Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Pre 64 African .458. Shoot or No Shoot?

Beautiful rifle! This is the way I'd go.

But it's also very obvious that you want to shoot it. Sometimes you just have to say WTF, and just go for it. You only live once. But if you shoot it I'd not try to sell it afterwards. I'd shoot the hell out of it and build a lifetime of memories!

Eric

Hey Mouse, no box and besides someone's word, no real proof that it's never been fired.....besides the fact that it appears that way.

Cartod
In that case, if you do want to fire it let me know I will help you christen this beauty with a few known great loads and a dedicated toast to it's life. It would be an occasion. I'm an Ohio boy and would be glad to help you out.
Mouse

Cool, I will seriously consider it.

No box? I thought it was NIB.

Let one fly!

But you are not the consumer for a rifle like this. Winchestor M70 collectors would be all over this rifle. Without a box it's hard to say that it's unfired because even a fired rifle can be cleaned up to look unfired but regardless if it's in 99%+ condition it's worth quite a bit.

Nope. Leave it alone.

But I would sell it because I expect demographic shifts will gradually soften the collector market. (More collections coming on the market than new collectors getting started.)

Interesting. What kind of time frame would you assume this softening will begin?

Because of the value I would not shoot it. That would be very hard for me to do since I am hunter/shooter before collector. I would be one that would sell it and head to Africa.

Interesting....also, the guys who create a lot of the demand for pre 64's are not getting any younger.Many of the younger generation doesn't even know what they are.....nor do they care.Heck, most of them think a Classic is a real M70....

Cartod I understand the conundrum....

But by not shooting it,you are not gonna get any more days on earth;be afforded extra brownie points,nor be granted more hunting time.Using a rifle you really like is one of life's simple pleasures.

Posterity will not thank you for leaving behind a mint specimen.....when you are gone,the world will try to graft it from your heirs at the lowest possible price.If they decide to keep it, they will not mind that you enjoyed it while you were here.

So, shoot it,hunt it, or trip it now. Life is too short for dust-gathering safe queens.

I'm with Bob.

Personally, I'd sell it to one of the pre-'64 collectors who'd pay enough to go on a safari, as several others have suggested. But then I've paid for several hunts (including Africa) by selling rifles.

Cartod: Unfortunately I sold my pre-64 458 African BEFORE we knew how rare they were - AND now how valuable they are!
I absolutely would NOT shoot that African - unless money means nothing to you.
If you want to enjoy the thrill of shooting a 458 Winchester Magnum then go buy or borrow a CZ or a Ruger and blaze a way.
That Rifle is simply to valuable and rare to diminsh it by shooting it - just to be shooting it!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Well, I figure it depends on personal taste and situation.Some guys will pay $10-$25k for a custom,wood stocked first class "stopper",like an Echols, or Prechtl Mauser,take it to Africa, and bang away.If this makes a guy grow faint, then he should sell it, use the proceeds for a hunt and buy another rifle.

Like JB points out the money may be better spent on the hunt.I know there are guys who pile up pre 64's like coin collectors,and that's fine, too.I could never get into it and would rather hunt it or sell it,myself.

Not hunting or shooting a rifle like that is like dating a Brazilian Super Model, just to look at her..or drag her out for show when friends pop over....not really the best and highest use.

I'm not so sure about the value of them going down anytime soon. Look at the price of a 1866 or 1873 and all the people who used them originally are dead by now.

There are new collectors coming into the market every day. There are also collectors leaving the market every day. I just wonder if there is enough jobs and money for new collectors to keep the old guns valuable.

The number of available truly collectible pre-'64's will continue to decrease, due to attrition. Their value will never become less but will continue to increase.

I would zero that fine rifle with a 1.5-5 Leupold in a set of Talley QD's, zero the irons at 50 yds, and book a Cape Buffalo and plains game hunt in Africa.

You would be doing Maw Winchester proud.

I own no safe queens.

Gunner

i wouldn't own a gun i couldn't shoot so i'd sell it and buy 8 or 10 shooters. nice gun btw

Oh, i can shoot it.

Many of us already own so many guns that we can't shoot them all so I might as well have some pretty ones that I don't shoot.