What do you think about this rifle? It looks like a good price to me. What's it really worth?

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=6937770

Is it a steal? I don't know, but is it worth the money, I think so.

Apex supposedly made good barrels, integral anything is going to raise the cost so the integral rear site base contributes, figure upwards of 200 for the barrel (guys that buy more barrels than I have correct me if I am wrong). Gotta figure the blackburn bottom for 300-400 bucks I think (can't remember last time I saw somebody sell off one, Brownells sells for over 400 I think).

The stock looks well executed, and some pleasant figure. Figure a few hundred there. The scope alone is worth a few hundred right? A new Ruger rifle in any african chambering is 1200+ without a scope. I'd say this is worth it.

Don't let the guys poopooy the Taylor to you, the rifle will do a great job as that. The action could be taken to 416 Rem. too if you wanted to spend the money and avoid arguments with Allen and Ray as to whether or not a Taylor is good and gets the job done. The dies too are worth 75-100+ depending on brand and if you found them on sale.

Good looking rifle IMHO.

Red

It has no checkering and the stock work is mediocore at best, its also black walnut I think...If you took a rasp to it and reshaped it and took off another pound or two of wood, shortened the forend and reset the swivel it would sure look a lot better....I would recut to a egg cheek piece and checker it myself..

I would also punch it on out to a 416 Remington....Wildcats have no resale value.....All these modifications cost unless you can do the work yourself

Personally I wouldn't want to get into it for more than about $1200.

Just my opine.

I think that I am in the same boat as Ray on this one. Very plain rifle.

The rifle may be plain, but it looks well made.
I own an Apex rifle in .300 Apex. It is one heck of a shooter. If Sam May made the barrel then I'd say that was good deal.

YOu might try figuring out what a new rifle in .416 Taylor would run ya.

I'd say it about right.

I think its a fair deal. The scope alone should sell for a couple of hundred.

You will have a hard time duplicating this rifle for the same price.

This is a good example of why used guns are such a better deal than starting from scratch. It would cost over two grand to dupilcate it and for $1750 and some time invested you could find a much finer, more collectable piece (as in "will increase in value", not decline as this one will). Plus, to take it to 416 Rem will take a new box from Blackburn, not just a new chamber.

I am more impressed with the metal on this rifle than the stock. I think Ray is right its black walnut and it could have been executed a little better. I don't mind the cheek piece, maybe not my first choice but it gets the job done.

The caliber sucks though, although I have always wanted a 416 of some flavor, it is a more specialised application caliber to me, and if I am going somewhere I need the 416 I don't want a wildcat.

Too bad this wasn't done in a 338 Win Mag, or opened up and made into a 375 H&H. These rounds fit better for a heavy rifle, for my purposes. If it had to be a 416 I am going to side with Ray, a 416 Rigby isn't going to fit in that action, and the 416 Remington is much more practicle.

I also don't care for the scope mounts, you big bore buffs might disagree, but for me on medium to medium heavy recoiling rifles I prefer a two piece scope mount. Personal preference on my part.

I don't know, I think the wood is just decent and just that. The rifle looks well made. I'll side with the OLD Guy on this one, $1200 rifle at best.

I've spent $1700 a hellofalot worse ways than that.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
I've spent $1700 a hellofalot worse ways than that.

So tell us! Was she pretty, at least?

For $1700, he better get lucky too. Expensive date.

Let me ask, what you think about the calibre engraving on the barrel.
In a script like this one, would that be cut as well as one could expect?
I am going to have a similar script engraved myself, and quite frankly would be a bit dissapointed if it turned out like that.

I think the barrel engraving looks fine.

It seems well enough executed but I don't care for the font. It looks too much like a 5th grade penmanship sample to me.

Sorry Guys but I would not go over $1000 for that piece. Yes duplicating it would be expensive, b ut there are alot of those neophyte big bores out there for sale. The .416 Taylor is a starting point gun and the worksmanship is OK at best. You can do a whole lot better for $1700.-Rob

That one piece base really bites!!

It looks like it could only have one screw hitting metal...

I am definitely biased against one piece bases in any form or fashion though...

Mike

The sights are not even filed in yet. It makes me wonder if the gun is functionally finished - does it feed and eject, do the sights hit where they are supposed to, etc. If the gun works and hits properly, I think it is worth the money.

But dump that one piece base in favor of Talleys.

that 1-peice base dont' look rite to me, seems like there's hardly any space for the rear screw to line up well, an no checkering too, but the stock's pretty well made, plus the rear folding leaf has been left in the white, but if its a straight-shooter and functions well, then it'll be worth it all the best!

zubin

let's see..
take gun show and brownells prices and build this..

pre64 mag bolt face action
650
buttpad
40

crossbolts
20

bottom metal
350

leupold scope
175

bases and rings
50

sights and slingsstud
200

bluing
200

stock <even if you don't like it, you got yo have a handle>
150

1835, without a cent for the gunsmith.,


let's get over the fact it's a 46 taylor, which kicks LESS than a 416 rem and has more energy than a 404 jeffe (in other words, only in one's mind can it be sorted from either)

jeffe

I didn't note the drop box magazine on it...

I can build the same rifle for less than $1500. but apparantly I can get the parts cheaper up here...a m-70 pre 64 action brings $400 and I get the rest wholesale, the wood of that nature cost about $50.00 to $75.00, A barrel for $119 to $190. a drop box for $275, used scope and mts. $250 using top dollar that's $915. cross bolts, barrel band swivel, front barrel band sight and a NECG rear are going to cost about $300, blue $50.00 and I still have a little room to play.. I suspect he wants what he has in it and thats OK...but a used wildcat is not an easy gun to sell....

