Well, That Ain't Good

by
posted on May 29, 2013
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
wilder_ah2015_fs.jpg (17)

It's no secret that, sometimes, it's just not your day. Or week. Or month. But that's life, and you can bet that so long as you're plugging along, you'll hit speed bumps from time to time. In my family, the standard reaction to a calamity, great or small, is usually the utterance of a simple phrase: "Well, that ain't good."

Growing up, it was my dad's typical response to just about any problem we ran into—whether it be around the house, in the field or elsewhere. My brother and I inevitably adopted the trait, and it's grown into a family motto of sorts. My most recent usage of it happened the first morning of a turkey hunt earlier this spring when, well... something happened that was most certainly not good.

We'd arrived to camp the night before, and hastily sighted in our shotguns as a thunderstorm approached from the west. Content with how my gun was patterning, I placed it back into its case and moved it to the safety of my sleeping quarters. Just a few short hours later, it was time to rise and begin the task of finding a turkey—and so the shotgun and its case were moved to the backseat of a truck.

After about a half-hour drive, we'd reached our destination. My companion, the hunting guide and I hopped out of the truck, and I placed the gun case on the tailgate. I grabbed the zipper, which was near the case's rear, and opened the case up, expecting to see my shotgun waiting for me. Instead I was immediately struck in the forehead by the gun's stock, which had somehow become separated from the remainder of the gun and was mysteriously propelled towards me. Fortunately the rubberized butt stock was what made impact.

Now let me make it clear that, when my family truly does feel defeated, we preface our "Well, that ain't good," with a very audible sigh.

This was one of those times.

At the time, I had no idea what happened. It was 4:30 in the morning, and very, very dark. After scanning the ground and recovering the spring—which, as you can imagine, is what sent the stock barreling towards me with force—the hunting guide and I each took a shot at seeing if we could get the shotgun back into one piece. We hadn't yet recognized the extent of the damage, and as you can expect, we failed pretty miserably. And so, with the sun slowly starting to creep up on us, I put the gun back in its case and followed the guide and our other companion into the woods, unarmed.

So, on that very first morning of the hunt... I sat on the bench.

Ultimately, we didn't see a bird, and I was was able to pick up a new gun at lunch. Upon further evaluation, the shotgun in question had seemed to have suffered some sort of stress fracture in its action spring tube—and it finally broke all the way through at some point between sighting it in and taking it out of the case the next morning.

And so I returned to work with the tale of the projectile butt stock. It wasn't very entertaining in the moment, but it seems to have legs as a "when things go wrong" type of story. Such is life.

Hey, things could have been worse. We could have dealt with heavy rain and 40 mph winds on the ensuing two days of the hunt (hint: we did).

Well, that ain't good...

Latest

True Shooting Doves
True Shooting Doves

A Shotgun for All Seasons: Savage Renegauge in Argentina

If you want to test a shotgun’s reliability and recoil control, you take it on a high-volume hunt. If you want that trial to more resemble torture than test, you make that a high-volume Argentina dove hunt. Read on to find out how the Savage Renegauge performed.

NRA Names Kyle Lamb as Brand Ambassador for America’s Rifle Challenge

The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) proudly announces Sergeant Major (Ret.) Kyle Lamb as a Brand Ambassador for the NRA America’s Rifle Challenge (ARC), an innovative training and competition program built around the safe and effective use of the AR-15 platform.

#SundayGunday: Banish 46-V2

On this week's #SundayGunday, we're talking about suppressors, specifically the Banish 46-V2, capable of taming nearly every gun in your safe, up to and including the big boys like .338 Lapua.

KelTec Named Official Stage Sponsor for 2025 NRA World Shooting Championship

The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is proud to announce KelTec as an official sponsor of the 2025 NRA World Shooting Championship, returning to Camp Atterbury, Ind., from September 30 to October 4, 2025.

Thompson/Center Arms Celebrating 60th Anniversary

Thompson/Center Arms is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2025. Since 1965, T/C Arms has built a legacy rooted in the pioneering spirit of American hunters.

Federal Ammunition Awards 2025 Tom Knapp Memorial Scholarships

Federal Ammunition recently awarded the 2025 Tom Knapp Memorial Scholarships to two 4-H shooting sports teen ambassadors: Lucy Evans from Georgia and John Bruner from Pennsylvania.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.