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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2007
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John:Thanks.  For the record, I don't shoot my deer from trucks...never have...not a single one.And I do hunt, on foot,to 9-10,000 feet. Not as fast as I used to because I am 61 now....but I still do it....I won't apologize to anyone for the way I kill my game. And I pay to hunt on half that ranch....because that half was sold and a lease program is in effect.The owner of the other half has never accepted any money from me to hunt there,even though I have offered many times.Neither would his brother,before that part of the ranch was sold. I have hunted that property since 1979-1980,in addition to many other places throughout the west and Canada. So, I am invited back each year for reasons that have nothing to do with money.All of this really has nothing to do with the topic at hand,but has been made an issue. Also, I have no squawk with Douglas barrels;(nor Mel Forbes' rifles)..I have cooked quite a few that shot real well....
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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I did not know Allen Day died.He was a gentleman.
I have two of Gene's rifles,would not part with either.
Decades of voting for the lesser of two evils has gotten us just that.....
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Campfire Ranger
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John this is the internet.Only a tool such as yourself would find emotional connection to it. Someone got his @sshole pill prescription refilled. 
![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/X0n16mr.png) WWP53D
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2003
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As to D'Arcy(or Steve Hielman, or Tom Burgess,or Gene Simillion to name others,not having anything worth $14,000 bucks, that is very firmly their business and I always refrain from telling a man what his time is worth...he sets the price and I can either afford to pay it, or I can't;but if the product,based on its' performance,is stellar, I refrain from saying that it isn't "worth it"...there are some custom smiths for which I would say it is not worth it,because the product did not turn out as good as expected.
Since you mentioned Gene Simillion. A local guy who has hunted africa a bunch decided he needed the Simillion experience and ordered a rifle.The rifle gets shipped to a local riflesmith which I use a bunch and of which the proud simillion owner also uses and hangs around the shop all the time. I happen to be in the shop when the rifle is delivered.The proud owner opens the rifle case and finds the rifle has no scope on it.So he calls Simillion up and asks "where is my scope,you said you were going to do load development with my optics?". Simillion replies that it must be a simple mix up,send back the rifle.The owner asks "can't you just send the scope and I'll let my regular smith mount the scope for me and we'll call it good". Simillion replies no way,I have to mount the scope to stand behind our work and we'll test the rifle again". So the guy sends the rifle back and Simillion sends it back about a week later. I get a call from the smith and he says get down to my shop quick you have to see this [bleep] simillion job. I get there and the owner is beyond pissed.The rifle looks ok.Scopes on it as promised.Problem is the bolt handle won't clear the rear of the scope. Simillion didn't do a [bleep] thing but throw the scope on and ship the rifle back. Watching a 65 year old retired executive go ape [bleep] on simillion over a speaker phone was priceless.The term "You lying Cock$ucker" was used a bunch. An excerpt from a Patricia Cornwell novel no dobt...
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
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I don't know what it is, but to many people, once an item of any kind gets expensive,the people who can afford to buy it(or sacrifice long enough to pay for it) get painted as trust fund babies, or dillitantes with lace underwear,by those who think the item in question is not "worth it"......I see this sort of thing demonstrated all the time....kind of like this reverse snob appeal where only the Real Men hunt with less expensive rifles.....too smart to be conned by a snake oil rifle salesmen.
Actually, myself, I've found the reverse to be true in many instances....and the critics turned out to be the one's who couldn't shoot or hunt their way out of a paper bag.....but thought they could...
The guy who was willing to spend the dough for an accurate ,reliable rifle usually tended to be a pretty serious hunter/shooter.And I have not seen many truly serious hunter/shooters who did not eventually get around to a custom rifle or two, regardless of who made it or how much it costs. Words of wisdom Bob. As well said as it could be and certainly true. Guys that jump up and bash another for buying an expensive custom rifle are usually running on petty jealousy or simple ignorance. Real truth is it is none of their business. Bauer wins the 1st 2011 AZZHAT OF THE WEEK AWARD !! 163bc
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Campfire Ranger
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I don't know what it is, but to many people, once an item of any kind gets expensive,the people who can afford to buy it(or sacrifice long enough to pay for it) get painted as trust fund babies, or dillitantes with lace underwear,by those who think the item in question is not "worth it"......I see this sort of thing demonstrated all the time....kind of like this reverse snob appeal where only the Real Men hunt with less expensive rifles.....too smart to be conned by a snake oil rifle salesmen.
