Cheap vs Expensive Rifle

[dan belisle]

The best thing to do is start buying all the parts and get them together for the eventual project. BTDT.

And that's how you end up with a room full of gun parts, lol. - dan

 

[dan belisle]

I have this one gentleman that hunts with us each fall for many years...First hunt he brought a rifle that I did not recognise but could tell at a glance that it was of very high quality...Into the hunt we got friendly enough that I asked about the rifle he was carrying...It was a David Miller.

Years later he showed me his collection that numbered well over fifty rifles all of that quality and higher...Ends up they run from $35-$200K depending on how early or late you bought...We got to know each other well enough that first hunt that from then on he used my mostly run of the mill Remington's and Sako's that at most have been rebarreled and have an H-S or McMillan stock fitted with some action and trigger tuning.

Just goes to show...That show can go but when it comes right down to it it's still show.

These are some David Miller rifles...Funny thing was everything on his rifles is hand made and fitted but he was very old school and loyal when it came to optics and swore by mostly using Leopold...The scope mount and base was even hand made...costing many thousands.

https://www.cpoutfitters.com/David-...r-Model-70-Bolt-Rifle-p/dmcwm70ba338wm211.htm


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I've handled a couple of Miller rifles, you're correct, they are works of art. Way out of my price range, but I really admire them regardless. - dan

 

[DGY]

I have a cabinet full of Remington 788s that outshoot just about everything I could buy for 3 times the cost.
I can buy 3-4 788s for the price of Benelli and it still wouldn't outshoot them.
That's the problem with rifles. Are you Hunter or a fanboy.
I'm a hunter so having some pretty thing in the cabinet makes no sense for me.
I can take them to the deer woods without any concern about bumps and bruises and hit a 1/2 dollar at 100yds.

I’m a hunter and I don’t mind bringing a nice looking rifle in the bush, actually I prefer that to something that look like ####e… it has to be a shooter that is for sure but doesn’t have to be a 1/2moa shooter, I’m a hunter not a sniper!

 

[Mike Webb]

Maybe 25 yrs ago my brother in law and his son in law decided to get serious about deer hunting. I suggested they look at the Savage 110 "package" guns - case, sling, scope, caps, mag and rifle in synthetic stocks. Maybe $500 each. They chose identical .300 WM rifles. One shot a mulie buck that got into the bottom of the Saskatchewan book, and the other shot an equally nice mulie that was just outside the cutoff score. Their success proves that you don't need an amazing piece of engineering or manufacturing finesse to do well in the field.

Most of it is pride of ownership to my mind. A high quality gun doesn't kill stuff any deader but some guys like to own a firearm that has had more expensive materials and extensive labour put into it. And to some a firearm is just a tool to accomplish a given task. To each their own.

 

[westcoaster]

My first hunting rifle was a Winchester Model 670A in 3006. For those who know this a stripped down, Birch stocked, blind magazine, economy Winchester - but it shot fantastic with Federal 180grn blue box ammo. When I built my next hunting rifle I ended up giving it to my nephew who hunts with it to this day.

For me it was when I had the economic means, more than actual need, when I went out and built a very nice hunting rifle based on a stainless steel New Haven Classic Model 70 in 338wm.

I have hunted that rifle everywhere and 20 years later it has a few marks from hunting but it still shoots fantastic.

I think one does not necessarily have to spend a fortune for a rifle to shoot well - but it helps.

 

[brybenn]

I hunt with a traditions buckstalker muzzleloader 50cal. It is the most inaccurate gun I own. 5" 5 shot groups at 100m. It fits me perfectly. Simple to carry and comes to shoulder like a fine shotgun. I've never missed a deer with it and 4 of the top 5 whitetails I've shot have been with that rifle. 80 yards is a far shot around here and most shots are 20 yards or less
I've looked at high muzzleloaders and even priced a full custom one made to my specs. At $2500 I thought it was a great deal but I still hunt with that old buckstalker. It's never let me down. Now the new cva long range 45 cal muzzleloader has my attention but hard to justify un the woods I hunt.
A 72cal rifle though. That would be fun