I'm starting as a machinist right out of college. If you check Spam-O-Rama you will see some of my college projects.

Dimitri

Dimitri wrote:

I'm starting as a machinist right out of college. If you check Spam-O-Rama you will see some of my college projects. Dimitri

Man! that is way cool! I do a little amateur machining. I have a bench lathe and a bench mill in my shop and I use them to make small gun parts.

FALPhil wrote:

Man! that is way cool! I do a little amateur machining. I have a bench lathe and a bench mill in my shop and I use them to make small gun parts.

Lucky you! Wish I had a small mill and lathe here. After I buy this M1A most of my money is going to go to saving for a small piece of dirt, a metal aircraft building (and the cement pad for it) and a small CNC lathe and mill. Want to get myself licensed to manufacture firearms. Purchasing a "proper" home can wait!

Keeping it on topic, if there is any demand for the rifles I am thinking about getting a exporter license and cut out atleast the distributor from the "chain" so I could ship it straight to the store (or if possible the buyer). So less mark up.

Dimitri

Lucky? Nah, I'm just twice your age. I have had longer to save than you have. Of course, it doesn't hurt to live in an area that doesn't tax you half to death.

The Wolfe Publishing group (Handloader, Rifle, Successful Hunter) have a fairly practical approach to firearms and cartridges. Their writers are usually trying to convey the more pragmatic approaches to our sport and are often absent the ego trips I read in other rags.

I sense a certain reverse snobbery on the subject of rifles and their cost, however, if that is the prevailing line of thought, so be it. Here is my take on rifle/cost. Rifles aren't mere tools, they are objects that reflect craftsmanship and asthetics, at least the ones I am interested in owning. Not everything needs to be purely functional for me either. I absolutely love highly figured wood stocks and, even, in some cases, tastefully executed engraving. I like rust bluing and case hardened pieces, too. But, mainly, I look for well crafted rifles that are exceptionally accurate.
That precludes many of the entry level rifles on today's market. Sorry, but injection molded stocks, coarse matte "blueing", 6lb triggers, etal are not my choice for pursing game.

To get better firearms I have had to sell four or five of the accumulated guns from time to time to afford one. This cycle has repeated every so often over the last five decades. I now have numerous firearms whose value increases annually beyond the increase of the Dow Jones or mutual funds. IOW, high quality firearms are a superb investment. But, it is a matter of perspective.

My F150 has over 200K on the odo and the Acclaim has 154K, both long ago paid for. They cost very little to insure and license. And they both continue to satisfy my hunting and transportation needs. OTOH I would guess that many that have decried expensive firearms are probably paying monthly truck/auto payments and high insurance rates. Maybe not. But, I live modestly and place great value on quality firearms and I know how to buy them at the best prices possible. That is where I place my priority.

I returned from an elk hunt this morning with a 6X7 in the back of the Ford. It was shot at 235 yards with a pre64 M70 Super Grade, the 11th bull elk this rifle has accounted for. I bought it in 1963, used. It will go with me to Alaska for bear in 2009. I've shot other 338s, but, this one is mine and it fits perfectly and I don't care what its worth or what it cost. It instills pride of ownership and reminds me that much effort went into its creation and that I must always be worthy of the rifle.

Hear here...And Handloader speaks...All listen...Well said...

Haven't heard from you in quite a while. Glad to know all is well and then some...6 X 7 Very good.

I look at it this way...

Two years ago my hunting buddy and I won the Colorado Big Game 'Ranching For Wildlife' Lottery and got cow tags for Three Forks Ranch. This is a high dollar resort ranch and my trailer wasn't welcome on the property. (No camping, period.)

Our RFW cow tags cost us $47 and change. There were other RFW hunters but there were also hunters that paid for either sex tags. The either sex tags are sold at market price. You can buy one for $8,750.00. The success rate runs around 98-99% every year.

There is no way I would pay $8,750.00 for an elk tag, but I do not begrudge it to those that can afford it.

Expensive deer rifles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Check out Lazzeroni rifles @ www.lazzeroni.com

I'm with Bushy.
The only Gun Mag that I receive is the American Rifleman.