Actually, myself, I've found the reverse to be true in many instances....and the critics turned out to be the one's who couldn't shoot or hunt their way out of a paper bag.....but thought they could...
The guy who was willing to spend the dough for an accurate ,reliable rifle usually tended to be a pretty serious hunter/shooter.And I have not seen many truly serious hunter/shooters who did not eventually get around to a custom rifle or two, regardless of who made it or how much it costs. Words of wisdom Bob. As well said as it could be and certainly true. Guys that jump up and bash another for buying an expensive custom rifle are usually running on petty jealousy or simple ignorance. Real truth is it is none of their business. Bauer wins the 1st 2011 AZZHAT OF THE WEEK AWARD !! 163bc Actually 163 Bauer is beyond Azzhat...Any Keyboard commando that casts dispersions like this in the safety of whatever [bleep] he currently lives in is a sorry excuse for a human being.
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This fall I put together a 300 H&H, buying a legend stock from D'Arcy. In the following weeks I had many phone conversations with D'Arcy and his crew as I was doing all the stockwork myself and was looking for advice. I got nothing short of exceptional help in this regard as well as several long, enjoyable chats with D'Arcy about rifles, hunting and life. In all, he made maybe a couple hundred bucks from me, yet all along I was treated as if I was ordering up a top shelf rifle from him.
From what I know D'arcy is quite busy and with as many hours as they have into building one of their rifles, they are making a living and not a fortune. Personally, I'm glad there are folks out there who can appreciate such fine riflework and will pay for it.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 39,352 Likes: 43 |
D'arcy was one of the few that took the time to send me a pm over on AR when I was asking questions about attending Trinidad or CST in Denver.
Always got the impression that he is a straight guy.
Where I work - we bid on freight all day. If we start winning more than 50% of our bids - we know our price is too low. I VERY much doubt D'arcy hung his shingle and stuck the 14k price tag on it - 2 days out of school.
Last edited by teal; 01/02/11.
Me
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OP
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Your information is correct, it matches the brochure he sent me a few months ago.
Chet Thank you. This was all I was looking for. I was wrong I should have asked Darcy myself. I apologize to anyone I offended.
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That was far more thoughtful, patient, and kind than Bauer had coming. I'll say.
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John:Thanks. Also, I have no squawk with Douglas barrels;(nor Mel Forbes' rifles)..I have cooked quite a few that shot real well.... If you have no issue with Douglas barrels then why did you try to make them an issue earlier?
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Campfire Outfitter
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Think it's time to break out a well known phrase:
DFTFT
“There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot.”
ALDO LEOPOLD
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There are a lot of folks who will insist that their Rem 870 shotguns work just as good as a Fabbri, that their Hyundai cars are as good as a Ferrari and that their choice of rifles are as good as an Echols.
All that tells me is that they have never fired a Fabbri, driven a Ferrari or used an Echols. It is like the old fable about the fox trying to reach the grapes - since they were out of his grasp he decided they must be sour grapes.
Phil Shoemaker Alaska Master Guide, Alaska Hunter Ed Instructor FAA Master pilot www.grizzlyskinsofalaska.comAnyone who claims the 30-06 is not effective has either not used one, or else is unwittingly commenting on their marksmanship.
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I wouldn't begin to place Coleman and Kampfeld into the ranks of douches like Echols and Simillion.Colemans too honest for one thing.Coleman summed it up best when he stated that a good riflesmith is nothing more then a good machinist.If Coleman and Kampfeld would simply baffle more people with bullsh!t,raise their prices and implement the 82 trick moves they might could some day become like Gene and D'arcy.
Melvin Forbes would be a good example of someone who actually has a clue and provides a real product,rather then a [bleep] over rebuilt rendition of a factory action.On top of that Forbes rifles are a bargain at the price.I've got two of them and would say they out perform anything Echols and Simillion have managed to modify..I've had a couple dozen so called customs and when it comes right down to it,the biggest improvement any of them provide over a factory rifle is the ability to vary barrel contour and add a mickey stock.
Only on the internet could the simplicity of a bolt action rifle be complicated enough for the need of spending $14k.
Hell bob you not only went with some half assed chambering like the mashburn but also used Simillion.That's like bragging about the length of your wife's peter.
