Declining safe population?

jtoews80

jtoews80

CGN Regular
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Location
Bonnyville, Alberta
Over the past few years my vault seems to be getting more empty. I have bought and sold a lot of guns in that time, but can't seem to find much to hold my interest. I'm down to a winchester defender, 6 centerfire and 3 handguns. Worst of it is I usually only use 2 of the rifles and 1 handgun for the bulk of my shooting.

My green machine VTR 223AI goes everywhere around the farm with me, my Vanguard sporter 257wby is my go to deer rifle and I have a 300 RUM sps for big stuff that gets out a little bit. For handguns my Norinco 1911C is the workhorse, prefered over a few much more expensive guns that have since been sold. I have a couple safe queens and have recently sold a few more, anybody else like this?? I just keep going back to the same 2 or 3 guns and ignoring the rest.
 
I'm down to the least I've had in 10 years, but I have a better idea of what I need and what I'm looking for now. No safe queens here...
 
I have a couple fairly precision rifles and have been loading since 99. I have a rem 700 22-250 AI that shoots under 3/8 outside edge groups at 100yds, I had a CZ550V 308 that shot 1/2 moa out to 300m and easily moa out to 600m, got rid of it.
Biggest issue is I don't have time and I get bored. I tend to rent guns it seems, a lot of them don't stay long enough to be considered owned. I had an AR 15 that I couldn't hit anything with, sold it.

I've been thinking I need to get away from the powder/barrel eating monsters and try something conventional. I have been planning a 243AI forever that morphed into a 6.5RUM. I should build the 243AI, or maybe a 260AI, I dunno. I still have around 500 fed GM 308 cases, so maybe I should just get another 308 and make the time to get out once a week and shoot a few strings out to whatever range. I was also considering a 6X47 or 6mmBR.

There isn't much for organized competition here and our range is only setup to 300m, to go further I have a 600m cutline.
 
You can still use that 308 brass if you build a 260 or 243. One more reason to build that 243 that you have wanted to for a while.
Most of my unused guns are shotguns, or older guns that were passed down to me. I have found that spending time and money to accessorize a gun is critical to making you want to shoot it. I have had guns that sat in the safe because the stock was a little too short, or the scope wasn't good. Change the stocks and get the scopes you want and change whatever else so that there is nothing holding you back from using that gun.
 
I was getting pretty good at reducing the population in my safe at one point.

I decided to get rid of most of the guns I dot' use much, and retain only higher quality guns that have specific purposes.I did pretty well, too.

Until I started finding more and more "specific purposes" to own different guns:)

Now I am almost back where I started from, except the cheap ol 30-06 has been replaced by a RUger #1 303 and the cheap 30-30 has been replaced by a Mdl 94 Trapper in 45 COlt and the so on and so on...:rolleyes:
 
jtoews80 said:
Over the past few years my vault seems to be getting more empty. I have bought and sold a lot of guns in that time, but can't seem to find much to hold my interest. I'm down to a winchester defender, 6 centerfire and 3 handguns. Worst of it is I usually only use 2 of the rifles and 1 handgun for the bulk of my shooting.
Click to expand...

They have a few cures for this disease.
1) Cooper :)
2) Nice custom bolt action :D
3) A ###y black rifle
4) If 1) & 2) or 3) don't work give your head a vigorous shake! :p

Your interests change with age...Just the way it is.
You will find something...Keep an open mind.
 
I have been on a purge of the good guns in the old Vaults! I sold one Marlin model 36 too a young fellow, as he reminds me of myself at that age! This was the start to my purge, and I seem to find things every time I look in the vaults lately! I think it is I am refining my collection once again, I find that every 4 to 5 years my collections improve in quality and rarity. It is still hard to let go of a fine gun with a nice bluing and walnut stock, but there is a new wish list growing in my head for the next 3-5 years ahead! So don't give up on dreaming of that next big score! take care and keep on shootin! Dale Z in T-Bay
 
I think one day you'll see me down to just the 3 rifles I use and the rest will be sold. When I actually have time to shoot, I will get a target rifle, until then what is the use. I have never had such nice toys to play with, but no time. My 22-250AI is deadly accurate and easy to load for,it doesn't see outside the vault. It is a crying shame.
 
jtoews80 said:
I think one day you'll see me down to just the 3 rifles I use and the rest will be sold.
Click to expand...


