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What was the best buy you've ever made on a hunting rifle?

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13 September 2020, 04:13
Beretta682E
What was the best buy you've ever made on a hunting rifle?
My Left handed Blaser k95. I already had a 6.5 barrel stock piled. Have added 308 30/06 and a 270.

I have been trying to get blaser to make me another one with no luck.

They had 2 wood pieces. I should have ordered two rifles.

Mike
13 September 2020, 04:16
Labman
Picked up a Les Weberneck Rifle Inc. lightweight 270 Win. built on a Rem 700 ADL action at an auction for $750. Since I already had a .270 I foolishly sold it at a much higher price. I regret selling that rifle.


Tom Z

NRA Life Member
14 September 2020, 02:23
EMP3
25 years ago, brand new Sako AV Classic 7MM Rem Mag: $570. Store was going out of business. That rifle will shoot well under .5" all day long.
14 September 2020, 03:14
Bobster
CG M96 6.5 Swede. 99% with SA stamp. 2001, $79 at Roses. One sold on GB recently at over $3,000.
14 September 2020, 07:26
Wildcatter
I picked up a Frank Wells custom 416 Remington with banded sight and quarter rib, built on a Whitworth Mauser action. Slicker than any Mauser I have handled. Two-position Winchester style safety. Custom bolt handle and Talley Bases and lever rings. Drop box magazine with a straddle floorplate holds 4+1. Gorgeous high-figured English walnut hand-made stock in Frank’s British Express rifle style. Ebony tip, steel cap, lots of sharp checkering.

I paid $1600 shipped...about a year ago. I went out and bought a lottery ticket after that. Big Grin

I bought a first year production Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 mag for $300 (four digit serial) and a first year production model 53 Winchester in 25-20 with a beautiful bore (and a three-digit serial!) for $700 in the past 6 months. I’ve had a pretty good year!


Shoot the largest caliber you can shoot well, and practice, practice, practice.
16 September 2020, 06:09
GoWyo
quote:
Originally posted by EMP3:
25 years ago, brand new Sako AV Classic 7MM Rem Mag: $570. Store was going out of business. That rifle will shoot well under .5" all day long.
I bought the same rifle from Dave Cook's Sports Castle in '93. I think I paid 599.00. Mine also shoots, and what timber!( Impulse buy when I saw it.)


Damn right its loaded, it makes a lousy club. -JW
17 September 2020, 19:46
Huvius
quote:
I bought the same rifle from Dave Cook's Sports Castle in '93.


Ahhhh...
The Sports Castle

As a point of interest to gents here, the Sports Castle was more or less right across Broadway from Jonas Brothers - the world renowned taxidermy and fur company - in Denver Colorado.

To the OP, I guess my best buy (recently anyway)on a hunting rifle would be my Mahillon 9.3X62. Paid about $600 for that rifle and although its a bit rough around the edges, has a great bore and shoots beautifully.
11 October 2020, 21:59
Dr. Lou
Not the greatest gun deal I’ve made, but too good to pass up. A couple weeks ago I went into a small shop looking for reloading dies. As I was walking toward the door I noticed an “as new” New Haven, Winchester Stainless Classic in 30-06, with a new Leupy VX Freedom 3-9 in Seekins Precision rings sitting in the used rack. $599 Also came with a sling and Hornady ammo. Didn’t need it, didn’t want to leave it for someone else.

I have found a lot of sweet fun deals, but beautiful, $200 S&W 627-0, with pristine factory combats, takes the cake.


****************
NRA Life Benefactor Member
12 October 2020, 07:54
GoWyo
Dr. Lou, it's been awhile!


Damn right its loaded, it makes a lousy club. -JW
13 October 2020, 20:54
EMP3
quote:
Originally posted by GoWyo:
quote:
Originally posted by EMP3:
25 years ago, brand new Sako AV Classic 7MM Rem Mag: $570. Store was going out of business. That rifle will shoot well under .5" all day long.
I bought the same rifle from Dave Cook's Sports Castle in '93. I think I paid 599.00. Mine also shoots, and what timber!( Impulse buy when I saw it.)


