Here is my high power match rifle, it's a lot of fun to shoot. I paid a little over $3000 for it a year and a half ago, maybe a little too much at the time but i'm very glad I bought it.

Suh-weeeet!

I would like to have one. I passed on one for $1850 NIB about 5 years ago, and I am kicking myself. Just like I kick myself over the all matching hemi superbird I passed on because the guy was asking $7000. Sometimes there is no advantage to being a cheap s.o.b. like me.

FALPhil wrote:

Suh-weeeet! Just like I kick myself over the all matching hemi superbird I passed on because the guy was asking $7000.

What I wouldn't give to have a 70's Dodge Challenger RT SE fitted with either a 440 MAGNUM or a 426 HEMI. My all time dream car...beside a Porsche 911 Turbo.

Just to stay on topic....what makes the NDM86 such an expensive rifle...it doesn't look all that flash.

Cheers, Vince

The only thing that makes any object valuable is being at the right intersection on the supply and demand graph. The problem in the US is that our government, [sarcasm]in its wisdom[/sarcasm], has determined that these fine rifles are no longer importable, even though toys with lead-based paint are. In Canada, you can buy semi Norinco M14s for $450 all day long. In the US, 10 meters away, the same gun would cost you around $750, if you can find one, for the same reason.

So, there is no primary supply, only secondary, while the demand keeps increasing.

There was supposedly only 1000 of these imported before the ban, which is a fairly small number for any rifle. It's an almost identical copy of Russia's marksman rifle, the SVD Dragunov. The Russian rifles were chambered in 7.62x54r and there was only 100 imported. The going price for one of those is between 7 and 10 thousand dollars. The Chinese copied it with the Type 59(military version) and called the civillian version the NDM86. They were produced in 7.62x54r and 7.62x51 Nato. The Chinese version is less expensive, from 2500 to 3500 dollars. It's purely a supply and demand situation. Aside from furniture there is zero spare parts available, so if you break one it is basically a very expensive wall hanger. This is why I only use carefully built handloads in mine, I won't shoot any mil-surp ammo through it, and I handle it with kid gloves. It is as they say, a tack driver. The 7.62x51 seems to be a little more accurate than the 7.62x54r version.

Guts,
I am glad you enjoy the 200 meter match and that it is still being shot. The original concept was to shoot rimmed cartridges with any bullet and rimless with cast only, standing only, at pistol target ranges, during a pistol silhouette match. It gave the guys something to do with the closet queens in the off season and increased attendance at matches.

You might try the RCBS 180 FPGC bullet over 10 gr of unique. It kills rams and is very easy on the body. The 165 RCBS FPGC over 10gr of Unique works on all other targets and is a pussy cat.
Ed