Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire A Buddy Just Called...Price Check!

I'm a little bummed 'cuz I just got a call from an ex-coworker and after some small talk, he asked if I was interested in purchasing his M700, HS Precision stock with weighted mercury or whatever insert(?), perfect condition, ultra low round count (that I'm SURE of).....338 RUM. It wears, now get this, a mint condition Leica 3.5 X 10 X 42 scope.......very, very nice optics. Dies, lots of Lost River bullets, powder, sling ( I believe), brass......all must go.....together. He, as many people are now experiencing, has need to reduce some items to pay his bills (2 young children....yada, yada, yada). It bums me out.

I have hunted with him once, took a long look at this set-up, was so very much impressed with the Leica and thought the M700 was in great shape. He is a novice, or a step or 2 under, both as a shooter and hunter. Not a flame on him, but it just wasn't really his thing. He never intended to hunt but deer and maybe bear...his choice of a .338 RUM is a good indication of his being inexperienced. Nice guy, didn't find that "calling' much to his liking, never had any luck which never helps, I put him on 2 dandy blacktails in one day, missed the first and couldn't get lined up on the 2nd, so it walked as well. He rose from the prone right alongside me while spotting for him during his second attempt, I started to stand as well, he swung the rifle while getting up and shot directly over my head at about 5 feet.......SOB!! First and last huntin' trip with this fella. Nice, would do anything for a friend type of guy, but just "nobody home" in this arena.

Sight unseen, but my description is a very honest one and a few here have seen my stuff and have a pretty good idea of what I consider to be "nice stuff/good condition/etc.".......what's your best guess for this rifle/scope and additional accessories........ballpark.

Appreciate any thoughts on this. If I can help him out, I obviously will. He has no real clue as to what it's worth and even though I've got a bit more experience and a bunch of purchases under my belt, I'm not a big bore guy, don't know the market at all for a .338 RUM and can't venture a guess on the worth of this very nice Leica.

Thanks fellas............he is the first very dedicated family guy and friend to be substantially effected by this economy....enough so that he finds it necessary to sell the only rifle he owns. Very depressing......

He may want me to post it on our site...don't know, but he'd still need to know what a fair price would be no matter where he posts it's availability.

Is it a stock 700 BA stuck in the stock? Is it bedded or just dropped in?

MM

1.5 to 2k....perhaps the scope is worth more than the rifle....it takes alot these days to bring 2k...the caliber is probably a little against him....

Hey MM - I believe (not sure) that it's bedded. I believe it is 'cuz he also had a 'smith install a Timney as well and I would think that he would have thought to have it bedded at the same time....but not sure. Sorry about leavin' out the Timney.....suppose that adds a bit to the bottom line as well.

Yes, stock M700 action/barrel........

Thoughts...? Thanks bud.

Thanks - I told him the same, but perhaps those safari DG types or our far north friends (BC & AK) might think of this cartridge as good brownie/DG medicine........my 300RUM does all I need it to so I've no need for the .338 or I'd help him out and buy it.

Magnum

I will be gone for the next few days but i may be in the market for a 338 RUM, my shoulder might need the abuse. When you figure out a price let me know. Not sure i need the scope as i got a few VXIII's and a pair of Conquests in the safe with no home but ya never know

Will do MA. But, IF I don't get a hold of you, it's because there's still no price yet established.

But sure, since you're been here before, we could meet at my place and see if you like it and do the deal, if it all works out.

I'm pretty sure it all goes as a package however, so splittin' up the rifle/scope is likely not gonna happen.

Talk to you later...........

Perhaps the most fair way to figure a price is to look up everything you can look up in firearms Blue Book, add a reasonable percentage of the cost of the extra "smith" labor costs plus a discounted cost for the trigger and any other "special" features and arrive at a price someone will pay for it.

I think you must keep in mind that those "special" things he had done to the rifle was his "choice"... and while those things (like bedding) were nice, that doesn't mean they are worth a great deal to a new owner.

In addition, it sounds as if HE is making a choice as to what to sell... i.e., he's selling those things that are LEAST "precious" to him first... and this rifle is obviously one of those "things".

I agree with AFTERUM in that "...the caliber is probably a little against him.... ".


I realize you are trying to help the guy out... and that's good, but you can't be expected to do the impossible which is to get every dime out of the rifle that he put into it.

I've "gone-out-on-a-limb" for "friends" myself... and, frankly, while it is a "noble" thing to do, all the effort is often NOT "appreciated" by the recipient of all one's efforts in their behalf.

