Fear No Rock ... Or Repair!

I love my Clackacraft 16LP MegaBox drift boat. The layout has tons of storage and is easy to access. The boat rows like a dream. And, despite having had a hard life as a working guide boat, she's in solid shape.

I also love companies who stand behind their products. Had it a year back with my Remington Versamax shotgun when not only did they replace a problem part I identified, but also checked and found a few others and sent those - despite being over a year out of warranty. Nice!

Recently I've notice that the rower's bench in my Clacka won't stay put. It rides on rails so you can adjust for different leg lengths, gear loads, etc. Even when thoroughly tightened, as soon as you get your feet on the brace and pull a good oarstroke, you slide back. Gets old fast.

So, I give Clacka a call this morning, figuring I'll need to order some new screws or something. As soon as I get the guy on the phone it's evident that he knows this problem well. "Do you have the plastic clip or the metal one...". Of course, I don't know as I've yet to take it apart. "No problem," he says "I'll send you out a set and some new screws. Just give me your address." Wow - impressive. No warranty questions, no hassles, and no charge.

And that, my friends, is why I'll likely never row another brand of drift boat. I truly value companies who stand behind their products. When I hit the Lottery ($152 mil drawing tonight, just sayin'), I'm ordering up a Clackacraft 16' Eddy in Central Michigan Chippewas maroon and gold.

Looking for a new drift boat? I can't say enough good about the Clackacraft brand. Well-built, and well-backed! Kudos!

-Sean-

Remington Customer Service Props

As noted previously, there's one facet of my Remington Versa Max shotgun that I'm not all that happy with. The forend is loose and "floats". I had always assumed it was a part of the design of the gun. By floating it, there's room for expansion when the gun heats up. But it's annoying and weird. Especially when I pick up my buddy's nice, tight Beretta Xtrema.

On Saturday, my companion in the duck blind notices this and says, "Hey, is your forend loose?" I tell him it's been like that since day one and I think it was designed that way. My other buddy alos offers, "Wow, that's weird." Crap. And I had just made peace with this feature as somehow "normal" even though it bugs the shit out of me and always has.

Earlier this week I find myself at Cabelas, so I lay my hands on three different Versa's (one new, two in the used rack). Hmmmmm. All nice and tight. Like they should be. This simultaneously validates and frustrates me. But it gives me hope that maybe I can get this gun, which I basically like, to perfection.

After digging out my paperwork (damn, I'm just out of warranty), I call Remington's customer service. Rep on the line is very knowledgeable and confirms that yes, they have redesigned that part. And even though I'm out of warranty, they'll send me a new one at no charge. He puts me on hold to do some paperwork. In the meantime, I decide to ask if there are any other significant updated parts and can I please get those, too?

When the rep returns to the line, he confirms my order, as well as a few other parts that have been upgraded and he will also be sending me.

This is a key element of brand loyalty - standing behind your products without question. Even in the most elite precision manufactured products (got any friends who own high-end European sports cars?), mistakes happen. Engineering changes are made to solve problems discovered in real-world use. Remington would have been fully within their rights to say, "You're out of warranty, so we'll have to charge you." But, they didn't. Pretty damn cool. Kudos to Remington.

-Sean-

Lessons Learned

Had the opportunity last weekend to duck hunt with a friend who's a member at the Walpole Island Rod & Gun Club. I've hunted the marshes on Walpole before and found it a fun, unique experience. But it's definitely a challenge.

We hunted Friday evening and then Saturday morning. Much better results on Friday evening with 16 ducks among three hunters. I folded a duck on a tricky passing shot, so I felt good about that. Saturday was tougher - rainy, cold, and not many opportunities, but blind partner Andy was up for the challenge and bagged three.

But the real purpose of this post is to share two key things I learned. Well, OK, maybe I didn't LEARN them, I just forgot to do them in advance.

Practice Makes Perfect
Shoot clays. Shoot clays. Shoot clays. I didn't shoot any over the Summer or Fall this year. Just too many other things going on. Boy was that a mistake. My mount ranged from bad to inconsistent. My follow-through was poor. My lead's were way off and I wasn't swinging through the shot. And, finally, I was getting behind and then rushing shots. Shooting is a muscle memory skill. You have to do it to do it well. Lesson One learned.

Check Your Gear
My Remington Versa Max is a great waterfowl gun. I've written plenty on this subject. It ran perfectly on this trip, even in a flurry of shooting at dusk on Friday. But I couldn't hit sh*t. Yes, some clays shooting would have made a huge difference. But something else didn't seem right. On Saturday, I tore the gun down for a thorough cleaning after sitting in the rain for 4 hours. When I removed the choke tube to clean it, I noticed something key - I had the Full choke installed. That's swell if you're going to shoot turkeys. Or, maybe on the second barrel of a double gun. But for the hunt we were doing, I might have just as well brought my .22 rifle. Oops. I'll be getting a choke tube case and carrying them in the blind bag now.

