Centerfire Conundrum

Why would you "spank" a customer if he asks which rifle is best for deer hunting?

If you have an interest in hunting deer, you'd think a gun store would be a good place to start your research. In search of a suitable budget-priced centerfire rifle, I visited four retailers in northern Georgia to ask about getting started in whitetail deer hunting.

Southern hospitality was alive in most, but at one store, the clerk either thought I wasn't worthy or he simply needed a career change. After a few basic centerfire-rifle questions, he abruptly ended our short conversation by saying, "Why don't you read some books or look on the Internet for articles about rifles, then come back?"

After that spanking, no way would I be back. But in the three other stores, the clerks seemed to enjoy bringing a future Blood Brother aboard. They took their time as we explored what might be the right centerfire, caliber, and model for this "new recruit."

Store A

This independent retailer is in a large steel building that was clean and had an outdoor-adventure atmosphere. It had a lot of clothing, camping gear, and hunting accessories.

When I arrived at the gun counter, I noticed a decent selection of about 50 rifles and maybe another 50 shotguns. Three other customers were eying handguns in the glass counters, and three clerks milled about behind the counter. Right away when I walked up, an older man--let's call him Joe--cheerfully asked if he could help me with anything.

It went downhill from there.

I said I was looking for a deer rifle to start hunting deer in the area. When he asked me what caliber, I said, "Maybe a .243 or .270. What would you recommend for deer in this area?"

He seemed annoyed and rattled off another five calibers, up to .300 Win. Mag. Then he handed me a Marlin XS7 in .270 and a lever-action .30/30 Marlin Model 336 without much explanation except to note the prices. When I handed them back, he put them up on the rack and just looked at me. I tried to initiate some talk about the guns' features. That's when Joe pulled down my pants and spanked me--or at least it felt like he did.

"Why don't you read some books or look on the Internet for articles about rifles, then come back?" he said.

Joe might know something about guns, but he doesn't know jack about customer service.

Store B

This small, bustling independent hunting and shooting store is about to move into a new, larger building nearby. I stopped by on a Monday around noon and waited about five minutes for help from one of the three clerks who were busy with customers.

When "Bob" asked me if I needed help, I asked him to recommend a gun that I might buy for getting into deer hunting in the area. Bob rattled off a few calibers in the .270- to .30-caliber range, and through some voodoo settled on .308 for me. "Around here, you don't need a magnum, flat-shooting gun. Shots are usually within 150 yards because of all the hills and dense trees."

Regarding guns, he recommended three models: a Savage Axis (formerly called Edge), a Mossberg Maverick, and a CVA Scout. All were in the $300 range. He didn't offer to hand me a gun to shoulder. Still, I ran out of questions before he ran out of time, even though there was at least one other person browsing nearby.

Store C

The large chain store was almost empty at about 5:30 p.m. on a weekday. At the gun counter, two young men greeted me as soon as I walked in the area and asked if they could help. I told them I was looking for a rifle to get started deer hunting in the area. I also said I did not want to spend a whole lot of money.

One of the clerks seemed enthusiastic about helping me, and answered my questions about hunting in the area, what calibers might be best for the region, and what models would be in my price range. "Kyle" steered me to guns in the $300 range: a Savage Axis, a Mossberg 100 ATR, and a Marlin 336.

We talked about Remington 700s as the next step up in price and quality. He discouraged me from looking at the lower-priced Remington 710 TFL, saying it was made for box-store distribution and was "garbage."

Kyle took the time to answer all of my questions about triggers and stock configurations, rifle-and-scope packages, and other questions I figured an entry-level hunter might have. Overall, the experience was enjoyable, especially because the clerk took a real interest in my desire to learn about deer hunting in the area.

Store D

A clean operation with well-stocked shelves, this small, independent store is located on a rural road northwest of Atlanta. The bulk of the business is in 25-yard indoor shooting lanes. There are some rifles on racks behind a counter, perhaps 50 or so appropriate for hunting deer. One clerk was helping a man who was looking at handguns. The other clerk was chatting about guns in general with someone who seemed like a regular. I browsed and waited about five minutes before anyone said anything to me.

The young clerk--we'll call her Jessica--was energetic and helpful, and seemed genuinely interested in my pursuit. When I mentioned I wanted to get into deer hunting, she said, "Oh, yeah!"

She showed me a Thompson/Center Venture (which she inadvertently called a Contender) in .30/06 that had "been shot once or twice" but was traded in for a lighter-recoiling .243. She said that the Venture was one of her favorites, and explained some of the features. The price tag was about $550. She asked if that's what I was looking for as far as price range, and I told her that was on the high side. She happily checked around and showed me a few used rifles.

We had a discussion about calibers, and she was very informative and passed along her extensive knowledge. As I thanked her, she gave me a 2011 Savage product catalog.