I understand about the M98 and the 500 Jeffery, but I thought your buddy was only after a "factory rifle" in a 375.

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Originally posted by djpaintles:
Mike, The Dakota's are usually very nice rifles, but occasionally they can have a few problems like any other rifle. If they are about the same money I would much rather have the Dakota (I have 2 Dakota's and several Winchesters). I wouldn't get excited about paying a lot extra for wood upgrades on the Dakota. IMHO they way overprice their wood upgrades. I wouldn't at all be surprised if you could buy a Dakota with a standard grade wood and have it restocked there in Australia in better wood than you could get by buying one of their expensive wood upgrades.

Here's a good example. My Dakota Model 10 at the right has "upgraded" wood. It was an additional price to the normal XX grade of English Walnut. The "upgrade" alone cost more than the entire rifle on the left!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v409/djpaintles/Dakota10andKimberSA009a.jpg



Not that I think that my Model 10 has bad wood by any stretch, but I don't think it's worth another $1500 to the price of the gun (Don't worry I bought it cheaper ).

Winchesters are usually good rifles and I think the custom shop model ones should be even better than normal, but I still think the Dakota's are a cut above though they charge way too much for their wood......DJ

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Both NICE!! But that No. 10 !!!

quote:

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Originally posted by Mike375:
I am building a collection of Wbys from their custom shop and the first two, a pair of 378s have arrived.

Mike

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Mike sounds like two really great rifles Kindly tell us more, any chance of seeing a few pictures of your rifles?

How come that you picked the 378 wby ?

Don't be shy

/ JOHAN

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Originally posted by Longbob:
I understand about the M98 and the 500 Jeffery, but I thought your buddy was only after a "factory rifle" in a 375.

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Longbob,

I was thinking of you!!

JOHAN

They are currently at the gun shop awaiting out gun law paper work.

Why 378s. I have always like the 375 and have owned many of them over the years. But in recent times I have moved into a mode of loading back and I would expect 99% of the loads fired in these 378s will be at top end 375 H&H level. It offers a lot of flexibility in powder choice when the chosen ballistics are a few hundred feet per second below what the calibre is capable of. Sort of 416 Rigby Vs 416 Remington principle.

I have had 2 378s before when they were Made in Japan but the barrels on them were way to light. The 378 and 416 are now the same barrel.

I also like the Weatherbys because they kind of sit out there on their own. None of this ongoing internal debate of M70 Vs Dakota Vs Mauser and so on.

The Dakota does not interest me that is my mates end of town but I have an interest in the M70 custom as a bit of an offset to the Weatherbys. Whether that interest turns into reality I will know in February because that is when the next order is done.

These two 378s have had the all steel bottom metal instead of the standard alloy and they picked two blonde matching stocks for them. The best way to buy Weatherbys is to move away from any of their catologued rifles. The service is very personal but the disadvantage is cost as they no longer offer the same deal to the importer.

Mike

Steve,

I will pass that information onto my mate as he is the one who is in Dakota mode. I am caught up in funding Ed Weatherbys sailing boat and golfing days

Sometime ago Mick Smith had a couple of 300 Winchester Ultimate Classics. I have also heard that Winchster Australia goes weak at the knees at the mention of Custom shop. There is a fellow who posts here as John T and his mate has an Ultimate Classic, one of the stainless in wood models as I remember and John said it is not real good and in general a disappointment.

I was not aware the duty was gone because we have been caught up with that bringing stuff in like Jewell triggers and so on.

The Dakotas seem like quite good vakue to me, at least based on their website and looking at rifles in the 5000 to $6000US bracket. But perhaps they are like Wby and when you move away from catolgued items things change.

Mike

Steve,

I sent you one of those Personal Messages and I assumed it has worked.

Mike

quote:

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Originally posted by Mike375:

quote:

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Originally posted by Longbob:
I understand about the M98 and the 500 Jeffery, but I thought your buddy was only after a "factory rifle" in a 375.

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Longbob,

I was thinking of you!!

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Awww, man. I thought we were friends. Why would you want to put me through that abuse???

The Ruger Magnum is a nice rifle and is not that expensive.




Express

Savage,

I had one of those in 375 when they first came out, the one with barrel band in the forearm. Had real nice tiger tail stock and the bloke I sold it to got a gunsmith to fiish the stock and it came up looking real good.

Mike

Longbob,

You could have a real nice 500 Jeffery made in Australia for a fracton of what the same rifle would cost to get made in America. Custom rifles is probably the only part of guns where we get things much cheaper than in the US.

A top blank of Australian English and the finished stock would be about $3000US all up. The barreled action with sights etc and with the Mauser all done properly would be about another $1600 or $1700US.

Mike

Mike,
Have your mate look at this gun. Built by Gary Goudy with metalwork by Herman Waldron. It does not get any better than that. It is for sale by Morris Hallowell (hallowellco.com) and I would bet dollars to doughnuts that he has an export license or access to one.

link

Chic,

I will pass that link onto him but I think he is mainly interested in Dakota. One reason is being able to add a big calibre like the 416 or 450 and have a "family" which the Dakota will allow and he has a preference to the brand new action.

Mike