I had Peterson's Hunting for many years until Craig Bottington came along.
Speaking of being out of touch with the common person.
A lot of you guys probably remember every page was "Col." Craig with another animal that he shot and didn't eat. [Can't eat near as many animals as "Col." Craig shot] What a MAN. All guided hunts on private ranches.
What finally made me call it quits with Peterson's Hunting and every other gun rag, is when on the editorial page, "Col. Craig" lets all of us hunter know that we should all be sad because the greatest hunter of all time, {The Shaw of Iran's Son} had gone to the great hunting ground in the sky.
He then proceded to tell of all of the Shaw's Son's exploits. Guided, all over the world.
As if any of us normal guys really cared.
Withing 24hrs. I had canceled Peterson's and every other one of my gun rags.
These guys are all pampered desk hunters, who couldn't find a doe in a 2 acre fenced in woods, if a guide didn't hold their hand.

Eric

Well here is my take on this one. Which only means one thing; it works for me and I tell it the same way every time. The last firearm that I aquired was a single shot 2 3/4" 12ga I swiped from dad a month or so ago. This thing is beat to snot and it still keeps on working, and has a custom paint job my uncle put on it for chasing Loess Hills turkeys. Now also having said the afore wording, or should that be typed? Anyway back on track, I am of the opinion that what happens in these cases is alot like what happened with Jim Zumbo. They are given opportunities to come to these places to "promote" them and as these folks do this ALOT they know a good operation when they encounter them. Is this bad? Well I live in Iowa not Colorado so if I want a "real" chance at getting an elk(Wapiti) then I had better get myself a guide because I have no clue how to spot sign or even know where to look for them at the respective time of year. So that $3k would be worth it to me for a GOOD hunt, which in all truth does not always mean an animal must be taken. Alot of times when I do get the small opportunities to get into the field be it after hair/feather/scale then I get the chance to actually be apart of nature and experience what God has made for us to know, in many ways to commune for lack of a better word with my Creator. That for me is not something easily come by these days. Whether I am carrying a "swiped" shotgun or a $25K masterpiece of craftsmanship (H&H side by side) is of little concern to me. Though I do DEMAND GOOD QUALITY FOR THE MONEY I PAY! Another thing to think of is that some folks are just tired of spending good money on equipment that they have "settled for." Again my dad is a perfect example of this he has been getting new firearms fairly evenly for a number of years now simply because he "wants" them. It didn't matter what they cost; as he stated he was tired of making lesser grade be what a higher grade should be. Is that worse or better? Neither. It is what he is comfortable with. I am in debt up beyond my ears and there is no sign of relief for MANY years so I dream about a new $250 Armscor .38Special. He bought a used Kimber compact model with CrimsonTrace grips for his "new" CCW firearm.

I read Handloader and and a few others. But mostly I ignore most of the others as I am tired of seeing ads for "enhancing my intimacy with my partner" for CRYING OUT LOUD I DO NOT NEED THIS STUFF MY WIFE WILL NOT LET ME TOUCH HER PERIOD!!!!!! One of the problems with all of the chemicals the doc's have her on. Really messed up her whole life but the alternative is she isn't here. Hence the dreaming about a new .38Special and the debt up beyond my ears. All in all it is just what you know to be true and talking with folks who are not trying to blow smoke up your wazoo and YOU WILL figure out fairly fast just what works and does not in different situations. I still like to read stories about African safaris even though I will probably never go on one, same as I like reading stories by Jack London and Jim Kjelgaard. Those are the things that have inspired today's writers even if they have sold themselves to a product line. What really makes me mad is that I have to turn twenty pages to finish an article with one or two paragraphs, and the whole way is an advertisement. Yes I know that is what keeps the magazine affordable for the most part. I still wish there was some way to get them to run a storyline start to finish.


Oh and by the way last I heard it was Brigadier General Select
Boddington, he was waiting on Congress for his star. Not sure if it came through or not yet.

