My Handi Story

[godogz]

Well, I've been lurking in the shadows for awhile on this website gleaning info and suggestions from time to time and thought I'd introduce myself.  My grandfather gave me my first gun when I was 10, an old mismatched Stevens 20 ga shotgun.  This was my only hunting gun that I used with modest success for the next 20 years of my life.  My dad was not a big hunter so what I did was self learned and living in a shotgun zone it was easy to learn on and all I needed.  As I got older and new opportunities came about I realized I needed a rifle.  10 yrs ago I bought my first rifle for $75.  It was a scoped Mosin in a synthetic stock that was a decent shooter.  My father-in-law bought me my first bp sidelock so in my mind I was set.  Well, my oldest son always would sit with me and now he's old enough to hunt too.  Last year my wife and I walked into some land that we took over payments for that was on a land contract and we decided that we needed to find something my son could use for his first hunt on our new property.  I wanted a single shot, but wanted it to be a small rifle for my son to use and was pretty much sold on a Rossi 243.  The counterman at the shop said to wait until a week before hunting season started for the best deal so I walked away planning on coming back then.  Well, the next week at a yard sale I stumbled across a Handi in 270 for $125.  It was scoped w/ a cheap Pronghorn scope and seamed like the perfect set-up for my son using reduced recoil rounds.  We bought it and we sighted it in over the summer, and I was impressed with how accurate this little rifle seemed.  We went on our hunts together, long story short he missed his first buck by shooting over it from our stand - common mistake we'll fix this summer.  

Anyways the story continues on my part.  I picked up a 300 win mag over the summer for myself ($200 for it).  On the last weekend of the regular season, he was not able to go and so I decided I was going to go into the woods a little to another stand that wasn't as wide open and thought I'd use the handi because the 300 would be overkill.  Well, a little doe wondered out right about dusk and true to the old military saying "1 shot, 1 kill" explains this hunt to a "t".  I can see how these little guns are addicting, I picked up a 20 ga rifled slug barrel for those hunts in the shotgun zone that are close enough for me to hunt after work, and now that I own property Turkey hunting is starting to peak my interest so a 12 ga barrel or maybe a pardner shotgun might be coming this spring.  I have 2 more sons coming up so another handi or 2 definitely will be on the watch list as they get older.

[Mac11700]

We can expect many more nice stories like this from you as time goes on. Congrats and welcome aboard..

Mac

[petemi]

I can't begin to tell you how glad we are you found your way here.  There's a hidden magic in an old Topper, or a Pardner or a Handi that can't be explained.  I have a few guns, but I don't know of a repeater that's been out in three years.  I think my Handiholic goose is cooked.

Pete

[MSP Ret]

Welcome aboard godogz, and if you have not already done so, enter the free shotgun givaway for your sons. You can find it in the H&R/NEF shotgun forum. Congratulations on starting your sons shooting and hunting and all the best of luck....<><....

[dpe.ahoy]

And add another welcome here.  Now as the Handi collection starts to grow, please don't try to talk the wife into more kids just so you can get more Handi's.   Just tell her the kids need more than 2 or 3 guns each .  DP

[spikehorn]

Welcome! and as was said get your name in on the 20ga starter giveaway #2

[godogz]

Thanks for the welcome - and yes I do have my entry in.  A great thing to pass on the art of hunting to the next generation.

[Lon371]

godogz
Welcome. As long as you keep finding deals like those, you will have an arsenol in no time Congrats on the new hunting grounds.

 Deep the stories coming.

Lonny

[Jal5]

Welcome to the club! Keep finding deals like that and you won't have to worry about increasing your arsenal for the younger kids. Good story.

Joe