If I could do it all over......

I think I would have kept my first rifle, a Win Model 70 30-06 and just hunted with it for the duration. Probably kept my first pistol, a S&W Model 57, and bought a couple of more pistols for concealed carry.

I would have skipped the few hundred other guns I have bought and sold and bought stock in Apple.
 
I've sold or traded a few weapons that I have at times regretted, including my first Python and a 6" nickel, .22lr Diamondback. But the one I would like to have back was a Smith & Wesson 3913 with a serial number XXX1234. Every gun show around my area I always look for that little piece.
 
I would have bought A LOT less stuff on a whim, and definitely used my free time more to do things like hunting & fishing, rather than just sit at home watching TV. Then again, it's easy to say that now, when I'm not so tired, instead of back then, when I was in school and working 3 part time jobs & exhausted 24/7.

Oh, and definitely would have paid more attention to what makes for a good girlfriend / wife. Yes, a big change on that...
 
looking back

I wouldnt change a thing, my hunting career has been a fantastic adventure. I just hate that life is so short!!
 
Should have married my 3rd wife first, and saved myself a ton of cash.
Should have never sold my Hex barreled, pump action 22 my grandfather left me. ( It was a gun that the carnivals used to have at their shooting gallery, and worth a fortune now. I got $100.00 for it. Can you say Dumb A--.)
Shouldn't have pulled both triggers at once on grandads old 10 gauge shotgun on my 8th birthday that resulted in my first broken nose.
Should have listened to the wife about 2 years ago about selling all my old camo and hunting equipment because I thought I had entirely to much stuff.
I learned that you can never have to much stuff.:D
 
Well I wouldn't have sold the Ithaca Model 37 20 guage I had as a teenager and I wouldn't have spent a nickel on C'mere deer!

Other than that, there aren't too many regrets!!!!!
 
"If I could do it all over..." My first thought is, "I'd do it all over you." :D:D:D

Sorry, it's just a character defect.

As far as guns'n'huntin', I doubt I'd do much different except for more of both. No complaints, though.

An '06 and a 6.5 Swede? Naw, 5'-10" is tall enough to suit me. I knew a 6.5 Swede. She was a Montana cowgirl. Rolled a cigarette with one hand.

Rolled me with the other...
 
If you wish to leave firearms, or anything else to someone in particular, give it to them with title it before you die. Otherwise, you wouldn't believe what happens in some families.
 
Would have kept my Sauer made 7mm Weatherby LH and my Browning 308 BAR. Would have kept my matched set of Smith 57, 629 and 29 in 6" and 8.375".
 
Probably wouldn't of took up "tree-trimming", and would of joined up with my uncle Luther and learned plumbing at an earlier age!!!Would of stayed in the Guard,,,,,would of retired by now with a pension of some kind.:o Damn sure wouldn't of sold or traded any of my guns off....jeeze I could go on for days..... the one thing I don't regret.... signing up with you fellars.;)
 
I've thought about it some, and I don't guess I'd change a thing.

I've lived a good life, with more than my share of really hard times, but I've also had a lot of fun. Never been rich, but never really wanted to be, either. I've generally managed to earn what I needed with enough left over for some stuff that I wanted; including enough hunts to keep me entertained a good portion of my life.

I'm happy, with a wonderful wife, so life is good.

I guess if I just HAD to change something, there's a bronc or two that I might wouldn't have saddled on that particular day, or maybe a woman here or there I'd have avoided meeting. All in all though, mistakes are our opportunities to learn, and I've learned a lot.

Daryl
 
yeah, the number of wives is clearly too high, but mainly I would not start my gunbuying habit with a bunch of Africa-suitable magnums. Should do wonders for my shooting.
 
I would have done this different and the same

I would have wasted less time, watching, thinking, dreaming and more doing. I would have had more courage to fail. Would have been more patient and followed my brain more than my heart.

As far as guns. Wouldn't have purchased my GP100 great gun no use for it. Would have got a 6" 44 instead of a 4". Would have bought a browning a-5 or gold hunter instead of a remmington 1187. Would have stayed with smooth bore and not have to keep messing with sabots that every 3 years are not made anymore. I would have bought my leopold vary 2 2-7. 20 years later still works.

Now looking at Marlin 30-30 and have decided to drive 300 miles round trip to bey a 308 BLR or BAR (will decide at the store). (none around here, and I mean NONE!) Otherwise I will be always wishing I spent the extra 300-500.

Mostly I would have spent more time with my kids when they wanted to spend time with me. I spent lots of time with them but I could have done more.. you can't ever spend enough time with your kids in my opinion. Now its..."Hey dad.. see ya Da.. 16 and 18 yrs.

I would have also bought a motorcycle back when I really wanted it.\

Would have studied harder and kept in Math and Sciences instead of Law School.. Would have eaten more veggies, brushed my teeth more and kept my life a little simpler and listened to my own inner compass more. Other than that all was and is great. Oh yea, Skipped 1st wife. Still not married again but I have a great girl going on 8 years.. Keeping her.
 
it ain't the money, it's the time

I've got a bunch of dough wrapped up in guns and accessorries, but if I saved all that money for hunts, I still could not have made them.

Unless you set your own hours, own your own business, make a ton of cash or are independently wealthy, you work for the man, who sets your hours, controls how much time you get off, when and for how long.

My Chief goes to Africa. The local LT for the DNR goes to Africa. Us 'line staff' guys go to work.

Yeah, and what time you do have you've got to juggle against responsibility and obligation to others.

I hunt hard, close to home, before and after work, normal days off. My leave gets split between my family, community stuff, and my hunting. When I was younger it drove me nuts.

It's the time.
 
I would have used the money I had ten years ago to invest in my farming operation instead of on souped up trucks and women who weren't ever going to hang around. If I had I'd be extremely wealthy now. I wouldn't have traded or sold a lot of the guns that I did and I wouldn't have taken a hiatus from hunting. At 28 maybe I've got time to turn it around. A lesson bought beats a lesson taught any day:D.
 
I would take up my Grandpa's offer to go sit in a turky blind with him even though I wasn't old enough to hunt yet. That is my one greatst regret, is I never went hunting with Grandpa even though he loved it so.

I would go to every dove shoot I could have with Pops, football be damned.

And I would have made a better effort to try and get my sister invovled when Pops and I went hunting.
 
If I could do it all over again I would have gone duck hunting with my grandfather. If I would have known that it was going to be his last hunt I would have skipped work to spend that time with him.
 
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