Gun store "experts" say the silliest things

[Bigsmoke]

Carried over from another post.
Have you ever encountered questionable advice from so called experts at a gun store?  Share your stories here.  I'll go first.

I am not so sure that the "black powder guys" at sporting goods stores are always the people to be believed.
Case in point: Maybe 35 years ago, I went into a Big 5 store in Spokane, WA. Just for grins, I decided to play dumb (easy for me) and asked to see a T/C Renegade. I asked him a couple of questions about this and that, and finally pointed to the set trigger and asked him what the second trigger was about. That, he proclaimed, is your built in spare trigger. If the front one should happen to break, you always have the second one to rely upon.
True story.
I knew I couldn't hold on to my laughter too long, so I thanked him and walked quickly out of the store.

[rollingb]

:rotf

I was also told by an "expert" (who worked in a sporting-goods store),.... that it is illegal to possess  blackpowder, so that's why they only stocked the "substitutes".  

I've been told many silly things by those type of "experts" over the years,.... and I'll post'em if I can remember'em.  

[amm1851]

A few years back, after I had harvested a real nice tom turkey with my flintlock trade gun, I went into a local sporting goods store to purchase a second turkey tag. I happened to mention to the salesman I filled my first tag with a flinter, and he informed me all the serious muzzleloader hunters used inlines. I am guessing the turkey I killed thought I was pretty serious.  

[Uncle Russ]

A few years back, after I had harvested a real nice tom turkey with my flintlock trade gun, I went into a local sporting goods store to purchase a second turkey tag. I happened to mention to the salesman I filled my first tag with a flinter, and he informed me all the serious muzzleloader hunters used inlines. I am guessing the turkey I killed thought I was pretty serious.    

Uncle Russ...

[Ironhand]

A few years ago I got a nice turkey with my J. Brown 20 ga trade gun. A friend who owns a gun store asked for a photo.  The next time I was in the store I saw it hanging on the wall.

When I asked him why. He said that every time he has some bozo complain about needing a bigger gun to kill a Tom he just points to the photo. He shuts down a lot of self proclaimed "experts" that way.  :

Ironhand

[Bigsmoke]

I remember back in the 1970's the owner of one of the local gun shops in Hayden, ID was out at the range watching one of our shoots.  Evidently, I must have flinched just identically in a 3 shot match I was in.  I think it was a pistol bull at 100 yards.  Shot offhand.  I put three shots in a group that could be covered with a half dollar.
He wanted to hang my target on the wall to show to centerfire shooters.
Some time after I happened to go by the shop and I asked him about it.  He said many good old boys scoffed at it and said it just couldn't be done.  When he told them he had been there to witness the event, they all just shut up.
IIRC, I think this was before I re-barreled my T/C Renegade.

[Keb]

I remember back in the 1970's the owner of one of the local gun shops in Hayden, ID was out at the range watching one of our shoots.  Evidently, I must have flinched just identically in a 3 shot match I was in.  I think it was a pistol bull at 100 years.  Shot offhand.  I put three shots in a group that could be covered with a half dollar.
He wanted to hang my target on the wall to show to centerfire shooters.
Some time after I happened to go by the shop and I asked him about it.  He said many good old boys scoffed at it and said it just couldn't be done.  When he told them he had been there to witness the event, they all just shut up.
IIRC, I think this was before I re-barreled my T/C Renegade.

Did you ever have to use that "spare" trigger on that T/C Renegade or is the 1st one still working?

[Two Steps]

Did you ever have to use that "spare" trigger on that T/C Renegade or is the 1st one still working?

[Muley]

I had one guy tell me that if I don't use Powerbelts i'll never kill anything. I mentioned round balls have been used for centuries. He told me that round balls were only used to kill humans and hunters always used conicals.

I stopped talking to him at that point.

[RobD]

away on vacation this past summer, wandering around in search of the elusive and nearly mythical over-the-counter real black powder whilst the wife did her shopping thing, i hit upon this semi-rural way northwest new yawk "sporting goods" store, and amble over to the "guns-r-us" section.  i'm paraphrasing a bunch, but the gist of it went like this ...

"naw, we don't sell no black powder.  but hey bud, you really wanna make meat this season, forget that old time crap, get you one of these here state-of-the-art modern in-line cannons, pop on one of these nikon high power scopes, load up the break action breech with power pellets and a barnes spitfire sabot boolit, and you'll fill yer freezer in no time - them 200 to 300 yard shots are a breeze"

really? umm, yeah, right, gotcha sparky ... SEE YA!    

[MountainDevil]

last year i was talking to a fellow at a rendezvous and he said because of the salt in the air, his hunting rifle rusts up and he doesnt bother to clean it, no point bcuz of him being unable to stop rust.. He also said he lets the bore rust up cuz it puts a little extra spin on the ball.....

[rollingb]

last year i was talking to a fellow at a rendezvous and he said because of the salt in the air, his hunting rifle rusts up and he doesnt bother to clean it, no point bcuz of him being unable to stop rust.. He also said he lets the bore rust up cuz it puts a little extra spin on the ball.....

I've been "rendevousin' for nearly 50 years, with some folks bein' from the west and east coasts, and I've yet to meet anyone that dumb.

[Bigsmoke]

Rondo, the really scary part of that is that they probably vote, too.

[MountainDevil]

last year i was talking to a fellow at a rendezvous and he said because of the salt in the air, his hunting rifle rusts up and he doesnt bother to clean it, no point bcuz of him being unable to stop rust.. He also said he lets the bore rust up cuz it puts a little extra spin on the ball.....

I've been "rendevousin' for nearly 50 years, with some folks bein' from the west and east coasts, and I've yet to meet anyone that dumb.

Im sure he figured i was a greenhorn since i was in city clothes, but he smarted up once i started talking about my lubricants and looked away from me a lot after that    I've visited his trading post a lot, I've known him to be a mouth runner, so I knew what I was dealing with once he started the talking. Just a shame folks like that get into the 'vous and can ruin it for the visitors.

[Hanshi]

My funniest tale doesn't involve a clerk but rather an old friend.  He was always into the hottest modern rifles and expensive ammo.  He knew I hunted only with a flintlock.  We often hunted the same farm and always talked a bit.  He told me he'd bought an in-line and would now take advantage of the primitive season.  When he saw my astonishment he added, "have you ever seen what one of those sabots with a modern bullet will do"?  I then asked him had he ever seen what a round lead ball would do.  He paused at that.  I added that if I ever caught him out with an inline that I'd shoot him.  Hunting one day we met on the farm.  The first thing out of his mouth was, "I bought a sidelock".