qualities that he should find useful.

Then he asks for the best ammunition I had... five boxes. Expensive stuff. He bought it all, rifle, scope, and ammunition.

I told him he could figure it all out on his own, but he would save time and ammunition if he took me to the range the next day and let me show him what to do. He agreed. I felt like a kid in a candy store.

Next day, after about an hour making adjustments, etc. The customer was ready to shoot for group. (see how accurate the setup was) Three shots made a hole 7mm wide and 10mm long. (That is one bullet width by 1 1/2 bullet widths long.) from 100 yards. ( roughly the size of a dime cut in half.)

Three weeks later this customer came in to express his happiness with his purchase. He had gone Pronghorn hunting and taken one at a range of 750 yards. He had also taken a 900 yd shot but missed. (it probably was the wind there in Wyoming.)

Perhaps you are wondering what brought this story back to mind... When I closed that store, nearly 20 years ago, I refused to sell guns for less than I paid for them. Especially the nice ones. I boxed them up and took them home. Over the years sense, I have sold off nearly all of them. Recently, some of the decisions on what to sell have been nearly heart rending. The other day, while digging in a pile of leftovers from the store, looking for something, I found the twin of the above rifle. I have a smile on my face!!