Obviously a talented gunsmith but he also must be the most prolific. It seems everywhere I look there's a new Bolliger for sale at a very high price. So what is his story. Does he build and sell a lot of spec rifles? Why are there so many for sale.

Interesting website. They turn out some rifles. I'd still like to know if there's any kind of story behind it. We talk about a lot of good gunmakers here at AR and some contribute regularly to the forums. We also have quite a few folks that commission high-end rifles, but I never hear anyone talking about a Bolliger. They even have their own proprietary action but I just found that out by going to the website. The quality of the work from the photos looks to be top-notch in everyway. So is it just me, have I been livin under a rock and missed all the discussion about J Bolliger. Anybody here own one? Still can't believe how many of his rifles I see for sale.

As I understand it, Bolliger was a member of the ACGG way back. He sets up a booth at Safari Club International's Annual convention. At least one of his rifles, called the "Leopard" IIRC, fetched over 100K at auction. That's not a typo. Lovely rifles.

Looks like he smiths VERY nice rifles! I don't know when he updated his "for sale" page, but I count 16 upper end "spec" rifles for sale, from $13000 to $19000 ea. Wow!

John

John is a nice guy and does all the checkering but not much else at this point of his career. Dean Zollinger of Dean's Custom Guns in Rexburg, Idaho does most of the metal work including all the prototype work on the new action. John and his team of craftsmen build @ fifty rifles a year.

try $225000.00 for his rifle

I enjoyed looking at that site. The wood and checkering is a little fancy for my plainer tastes but his leather butt pads are the best I've seen.

You are all wrong, the leopard rifle was made by David Miller.. 225,000 at SCI auction. I like Bolliger rifles, but they do not compare to Miller

bollingers web sight claims his rifle sold for $225000.00
was not a leopard rifle

I believe that Bolliger made the Grizzley rifle that sold for about $225K.

Bolliger's rifles are works of art. You owe yourself a stop at his booth at SCI in Reno to look them over.

His action and integral scope mounts are about as good as they get, and his rifles always seem to be stocked in exhibition wood.

Not everyone likes Bolliger's style - for example, a lot of his checkering patterns seem way too "over the top" for my tastes - but his craftsmanship is unparalleled.

Are his actions for sale? Has anyone used them before.

As mentioned before - Dean Zollinger does a LOT of the work for Bolliger. Last fall I handled one of the actions at Zollinger's and I am very impressed with them. My Dad is having Dean Zollinger build a 375 H&H on one of them.

Do yourself a favor and contact Dean Zollinger about the actions. He is exceptionally talented and having him do the work is a fraction of going through Bolliger. I know Dean received a frresh batch of actionss in the last few months so now would be a good time to see about getting one from him.

http://deanscustomguns.com/

I did the engraving on the Grizzly rifle. It did bring 225k. There was more to it than the rifle though. It had a custom piece of furniture that held the rifle and the 22 lb silver griz sculpture. Hell, it even came with 40 rnds of 375 H&H ammo with Grizzly stamped into the case head.

The pic on his home page is the Grizzly rifle.

Very nice.

As Roger said there was much more to it than just the rifle. Rick Stickley was his metalsmith at the time and did some amazing/innovative work on the gun. I built the stock pattern (to his style of course) and machined the blank, he did final inlet, I did final sanding and shaping and finishing and he checkered it. The rifle was in several magazines around 1990. I still have my copy of Safari that the rifle was in......I'll have to dig it up. As I recall the auction price was $204,000 but it's been a long time.

He does in fact turn out a lot of guns in a year, at the time I worked with him it was about 25/yr. I believe he turns out many more than that now. As mentioned above Dean Zollinger does the excellent metalwork for his Rifles nowadays.

Shane Thompson

Good info. Seems amazing even with help to turn out 2 full-blown customs a month and to think it might be more than that. I have nothing to compare it to but I wonder how many Duane does a year, or D Miller, or D'Arcy.

What do you do or how do you feel when you pay $12K or $15K or $225K for a rifle, take it in the field and kill a few game animals with it only find when you get home you scratched the shit out of the wood?

No doubt, the rifles are easy on the eyes, but not very practicle for field use, IMO. Flame away. If you have that kind of money to sink into such things, more power to you. I'd rather have a $3K rifle that shoots just as well or better and go on a $12K hunt.

No flaming here. To each his own.

For the record, I believe the 225k SCI rifle still holds the record for a contemporary firearm sold. So, we can check that off. There are rifles built, that will no doubt, never see any field use. High art rifles, s'il vous plait. There is a distinction between that and a custom made rifle. A custom made rifle from one of the top makers is the epitome of form and funtion. There is a vast difference between that rifle and a 3k rifle with a fiberglass stock.

There is a place for both. I own both and hunt with both. I prefer the custom. It's built to fit me. It functions flawlessly, and it's a pleasure hold and use. You are right, it's very easy on the eyes.

quote:

Originally posted by Doc:

No doubt, the rifles are easy on the eyes, but not very practicle for field use, IMO. Flame away. If you have that kind of money to sink into such things, more power to you. I'd rather have a $3K rifle that shoots just as well or better and go on a $12K hunt.

Not flame at all but, I would say most people that can afford these rifles don't have to make those type of choices. I don't own one

Terry

Do you actually KNOW ANYTHING about rifles? Do you know who Roger is and the level of both expertise and craftsmanship that he and some of the others here HAVE? My gawd, I must say, you make probably the most inane and ignorant comments on rifles I have ever seen on any forum!

Dewey, just put him on ignore. I don't know what he said but I'm sure it was stupid.

Terry

Shootaway, very asinine comments, you should show alot more respect around here given your lack of knowledge and experience. Pathetic.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
[There is a distinction between that and a custom made rifle. A custom made rifle from one of the top makers is the epitome of form and funtion.

There is a place for both. I own both and hunt with both. I prefer the custom. It's built to fit me. It functions flawlessly, and it's a pleasure hold and use. You are right, it's very easy on the eyes.

Is it really built to fit you? Did your smith invite you over for bespoke measurements or didn't bother to return your calls?Does it really function flawlessly or jam from time to time under real life conditions? Is it a pleasure to shoot or does it swell up your nose?[/QUOTE]



Shootaway-

I suspect you are still mistaking the "high art" rifle for a custom rifle.

The high art rifle is just that...ART. It does not need, nor pretend, to fit a particular shooter. Nor has it always been tested to the point of perfect performance. Much as the Mona Lisa is not a photographic representation of the model, whoever she may have been.

The high dollar custom hunting rifle IS a bespoke rifle, to whatever extent the purchaser is willing to pay in time, money, and arrangements. It DOES fit the end user to the degree he makes himself available to the builders. It does function as flawlessly as human skill and care can make it do so.

Sure, there is fraud sometimes in the construction and sale of such rifles. There is also fraud to be found in any other field of highly skilled endeavor, including the field of "old master" oil paintings.

One has to do what they can, using the brain they were given, to avoid the fraud and get what they pay for. Such is life, pilgrim.

It is no reason to condemn everything one encounters.


P.S.: Scrollcutter - I apologize for originally addressing this response as if to you. That was not my intent. I know and respect your work and more importantly, your work ethic.

No harm, no foul.

I will say that I won a rifle in a raffle a couple months ago, but I believe that the rest of us work to pay for our rifles and whatever toys we have. I don't have a sugar daddy or wealthy lady to buy my rifles. Shootaway, I do not understand any thing you post about.
Butch

neither do I,sometimes

shootaway,

been busy deleting your previous posts from this thread?