Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Do you have too many hunting rifles?

Guilty as charged, but there are just a few more rifles I want...

I'll admit it, my name is Larry and I'm a rifle looney. There, I said it.

It is..

....and you can NEVER have too many rifles..

Hello Larry, Im a rifle looney too,So welcome to the party,I go see a mental therapist about this as I have ADD as guns and ammo crafting and hunting controls my mind at least 80% of the time and I cannot make it stop and it has been this way since I was in the 4th grade when I made up my mind that I wanted a shotgun and I took this thing and drove my parents nuts with it and they got so sick of listening to me howl about the gun and they finally got me one just to get me to shut the hell up,this thing has cost me 3 wives as the light finally came on one day and I realized that the gun would always win so marriage is not an option any longer,I look at my behavior and compare it to a Drug addict as I can see many definant resemblences to it so I thank God daily that I dont have the druggy thing goin on in my life,I have come to the realization that if a man is going to have an addiction this is a good one to have,much good pleasure come from smokin gun,nuff said about that as I feel the itch comin on to go adopt another one........

Quit counting years ago, I have rifles and shotguns scattered in three states, when I start feeling like I may have enough I give one to a nephew and I get healed, and can start looking for another, works for me.

I don't think I've got too many, 11 IIRC at the present moment, one in build stage. Got reasons to have em all, but could prolly get by with 5 if I was pressed to do so. My excuse for most of the latest acquisitions are my two boys who will need firearms of their own when they're of age (they're already chomping at the bit). My wife thinks I'm a bit touched...and she'd be right.

No such thing as to many hunting rifles. Or to many guns in general. With me also, this has been a good "addiction" and has kept me from spending my money on booze, etc. My Wife even says at least I have something to show for my investments.(great woman!) My Dad was a gun loonie and I became one at an early age.
Virgil B.

After my gunsmith finishes my 6.5STW and Karl finishes my 7-08,I'm through with buying,selling and building rifles for a long time.I don't need or want anymore.

No, absolutely not ! Presently I own 14 rifles and 5 shotguns, which -considering the many possible hunting situations- barely cover the needs. True, I can manage but, to be really comfortable, I could use a dozen more

I'll bet

Off hand I'm not exactly sure how many firearms I own, but I have a new rule for myself. It's the one in one out rule. I just picked up a nice pre-64.30.06 so it looks like a Ruger .06 gotta go. I've got an older 6mmRem that's going to get traded so I can get a new .223 with a 1-9" twist. I'm viewing the guns I now own that don't get used much as my seed corn.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

The thread should be do you have too few hunting rifles.

I've come to the understanding that having too many guns can be a problem, particularly rifles.
What happens is that I only use a few. With those, I become very familar. I come to really trust them. Using them becomes very smooth, easy, and fast. The longer I stay away from the others, the ones I don't shoot but once every few years, the rougher, more awkward I handle them when under stress.
I've found, that in general, it's a mistake to buy and setup specialized guns. It seems that the critters seldom read my game plan. Still, I'm acquiring a couple of new 30'06's as I post this. One is of "all around" configuration. But the other is a peep sighted, pump action Remington. If I can stay on an elk's boiler room at 300 yds. with it, I'll hunt it. If not...., well, I'll have to really think about using it. It has the quality of being acquired at zero cost to me, so there is that.
Over the years, I've come to understand that rifles go sour. Screws loosen, they get bumped, scopes can cause trouble, etc. The best way to make sure that thing will work when you really need it to do so, is to shoot it regularly. Not just from the bench for a few rds. Shoot it from off hand. Shoot two plus rds as fast as you can at a 10 inch target 50-100 yds. out. Practice dropping into a sitting position. Shoot it at the longer ranges. Unknown ranges if you can.
I'm a public land hunter. I spend alot on time and money to do the hunting I do. I don't get many chances to kill the stuff that I insist on hunting. So everything has to work properly. I must be able to get on target, often in minimal time and hit that critter properly.
So, I need a few guns that I know really well. Not just one. I always have at least two complete rifles ready to hunt when I go hunting. To get this done, it needs to be just a few, well tested rifles. E

Too mnay hunting rifles? No!

Too many rifles that I never hunt with, possibly.

So, a long time is like, what, a month? Two weeks?

That's like asking a mechanic "do you have to many tools?"

Could have hunted most everything I plan to tackle in my life with my .270 in a 700 ADL bought in junior high and 12 guage 870 Express bought in senior high, but why limit yourself? If I see one I want and the bank account allows at the time, I'll get it. They all don't get hunted every year, but if they're needed, they're there. I'll grab one or two a year that I'm going to hunt, verify it still shoots where its supposed to, and have at it. The next year might be the same ones, might be different ones out of the safe, or might be new ones just purchased. Variety, its the spice of life.

Fine rifles and shotguns are sorta like good whiskey. Somedays one is too many and 100 ain't enuff.

i like that.

My wife claims I have too many, I calim I don't have enough. I could afford to get rid of 2 or 3, but instead I am looking at adding one this year. Haven't bought a gun in 4 years, other than the pistol the wife bought me for Christmas.