A couple of years ago, while at my Dad's place, my Dad, who is also 80, asked me to come into his gun room (the basement). He had his pre-64 Win. Model 70 in 264 Win Mag sitting on his bench and asked me if I wanted it? I said, of course I want it, but I don't want to take it from you, you can still use it. Now, you have to understand that this rifle was my Dad's pride and joy. He'd taken many animals with that rifle and I knew it was one of his favorites. He never had even let me shoot it in the past. But he told me that he had plenty of other rifles to use if he wanted to and that he didn't think he would be using this rifle any more and wanted me to have it to use. I started to say something, hesitating, and he told me that I better take it now before he changed his mind. I swallowed my objections and took the rifle. He subsequently gave me a box with all of his brass, bullets, and loading dies for the rifle. And then I started shooting it, handloading for it, and then took it on an Antelope hunt where he accompanied me and my son. I believe it made him happy to see me hunting with it. Dad is still around and doing well, but doesn't hunt much anymore, or shoot much. He told me not to tell my siblings that he had given it to me, and I didn't. But I subsequently found out from my brother that my Dad had given him an -06 of his. So I figured he was getting rid of a few before he kicked the bucket. And, I figured it was his decision to make
I say take the rifle or rifles, if offered, and give him some peace of mind that you'll appreciate them as much as he has. It's probably not about the money to him.
