Body Count '13 begins...

At some point last year, while workin' at Mason Dixon, I got a Dick's Sporting Goods flyer in the mail that had some pretty decent coupons, as well as a fantastic advertised price on Remington's flagship rifle, the Model 700. I had a little bit of money saved up at the time and decided the time had come for a good groundhog gun. It was only their base model, the ADL, with a bull barrel and a cheap scope, but I knew that with a few modifications, I could turn it into somethin' special. I selected the .223 caliber, since (at the time) there was a helluva variety of ammo that was, for the most part, cheap and easily acquired.

This bein' my very first new gun purchase, I felt the need to celebrate, CenTexTim style.

It came with a no-name 4-12x40 scope and some cheap plastic furniture, but I had diabolical plans of replacin' them. In the meantime though, the little brother and I got 'er dialed in one mornin' and found some whistlepigs that afternoon. The gun killed the only two hogs she shot at that day.

A month or so later, once my fun fund was back up to speed, I started scope shoppin'. After lookin' at literally dozens of optics, I went into Sportman's Liquidation and put in my order for a Hawke Eclipse 30 SF, 6-24x50. Perhaps a bit overkill, but it sure is nice bein' able to count the nosehairs on a hog that's 300 yards away. The 30mm tube payed for itself the first time I looked through it at dusk... the 1" tubes don't even come close to bringin' that much light in. I'd also been lookin' at a nice laminated thumbhole stock from Boyd's Gun Stocks, so I got that comin', as well as a Champion bipod to throw under it.

Everythin' finally showed up, so I spend an afternoon puttin' everythin' together. To say I was was pretty damn pleased with the final product was an understatement.

Well, I never did get around to takin' the damn thing huntin' anymore that year, thanks to a bloodsuckin' job. Joe did managed to miss a few turkeys with it in the fall, and I did carry it a few times early this winter after foxes.

I've since ditched the job, so now I have a little time to put the ol' girl to use.

Yesterday afternoon, I got the the farm a little early before the afternoon milkin', so I took the ol' girl for a walk. I snuck up over a little knoll a saw a spot of brown pickin' through some corn rows. A few feet of sneakin' later, and I finally had the first hog with the finished gun.

Thus, the Body Count. It's admittedly not as excitin' as the Body Count contest orchestrated by Jesse's brother-in-law and cousin, who at the time were both single and livin' at Myrtle Beach. However, I expect that Joe and I will be spendin' some quality time pickin' off hogs and we'll be keepin' count. Unless he's kept a few hidden from he, he's at two so far. I don't anticipate bestin' him in this little competition since he's got time and youthful exhuberance, but I'm damn sure gonna do my best to try to keep up.