Getting to know all about you, as the old song said.
When you first get your rifle, a great elongated barrel, heavy
awkwardness, particularly so to us under ten footers. As you work up your first loads it becomes more comfortable to handle. It’s probably that your muscles are adjusting to its ungainly structure. After hunting season or the fall zeroing sessions, you can put it away and forget about much of what you’ve learned, or as some do at this time of year, when the hunting seasons are over, you spend some time polishing it up or just letting the natural browning ease into beauty that perhaps only you can see.
If you spend year ’round time taking care of your friend, all that awkwardness is gone. It used to be way too barrel heavy, but that seems to have diminished, and old Smokey has become something of a part of you and is no more weird to hold come spring than your right arm.
I gave my rifles to my grandson who has little interest, as I with my current vision have no reason to be on or near a rifle range or out in the field with them,
But I miss them.