Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Any of you rifle looneys (like me) ever got to the point where you realy feel you have all that you

Haha and brag about how awesome his gun is because he can kill with any shot placement....given time

Started herd thinning about a year ago. Down to a revolver, a .22LR, a 12ga., and 3 Center Fire rifles, all left hand. Trending toward .270Win being the final chambering for CF.

While the .270 is all I "need", hard as I try, can't get down to just one center fire rifle. I love to tinker too much. The LH M70 .300H&H is only a new barrel away from becoming a .375H&H. The .30-06 Stiller is a candidate to become a .270 varmint rifle... Or one of these might get sold to build a nice wood stocked LH .257 Roberts "faux" Super Grade.

Yeah, still got it bad...

I like your taste in guns, quite a bit. If it were me, I would keep the LH model 70 300 H&H. That will certainly do it all, and with style and a cool factor wayyyyy up there.

My 'collection' is a lot like yours, except I do need a walking varminter in 222 and heavy bench varmint rifle in 223. Have them, both in pre garcia Sako actions with nice wood and accurate replacement barrels. Blued steel, of course

I could buy a double rifle in 450/400 or 470 and not buy another rifle for the rest of my life. It'll never happen of course (not buying another rifle).

For a long time I thought that I wanted a double rifle as well. Calibers I wanted were 475#2 and or 9.3x74R. With a set of 20ga shotgun barrels also fitted to the frame and to the custom flightworthy carrying case.

Now, I am pretty sure that since 99.999% of my big game and varmint hunting has been with a bolt action, and since I have a wonderfully built and also quite attractive 416 Rigby I should stay with that. Add in that I am unlikely to go to Africa again ever, and if I do probably only the one more time and the versatility of the 416 and being able to hand down a rifle that took all of my dangerous game to a grandson makes the most sense for me.

I have so many guns they almost aren't fun anymore!!

Everytime i reach into the safe my MK II 7x57 comes out.

I'll be damned if I could reach in there and find anything I could sell though!!!!

NO!!!!!

For me the primary enjoyment comes with the "planning what's next" whether it be a custom build or a factory rifle. Once I get the gun and settle on a good handload, it's time to start looking again. My enthusiasm has wained of late, it can be an expensive hobby and often I spend time on rifles which can be better used elsewhere. And have my first in college this year and another next year. Will be 53 in November and maybe just seeing things differently than 20 years ago.

Were I to run into a tight English 450-400 Nitro Express top lever hammer rifle with 28" barrels my checkbook would be doing some severe whining for a few days.

This is kinda what I think some of us feel at this point. I am 54. In my late 30's through my 40's I aquired just loads of guns in all shapes and sizes. Shot them, hunted with some of them, grew tired of most of them and sold them off. Made the decision a number of years back to reduce the number of firearms I had by a bunch, and use my aquired firearms value equity to sell and or trade my way to a few "Best quality" or in my view best of the best guns for each hunting, concealed carry, protect the home or homefront scenario and I just now hit my Zenith. What is more, my best quality guns are far better pieces of gunsmithing and wood and craftsmanship than I thought I would end up at. So for me, I consider myself as having aquired the gun collection that I want or need.

I know that most here are still in some phase of building and or aquiring, for whatever reason makes them happy in so doing. I am happy for them and wish them the best in thier endeavors. BTDT and got the t-shirt. I was just wondering if any other folks here thought that they had pretty much arrived at THIER firearms aquisition zenith or not.

This is similar to the feeling I got when I realized that I do not have the wall space for any more trophy heads and do not wish to pony up the bucks for any more taxidermy work. I have given some dandy shoulder mounts away, and am no longer trophy hunting. One set of trophy bull elephant tusks is a lot, IMO, and All I wanted was good, fully mature, symetrical examples of a good bull elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail, Bear, and a few African Trophies and done. 90% of what I shot in Africa my last couple of trips were meat or bait animals. I am nowadays meat hunting and hunting for a good time with my other hunting brothers and sisters in the game fields now. Hunting is now very much a social event for me. If I don't have a freind or new hunter to bring along, it is not worth going any more for me.

Went on a bit of a rabbit trail here, but for me all of this kind of goes together. Just where I am as a rifle nut and hunter. Thought I would see how many others are at a similar place in thier life.

You're 2 years ahead of me on the same path.

Having the perfect rifle for each situation is not as important to me as it used to be yet I can't let go of the pursuit I've been locked into for 30+ years. Even though I really no longer give a [bleep] I can't stop going through the same motions. There doesn't seem to be a 12 step program for this particular addiction.

Yes I do feel I have all I need BUT. I still want more for some reason...funny thing I really only hunt with a few. It's a sickness there is really no cure for..
After moving most of my stuff to nebraska I have decided I need to trim down some. After all who needs 100 rifles I'm thinking of selling off some run of the mill stuff and upgrading to nicer higher end stuff...

That is the direction I went, and I am happy with my choice - for me.

I always thought I needed a 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, and a 30.

The 17 is not adequately covered with a couple HMR's, I need a Hornet or a Fireball. I also need a 204 Ruger.

The 22 is covered with a 22-243AI, 24 with a 6mm-284, 26 is doubled up with a 260 and the 264, and an STW covers the 28.

I long ago sold my '06. Thought I needed 30 cal mag built off the 375 Ruger, but a rebuilt shoulder precludes any enjoyment from such an endeavor.

So yes, I still have a couple holes to fill on the bottom end, and I would like to rebuild the 260 and the 6mm into real shooters instead of "good enough for a deer to 200 yds."

Hell, had I not caught this dreaded 41 mag contagion, my rifle list would have been complete years ago.

(Yes, Mark knows of what I speak.)

I have been there several times. Not trying to brag, but I have owned/toyed with more guns than most ever will. For more than two decades my house was a revolving door of guns. Kinda still is, but not as much. Same with knives.

I go through phases of what I'm "in to". Rimfires, LR sniper rifles, short range target rifles, big bore lever guns, big bore handguns, ARs, the list goes on. And on.

I'm starting to not care as much for some, after thinning the herd a bit. I just have too many and am realizing I can't use them all. I have more bullets and powder than most gun shops. There are at least 40 scope boxes atop my safe.

It is hard to let go of the ones I have left. Some will eventually be given away. Some sold.

Some have become safe queens, some get abused. I like the abused ones best.

I am pretty comfortable with what I have, as I should be. Realistically, only about 3 guns on my bucket list. All 3 for a long time now. Not sure if I will ever own any or all 3.

That said, I bought a new gun 3 days ago. Sold one same day

Earl, you really got screwed!

My first new CF rifle was exactly the same, and I only paid $185. I think the gunshop owner's wife took pity on me after seeing me drool over the new rifles since I was 12.

Guns are like Pringles potatoe chips.

So true, gwasshoppa.... Is this written in the books of the Buddha, The Proverbs of David and Solomon or perhaps the Ecclesasties aka "the preacher" books?

I don't have too many firearms... I just don't get to hunt as much as I would like to...

THIS! If I have to chose, I'll put the money towards more hunts before more guns. I've only bought 4 guns and sold 2 of them to help defray hunt trip costs. All the rest were gifts or inherited. I'm pretty well setup, but if a year comes by when I have the $$ but not the time I'll probably add another to my safe. That said, my two boys are needed outfitted so I'll probably be spending "my" gun money on them instead.