Guys I do not put much stock in are the ones who make it seem like white-tailed deer are wearing Class XX body armour. And the "ONLY" way to take one is to have NOTHING LESS THAN .30Cal. Yeah OK. Again they do this alot and I am OK with them making the choice they do but there is no do everything round out there, with a possible exception being a shotgun with all of the different types of ammunition but then that is another kettle of fish to fry for the long winter nights with a good 12 year old bottle of Wiskey around a nice warm fire with a group of good friends that enjoy picking on each other. As my grand-dad "used" to say when we were up there with him and a glass in hand - Skoal! (Cheers!-Danish)

Arron,

Sorry to hear about your wife.

Dimitri

Gidday Arron...what you say makes a lot of sense, well certainly to me.

As 'Mitri said...sorry to hear your wife is not well mate. God speed her recovery.

Like you, I cannot afford the biggest and best, so I make do with what I can afford, but I make sure that I buy the best I can afford so that I am getting value for money.

With the exception of my Weatherby Vanguard and Fausti O/U 12g, all of my rifles are old, with a capital "O". I bought my first rifle in 1969 (a Krico .22 rimfire) and I still have it. In fact it is my "go to" for rabbits.

It is unfortunate that the opportunity to learn about hunting does not exist as it did 100 years ago. In those days it was hunt or starve, and Dad or Grandpa taught you from a very early age. Today hunting is a sport and not everybody participates. Then there is the money making ventures we call Canned Hunts, and the Guided Hunts...both far too expensive for my dollar. But you are right when you say that a guided hunt can teach you heaps and produce a good hunt, albeit an expensive one, so I suppose that there is a place for them in our sport.

Having said all of that, I still don't really trust the gunwriters in the main stream Gun mags. Most of them have an agenda or owe loyalty to someone else other than their readers.

Cheers, Vince

Vince wrote:

all of my rifles are old, with a capital "O".

Not too sure about my 22LR which is a Cooey, but its plenty old! And my FN49 was originally delivered to Egypt in 1950. So do I get to say my rifles (till the M1A comes in) are dirt old too ??

Dimitri

TNX Guys,

One way to look at these things is as an implement, and the fact that they last as long as they do is proof that they become a part of who the owner was. There are three things in my house that are "priceless" and they are not firearms. One is an old level that was my grandad's and he used it alot from what I can tell, and a shaving mug that also was his , which I do use and sometimes with an actual straight razor believe it or not, and a pocket watch that has been through about five different owners in my dad's family and it will go my youngun' when I think he is ready to take care of it properly. I have other tools that I use to this day were used by other folks and I sometimes would rather use those older tools as there is some character. Obviously they are not what I want if I need something done right now but if I want to take my time and make it mean something then these are what I use. I guess it all just depends on the task and opportunity with the equipment.

Oh and as far as recovery goes for the wife there is no "recovery" in her future. Only maintaining where it is for as long it can be managed. And then it will kill her, one of the main problems with Wegener's (HE HE, add sarcasim for effect please), and there is really not a heck of a lot that they about this auto-immune disorder. So we do things that we can and do not do what we cannot. There is no reason to get yourself all worked up because you just got to do what you can with the hand you've been dealt. That is the only real thing that I know anymore! Later.

You are totally correct about "the implement" and its history. I am sure that each and every one of us here has an heirloom or two about the house that holds significant sentimental value, but more likely than not no real monetary value.

I have a coin...a Dutch Guilder dated 1794 that was given to one of my ancestors as a form of Medal/Decoration. I also have my Great Grandfather's sheath knife from when he worked on the great clippers that plied the seas in the late 1700's early 1800's. I am really dirty on one of my brothers...Dad gave him our Great Grandfather's muzzle loader pistol to hold and pass on, but my brother is an alcoholic that cannot maintain his finances. I believe he pawned/sold it some years back to buy bits for his Harley or a couple of cartons of beer.

Arron, I understand what you mean about your wife...all you can do is help her have the very best quality of life you can. That is a spouse's lot in life..remember..."For better or for Worse, In Sickness and in Health"...the tables could quite easily have been turned 180 degrees.

Apologies for drifting Off Topic. I'm back.

Cheers, Vince