High-dollar guns and the folks who buy them…
One of my favorite blogs is The Gun Nut, written by Field and Stream Gun Editor, Dave Petzal. I haven’t met Mr. Petzal yet, as I don’t run in quite the same circles (yet), but one day I’d like to shake his hand.
That’s really neither here nor there, I suppose, except to say that I was on there reading his latest entry this morning. Earlier he had reported on the recent Safari Club International (SCI) convention, where there were several fine guns sold, displayed, and auctioned… some fetching prices that would make an Internet zillionaire stagger and moan. Many people questioned the value of such guns, and what kind of yo-yo would pay that much for a firearm that they would probably never even shoot. You can go read Petzal’s blog for more on that, but it got me to thinking about my recent quest for a new rifle.
I’m no zillionaire, and there’s no way on earth I’d drop five or six figures on a gun. At this point in my life, however, I can afford to have some nicer things if I’m careful. I started to wonder what I would be willing to pay and where I’d draw the line between cost and value.
The new gun bug bit me last year, and I’ve been keeping a real close eye on the relatively new .325 WSM. It’s a lot of gun, more than I’ll ever need or want for deer, and a bit of overkill for normal-sized hogs, but it should be swift death for elk or bears. The question was, which rifle should I buy? All of this came to a rolling head at the SHOT Show in Orlando last month.
The field was narrowed because not all manufacturers offer this chambering. Some gunmakers just haven’t come on board with all of the WSMs and others are shying away due to the patent litigation surrounding the WSM design. Also, I wanted something with a muzzle-brake since my neck and shoulder don’t manage recoil the way they once did. That thinned the herd even further.
I’m something of a Browning fan, and I have first hand experience with their BOSS system. The A-bolt is a fine rifle, and I thought maybe I had made up my mind…especially after touching off a few dozen rounds at the Browning/Winchester SHOT Show media shoot.
For a little under $1000 I could get into one of these things. Drop about half that much on a new Leupold VX-III scope, and I’d be in business and out in the field for around $1500.
I had never really considered spending over $1K on a rifle before, and once I’d committed to do so, I started looking at some of the other options out there. Kimber and Sako both make fine rifles in that price range. The Kimber Montana, in particular, captured my fancy. I’d shot a couple of Kimbers in the past, and really like the way they fit and feel. For about $1200 bucks I could be there. They don’t offer a factory-installed muzzle brake, but I have a gunsmith in Sacramento who could do the work for a couple hundred more.
So now I’m seriously considering $1400. With that Leupold on top, my total cost is approaching two grand. That doesn’t seem so bad. Heck, it’s manageable for a fine rifle that I’ll own and shoot for the rest of my life.
As I wandered the SHOT Show floor, I stumbled onto the HS Precision booth. HS Precision builds some pretty nice, working rifles. The representative let me shoulder a few and work the actions. I was pretty impressed, especially with the model they called the “ProHunter Lightweight” and the rep could see it in my eyes. “How much would one of these run somebody,” I asked?
“About $2500 in the configuration you’re looking at now,” he answered.
Wow. Only $2500. Here, I was already considering $2000. What was another $500 or so? Of course, I’d still have to go with a scope. That Leupold is a nice scope, but a custom rifle seems to deserve something a little nicer… something like a Swarovski A-Line. Of course, that would put me in the $1000 range just for the scope.
The $3500 total really raised some red flags for my mental accountant. That mental accountant too often sides with the little angel on my shoulder. Fortunately, the little devil on the other side is one tough son-of-a-biscuiteater, and he whips them into shape before they guide me astray.
As I strolled away from the HS Precision booth, my head full of dream-images of elk in the crosshairs, I figured that $3500 isn’t really that bad for such a quality rifle coupled with some of the best optics you can buy. Then I passed the Christensen Arms booth.
My familiarity with this company goes back a little ways, as I’ve met some of the Christensen crew at the Tejon Ranch during a hog hunt. Christensen builds a really nice rifle, and while I’ve never had the chance to shoot one, they feel great. The components used in their rifles are pretty cool too…hardly traditional, but functional as all get out. Later, I went to their website where you can actually “build” your own custom rifle, then order it directly from them. When I got done, I had assembled a $3800 elk-slayer. Scope not included.
My mind now started to stagger. The mental accountant called in reinforcements and began to beat the little devil back. I was actually contemplating dropping $5000 on a hunting rifle! The very thought!
This is a gun that will bounce around the back of the truck, slide in and out of a saddle scabbard, and be dragged through the muck, brush and briars of hog country. It’ll be dropped from tree stands, bounced around on ATV gun racks, rained on, snowed on, subjected to the heat of the California summer. What was I thinking?
Did I mention that I’m no zillionaire? Yet, here I was, making a mental case in favor of dropping $5000 on a new gun. Suddenly, I realized where these rich guys are coming from when they spend $10K or $15K and up on a fine rifle. I started at my base comfort zone, and crept up from there. For those guys, that comfort zone probably starts where mine left off.
I still can’t see dropping six figures on a gun, except as an investment. But it has become a lot easier to understand the $10,000 safari rifles.
What would you spend on a rifle? Have you ever considered a custom gun?
My most expensive rifle was a Remington 700 XCR with a Leupold 4.5X14X40 AO with 30mm tube last year that hit me for a total to $1600. I haven’t really concidered a custom gun. There just too much money, and I have shot less than one inch groups with my remingtons, and rugers. However the prices of good hunting rifles are getting pretty high these days.
February 16th, 2007 at 6:54 am
I know what you mean, Bryan. Prices are definitely getting up there.
I wonder sometimes about my own desire for a “fancy” gun. My go-to gun for deer, pigs, and elk is a Savage 110, 30-06 with a Leupold VX-II scope on top. The whole rig came together for under $500 (the Savage has gone up since then, but it’s still a great, economical rifle), and with my handloads I’m shooting sub-MOA as long as I don’t get lazy.
Maybe it’s the fit and finish of those higher-end rifles…the luxury of it all that appeals to me.
It’s a conundrum.
February 16th, 2007 at 7:49 am
Maybe, I’m a little crazy myself, but I don’t think dollars necessarily equate to the final product, which in our case is the kill shot. Being familiar with your weapon of choice and your loads to me is more important. I own a .270 and a winchester 30.30, the latter mainly because I always wanted one. I have a gun case full of shotguns, Ruger, Stoeger, and a brand new Remington 1187, but I still prefer to bird, rabit, hunt etc. with an old winchester model 70 ranger semiauto that was low end when I bought it in the early 80’s. I never remember having to aim it anymore. I’ve used it so long its like its an extension of my body. Maybe I’m just getting old and set in my ways.
February 16th, 2007 at 11:29 am
Hey Old Scratch.
I don’t think you’re crazy at all.
“Beware the man who only shoots one gun,” is good advice for gunslingers and critters as well!
The only shotgun I ever use is an ancient Stevens 311 SxS 12ga. Dunno what it’s worth today, but it probably sold off the rack for under $200 when it was new. It’s got fixed chokes, modified and full, and I use it for everything from quail and doves to geese and turkeys.
I catch a lot of flack from the fellas with the fancy Benelli auto-loaders with their interchangeable chokes and 3 1/2″ magnum loads, but everything I’ve killed with it died without noticing the difference.
Maybe the tight chokes are a handicap when I’m wingshooting, but I sure don’t notice it. The gun comes to shoulder, swings, and goes off so easy, it’s like I was just thinking about shooting.
I sure don’t need the fancy rifles I was drooling over, and they won’t do much that my old Savage won’t do…but they sure are pretty.
February 17th, 2007 at 10:45 am