Too nice to hunt with...

blargon

blargon

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I see this in the EE quite often. If a regular production rifle is too nice to hunt with, then why would someone want to buy it? Honestly, unless its a limited number, handcrafted work of art, why wouldn't you hunt it?

Its like buying a new harley, but saying its too nice to ride, so I'll leave it in the garage for 20 years...

People would rather sell it off and take a loss, then to carry a rifle they enjoy??
 
I agree, but have done the same. Emotions are funny things; I can chip paint, and dent fiberglass without remorse, but weep at a mark on fiddleback.
Oh well!
 
I don't understand people who can't hunt without putting dents, gouges, cracks and scrapes on their guns or without letting them rust. In the EE you see "has been hunted" like some sort of excuse for abuse.
Accidents do happen, but I am not afraid to hunt with any of my fine hand-built firearms. That is what they were made for, and with reasonable care and attention they will continue to go hunting without looking abused.
 
Longwalker said:
I don't understand people who can't hunt without putting dents, gouges, cracks and scrapes on their guns or without letting them rust. In the EE you see "has been hunted" like some sort of excuse for abuse.
Accidents do happen, but I am not afraid to hunt with any of my fine hand-built firearms. That is what they were made for, and with reasonable care and attention they will continue to go hunting without looking abused.
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Yep... Don't use a rifle as an oar, a hammer or a walking stick & it should fair out ok. The odd rifle I use may get a knock in the bush, but I bet ya there more in danger of a safe kiss...
 
Back in the 60's and 70's I'm sure there were a few people that shared your opinion when it comes to vehicles. They made fun of the guys that bought a Mustang, TransAm or StingRay and then parked them in a garage. All production vehicles but now, they are worth so much money it's not even funny. At some of the auctions, these production, run of the mill vehicles.... just like the rifles that you mentioned.... are now worth 10 times what they where when they were first sold. Some even more.

Another example is the Lee Enfield. They were sold by the pound at one time. You could get one from Sears for $8. Guys were buying them and chopping them to make hunting rifles.... now guys are whining that they can't find a nice original or the price for a good original is too high.

Everyone collects different things.... be it rifles, cars, baseball cards, comic books or movie posters. Who knows what is going to be collectible in the future. Did you ever think an old Superman lunch box would sell for hundreds of dollars after you cleaned out the basement? That off the shelf, Ruger #1 in .303 Brit could be the thing that pays for your retirement one day.
 
Yeah, but only if you keep it and not list them on the EE.

I think a lot of people like to buy syn stock and than abuse the crap out of it. I've seen guys with camo benelli tell me how badass their gun is, then just throw it on the ground in a rock blind. I saw another dude take his (hopefully unload) shotgun and use it to push their canoe down the lake. I think the internet has really screwed with people mind as to what you're supposed to do with guns.
 
No gun is "too nice to hunt with"

That being said, I'll certainly pick my days for some of my firearms. For instance, deer hunting in November around here can be beautiful, crisp clear days, or they can be sleet and slush. As it's very steep and rough terrain here, slips and knocks and dings are part of it. I'll keep the Ruger #1 in .303 for the nice days, and use a synthetic/stainless rifle for the slush...;)
 
sherlockbonez said:
Yeah, but only if you keep it and not list them on the EE.
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Yep, too nice to hunt with, but I'll sell it to Joe Nobody and he can hunt with it...:D

I think a lot of the time its more like "I bought this, can't afford it and want to move it to pay the hydro bill..."

As well, most of the time when you see these ads, the guns are not NIB. They have been fired and used plenty at the range, which will reduce any future value anyway...
 
I don't think I would ever buy a gun without the intention of hunting with it. I do have a couple I baby when I take them out. But to leave them at home? ....Never.
 
I don't buy into the concept of "too nice to hunt with", either. Guns are made to be used and I take care of mine.
 
I have some nice guns and some beaters. I hunt with the nice guns on nice days but if the weather turns sour I really don't mind. There are plenty of guns out there older than I am (some ever two or three times as old) that are still in nice shape that have been hunted with, they won't spontaneously fall apart when they get wet.
 
It's no different than owning a nice sports car. You can buy a car drive the hell out of it and after so many years and so many miles its beat to hell, or you can drive it just for fun and not rack to many miles on it. Same with guns some people like to take them out on nice days to shoot and take care of them and some people like to collect guns. To each their own, and I would rather buy a gun or a car from someone that has taken great care of.
 
A gun is nothing more than a tool. Even the good ones will wear out over time with use. Some of my guns sport a ding or two. Some don't. Only way that you can guarantee they won't is to not use them. And if thats the case, why buy them? If I'm looking for something that will appreciate in value, I'll go to collecting something like coins.
 
casterpollox said:
Back in the 60's and 70's I'm sure there were a few people that shared your opinion when it comes to vehicles. They made fun of the guys that bought a Mustang, TransAm or StingRay and then parked them in a garage. All production vehicles but now, they are worth so much money it's not even funny. At some of the auctions, these production, run of the mill vehicles.... just like the rifles that you mentioned.... are now worth 10 times what they where when they were first sold. Some even more.
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Not many vehicles are worth more then what the same money invested conservatively would be worth.
A first gen mustang was about 2500 bucks for a basic car. Invested conservatively you would have about 30,000 today. That basic car would sell for about 30k today. Something like a GT500 sold for 11000, so invested you would have about 90,000 today. The GT500 at auction could go for 120k I think.
But what is your cost to have this car sit for 50 years? some of the ones that did just sit still needed 15-20k to fix damage from just being old and stored in a garage.

Now cars and guns are different. But bottom line is if you want an investment, then invest, don't buy a car. The price of gold in 1969 was $41/oz, the GT500 was 11,000, so that 11k into gold would be worth 300k today.
 
My two most hunted rifles, a Husqvarna 30-06 and an old 270 Sako, are both quite well marked from hunting. Anybody that says a rifle doesn't get marked from hunting has never had it slung over his shoulder, while both hands were used on near vertical rock, to maneuver around a bad spot. Of course, the butt hits the rock at times. I look at those marks as a badge of honour for the rifle. They've been there, it brings back memories and I can tell you the mountain where many of the scars originated.
Actually, one of the deepest scars occured on an innocent looking slope in the bush on the first fall of snow in the fall, when my feet went out from under me and my rifle butt slid on a rock.
 
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