Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Why Do People....

Spend $3-$5 or $6000 bucks building these high end custom rifles and then sell them within a year or so and with less than 100 rounds down the tube?

Not what they wanted? Didn't turn out to be what they thought?

I have bought/sold plenty of rifles but if I build one it generally hangs around awhile. But I see these well built customs for sale that are like new...(?)

I think it takes a lot of years to determine what you really need and and prefer in a rifle. I think some people get hyped up, on the internet, or magazine articles, and wind up getting something they don't really care for a few months down the road. At 63,I think i've settled on a few rifles, that do just about anything i'll need them for. One is a CeraKoted Montana in 7MM/08,a Cooper.280AI, and a Cooper .308. I think i could spend whatever time I've got left with these three rifles.

I blame build times and the need for instant gratification.
Read - Short Attention Span

Along with the constant desire to make that perfect mousetrap.

Guilty myself, I have about $6k into a 338 Lapua build including the scope and components. I haven't even taken delivery from the smith and I think I am over it? I am going to shoot it and hunt it but practical it is not. I had to have it though? Why?

To the rest of the guys that do it maybe they don't mind the financial hit of dumping a newer custom? They just move on the the next thing without batting an eye.

I think lots of folks build shiet chambered for the wrong cartridges.

I know I'd get a hell of a lot more mileage out of a 223 than a 300 RUM

Lots of truth there. Probably in my case too.

Yeah I think that's true for sure....building stuff you use is the way to go.

I think some folks just like to try stuff. I know I've run through a lot of "stuff"...knives, builds, etc...just to see how it would turn out and to try it.

My problem is I get bored fast so I move on to the next toy.

I'm in the built too big camp. So many people back east have huge guns...."incase they go out west or something". I know many more people that use rifles 30/06 and larger than those that use smaller.

Always funny to hand someone a "little gun" loaded right and let them form an opinion for themselves. Had more than one friend happily make the switch to less recoil and more enjoyable to shoot rifles.

This could be my problem too...grin

I sell few rifles,but seem to always be getting more.

Easy to make money on same,rather than lose...but of course one needs a shred of sense and 82 Trick Move/Snake Oil avoidance..............

Because they can!

I don't.

Tend to buy pre-enjoyed and let others take the depreciation.




Best,

GWB

Lol. You do get a sweet deal here and there.

I was visiting a friend in Montana last month and wanted to look at some coopers. Very nice to say the least. I've really only seen pics of them mostly yours. Anyway your post made me think of that.

I keep wondering the same as Bob, because I want to spend some thousands on a decent long-range rig one of these years, when I can justify it. When I build one, I'm going to need some really good personal reasons, and I don't have enough yet. Until then, I've 'gotten by' with decent factory guns that I've played with a bit until they shoot well.

My dad was a true gun loony, and chased the latest, greatest gun/cartridge for more than 40 years. He lost more money over those years than I spent on college. After watching decades of that, I want to be sure that what I put that much money down for is what I want and can justify to myself.

You guys that have built these set-ups and then sold them: what were your reasons for sending them down the river? So far, too much cartridge has been given. What else?

$1K will reliably build one hell of a rifle.................(hint)

I've built guns that filled a gap I didn't actually have but didn't fully realize it until said gun was home from gunsmith

I tend to build around bullets........................(hint)

Stick, please tell me more. I'd rather spend 1k than 5. I'm a lefty, and I'm partial to 7's for long range bullets. Was thinking about a 7 wsm, or saum, or even a bit bigger, like the Mashburn, or Rogue. I prefer not to mess with belted cases, but in the end it probably doesn't matter that much if it shoots like I want it to.

I don't see myself taking shots at game longer than 8-850. There have been a few animals that I've had to sit and watch from that range that I could have taken if I had the rig. Some guys wonder at the ethics of taking those shots, but I've hunted enough in big country to see ideal conditions and undisturbed animals at those ranges. I'd like to shoot paper/rocks/steel past 1000 at some point too.

It's called a "7-08" and they abound.

But the "trick" is,you actually gotta use it.................(hint)

I bet that right there seems to be the reason for about half the builds out there....filling gaps in the picket fence of cartridge line-ups.