At what point do you sell a rifle?

[Xxtavixx]

Hello all,

Ive been one of those people who have been through a lot of rifles until I found the ine i really liked. Ive had everything from An incredibly nice Weatherby 9 lug 30-06 to beat up lever actions and pump action rifles. I eventually went to buy a rem 700 (another) but in stainless, the LGS had a savage in 7mm mag stainless. Id never seen one in person, its the model 116 weather warrior. It fit like a set of broken in boots, it felt like it could be the answer i had been looking for. I scored a great deal on it and took it home. Amazing rifle. I bought another in 270 and sold all my rem 700 and pump action rifles. Im down to a decision, though.

For hunting rifles I have...
savage 116 7mm rem mag 24" barrel threaded
Savage 116 270 win 16.5" barrel threaded
1951 marlin 336SC in 35 rem

Threaded for a suppressor, which is a 30 cal can. The question is, to sell a firearm to fund more hunting gear? Ive been gearing up, but Ive choosing to buy a lot of quality gear which is expensive. Planning to go the next few years, starting next year and I still have some big purchases to make such as pack, spotting scope, shelter system and different boots.

I dont find myself using the 35 as much. The 7mag and 270 have a lot of overlap, so its possible to sell everything but the 270 and knock out almost all my gear. All hunting rifles have swarovski scopes so Selling one set up would mostly cover a spotting scope or kifaru pack. The 270 would gladly knock and elk down and be easier to haul around. I fully intend to hunt with the can.

90% of my hunting is in FL for hog. My 223 could do it , or whichever hunting rig i choose to keep.

 

[Stein]

I have many firearms but one hunting rifle. I really like getting to know one rifle and the muscle memory I get from always shooting the same thing. I have the handload dialed and it just works for me. I would sell hunting rifles and use the money for other gear or better yet other tags or hunts.


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[Xxtavixx]

Thats the exact reason I gave two rifles in the same stock, same action, same trigger...just different barrel lengths. Both the 270 and 7mag shoot half moa with several of my hand loads. Hard to get rid of rifles that shoot that well...

 

[LifeAndLiberty]

I did the same as you - I have a Savage Model 10 in .308win and when it was time for something with a little more horsepower, I went with a Savage Model 111 in 7mm Rem Mag (which I had a smith rechamber to 28 Nosler). I have the same glass on both rifles too (Leupold VX-6 2-12x).

I'll be the contrarian and say I wouldn't sell the lever action if it was me. I am a fan of lever action rifles, especially big bores. But then again, I live in the Northeast and hunt in the thick brush of Northern Maine. Florida I may feel differently. I take my lever actions when I'm hunting deer on the ground or in the mountains up north, If I'm in a stand, I take a bolt action. Different tools given the different circumstances.

 

[Xxtavixx]

I did the same as you - I have a Savage Model 10 in .308win and when it was time for something with a little more horsepower, I went with a Savage Model 111 in 7mm Rem Mag (which I had a smith rechamber to 28 Nosler). I have the same glass on both rifles too (Leupold VX-6 2-12x).

I'll be the contrarian and say I wouldn't sell the lever action if it was me. I am a fan of lever action rifles, especially big bores. But then again, I live in the Northeast and hunt in the thick brush of Northern Maine. Florida I may feel differently. I take my lever actions when I'm hunting deer on the ground or in the mountains up north, If I'm in a stand, I take a bolt action. Different tools given the different circumstances.

Thats my other side, the lever is damn cool. It was also the first hunting rifle I bought. The woods are very here, and shots are close even in the stand. Tiny gods the 28 Nosler is my favorite caliber - Ive wanted one ever since they were released. Have you ever chronographed yours? I really cane close to picking one up but there is not even a place within two hours to me to shoot far enough at a gun range to justify it.

 

[howl]

No point in selling those. It's not like you're going to realize a lot of money. And you may end up regretting the sale.

A place where you can make quality gear more affordable is in optics. If you're not going to use the elk rifle or whichever often, just don't scope it. Move your hog rifle scope over when preparing for the trip. Picatinny mounts work great for this. I got into using them when I decided I wanted to use a high magnification scope for testing loads. Thing is I prefer low power variables for hunting. So, everything has a picatinny rail. The one high magnification target scope gets swapped onto whatever I need to test a load on. Most people only need a couple of really good hunting scopes and one barely-good-enough target scope. Buying fewer scopes means more money for rifles.

 

[LifeAndLiberty]

Thats my other side, the lever is damn cool. It was also the first hunting rifle I bought. The woods are very here, and shots are close even in the stand. Tiny gods the 28 Nosler is my favorite caliber - Ive wanted one ever since they were released. Have you ever chronographed yours? I really cane close to picking one up but there is not even a place within two hours to me to shoot far enough at a gun range to justify it.