To each his own on this sort of thing.....

Ray, I'm going to contact you to help me find those scope deals next time I need one

Red

Ray,
Check's on the way! When can i expect my new rifle?

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I didn't note the drop box magazine on it...

I can build the same rifle for less than $1500. but apparantly I can get the parts cheaper up here...a m-70 pre 64 action brings $400 and I get the rest wholesale, the wood of that nature cost about $50.00 to $75.00, A barrel for $119 to $190. a drop box for $275, used scope and mts. $250 using top dollar that's $915. cross bolts, barrel band swivel, front barrel band sight and a NECG rear are going to cost about $300, blue $50.00 and I still have a little room to play.. I suspect he wants what he has in it and thats OK...but a used wildcat is not an easy gun to sell....

To each his own on this sort of thing.....

Ray,
yep, if you get it wholesale (90% cant) and if you get the action for 400.. i said $150 on the STOCK, i didn't say the WOOD...

so, add another 100 for it to be inletted (that's 150) and you are at 1600

and no, you can't find a pre-64 setup for magnum rounds for under 400 in the obviously nice condition this one is.

I'll send you a check for $750 for two of them

so, let's add back at least 100 for the action (of course it will be rough for 500)

1700...


which means you would save about 135 bucks getting the parts wholesale.

and his opening bid is 1599....


We all agree is worth what he's askin.... as any smithing that put this together would want AT LEAST 500 bucks to take this pile of parts and put it this way.

jeffe

amd

I'm not thinking it to be a bad deal at all, but it is an AUCTION after all, mebbe it will go for less. The chambering, well, there are more sinful things to do with your time than reload big bores. If I didn't have a Rigby I'd be thinking about it.

Ray,

I don't know where your getting your pre 64 model 70 actions for $400. I really scrounged to find a good clean one a few months back and I paid more than that for a donor rifle with a good action. And I looked hard: I passed up many sorry deals before I snatched up the one I found. Most guys think that once its a pre 64 model 70 its a pot of gold. I have seen some that looked like they were used as tines on a plow attachment and they still want $500-600. Beat to hell original stocks guys are asking $100.

No, the sum of parts and the price doesn't bug me, its the chambering. Would we even be having this consversation if this was a 338 Win Mag instead of the 416 Taylor?

In defense of wildcats the efforts by guys like Warren Page, Huntington, and Nieder, for instance have brought the shooting world a lot of new cartridges over the years, which eventually ending up be factory rounds, albiet in slightly modified form for production or liability issues. Nothing wrong with wildcats, they have their place. If I am hunting the woodlot outside my house, or even anywhere in a 1/2-1 hours drive, I pack my gun and bring ammo, and carrying a wildcat is no big deal. If I am traveling, Alaska, BC, Africa, New Zealand, South America I am not going to be planning on bringing a wildcat, maybe as as a back up rifle, and I would think long and hard on that. And I agree with Ray on this point.

I also have to laugh at the justification circle of cartridge choices, the next time I am in Libby Montana, I am going to stop and check out the ammo situation. I bet I don't find 9.3x62, 6.5x55, I know that 7x57 is a POA to get. Actually anything outside of 270, 308, 30-06, 300 Win Mag, 338 Win Mag, maybe a 7mm, 12, and 20 guage shotgun shells, and 22LR. I might find the odd box of 375 H&H, and the odd ball stuff that one of the locals has requested they stock. Bottom line your Nilla Vanilla rounds, standard cartridges. All the oddball European rounds, most of the WSM's, and a essertaric screwball rounds are no better than a wildcat, ammo is a long way off.

Me I will always have a 30-06, and if I went to Alaska or Africa my 375 H&H. I figure these two brought along on a trip of a lifetime for me would keep me from being disappointed in the field.

quote:

Originally posted by schromf:
In defense of wildcats the efforts by guys like Warren Page, Huntington, and Nieder,

416 hoffman, 416 remington, 458 lott, all the ackley, 450 rigby (1995), 465 HH, all the SUAM, RUM, WSM, WSSM, 338-06, 500/416.

and

the 416 rigby as in the status of a wildcat 8 years ago... there as ONE source of brass and ammo, after all the 404 was actually the used rifle, and the rigby was shelby's baby


try and get a box of 475 NE anywhere, for any price.. or 450/400 that will regulate in your gun

oh well, live and learn

jeffe

Jeff,

You know I have always been a 7mm fan, quirky disease I am afraid. I like hunting with 7mm's. 7mm is a crappy caliber for ammo selection, all of the rounds except the 7mm mag, are spotty at best. Factory 7x57 ammo sucks and can be hard to find, 280 is good but don't count on finding any when you need it, 7x64 yeah right, even 7mm-08 isn't commonly availble when you need it. All of the 7's I can find, most locally as the Black Sheep in CDA stocks a lot, some are special order or mail order only (7x64).

But out in the sticks when I really need ammo, a 30 cal in either a 30-06 or 308 is a lot easier to find.

Ray,

I'm sending up my deposit!!!!!

Make it 1700.00 - I'm in for one!



Jeff

PS - Mulies are looking good this year....Lots of feed and H20!

Jeff,
You wanna a cheapie, I makie you cheapie....

How difficult would it be to rebore as a Lott?