Valuable reminders that would have upped my success. Or, in the immortal words of Homer Simpson, "Duh-OH!!!!".

-Sean-

Remington Versa Max Follow-Up

After a day chasing ducks (and a lot of rounds fired), I feel compelled to write a little follow-up on this fine firearm.

Things I really like:

• The "heft" of the gun. Sure, I would NOT carry this one for a day in the field, but for waterfowling a bit more bulk helps the mount, the swing, and in absorbing recoil.
• The recoil, or lack thereof. Even 3" Remington Hypersonic ammo had very little recoil. 
• Being able to shoot high-speed ammo like Hypersonic. I found that this round is really ideal for me on waterfowl. I shot several flavors of ammo on this hunt and the Hypersonic was far and away the most effective. I'm told that Beretta advises against it as it can damage the receiver. The Versa Max was built for this type of abuse.
• I love that this thing digest whatever ammo you throw at it. Put in a 2-3/4" a 3" and a 3-1/2" and it just  blows right through.
• I've never had a misfeed or misfire. Ever. Cheap ammo, expensive ammo -- doesn't seem to matter.
• The TruGlo fiber optic bead is pretty sweet. Enables me to keep my eyes on the target, but easily track where the barrel is (without looking at the barrel).
•  This gun fits me. I have relatively long arms, but it shoulders perfectly every time. Somehow it just seems to find my shoulder pocket.
• The safety falls naturally to-hand.  It's so easy simply to disengage during the mount. I really never had to think about it. And I haven't had a single "safety whiff" yet. 
• It's sleek and good-looking without the spacegun looks of some of the new guns out there on the market.
• It shoots where I point it. When I use good technique, the results are very solid.

Issues are very few:

• Given that it's mostly a waterfowl gun, I probably should have bought it in camo. My bad.
• The "float" of the forearm and to a lesser extent the barrel are a bit off-putting. I'm sure it's all part of the engineering, but it does feel weird.
• It's just a touch long overall, which made finding a floating case a bit challenging.

All-in-all I would give this fine shotgun very solid marks. At a very competitive price point, it really delivers.

-Sean-

Gun Lust

I don't need it, I don't need it, I don't need it.

But I've always loved the Browning Citori 525. Couldn't really see much difference in the 625. Then at this year's SHOT Show I saw the new 725. For a brief moment, the heavens parted and an otherworldly light shone on this beauty.

Browning did an extensive redesign on the venerable x25 to make the 725 truly special. A lower profile receiver, paired with a redesigned barrel rib, and a new grip make the 725 fall to hand like a finely handcrafted bespoke gun. The action's butter-smooth and the trigger is as crisp as some custom range queen  rifles.

I can just see this superb firearm upping my sporting clays averages or busting pheasants in the field on a crisp early Winter day. Probably too nice for bunny busting or ducks. But I've got the Remington Versmax for that!

A beautiful piece of craftsmanship. And, at $2,500 (Field model) certainly not overpriced. If you're in the market, I would definitely check this new introduction out.

-Sean-

Remington Versa Max One-Year Tear-Down

Did my first full-on tear-down and cleaning a couple of weeks ago. While I haven't shot this gun extensively, it's had some decent outings - probably 300 rounds between clays and duck hunting. My only cleaning efforts have been to run a Bore Snake through with some Hoppe's No. 9.

Being gas-operated, my inclination was that the pistons and related components in that region would be pretty grimy. Imagine my surprise to find only minor carbon that easily cleaned up with a bit of CLP and a toothbrush! A little Remington Bore Scrubber and a few patches and the barrel's ready to rock.

I'm still extremely pleased by how easily this gun disassembles and goes back together. Truly a simple machine. Thus far, I have yet to experience a mis-fire or any error in operation. I'd call that pretty good news!

-Sean-

Quality Time

Spent yesterday duck hunting on the Canadian side of Lake St. Clair with good friends Jon and Dan. Though we got skunked (again!), it was still a great day. Which was a reminder of the other benefits of spending time outdoors with your friends and family.

I've spent considerable time outdoors with these guys - hunting ducks and pheasants, fishing for steelhead, salmon, trout, and musky, as well as shooting sporting clays. We always have a blast, no matter the conditions or outcomes. Spending a day in a boat, field, or river with these guys never fails to produce some entertaining moments and create memories.

I have so many friends I'm fortunate to spend time with outdoors. And one of the key side benefits is that you get to know each other in ways you'd never accomplish at a party, in a meeting, or in some similar setting. My Dad and I have gotten great time and grown closer both on our outdoor adventures and travelling to these same adventures. Jon and I had a great chat about life, New Year's Resolutions and much more on our trek back from Canada yesterday.

Not to sound sappy, but cherish those outdoor buddies - the value of the time you spend with them is far greater than the fish you caught, the ducks you shot, or the number of Black Diamond runs completed.

-Sean-