make mine a herter's model j-9 in .30/06, topped with an older-style weaver 6x with the wide-view reticle.

Savage99

I agree with your opion on buying rifles. I personly have nothing against the fine custome rifles out there, but I see no need for them myself. I have hunted all my life with "stock" rifle and never had a problem. I think many believe that the custome rifle is fool proof and can not fail them( this of course is NOT true as they are still just machines created by humans). If you have the money and the desire to own the fine custome rifles thats wonderful but NOONE should ever let the fact that they "only" have a reming( or winchester or sav etc.) stop them from HUNTING!

Oh almost forgot for me I like the factory stuff just fine( and preferably used factory rifle or VERY GOOD BARGAINS on new rifles) and will use the rest of the money on my family and then for hunting if there is any left. If I had unlimited resources then I might think otherwise but saddly I don't.

Nebraska



I am somewhat similar to dSmith.45, except my clean out has already be completed.



My past shooting has mainly involved rifles that are similar in general idea to your semi custom although they have mainly been geared to a switch barrel setup.



However I am now having a complete change in direction and am getting together rifles that are upgraded Weatherbys. Not upgraded by a gunsmith but just upgrades via Wby custom shop. Because my strongest interest is in bigger calibres I have kicked with an order for a pair of upgraded 378 Weatherbys which should get to Australia around May. By May I might be the only man in the world that has only two rifles and both of them are 378 Wbys



Now to apply this to your question. I have gone for 2 rifles rather than 1 rifle that is more costly. But if the budget would have allowed then I would have gone for a pair of the more expensive rifles. For reasons which I won't bore you with I required the pair of rifles and obtaining the pair was more important than obtaining a single higher level rifle. However, the pair that I have ordered meet my requitements. If they did not meet my requirements then I would have gone for the single rifle and would have waited until the gun money box had some more money.



I do agree with Savage99 in that any rifle will do the job of getting your animal and additional money spent won't change the outcome.



But it comes back to want you want to own. For example I could have bought two Wby Synthetics in 30/378 and rebarred both to 378 and saved myself quite a bit of money. In fact I could have reduced the cost even more by getting a pair of CZ 416 Rigbys and rebarreling those to 378 Wby. I could have even gone further an just bought a Howa or Ruger Stainless in 308 Winchester as that will do everthing.



If I was making the money I would probaly have the following:



A pair of 375 H&Hs from H&H



A 375 H&H in D'Arcy Echol's Legend rifle



A 375 H&H in D'Arcy Echols Classic rifle



A pair of 378s that were the top end of Weatherby's custom shop.



But again a Howa 308 could do all of my shooting.



Mike

I'd take one semi custom 300Wby for all of my hunting, outside of Africa. I like having a familiar rifle in hand, and in this chambering I'm confident I could take any game I want to hunt. My choice in rifles would be my M70, reworked and stocked in fiberglass by Darcy Echols.