Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Setting myself a goal, possibly SERIOUSLY thinning the herd...

This is so true and great advice. I did a similar thing a few years ago. Sold all but the few guns with history and sentimental value. Paid down debt and got our financial house in order. Then, over time, bought/built a smaller battery of nicer hunting rifles than I had before.

Zero regrets. Financial peace of mind far out ways a few possessions.

Good luck on the plan! I hope it works out.

Luckily the wife and I never bought anything we hadn't saved up for.

Any debt would probably give me an ulcer.

Maybe put em up here, some folks would likely like a shot at "helping you out"

Jeff

Selling the herd is not the answer, managing your debt and eliminating other bad habits on how you spend your income is. Best of luck at any rate. Magnum Man

Getting to be debt free was one of the best things I ever did. Do what you have to do to get there and you will never regret it.

agree with rosco1..

On a pure numbers basis, probably true. Taking action on his goals and getting some quick progress can have a large psychological effect.

Saleing the herd sometimes may be a good answer. For instance if you've reached a point in your rifle loonyism that you've acquired a bit of a finer taste in rifles saleing to get out of debt is a good way to get rid of what you've eventually learned doesn't fit your finer taste in rifles.

Also if you are married or otherwise when the dept is paid you have an excuse to purchase some finer firearms as a reward and the Misses will likely agree because of the former sacrifice that has been made.

In the end you end up with some really fine rifles that exceed your previous herd.

Shod

Exactly, when it's all said and done, the consumer debt is paid off and I have liquid assets equal to/greater than the mortgage(which will be accelerated at that point)...I'll still have a PRISTINE GEW.98(DWM 1917) action that is already drilled and tapped bolt forged and has a 2 pos M70 safety. Think I can come up with a pretty fair custom with that, paid with CASH of course.

I was very fortunate to marry a very smart, money conscious woman. If not for her I would have lived a life in constant debt. Thanks to her I learned that you don't know need everything you want all the time and that the buy once cry once mentality can save you much money in the end. At this point I have consolidated my big game rifles to one. A Forbes 308, while not a high end custom it is a gun that would have been a dream a few years ago and one that I have even more proud in because I know that buying it took nothing away from my family.

Debt free is truly worth and in the end will give you even more options in future purchases.
Nick

I think ou have an excellent plan. I too am thinking of a similar move but for a different reason. As I reach retirement and look at traveling with my wife it doesn't make much sense to have all the guns I have sitting back home to worry about. Keep a couple of my favorite shotguns , a decent rifle a rimfire rifle and pistol and a pistol for the nightstand and dump the rest.

That $180,000 could likely be $1,000,000 if one invested prudently. Pay 5% on a loan and earn +20% with the cash.

"The Herd", That was my bad habit. About 5 or 6 years ago I decided to end it. I sold off some where in the range of 200-225 fire arms. Guns that just sat in the safes. I did not even remember buying some of them. Down to about 15 now, and if pushed I could keep maybe 6.

Setting a goal is good, debt free is really good. Not from selling the herd, but it helped.

Must have picked the right ones to sell, had interest in 3 out of 4 already and I haven't even listed them yet(just mentioned what I was thinking to a couple of buddies, evidently they mentioned it too). Probably list the 452 here in the classifieds GOOD .22 bolts are a hard sell around here.

Gotta start somewhere right?
2 CZ-452 for sale.

Those CZ 452's are very nice guns.

+1 I find myself agreeing with you more all the time. Great minds? Or just scary? No matter. "redundant schit" Amen!

Scary...

I've adopted a one bolt face policy.

223
260
7RM

And a 270 Win w/130 NPT's tucked away as a loaner. Or when I get really bored and ditch the 260 & 7RM.

Another vote for debt free, been there for 5 years, its a great feeling. I've never carried a credit card debt. We owe nothing, credit cards, house or vehicles. Let your money work for you instead of you working for it.

No question, there is great wisdom here. I too am purging. Less in guns- more into life, and hunting.

Purge the rifles, and treat yourself to a couple hunts, and the freedom of putting more cash in your pocket and less in "theirs"

Sold the Uplander today locally for $350...going right down on the Visa bill.