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- Savage Renegauge...My New Old Shotgun
Savage Renegauge...My New Old Shotgun
I have always been the guy who runs with the same firearm year after year, season after season. In some cases, it's the same one my Dad bought me when I was a kid, 35+ years ago. It was the case for years with my deer rifle and it was certainly the case when it came to my turkey gun.
Over 20 years ago I stripped down my very first 12 gauge shotgun my dad bought me to give it a “custom” paint job. You know the kind, with some leaves I found in the woods and 3 cans of camo color spray paint from the hardware store. And with open sights, into the turkey woods I went, as successful and sometimes unsuccessful as the next guy. And I never gave my gun a second thought to whether or not it was “good enough”.
But 25 years later and after several upgrades in some of my other guns, something came along in that 12 gauge Savage Arms lineup, that not only caught my eye but made me realize it was time.
My New Old Shotgun - The Savage Renegauge
Savage Arms - Renegauge
As I said, from a young man that would take a lower-end gun and customize it all on the cheap and by hand, I never had the appreciation for one that offered it all for me, nor was I aware of one in existence.
But when I recently laid eyes on this new gun by Savage, I couldn’t help myself. It’s kinda like the old adage, “Work smarter, not harder”. The Renegauge not only has options in color, camo, barrel length, and more. But it also has custom fit options included in the box. Cheek and butt plate shims for custom fit and comfort, several chokes options, etc. And when I took it to the range for the first time, it shot like no 12 gauge shotgun I had ever shot before. The fit was perfect, with minimal recoil (with a 3” turkey load) because of the DRIV gas system technology and the semi-auto with the preload function has a quick, clean action for when those 2nd or 3rd shots are needed (It happens to the best of us on turkeys)
Sighting in the gun for the first time in Iowa. From out of the box at home, to putting on the red dot and into the field was only 4 days. And it shot like a dream.
Success
That Moment - I am a firm believer in trusting your firearm when that moment arrives.
For me, it was a new turkey gun I was after. For you, it may be something else. The best thing about the Renegauge, is that it's versatile, and can meet your needs no matter what. When this bird stepped into my decoy setup, I KNEW it was over. Even though my heart was pounding like it was the first bird I ever put that bead on, it felt like a brand new version of “ol Faithful”. I trusted it!
Trust - When you shoulder a firearm in that moment, you should be able to trust it will end like this.
Success can be measured in many ways as a hunter. For me, it’s based on the entire experience. The hunt starts with the preparation, the research, and the practice. Then moves on to the people, the camp, the camaraderie, and of course the hunt itself. This one was a perfect blend of it all, and it all started with my new old shotgun and the new stories I could tell with it in my hands.
Your New Old Shotgun
I don’t plan on replacing this shotgun for as long as I am an active turkey hunter. It will become my new “old shotgun”. It looks good, feels good, shoots good, and on the very first live-action trigger pull…performed to perfection.
It’s a gun that can fit anyone and will literally last you a lifetime. It’s a gun you can be proud to shoot and pass down to the generation of hunters you are fortunate enough to inspire. It’s my new shotgun…and I know it won’t be disappointed if it becomes yours. The Savage Arms - Renegauge.