by Daryl Gay

To the non-hunter, the fine art of the fair chase is perhaps inexplicable.

Leave for a moment, if you will, the finality of the successful hunt. For it is, very decidedly, an act of finality when the trigger is pulled. But there is so very much more involved...

Invariably when the hunt is mentioned — any kind of hunt — my thoughts immediately go to a particular gun. It is discussed and described at length in Rabbit Stompin’, and resides among my earliest and fondest memories. Standing next to a thousand others, I can pick it right out. Such is one of the sublime subtleties of the hunt: the lines, the heft, the allure of a certain firearm, especially as opposed to others supposed to mimic it.

For instance, the Winchester Model 12 pump shotgun laid the pattern for the world’s most successful skeet and trap shooters for years. There are still many thousands of them out there in gun shops and dove fields, on quail hunts and standing dusty in long-neglected cabinets. The weapon has been mimicked time and again over the years, but a Model 12 stands alone. And stands out.

Its sleek lines and remarkable reliability have set it apart from the rest of the herd since the first one was drew the final stamp of approval from Oliver Winchester’s folks in East Alton, Illinois. I don’t have to kill something with a Model 12 to truly adore this weapon. And make no mistake, it is a weapon, and killing its sole purpose. Check with a local deputy or police officer and ask what type of riot control weapon he carries (or prefers!) and you’ll likely see the Model 12 or one of its successors at the top of the list.

And then there are rifles...

The Winchester Model 70 African is a gun every hunter should have. None of us do, because few can afford or have a real need for one of the huge-caliber behemoths. But the 70 African is such a magnificent work of steel and wood art that it belongs in a place of honor on the wall of every firearms aficionado. Trust me, burnished Circassian walnut fitted perfectly to a masterpiece of machined blued steel is a sight to behold. And you just HAVE to pick it up and gently brush that stock to the cheek...

If the Model 12 is at the top of the list for functionality plus affordability among shotguns, then Remington’s Model 700 must hold that honor among rifles. This working man’s pet is as good as it gets, right out of the box. Keep in mind that my friend J.Y. Jones has taken every species of North American big game with the same 700 — an heroic feat if ever there was one. He wrote a whale of a good book about those exploits, too — One Man, One Rifle, One Land — which tells all about that rifle. The versatility of that little .30-06 is unmatched.

If you’re wondering where all this is going, just be informed that I’ve been doing a little shopping. You know, I thought I knew what I wanted, and I looked at this gun and that, hefted a dozen here and a couple more there...

Had a couple of finalists in mind, and then it happened.

Love at first sight.

Instant adoration.

Hours of negotiation.

I’m still hoping and haggling. But if you’ve never seen an exquisite little Ruger M77 in that wicked .270 caliber, you probably wouldn’t understand...