Good luck in your endeavor... you're a good "friend".


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Thanks Ron.....all your wisdom is not lost on me.......

I realize it is his choice to pick that which he can sell and that which he is willing to sell, but the whole situation is disconcerting, at best. It is what it is and I'm realistic enough to understand his current affair, but it is bothersome nonetheless. I suppose that I'm putting much of what I'm about into his choice, but I know you're correct in that this rifle, to him anyway, IS one of those "things".

I would normally try harder to get all that I could for any friend who asks me for such a favor, but from his own statements and the tone in his voice, time is of the essence. His truck is currently in the shop leaving his family with only one rig and I'm thinking that whatever repair work is currently being done, put him at or just over the edge of making such a choice. The straw that broke the camel's back, if you will.

I've often times been called for such favors, but not with this type of urgency nor for these reasons. You're right, not always are my efforts as appreciated as much as I might have felt myself had I asked someone for the same favor, but I feel better no matter the outcome. Karma, Murphy's law, what goes around............I'm countin' on all of them!!

Thanks again Ron T........you, no doubt, are to many, also a good "friend"......

There are many prices attached to firearms. Retail price of the parts, retail price of the completed package, Price offered by a dealer, price a dealer will sell it as used.

I would think a target of 75% of the price of the parts would be worthy goal but be prepared to accept 50% in reality. Most likely the scope should be offered separately. It will have a much larger audience by itself and will not suffer as much from being "used".

The dies, bullets and brass will all retain value if sold separately. If packaged with the rifle, they will not be considered of value by the buyer most likely. When the negotiation gets down to the final dollar, the misc will be asked to be thrown in on the deal.

This rifle is a fine tool, but in my experience, most of the people who want this special rifle also want to assemble their own new rifle and not pay top dollar for someone else's "used" rifle.

In the end, the market will determine the value. I would let the rifle do what it's going to do and try to maximize the income from the furniture.

Just my 2-cents from a few years behind the counter.

Wouldn't even begin to try to price that one. WAY above my pay grade!

Pretty specialized rig there. What it's worth and what it will sell for might be a lot different in the present climate.
The numbers quoted seem okay but you never know until it's priced and advertised.

A very thoughtful and "experienced" post 257wby. Appreciate it.

His intent to sell the whole package is his choice, one that I have no voice in the matter. It is true that it is a used rifle, but since I hadn't seen it in a few years, I took a few hours earlier to see my friend, discuss life in general and take a much closer look at what is on the table. It is a much nicer "package" than he had earlier related to me........a lot!

It is as I stated earlier, it's a mint M700 BA, SS, in a very nice grey, slightly spider webbed HS Precision stock (not bedded, but fits perfectly and is in mint condition). Both the stock and Timney trigger were put on by a 'smith, as was the Leica scope. The scope....wow! In mint condition, no obvious marks and no dings scratches that I could see without embarrassing myself by looking any closer. I've seen NIB rifles and scopes not look this good. Clear from edge to edge, all adjustments moved not too easily nor too hard, which is perfect in my book. I'm a Leica fan and the quality of this scope doesn't surprise me as my 2 Geovids share the same qualities and attributes. Hard to say, but of all the 3.5 X 10's that I've looked through, this one doesn't take a back seat to any of them.

As to the misc. stuff: 7 or 8 boxes of factory 250gr. Rem ammo, 60 or so (once fired) neck sized handloads using the 250gr. "J36" Lost River Ballistics Technology Inc. bullets, 6 or 7 full boxes of this same bullet (20ct.), shellholder, deluxe 3 die set (Redding), almost 1/2 of a 5lb. jug of RL25, a leather sling, all the cartridges (factory and handloads) are contained in smoke colored, aftermarket 20 rd. plastic cases, some short NIB die that has NT EXP stamped on it, some brushes, jags, around 70 once fired cases neck sized and totally prepped and primed and a spare, factory magazine. There's a bit more I'm sure that I'm forgetting, but that's all I can remember at this time.

Those once fired cases add up to the total # of rounds he's fired in that rifle......the much sought after, used, but hardly used, rifle.

It is a nice "package", for sure.

Great end result!!!

A fellow member from our forum just purchased this great package. He seems thrilled with the purchase and I'm sure that he felt like it was reasonably priced, plus he's aware that he also helped out someone who just happened to have fallen on hard times like anyone of us could. I appreciate the gesture as I'm sure my friend does.

Thanks for your comments....appreciate the help.