As I whittle down my stash of lefties in the future, what are the thoughts about getting 1 or 2 special guns such as a Cooper Backcountry etc. I am a hunter and do okay with what I have but wonder if 1 or 2 higher end guns is better than having 30 I don't even shoot and taking any extra money and go hunt? Opinions?

I’m down to 5 built exactly like I want with what I consider the best optics on them. It’s been great thinning the herd.

I am doing exactly that right now. It just got to be too much with reloading and storage. The plan is to have five or six rifles which should be more than enough.

I've done it too; down to about five. Not to say I haven't picked one up here or there, but my higher end, rare stuff has been sold.

'Can't take it with you' and if no one in your family is a southpaw, well, it great eases the desire to keep and hand down.

When I started thinning the herd, my intention was to get down to one .22LR rimfire, one 12ga shotgun, and one centerfire rifle. I've managed to get down to one rimfire and one shotgun. However, like the guys above, I am hovering around 5 centerfire rifles. One "do all" last man standing. One pretty wood blue. A unique (to me) collectible. And a couple that I am "tinkering" with.

Once I settle in on specific chamberings, I have a goodly quantity of reloading supplies to shed off so I can reclaim some space. I am not down to the point of "beware the man with one rifle" ... yet. However, I have spent more time "out" shooting in the past 6 months. And that included getting a great nephew trained up, and, on his first deer when KY rifle season opened this past weekend. So, the thinning is having the desired effect.

I tried going down in numbers a few years ago. It worked. Now I own 5 more rifles than I used to and in the process of building a "mountain rifle".
Guess I have a problem, lol.

I dont enjoy my expensive rifles any more than my factory rifles to be honest.All I care about is accuracy.

You've been reading my mail.

If you view the rifles as tools to aid in the final goal of hunting, then getting down to a small handful is an ideal goal.

If you like the rifles in and of themselves, the handling, certain features, loading for different calibers, whatever, it is a Sisyphean task. You'll miss the ones you had and have to replace them or just go out and buy new and different ones.

Don't know if this will work for you but what I've been doing for several years now, and especially in this soft firearms market, is taking firearms I don't shoot much, giving them a good cleaning and oiling and then putting them away. Not just "back of the safe" away, but someplace completely out of sight, out of mind. After a year or two or three, you'll get to thinking about it and remembering the nice features of it. So you go get it out of storage and it's almost like having a new rifle to play with but it doesn't cost any money.

Except for a new scope for it, maybe try a different stock on it....

i wouldn't go to thin on rifles. soon as you are down to one you will fall and tear that one up.i have 12 deer guns now. I don't really need that many aint eating nothing and most were bought fairly cheap at gunshows.

I think the thin down and then upgrade is a good plan that just does not work for me. My plan is to upgrade the stocks on a few select rifles. Now I have several with both wood and synthetic stocks which sounds good but like switch barrel guns it is not very practical for me. I should sell the extra stocks and put the proceeds into good wood but I am not too good at thinning the options either. The duplicate stocks are crying out for additional barreled actions so I am still stuck in the acquisition loop.

The downside is I shoot left handed and my son shoots right so no beneficiaries for the inventory I have.

The times I have had only one rifle I shot it better and had less incidences of short stroking or failure to feed.

I don't own any upper-end rifles and most of those ready-made for purchase I don't really find appealing. I'd rather build or customize a rifle to get what I want than buy something like a Cooper or other premiums. A classic Mauser is appealing. May get one someday.

I'm in the process of paring down my rifle holdings. Like the OP, I just haven't been using them and don't want the extra maintenance overhead involved with having them. It's difficult deciding which ones to get rid of though. Just sold a nice 7600 35 Whelen in the classifieds. Tejano, you must only have bolt actions. I've got quite a few leverguns. In fact, I've got more levers than bolts. They work left or right handed as do the pump guns, and they are the ones I'm having the hardest time deciding which to send down the road.

Priceless time afield that will never be forgotten by your nephew. As the saying goes, "collect moments, not things."

Went back out with the nephew again this morning looking for a doe. Bumped one on the way in. Had another behind us snorting for about 10 minutes. Wind had changed and was all wrong for the stand we took. Same temp as last weekend. But the light breeze (and lack of deer) made it seem a lot colder. Back in the house by 9:00am. Cooked breakfast. Then started processing his buck from last week. It had been hanging in the barn, quartered, on a single tree all week. Netted approx 25 lbs of clean, bone free, fat free, hard trimmed, meat. Another good day.

I'm of the opinion that this is a good path to travel. I'd rather have photo albums full of trip pics than multiple safes full of rifles.

Excellent.