Oh me neither, I bought it for if or when I finally go out west or way up north to Canada. I have chronographed it, I've found my magic powder to be Reloder 33 with the 175 grain partitions, but I'd have to look through my notes to see what I was pushing. Pretty close to the book numbers Nosler is publishing if i am not mistaken.


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[Xxtavixx]

Oh me neither, I bought it for if or when I finally go out west or way up north to Canada. I have chronographed it, I've found my magic powder to be Reloder 33 with the 175 grain partitions, but I'd have to look through my notes to see what I was pushing. Pretty close to the book numbers Nosler is publishing if i am not mistaken.


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Min load should be about 3000 fps which is great, i push my 7rem mag to 2850 fps with 60.5 g of rl22, which is not as quite published. Making me jealous!

 

[Xxtavixx]

No point in selling those. It's not like you're going to realize a lot of money. And you may end up regretting the sale.

A place where you can make quality gear more affordable is in optics. If you're not going to use the elk rifle or whichever often, just don't scope it. Move your hog rifle scope over when preparing for the trip. Picatinny mounts work great for this. I got into using them when I decided I wanted to use a high magnification scope for testing loads. Thing is I prefer low power variables for hunting. So, everything has a picatinny rail. The one high magnification target scope gets swapped onto whatever I need to test a load on. Most people only need a couple of really good hunting scopes and one barely-good-enough target scope. Buying fewer scopes means more money for rifles.

Good idea, but all are scoped with swarovski already. Thats where most of the funding would be

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I have the excuse of 3 kids I hope will come out and hunt to let some less used guns hang out in the safe... but in general I'd never want just 1 hunting rifle. Shit can happen to a gun/optics setup, etc. on short notice such as back to back hunts and you bust something on the first hunt its nice to have another gun setup/zero'd/known data you can grab and go.

 

[LaGriz]

Xxtavixx,

The only rifle I have ever sold was a 1980's Marlin in .35 Rem. I regret it to this day. That little 18" barreled bugger shot very tight groups with the a 200 gr. factory load. Exit wounds were not all that common, but the rifle did not let me down. Most of my hunting was it tight cover on Louisiana's WMA's and in the "Atchafalaya Basin" where 50 yards was an average poke. The low power Bushnell scope was in expensive, but adequate for the type of hunting I was doing. Wouldn't you know, the "Lever evolution" ammo came out a year after I sold it.

Once I made the choice to hunt the west for Elk and Mule Deer, I purchased a used model 700 Mt. rifle in .280 Rem. The ballistics of the bolt action (with a high end scope) compelled me to use it more at a local level, be it in cover or on a pipeline or power line right of way. Before long the Marlin was confined to closet duty nearly all season long. This is how I justified the sale of the 336. In the 20 years since, I have added two pre-64 M70's, a Kimber 8400, and a Marlin 308 Express to the battery. Now I have a gun safe that is getting crowded. The new Marlin has a 24" bbl. but I have had poor luck getting it to group well with the only load available. Have never hunted with it to this day. In a heart beat, I would trade it if I could for the former.35 caliber model.

Recommend that you hold on to all 3 rifles.
LaGriz

 

[Xxtavixx]

Xxtavixx,

The only rifle I have ever sold was a 1980's Marlin in .35 Rem. I regret it to this day. That little 18" barreled bugger shot very tight groups with the a 200 gr. factory load. Exit wounds were not all that common, but the rifle did not let me down. Most of my hunting was it tight cover on Louisiana's WMA's and in the "Atchafalaya Basin" where 50 yards was an average poke. The low power Bushnell scope was in expensive, but adequate for the type of hunting I was doing. Wouldn't you know, the "Lever evolution" ammo came out a year after I sold it.

Once I made the choice to hunt the west for Elk and Mule Deer, I purchased a used model 700 Mt. rifle in .280 Rem. The ballistics of the bolt action (with a high end scope) compelled me to use it more at a local level, be it in cover or on a pipeline or power line right of way. Before long the Marlin was confined to closet duty nearly all season long. This is how I justified the sale of the 336. In the 20 years since, I have added two pre-64 M70's, a Kimber 8400, and a Marlin 308 Express to the battery. Now I have a gun safe that is getting crowded. The new Marlin has a 24" bbl. but I have had poor luck getting it to group well with the only load available. Have never hunted with it to this day. In a heart beat, I would trade it if I could for the former.35 caliber model.

Recommend that you hold on to all 3 rifles.
LaGriz

Ugh thats a heart breaker! Ive only regretting selling one rifle, a lefty savage 10 243, mostly bc i got such a deal on it. No attachments otherwise. Is your newer marlin the XLR? Ive had a few and really really liked them. As far as leverevolution, its shoots great but ive had terrible meat damage with it. It fragments worse than anything Ive ever seen. Ive never recovered more than shards, and rarely got a pass through. With that said, nothing ever took a single step after being shot with it. I attribute that to shot placement mostly, though.

