The grain on the cheekpiece is pretty disappointing.

Way out of my league regardless.

Cheers,
Canuck

Is that cedar?
Maybe yellow pine with indelible marker and walnut stain?

I saw that one some time ago, a fine rifle in a great caliber for dangerous N.American game, IMHO. At the price it is going for and given the outstanding reputation that Champlin's has among the people I know who have dealt with them, it is not a bad deal. I would re-stock it with a good synthetic, probably have Mark Bansner do it and fine-tune the whole rig, sell the wood stock for whatever and have a hell of a rifle.

My Dakota has quarter-sawn English wood that is very stable, really beautiful and gawd does it shoot! If, I were not an impoverished old bushbum, I would buy another, but, buy used and have it tweaked and this is, IMO, a way to get a damned fine rifle....I would prefer a Wells or Gentry or Golmatic too, but, now we are into serious folding money.

Seriously one-sided.

Terry,

Yes, he did, but Dakota only charged him half-price for the wood 'upgrade'.

George

What kind of idiot gunmaker would sell a rifle with that piece-of-trash stock? Honestly, based on what I have seen, how in the Hell does Dakota get away with selling rifles with that kind of wood? Who does their grading, a blind man?

This is XX Walnut according to their Website Check out some of their other stocks and the grade they have given them.


Regards,

Terry

Amazing knothole on that 330 Dakota. They only showed the one side of that one. The other side must be really excitingly plain Jane. CZ Safari Classics and Winchester Custom Shop offerings have a lot better wood than any of the ready to go Dakotas shown there. Might be why they are up for adoption, poor neglected specimens.

I like to look at the grain through the grip from the top and bottom views ... if I can't get a McMillan or Brown precision, that is.

Wood is getting boring. Give me synthetic any day.

About a year ago I tried to by a 76 Safari from them and to make a long story short they tried to sell me a used rifle that they would "refurbish" for new price. They wouldn't come off the new price even though it was used. Needless to say I spent my money elsewhere.

I know there are a lot of satisifed customers and I am happy for them all, a good rifle is somthing to admire, but I couldn't deal with them.....................JJ

If one knows his business he can buy a lot of gun from some to the lesser known gunsmiths for that kind of money and get a lot better gun that that one...I'd give them $2500 fort that one but Id refinish it and work the cheek side over with a marks a lot like the Japanese do the SKBS, then finish it..It would at least look a lot better...but I suppose you could always hunt to the left of all your friends with that one!

Don't you guys think your criticism is just a little one-sided on this?

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
Don't you guys think your criticism is just a little one-sided on this?

Most criticism is.

George

quote:

Originally posted by GeorgeS:

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
Don't you guys think your criticism is just a little one-sided on this?

Most criticism is.

George

Ah, George, but I beg to differ. Good criticism is not one-sided. By addressing knotty problems in the affirmative case, good criticism can attack rather than wait and be forced to defend against positions used by the opposition to carve and cut against the grain of the critique.

Good criticism takes stock of potential counter arguments and will figure a way to re-butt them. By comb-ing through the facts and checkered logic of the opposition, a good critic will get the drop, a strong toe-hold on, and will pull the legs out from under, all opposing arguments.

These principles are pillars good criticism and must be used to get a grip on the opposition, bring it to heel and put it to bed.

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:

Ah, George, but I beg to differ. Good criticism is not one-sided. By addressing knotty problems in the affirmative case, good criticism can attack rather than wait and be forced to defend against positions used by the opposition to carve and cut against the grain of the critique.

Good criticism takes stock of potential counter arguments and will figure a way to re-butt them. By comb-ing through the facts and checkered logic of the opposition, a good critic will get the drop, a strong toe-hold on, and will pull the legs out from under, all opposing arguments.

These principles are pillars good criticism and must be used to get a grip on the opposition, bring it to heel and put it to bed.

I love it!

George

Sure he had to pay some more for a wood upgrade....

and thought he was getting a DEAL on a 50% discount....

proves you get what you pay for

jeffe

mrlexma,
Now that was funny, got me a good laugh!! in fact this must be a one sided thread!

If it doesnt crack,spit,break after ten years in the bush, who cares what it looked like new?. You guys are getting picky me thinks. I have some that started out life as AAAA walnut, now they look like 10,000 miles of hells highway. If they can sell them at that price, good for them. If they cant i guess they will figure out why eventually. Charlie

quote:

Originally posted by Charles Mc Williams:
If it doesnt crack,spit,break after ten years in the bush, who cares what it looked like new?. You guys are getting picky me thinks. I have some that started out life as AAAA walnut, now they look like 10,000 miles of hells highway. If they can sell them at that price, good for them. If they cant i guess they will figure out why eventually. Charlie

Charlie, you're right on on this one.....I agree.

Except for this.....there are standards for describing wood grain. It can always be argued AA grade from AAA grade. But what Dakota is doing is offering field grade and calling it AA grade and it's a boldfaced lie. They seriously misrepresent their product.
Yes, I agree, let the buyer beware. But if they lie so blatently about this what else is there they are lieing about. IMO they're just a seriously overpriced product.

Dakota's wood grading is B.S. Always has been. They sometimes use good wood, and sometimes crap. The one at the beginning of this thread does not even look like it is sawn right.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Originally posted by Charles Mc Williams:
If it doesnt crack,spit,break after ten years in the bush, who cares what it looked like new?. You guys are getting picky me thinks. I have some that started out life as AAAA walnut, now they look like 10,000 miles of hells highway. If they can sell them at that price, good for them. If they cant i guess they will figure out why eventually. Charlie

Charlie, you're right on on this one.....I agree.

Except for this.....there are standards for describing wood grain. It can always be argued AA grade from AAA grade. But what Dakota is doing is offering field grade and calling it AA grade and it's a boldfaced lie. They seriously misrepresent their product.
Yes, I agree, let the buyer beware. But if they lie so blatently about this what else is there they are lieing about. IMO they're just a seriously overpriced product.

Yes i know about grades and such, and i dont have a Dakota in any thing. There are many overpriced rifles on the market and if people keep buying them they will keep building them. I was at the range a few weeks ago and a friend i have hunted with said " did ya see my new Alpha Victory Spugmeister yet" and as he draws it out of the case i ask how much he tells me and i try not to wince , but sometimes i just cant. As W.C. Fields said " there is one born every minute" and i do believe he is right. Charlie

I just e-mailed the above posts to Dakota, I am a Dakota customer and have 3 of their rifles, however there are some pretty good points made in the posts above. It will be interesting to see if Dakota responds -- it's their bottom line!

$3800 for a used 416 !

Dakota couldn't give a shit about its customers-never has. Like Atkinson said, you can get a much better rifle from a true custom gun maker for that price and have a much better product. I have owned three of them in the past and have none now due to various issues; poor feeding/lousey accuracy/and failure to properly eject rounds. That should not happen for these prices and a semi-custom rifle at that. I prefer the pre-64 model 70 for custom work. Mauser actioned rifles are also a favorite.


feeding/louseyaccuracy/failure to eject