That's a good theory. Less safe kisses that way.
Once my second kid moves out on her own, I'm hoping she
takes a bunch of these pesky rifles with her. Meaning some 22's, a
couple of .410's, her deer slayer, her comic collection, dolls, stuffies,
clothes, shoes, bathroom stuff..........where am I?????? :p
 
I think I'm in the same situation as jtoews80

I started keeping a record of every gun I bought and sold in April of 2003....the list is now at 267 pieces....most I never shot. I sold 13 in the last six weeks just to whittle it down to stuff I might actually use. After a while it get's old owning a particular rifle just to be able to say "I have one of those". I've owned some nice rifles like Pre'64 Model 70's (had six of them, sold three this month)..had a Kimber Classic, a Schultz & Larsen M65DL, a Kimber of Oregon BGR'89....etc.
Not much interests me anymore.....all I need is my 700 ADL/FS 7 Mag that I took a decent buck with last fall, my custom 308 Norma on a Pre'64 M70, an old Rem 721 in 270 and my Pre'64 Fwt 30-06...if I can't do it with those it don't need doing...I do have a couple Sakos kicking around too...an L57 in 308 and a TRGS-M995 in 300 Win Mag, these will probably be sold in the future.

Now I'm putting together a couple for my oldest son,..rebarreling his Ruger lefty stainless 30-06 to a Whelen, just cuz I have the barrel and gotta do something with it and why not?,..and gathering parts for a lefty 280 on a 700 action. Got him a used lefty SPS-V in 22-250 a while back too.
I get as much enjoyment out of seeing him get nice rifles as I got buying them for myself and sticking them in the safe.

My varmint caliber rifles are geting up there in number,...gotta move a couple out soon.
 
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I don't have time to shoot like I used to, so my guns don't get used much.

However, I will never repeat the mistakes of my past where I got out of firearms (raising kids) and had sold off all my guns. When I finally got back into it, I found I could no longer own snubbies and all the other 12-x crap!

I've got thousands of dollars of guns I don't particularly like or enjoy, only test fired, just to say I have one and if ever they become undesirable, I will be grandfathered.

C-68 has caused me to spend more money than I normally would have... just because.
 
I'll keep a RPAL and my 45, my wife has hers too. Sadly tho, I really only have had one or two go to guns for a long time. Even when there was a dozen Sako, Wby and others in there. For the longest time it was a beat to heck Pre64 Westerner in 264, and since 08 it's been a Vanguard Sporter 257 wby that just shoots great, alot better than a $625 rifle would be expected too. I have a couple builds on the go, but will see if they are going to stay around. I picked up a SS 700 with a crappy barrel and had Guntech true it and I got a Gaillard 270 wby barrel on the EE, so that may be something that I'll keep, but my 6.5 RUM build and my 22-250AI may be on the EE soon, not because they are not great guns simply because I can only use one at a time. As well, I am losing the ambition required to pack a 13-14lbs rifle with an 800m+ effective range on big game to annilate WT deer at 1-400 yds.

I am still toying with the idea of building a super light 25 WSM too, barrel should be on its way to import depot in March, but we'll have to see. I thnk my wife may end up using the 25 WSM more than me. My wife is a great rifle shot who loves to shoot, probably more than she enjoys hunting. THere is little in the way of rifles she will not shoot, but prefer's something comfortable to shoot that isn't front heavy. She can't hit a 5 gallon bucket @ 50 yds if the rifle is heavy and she shoots freehand.
 
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