Sako AV is one heck of a superb action.
18 October 2020, 13:19
badboymelvin
I reckon my latest Winchester M70 in .338WM was probably my best buy to date.

It is a Winchester M70 CRF, SM (synthetic matte)in .338WM and it has hardly a mark on it.

The bolt-face and barrel are pristine and even the jewlelling on the bolt still looks new.

It has a 26" Magnaported barrel and came with Leupold rings and base.

I paid $800 delivered for it, which considering the condition it was in, I thought was a steal.

Cheers,

Russ




You'll probably never NEED a gun. In fact I hope you never do. BUT IF you do, you will probably need it worse than anything you've ever needed before in your life...
19 October 2020, 08:58
sambarman338
Yes, that sounds like a good deal, Russ. I suspect the barrel is a fraction long for sambar hunting but were you to cut off the Magnaported bit you might still have 24 inches, which is enough unless massive charges of the slowest-burning powders are used.
24 October 2020, 11:32
georgeld
Ahhh hell:

In 1958 when I was 14, paid $15 for a 1917 Enfield Eddystone, still have it now as .300 Win. Burned the barrel up til it scared me to look at it with a borescope, new barrel not been fired yet.

In '72 at the Weisbaden gun club: Sako Finnbear L61 7mmag $165, books now at $1100. Sako L461 .222mag $105. Wore the barrel out and now a .223.

George


"Gun Control is NOT about Guns'
"It's about Control!!"
Join the NRA today!"

LM: NRA, DAV,

George L. Dwight
31 October 2020, 18:52
BillR
I was in the Baumholder Rod and Gun club. There I bought on a closeout a 338 Magnum SAKO L61R for $60.00. Next deal was more recently a custom sporter made from an excellent condition 1927 vintage National Match 03 Springfield. Stock was really nice carved wood and flawless checkering. Traded a Remington 760 for it. Still have both guns.
31 October 2020, 19:54
Lawdog
In 1968 during my first year in law school and first year of marriage, i regularly visited a gun shop in Houston run by a famous set shooter, Grant Ilseng. Just killing time drooling and buying an occasional box of .22 shells. A gentleman came in with an as new Sako L61R .338. He told the clerk he wanted the same rifle in 30-06 as the recoil was too much for him. The shop offered him $150. I asked the customer and the clerk if I could purchase the gun at that price. At that time $100 was a huge amount of money for me. The both agreed and I walked out with the rifle, soft gun case, sling and 1 1/2 boxes of ammunition.
Don't recall what L61R were selling for at that time $400?

About 20 years ago I bought Browning Safari Medallion Grade .338 Win Mag with 3x9 Leupold and and custom Sako 300 H&H, Shilen barrel, matte finish hard chromed in a Pacific Research Stock with 4.5X14 Leupold both for $1300.


"Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."
Mark Twain
01 November 2020, 10:29
sambarman338
It's my guess, Lawdog, that you got a fair deal for that rifle in 1968 if only because dealers have to ensure a margin for themselves when buying.

I can't recall the new Sako prices here and maybe America had tarrifs on foreign guns that we did not, since our gun industry was a shadow of yours. I forget the Aust/US exchange difference, too, but we were paying $A150 for new Husqvarnas about that time (I had a Model 4000 ordered at $143 in 1969 but it never turned up). Inflation really took off in the 1970s and by the time I bought my Sako 338 mag in 1980, it cost $A400, $50 more than a Winchester M70. However, Sakos continued to escalate and I think they were about $800 four years later.
01 November 2020, 17:16
Lawdog
Respecting the fact that the shop was in business to make a profit and not wanting to interfere in the shop’s business is why I asked both parties, Before making my offer. My thought was if it was good deal for the shop it was an even better deal for me. I sold that rifle to and elk outfitter in Montana for $350 that was much needed profit and a was windfall,for me. But I always regretted selling it. It wasn’t until the order deal I mention mentioned that I picked up another .338 WMU, still one of my favorite rifles and calibers.


"Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."
Mark Twain
02 November 2020, 01:40
ghostrider272
A co-worker had a rifle his wife told him it had to go. It was "something Remington Game... I'd take 100$ for it". Another hunting co-worker was standing next to me. As soon as the seller finished his sentence, I said "I'll give you 100$ cash". Turns out to be a 1979 Remington 760 Gamemaster Carbine in 308 in better than 100$ condition. Shoots sub MOA to 200 yards (as far as I've shot it). Still have it. The other co-worker was going to do the same, just not fast enough to the punch.
03 November 2020, 08:57
georgeld
BillR:

Wow, hell of a buy!
When was that? I didn't know of a gun club
at Baumholder or would have gone there too.

George


"Gun Control is NOT about Guns'
"It's about Control!!"
Join the NRA today!"

LM: NRA, DAV,

George L. Dwight
11 November 2020, 00:15
phurley5
Now that I think this through I now remember my very first big game rifle when I could not afford a pot to piss in. I managed to save up and buy a Marlin 336 in 30-30 with two boxs of ammo and a case to put it in for $96. I took my first doe with that rifle and consider it the top trophy I have ever killed. I went on to take my two top Whitail bucks with it using open sights. I then trained my son and all my grandsons and a great grandson to hunt with it. I still have it and it will never leave my house. Good Shooting.


phurley
11 November 2020, 06:30
460 wby shooter
The best deal I ever got on a rifle was in 1986. I went to the Safari club show in Sacramento California and my dad bought me a $2 raffle ticket and I won a brand new Winchester model 70 XTR 270 Winchester! Awesome deal for a 12-year-old boy and his first deer rifle!
14 November 2020, 15:41
Heym SR20
I wrote a cheque for just over £1,000 to the Holts Auction in 2009 for my 16/7x65r combination gun made by Joseph Hambrusch in Ferlach, retailed by Heinrich Munch in Aachen. It was made in 1974 and was pretty much unused. I believe Holts took a load of guns, including this one from a German financier who was living in Namibia avoiding his creditors. Action was still stiff like a new gun. It now has lots of stories to tell.

Indeed here are the details

https://www.the-saleroom.com/e...-2773265/lot-7160367
18 November 2020, 04:04
9.3 stalker
Last week I had a call from a friend who just bought a 1901 rigby highland stalker in .275 rigby. He paid NZ$1800 (US$1000) for it. Wish I had heard about it, he already has the same rifle cased built in 1902, greedy bugger
18 November 2020, 09:08
Snellstrom
The other day Brownell's had Howa 1500 barreled actions for sale and a 6mm Creedmore was marked down to 249$. I couldn't resist.
I had a stock and bases /rings and a scope at home.
Pretty cheap way to jump into a rifle in this day and age.
Not my best deal but it was the most recent.
18 November 2020, 19:13
Cardinal
My best deal came earlier this year.
Brand new (but imported in 2017) Weatherby mk V Weathermark in .300 Win mag for £389. Normal price here in Norway for it is around $16-1700+
Also picked up 850 rds of Black Hills ELD-x and Partizan 190gr BTHP ammo dirt cheap. (BH $1.1 and partizan for 45 cents a round)
23 November 2020, 13:43
Mike McGuire
quote:
Originally posted by Bad Ass Wallace:
Martini Cadet in 218 Mashburn Bee with 4X Pecar for $AU180



It looks like a Don Black rifle with those scope mounts he use to make. Pecars were also his scope of choice.
24 November 2020, 05:06
sambarman338
quote:
Originally posted by Mike McGuire:
quote:
Originally posted by Bad Ass Wallace:
Martini Cadet in 218 Mashburn Bee with 4X Pecar for $AU180



It looks like a Don Black rifle with those scope mounts he use to make. Pecars were also his scope of choice.


Can't blame him for that, considering their strength and the lack of many Zeiss and Nickels in our market. If bought recently the scope alone might have been worth more than the purchase price.