first off, let's exclude the "Give them to me" option.

I have a lot of hotel and airline points. More than I'll use in the next 2 years. So I'm thinking gift card time. I have enough points between them to get about $2000 in gift cards to Cabelas. What would be on your dream list for under 2K? I've got a great spotting scope, decent binos (but those new 15x56 Meoptas are on the list) and currently have rifles and shotguns sufficient to my needs for the next 5 years. Note I said "Sufficient" - one can never have too many guns.

But I thought some of ya'll might have good ideas how to spend my hard earned gift cards. I tend to lean towards buying something good enough for a lifetime, and since this is basically bonus money, I want it to be something non-consumable - so no ammo or reloading supplies or the like.

Basically, the kind of thing you wouldn't normally buy but always wanted to have.

Thoughts?

Do you have a quality electric smoker or commercial grade vacuum sealer?

Put 2K toward a Cabelas hunt

Well too bad the first thing you do is scratch off your best option.

If you can not find something in Cabela's to spend 2K for, flush the cards or throw them in a garbage disposal unit!!!!!

Clothes/guns/fishing tackle, yada, yada, yada, there is no end to the things you could do with that many gift cards.

If only God would let me end up in a situation like that!!!!!

I use airline miles for tickets to Africa. I've made 4 trips and brought my brother on one, all on airmiles

Get another rifle, Win M70 Super Grade.
They are exceedingly well made, last a few lifetimes and Cabela's has them!

Great call on a smoker or using them towards a hunt - that's the kind of suggestions I was looking for! I tend to start thinking along one line and I was hoping someone else's wish list had some good ideas. Keep em' coming.

It's definitely a great problem to have - the challenge I'm having is to get something(s) that I'll have for a long, long time that I wouldn't just get normally. It's narrowing down the options that gets tricky!

I didn't use a single hotel point for the last 7 years, so this is a good way to pay myself back for 368 nights I spent away from home.

Whatever you decide to buy, do it before Bass Pro takes over and raises prices to BP levels.
Last year I was comparing and 150 dollar boots in Cabela's, were 20 bucks more at BP

Get a bunch of Cabela's Gift Cards and pass them out to a group of boy scouts?

quote:

Originally posted by Antlers:
Get a bunch of Cabela's Gift Cards and pass them out to a group of boy scouts?

I wouldn't give anything to the Boy Scouts, 4-H Shooting Sports yes!

I have been involved with several Boy Scouts troops as a assistant scout leader while in the military, none had anything to do with molding men into shooters. At least the 4-H and FFA are making scientist for those not involved in the shooting sports of it, do you know China graduates 200,000 engineers and scientist a year and we graduate 50,000 and a lot of those are Chinese foreign exchange students.

that's a tough question. i'd buy a super high end vacuum sealer and grinder and if i had enough left over i'd get a leupold vx-6 on sale since the hd versions just came out.

do you need a gun safe?

the vacuum sealer can be used on an almost daily basis. i have a cheap foodsaver, my best friend has the vacmaster from cabelas. that thing is freaking awesome.

WTA honors them for hunts. So you could pay for a deposit on a hunt with them.

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Herald:
WTA honors them for hunts. So you could pay for a deposit on a hunt with them.

If not this, then I'd put some great glass in my hands. I have a nice Kahles bino, but would love to upgrade to a really world-class unit that would serve me for the rest of my hunting career.

quote:

Originally posted by cooperjd:
that's a tough question. i'd buy a super high end vacuum sealer and grinder and if i had enough left over i'd get a leupold vx-6 on sale since the hd versions just came out.

do you need a gun safe?

the vacuum sealer can be used on an almost daily basis. i have a cheap foodsaver, my best friend has the vacmaster from cabelas. that thing is freaking awesome.

I agree; I have one of these and a smoker and if I could only choose one, it would be the commercial grade vac sealer. When MsAZW buys pork ribs by the bushel basket at Costco, I vacuum seal them.

Heck, for $2000 just think of all the bags of jerky and pepperoni sticks you could buy.

I was going to suggest something along the lines of canoes, small boats, and inflatables but you don't have much water in the Llano Estacado.

After reading Big Wonderful Wyoming's post 4H shooting Sports of local Scholastic Clays program for some of it would really be appreciated.

You have most everything and can probably afford to get what you want. If you don't have a son, grandson, niece or nephew to introduce and outfit for the great outdoors. Find a deserving friends kid and be a God Uncle. The feelings you share in these endeavors will last a lifetime for the both of you.

Rumor has it that after the Bass Pro buy-out Cabelas points/certificates/etc may not be honored.
Spend'em quick!

Perry

I have points on my Cabelas card I need to spend today.

Thanks for the reminder.

I'd seriously consider going with big binoculars and a good tripod to support them. I bought one of the very first Swarovski 15x56's to be imported into the USA, back in 2000. I've used them a ton and wouldn't trade them for anything except a newer binocular just like them. 15's on a tripod will change your hunting more than you realize if you haven't used them before.