GunsAmerica

How about this, is this XXX?

GunsAmerica2

Dakota wood usually sucks when they grade it. www.kesselrings.com has a lot of Dakotas and they have good prices. They usually send wood to Dakota when they order a rifle. They also have about 500 gunstock blanks to choose from before you order.

I don't think too much of Dakota these days. The new Dakota mantra seems to be "lower quality, increased price".

There are a ton of used custom rifles by name makers for the same money, and all of them are so much nicer than a Dakota. Go to www.champlinarms.com

check these out:

http://www.hallowellco.com/dale_goens_win70%201128.htm

http://www.hallowellco.com/gary_goudy_35%20whelen.htm
http://www.champlinarms.com/gundetail.cfm?id=1822

Its "Exagerated bullshit"

And XXXstra large rubber boots bullshit "

and bring your own jar of vaseline $6695 screw job price

And the $15 plastic Doskosport case is only $250 to incase the total bullshit package


P.S. If they raised the price 2 or 3 grand The buyer would be able to raise his social standing a couple notches more with his "friends" and be able to brag about how much he paid for his "fine custom " rifle.

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is this exhibition grade wood?

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Easy one:

You forgot to use the Dakota wood Formula. You take what they grade the wood and charge for it, then lower it 3 grades and subtract $1000 and you have what it really is.......DJ

I agree that the wood is not very nice for the price. But really, the whole "exhibition, AAA,AA..." is totally meaningless. It is subjective and no way to quanitfy it. You have to buy each balnk on its own merit. Who ever owns a blank can call it whatever they want. If Dakota finds that one to be XXX or whatever, then fine, they can all it that. All wood rankings are rediculous beause they mean nothing. I don't know whay folks are getting all worked up over Dakota these days. If you don't like it, don't buy it.

geeeze...

Even a gun-n0ob like me couldn't mistake that for exhibition grade or XXX...

(LOL, has anyone seen that stupid movie "XXX" with Vin Diesel??? )

The first one rates, to me, a perfect"Fancy"... dead straight heavily grained...no figure what so ever..

but, i think "guitar strings" are perfect for a big bore.. the ONLY thing i prefer past that is an arch in the grip, but that's preference.

the second one, if you didn't have the KNOTS, could be a good fancy to someone that like blonde wood... those guys are out there, or we wouldn't see maple stocks.

however, with the knots, it's a plain grade...

to me, the first blank is a 100-150 retail blank... the second one is a pattern grade plank... makes a functional gun, but....

jeffe

A mate of mine is about to go down Dakota avenue after missing a 375 at Hallowells the other day.

We have just being going through Dressels site as we understand you can send a blank to Dakota and Dressels have wood of various types ranging from $200US through to $2800US.

Now if I was rating the blanks on Dressels site some of $2000 stuff I would have at $200 and some of the $400 wood would be in my $2000 section. My mate was quite different in his various assessments.

I don't like either of those on the illustrated Dakotas or although the blonde one would be OK on a flashed up Weatherby.

Just as a side note, if you take the Weatherby option of a Kreiger cut rifle barrel and then go through the custom shop procedure and just have point checkering, no engraving or inlays etc and select the lowest price wood upgrade for both Wby and Dakota, the rifles come within about $200 of each other.

By the way if you really want to spend some money then do one of those Weatherby Crown Customs via the Build a Custom gun as as opposed to the off the shelf Crown Custom which is just a decorated standard Mark V Deluxe.

Mike

Number 2 there looks to me more like a piece of straight-grained Myrtlewood than walnut. Certainly not exhibition-grade in either species. Blonde finish - ugh!!

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Originally posted by Mike375:
Just as a side note, if you take the Weatherby option of a Kreiger cut rifle barrel and then go through the custom shop procedure and just have point checkering, no engraving or inlays etc and select the lowest price wood upgrade for both Wby and Dakota, the rifles come within about $200 of each other.
Mike

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Mike, just a minor nit (somebody correct me if I'm wrong here). I don't believe the Krieger barrels offered by Weatherby are cut rifled. I believe Weatherby installs some barrels manufactured by Krieger, but they are not the same barrels (from the same production line) as the barrels you can buy under the Krieger brand.

- mike

You can take the option of the Kreiger cut rifle barrel as opposed to the standard Criterian and from there you go onto to either Product Upgrade or Build a Custom Gun.

But if you take the Krieger cut rifle barrel option it takes you down a different road with Wby and the costing structure becomes all different.

In other words you cant say I want a 300 Wby Accumark or Deluxe or whatever and then add some extra dollars for the Krieger cut rifle barrel.

Wby also do a lot of things different than is shown on the website and I speak from experience of having done it.

Mike

mho,Krieger makes nothing but cut rifled barrels.

I hate to say this, but I have several "off the line" Winchesters and Remingtons with better figured wood than these!! I hope no one paid for upgraded wood on those guns!

Some of these wood proveyors make me puke! The people in Washington must be in love with that crap they are trying to palm off on the public. Without a doubt the guys with the best wood will not show them on the net, cause they know how poor the reproduction is and want to send you prints! Folks try the guy in Vegas for wood His ISP is down just now or I would of posted his web address (if anybody wants it) You got to tell these guys what you want and they will overwhelm you with photos. I have a problem I admit to being a wood junkie. I love the Cal English walnut. The Turk stuff makes me have wet dreams! But you sure better shop around cause some of these people are nuts with prices. As far as the orginal question goes I would value the first photo at a 350.00 blank (depending on the rest of the layout and how the other side looks) The second, not on any thing I own. Unless for the fireplace, or pattern wood I would not pay more than 50.00. Thats the kind of wood you expect a dealier to give away when you buy other blanks from him and you tell him you need pattern wood.

