CO I can appreciate where you come from. Sure the Warbird might not be for the typical newbie but it's certainly not un-managable and it isn't going to leave the unsuspecting shooter in a quivering heap of DNA. I guess I always take it for granted that many youngsters who ask about various guns are just literally EAT UP with guns and hunting like I was at an early age. I know when I was a kid of 12 or so I thought the sun rose and sat on the 300Wby mag and envisioned it rendering the shooter into a spastic coma upon the pins fall. But I went on to grow up in my brothers sporting goods stores and learned the mastery of shooting rifles while on the ROTC Rifle Team when I was in the 9th grade. By the time I graduated high school I preferred and could handle "normal mags" with a high degree of proficiency. IMHO "recoil" is much more percieved between the ears than between the shoulders. My 9 year old could hit me in the shoulder or jaw with MUCH more ferocity than anything south of say a 50BMG so I don't understand all the hoopla around a lil noise and push.

I also understand your frustrations as a guide. I haven't guided out west but have been a turkey/deer guide numerous times in several states for relatives, friends and clients and yes some would do theirselves justice if they traded ALL of their guns for a set of golf clubs. On a lope/mulie hunt last Oct in WY my brother and I's guide was "inquisitive" about our magnums (my Warbird and my brothers 300WSM) until he saw us in action on the range that first afternoon and went on to learn how much shooting and hunting experience we have. LOL after we each took our lopes at over 300yds with ease (mine at 367 while facin us) he laughed and told everyone he was, "crappin in bed with both eyes wide open" (I think that must be some western equivalent too our southern "crappin in tall cotton" ). He also told his outifitter that he wasn't working but was being paid to play and hunt with two guys who "could put holes in anything within 500yds". We honestly thought it just un-deserved braggin on us, but there were several cases of other hunters on that hunt who missed animals as close as 20yds!!!


My motto has always been, "My trigger isn't pulled unless I KNOW I am GOING TO MAKE the shot"
RA