What else could a guy do? My wife booked one of our timeshare weeks on Leech Lake and we happened to pick the worst 3 weather days of the summer! Cold. North wind howling at gale force. Rain.
So there was nothing to do but visit Walker’s excellent Reeds Family Outdoor Outfitters and go on a tour of new or must-look-at guns for fall. Hunting season will be here before you know it, so for those of us looking to fill that gap in the gun safe, the time has arrived.
I realize that not all of these guns are new this year, or even last year. Some of these choices are new, some of them I believe are just sleepers that are worth a serious look if you’re in the market.
– Benelli 828U – Benelli storms the over/under market with this ground up and ground-breaking new offering. Stunning function, stunning style, Benelli just did to the o/u market what they did to the autoloader market 20+ years ago. If you have $3k burning a hole in your pocket, this will put out the fire with style and substance.
– Benelli Ethos – They did it again in the autoloader market. My only criticism of Benelli is the prices keep surging with every new model. But you could also argue that for $1800+, you’re buying a lifetime of shell-shucking awesomeness. Which you are.
– Nosler M48 – Available in a wide variety of flavors, but let’s cut to the chase here. The real reason for going with these rifles is to get the .26 and .28 Nosler chambering in a terrific rifle. The new Nosler siblings represent two of the most exciting cartridges since Roy Weatherby hung up his design notebook decades ago.
Franchi Affinity – These are the SWEETEST little autoloaders. I make no apologies for being a diehard 20 gauge fan and the Affinity in 20 gauge is just the sweetest, slim-n-trim autoloader and all for less than $800.
Stoeger – If you want an even lower priced 20 gauge, the new (ok, about a year old) Model 3020 from Stoger is a very nice, lightweight shotgun. I have been trying to get my hands on one of these since they were introduced, but this was my first in-person meeting. I love them. And at around $550, they represent a tremendous value.
Savage – The new A17 autoloading .17 HMR rifle brings a whole new option for rimfire varmint shooters who want an autoloading option. A terrific new rifle and I can’t wait to see if it holds up Savage’s reputation for accuracy.
Beretta – The SV10 is Beretta’s modern interpretation of the classic over and under. It is, in my view, difficult to top the classic Silver Pigeon series that has been a benchmark for decades. Your grandchildren will thank you for buying either one. And think what a bargain $3000 will seem like in a 100 year’s time.
Making the best of a rainy day at Leech Lake. My thanks to the fine folks at the gun counter at Reeds.
Grouse