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Originally posted by Customstox:
mho,Krieger makes nothing but cut rifled barrels.

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Chic, you make it hard on me - how can I argue with a pro?? In this case, though, I think Mike375 was right when he referred to the "Criterion" barrels. Now, I'm sorry to say, my source is not a first level source, but this quote is taken from the Weatherby site:

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The Features Behind The Most Accurate Production Rifles In The World

Every Weatherby rifle is built to provide the utmost in velocity, energy and accuracy—to deliver greater shooter confidence and more one-shot kills. From the aluminum bedding plates of the Ultra Lightweight, to the Krieger™ Criterion™ button-rifled barrels of the Super VarmintMaster, to the recessed field crowns of the Accumark, Weatherby offers a host of features that will make you a better shot.

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I think these barrels are made by the Krieger company in the Krieger facility, but not marketed under the Krieger brand. Somebody will correct me if I'm wrong...

Mike375: I did not know Weatherby offered the cut rifled Kriegers as a custom option. You live and you learn!

- mike

mike

I think Criterion is a company that Kreiger owns and are button rifled barrels.

Mike

With those Dakotas the wood rating might be a product of the advertiser.

For example I have seen quite a few Weatherby Crown Customs for sale but they are not Crown Customs.

Mike

New SUPER EXHIBITION DAKOTA WOOD

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:FSEL:US:1&Item=8161646061

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Originally posted by jeffeosso:
New SUPER EXHIBITION DAKOTA WOOD

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:FSEL:US:1&Item=8161646061

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Are they selling that crap by the stick or by the cord?

Forrest,

Thats was good!

My thoughts exactly.

Regards,
Dave

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Originally posted by ForrestB:


Are that selling that crap by the stick or by the cord?

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LMFAO!!!

jeffe

Some Dakota's Exhibition - Ha Ha









Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Dakota XXX is BS.

Roland

mho,
You don't have to argue with me, just slap me around every once in a while.

I just did a serch on that name and found this in the Krieger web site. I stand corrected. Looks like we are both right, and both wrong, lol. I like outcomes like that. You buy the first round of beers and invite Mike and we will discuss it further.

Q: Why is there some confusion that we might do button rifling?

A: In 1999, we started another barrel company Criterion Barrels that manufactures button rifled barrels for the O.E.M. market. These barrels are not directly for sale to the general public. Recently there have been some magazine articles written regarding this company which has caused some confusion. Be assured that when you order a Krieger Barrel, you are getting a single-point cut-rifled Krieger Barrel

Jeffe, did you notice the really "nice" cross gain the wrist of that blank on eBay? Wonder if that would qualify as an upgrade?

Exhibition? I don't believe...

Show and tell, maybe ...but not exhibition.

Mark

quote:

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Originally posted by Customstox:
Q: Why is there some confusion that we might do button rifling?

A: In 1999, we started another barrel company Criterion Barrels that manufactures button rifled barrels for the O.E.M. market. These barrels are not directly for sale to the general public. Recently there have been some magazine articles written regarding this company which has caused some confusion. Be assured that when you order a Krieger Barrel, you are getting a single-point cut-rifled Krieger Barrel

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Aha, straight from the horse's mouth. That is well worth a buying you a beer!
- mike

There is more to grading wood that fancy patterns in the buttstock. Grain pattern and flow, freedom from defects, contrast, wood density, workability and proper curing can't be determined from the small snaps shown on most websights.

Both stocks appear to be very fundimentally sound from what I can see. I will take fundimentally sound over pretty in a high powered rifle given a choice. A highly figured stock with a weak pistol grip is not something to be proud of and would be dangerous in a 416.

American "English" walnut does seem to be exorbitantly priced but stock makers really like it's workability. It is often plainer and straighter grained than Bastogne.
Paul

Roland,
now that's getting much higher than the majority of the rest we've been talking about..

as compared to the bbq wood we've been seeing, it's a great stock

jeffe

This is exhibition grade wood









Cheers,

André

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Originally posted by JefferyDenmark:
This is exhibition grade wood

http://img142.exs.cx/img142/3963/greatrifles1gt.jpg

http://img55.exs.cx/img55/1144/greatrifles65ys.jpg

http://img55.exs.cx/img55/185/greatrifles44ty.jpg

http://img66.exs.cx/img66/9117/greatrifles28tu.jpg

Cheers,

André

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Andre, I'am in lust. Is this what a gun show looks like in your neck of the woods?

Yes it is

You want some more

Cheers,

André

More rifles





Cheers,

André

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Originally posted by jeffeosso:
Roland,
now that's getting much higher than the majority of the rest we've been talking about..

as compared to the bbq wood we've been seeing, it's a great stock

jeffe

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Jeffe,

I was joking about Dakota – The 2 Rifles are some of my custom guns.
The way Dakota presents there wood is overpriced and ridiculous, makes no sense at all.

Good Luck and great hunting,
Roland

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Originally posted by Customstox:
mho,Krieger makes nothing but cut rifled barrels.

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I haven't kept track for the last few years, BUT...when I last talked personally with John Krieger at the SHOT Show in Vegas (1999), he made both button and cut rifled barrels...your choice. Things change, though, so perhaps now this is no longer the case.

He is one fine guy to chat with, BTW, and we got into a 3-4 hour session over barrel making/treating techniques.

Alberta Canuck

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Originally posted by JefferyDenmark:
More rifles

Cheers,
André

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Love that mauser! What a way to spend a paycheck.

As for the Dakota guns on Gunsamerica. Definitely not exhibition wood. Maybe AA at best by today's standards.

Pete

I have always felt that wood was a better investment than ingraving. Though I am not much for engraving on anything but double guns and single shots. I don't own a single engraved bolt gun, and I own about 30 bolt guns.

Absolutely not.