I love hunting and fishing, so I applied to a major chain sporting goods store in 1976. I worked there until 1980. I got to see all the new stuff, getting orders in was like Christmas sometimes, and a group of really decent guys came around occasionally. I learned a lot from them, both in the store and in the field. On the other hand...... I worked 60-80 hours a week for a 40 hour salary. The great guys were at least equaled by the nuts and liars. I had to work around the store schedule during the busiest time of the year to hunt and fish. Finally, one day in November, when I had worked about two weeks without a day off, I spent 15 minutes listening to a guy tell me how he wouldn't buy one of my "junk" .30/06 Remington 700 ADLs because they wouldn't kill a deer. He was followed by an "expert" with a dime in his pocket, who measured each one of my shotguns with that dime before buying the cheapest one. As he grumbled his way through the 4473 form, he suggested I throw all the others out, since only the fullest choke was worth buying, anyway. Next up was another expert, then another, and another. All day, I heard tales of 800 yard shots on deer (one with a 12 ga. slug, another with a 22LR, a third with a 94 Winchester) and other silliness. I decided to leave the business that day, and never regretted my decision. Since then, I've seen as least as many nuts behind the counter as in front, and heard just about an equal amount of BS from both sides. The 800 yard shot with a 22LR that hit the 12 point buck between the eyes is still the tallest tale I've ever heard from a sober man. What's yours?
