quote:

Originally posted by tidbit824:
Gentlemen,

Tidbit here...If I might make a comment or two.
Custom rifles are a Catch 22: they are what you or someone else thought would be a good or great idea. I have had built 4 rifles and one shotgun...all beautiful and well made to my eye. All were built buy local gunsmiths in my area with good reputations for quality and reliability. All of these firearms except one were built uisng good materials and fine wood. The one rifle that was not built on wood was built as a light weight rifle for mountain hunting with a synthetic stock and served me on many hunts.

My ideas are for a firearm that functions well under all conditions: wet, cold, heat and with dirt in the action and often with a firearam that has not been cleaned in many days . You just never know what you might encounter on a hunt. The good looks soon go by the wayside in the moment of truth (being ready to shoot). Good looking wood and wonderfull metal work are great but only if you are prerpared to use the firearm. I know many, again MANY, fine guns that sit in safes only brought out to show to another hunter. The firerarm is only fired at the range and is never carried afield because the beautiful work is tool costly to scratch-up or put a ding or crease into. Jack O' Connor would have rolled over in his grave.

Firearms are tools. Tools that most of us use to achieve some goal: a good sheep, a great whitetail deer or wahtever your desires. That is all: the animal needs to be dispatched quickly and not worry about that fancy rifle. But like most of us we fall prey to the pretty and beautiful.

And what about stock fit: part of what a custom firearm costs is because the gunsmith has to make "adjustments" to standard stock design to accomodate the customer. Plus; barrel lenghts, caliber, optics and on and on.

Looking to Cabela's or Guns International is fine but you are getting what someone else thought would be a good firearm. Yes, you can have the stock shortened or a new barrel put on or maybe a different scope but it still comes down to the the fact that it was someone else's idea. Maybe you should sit down and figure out what YOU really want and then go looking for the gunsmith to build that "perfect rifle".

As an aside: I have settled on two rifles for my hunting pursuits: a .270 in a pre 64 Winchester configuration with a custom light weight synthetic stock for most of the game. The second rifle is a custom built .375 H & H built in the early 60's. Both rifles have served me well and I never feel a need for anything else. But I, like all hunters, am always looking.

Not trying to tell anyone how to do his hunting...just an guy who has tried a lot of things that just did NOT work. Stick to the reasonable: regular calibers, good stock wood and a good action (pre 64 Winchester or whatever your likes) work with a quality optic. You will be glad you did. Spend those "hard earned" dollars on going hunting...not another firerarm.

An old man thingking out loud...If I have offendeed anyone...please forgive me.

I have seen the elephant and hunted him,

tidbit

quote:

Originally posted by Kaboku68:
http://www.hendershots.net/gunRoomDetail.aspx?id=3544

This is what I would buy if I were you.

Sincerely,
Thomas

quote:

Posted by Tidbit:
Maybe you should sit down and figure out what YOU really want and then go looking for the gunsmith to build that "perfect rifle".

quote:

Yep, I concur with that!

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey.
...I know it and have 30+ big game rifles...

quote:

Originally posted by tidbit824:
Good looking wood and wonderfull metal work are great but only if you are prerpared to use the firearm. I know many, again MANY, fine guns that sit in safes only brought out to show to another hunter.

Firearms are tools. Tools that most of us use to achieve some goal: a good sheep, a great whitetail deer or wahtever your desires. That is all: the animal needs to be dispatched quickly and not worry about that fancy rifle. But like most of us we fall prey to the pretty and beautiful.