Well Bauer once again nothing much of any substance except casting aspersions against guys you don't even know,and whose products you have absolutely no experience with,buttresed by the story of a ficticious retired executive who was unhappy.....(I mught add that the experience you cited amounts to nothing more than hearsay;at least my experiences with Gene are first hand knowledge,unlike yours, which would not make it to first base in an evidentiary sense,so you are sunk there)..... As to bragging on the Mashburn and comparing the rifle and load to a non-existent peter,I think if you are at all intellectually honest you can read my post and see that there was no "bragging" involved,merely a recitation of fact... And in order to demonstrate your vast experience in these matters,you toss in a couple of NULA's ( a fine lightweight rifle BTW)that uses Douglas barrels and Timney triggers(BTDT),with a nicely machined little action,and good stock, but that seems incapable of surviving a single dunking in salt water before the trigger turns to rusted rubble...this isn't Melvin's fault for sure; his action does not have a trigger.....in any even I'll spend my money elsewhere. Even at 60 I can make it up a mountain at 9000 feet with a 7-8 pound rifle...... In eny event wrestling with midgets and playing "20 Questions" with idiots is not my strong suit;I could give your posts more consideration if you could string together a series of cogent thoughts and substantive criticisms without punctuating them with misspelled obscenities,and sexual innuendos, but I suppose that is too much to ask......  At the end of the day, I guess you are asking who I am to believe......my pals who have Echols Legends,and Alan Day(rest his soul)................................................................................or you  I don't need a CF Poll to figure THAT one out....  Don't include Allen Day in this.The guy was little more then a aristocrat wannabe operating off the money generated from selling his parents west coast acreage during the housing boom.It was well known that he was over extended and heading for a crash.But he was the epitomy of the type who buys a $14k M70. Having been present when Gene gave his lame excuses for a non functional rifle,not once but twice and later shooting that rifle after a smith with half a clue properly mounted a scope on it,I'd say I've seen enough of Gene's work in the first hand to conclude that I wouldn't waste my own money on it.Of course the rifle in question was built in response to the owners friend having bought a Legend which I also shot. On the subject of the NULA's,neither one has a douglas barrel on it and I highly doubt the Timney triggers will cause any issues.Funny you would whine about douglas and yet mention Mickey Coleman who has openly praised douglas barrels. Just how much salt water are you exposed to bob?Your idea of western hunting bob is riding around in a pick up outside of Casper Wyoming on a private ranch zoo hunt? I've no doubt you're capable of riding in a pick up or atv to elevations of 9000 ft. Bob it goes without saying that there's a plethora of things that aren't your strong suit,with intelligence being at the top. you crossed a line....enough!!!![bleep] enough..................
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you crossed a line....enough!!!![bleep] enough.................. I don't think I've ever seen someone hit "[bleep]" status so fast but I gotta say I don't think I've ever seen anyone try as hard as Bauer did either.....
Biden's most truthful quote ever came during his first press conference, 03/25/21.
Drum roll please...... "I don't know, to be clear." and THAT is one promise he's kept!!!
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I've had 3 NULA rifles. All were shooters. Mel is a great guy.
None of them are in the same league for fit/finish/reliability as my Legend. I've had 9 custom/semi-custom left handed rifles. The only one I will never sell is my Legend. It's that good.
Jeff
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I don't think I've ever seen someone hit "[bleep]" status so fast but I gotta say I don't think I've ever seen anyone try as hard as Bauer did either..... Might not a been tryin hard at all
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I don't think I've ever seen someone hit "[bleep]" status so fast but I gotta say I don't think I've ever seen anyone try as hard as Bauer did either..... Might not a been tryin hard at all no schidt, just yer usuall BS... My bad fer takin' da' bait... hang in there Eddie Bauer...
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I've had 3 NULA rifles. All were shooters. Mel is a great guy.
None of them are in the same league for fit/finish/reliability as my Legend. I've had 9 custom/semi-custom left handed rifles. The only one I will never sell is my Legend. It's that good.
Jeff When you spend that much money on a M70 you're pretty much stuck with it.Nobody else is going to give you anywhere near what you paid. Would love to hear all the reliability issues with the NULA.
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There are a lot of folks who will insist that their Rem 870 shotguns work just as good as a Fabbri, that their Hyundai cars are as good as a Ferrari and that their choice of rifles are as good as an Echols.
All that tells me is that they have never fired a Fabbri, driven a Ferrari or used an Echols. It is like the old fable about the fox trying to reach the grapes - since they were out of his grasp he decided they must be sour grapes. A post so good that I just have to bring it back up to the top! John
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