 

[LaGriz]

Xxtavxx,

I don't think it is the XLR model that I believe comes in stainless and a laminated stock. It is the blue steel and walnut version with a 24" bbl and a half length magazine. Have equipped it with a Lyman peep sight, Williams FO front sight, and a picatinny scout rail for a IER scope. No scope at this time.
I made a private purchase of the rifle at a local gun show. Range time only as it has never been in the woods. The previous owner had only put a box and a half thru it when he sold it to me. I have put another 60 rounds thru it with mixed results. Recoil is pretty mild. I don't care for the cross-bolt safety very much. My old .35 Rem didn't have one. Does anyone make a load for the rifle outside of the LE line?

LaGriz

 

[Xxtavixx]

Xxtavxx,

I don't think it is the XLR model that I believe comes in stainless and a laminated stock. It is the blue steel and walnut version with a 24" bbl and a half length magazine. Have equipped it with a Lyman peep sight, Williams FO front sight, and a picatinny scout rail for a IER scope. No scope at this time.
I made a private purchase of the rifle at a local gun show. Range time only as it has never been in the woods. The previous owner had only put a box and a half thru it when he sold it to me. I have put another 60 rounds thru it with mixed results. Recoil is pretty mild. I don't care for the cross-bolt safety very much. My old .35 Rem didn't have one. Does anyone make a load for the rifle outside of the LE line?

LaGriz

There are a few 35 factory loads - core lokt has a 150 and 200g, federal blue box, hornady LE and buffolo bore are the only factory pfferings i kmow. And to be fair, Ive never seen the core lokt 150g in person.

 

[wildcat33]

Unless the guns have sentimental value, I would sell everything that you don't use on a regular basis and use that money to fund gear that you will use.

As a personal example, a few years ago I went through all my gear, and cleared out massive amounts of stuff. It was tough getting rid of things at first because I had that "What if I need it someday?" mindset, but once the cash started coming in from sales and space opened up in the garage - I never looked back. Guns I didn't shoot once last year; gone. That extra tent; gone, my beloved mtn bike that I ride once a year; gone, etc. I used that money to fund a custom rifle and a pair of SLC 10x42s. So instead of a bunch of stuff I was keeping around "just in case" that was doing me no damn good, I have a few pieces of high quality gear that I will use regularly for the rest of my life.

 

[Roy68]

Look at it pragmatically as wildcat stated.

Fwiw I own a 1953 Marlin 35 Rem. It was my late father's and never ever will it be sold. My oldest of 3 sons has shot his first 2 deer with it. Lyman peep sight with leverevolution Ammo. Nothing but good things to say about the rifle and the ammo. Hopefully my younger sons will do the same.

 

[Xxtavixx]

I think thats best way to look at it, almost a "one gun hunter" philosphy. Id probably end up going down to just the 270. With its 16.5" barrel its managing to push 2850 fps which is enough for elk, and really too strong for Florida deer. Great for hogs though!

My scopes are-
335 has a z3 3-10
270 has a z5 3.5-18
7mag has a z5 5-25

I know the 3.5-18 is the most versatile and is what I should keep...but Id probably keep the 5-25, its amazing with its big objective.it soaks up light, and most of my shots are dark.

 

[LaGriz]

Xxtavixx,

My new Marlin is a .30 caliber (308 Marlin Express) not a .35. The Lever Evolution load is a 165 grainer at around 2675 fps if I recall correctly. Does anyone have any history with this load? How does it perform on game? Is there another factory load out there or is hand loading going to be the only option?

LaGriz

 

[Xxtavixx]

Xxtavixx,

My new Marlin is a .30 caliber (308 Marlin Express) not a .35. The Lever Evolution load is a 165 grainer at around 2675 fps if I recall correctly. Does anyone have any history with this load? How does it perform on game? Is there another factory load out there or is hand loading going to be the only option?

LaGriz

I believe Leverevolution and core lokt are the only big producers for it, some others might do season runs but Ive always thought the 308 marlin would be more for hand loading

 

[Jimbob]

I think guns are a great investment, they hold value. Your boots will be worthless in no time, a pack not as bad and then good optics will hold value. I would never sell a gun to get boots or a pack (well maybe for a pack) but I would for optics.

Don't do something you will regret in 5 years but you only need one gun to hunt. I think I would rather have excellent glass and pack then another rifle in the safe back home. Boots you just have to bite the bullet and buy and a shelter can really range in price, buy cheaper now and upgrade later when funds available.