Anyone gone full circle yet?

[16Bore]

You know the deal...gotta get the newest hottest most advanced gear. Then the next year it’s “old” and you’re chasing unicorns again and further down the rabbit hole. Handload to the Nth degree. So on and so forth....


Then you starting thinning the herd, ditching the stuff that overlaps, realizing that in all your efforts you’ve spent a lot of time and money to get marginal returns then take the minimalist mindset.

I reckon for me it was the day I shot a doe at 15’ with a handload I’d taken quite a bit of effort to develop, in a rifle I’d tweaked to death, and laughed at myself while looking over the turret.


All that crap by the wayside and I’m back to toting a 50 year old M70 and factory ammo...same old rig I’d shot piles of deer with...and not wanting for nothing.

Getting old is kinda funny...

 

[ddavis_1313]

It’s taken me all I have to not go full circle.... seriously. From clothing, to Ammo, to guns, to bows.... after last year, I have anything and everything 2 people could ever need for any hunting adventure unless it’s sub freezing temps in the artic. And even then, I could still survive. Just not as comfortable as I’d like! Lol


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[EastMT]

At one time I had around 30 different rifle cartridges to stock, always buying something faster, flatter, louder. Then I bought a little 308. Every time I went out I took that one or a 223 instead of the faster ones.

I sold pretty much all of them unless they were sentimental family hand me downs etc. I still use the 308 most of the time, I just don’t need all that stuff, bullets, powder, brass to stock. Now I like big old heavy slow bullets, could’ve saved a lot of money if I just bought a 308 and quit early.

I’ve been thinking about hunting with grandpas old octagon 30-30 Canadian centennial from 1967, although I might put a peep on it instead of using the reg sights.


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[Downeaster]

Getting old is funny for sure, and the more you self analyze- the funnier it gets

 

[PNWTO]

“The simpler something is, the richer the experience.” -Steve House

While not old, in the past decade I have gone from the “latest and greatest, all the fixins” in every way to fairly minimalist now. I have T3X .308 with a scope I never take off of 6x and a recurve. I still have top-end gear, just not a lot of it. Most of the camo is gone, too. The primary goal of most gear in the “hunting industry” is to create consumers and boost the ego, not the experience.

 

[Antarctica]

Never got gear acquisition syndrome bad. Just the basics, and I use that gear until its unuseable. I'm pretty much the same with t-shirt and jean- basically wear them until they are unwearable or downright indecent.

In 1988 I got my first bow - A bear whitetail II. In 2008, I got my second - a cheap PSE stinger. Its functional, but so was the bear for all intents and purposes.

Still using packs I bought in the 90's (osprey and dana).

Bought my first camo in 25 years this winter. Some no-name stuff from Midway that is excellent. Probably get buried in it.

 

[5MilesBack]

I've been tweaking my gear just about every year since I started big game hunting in 1980. However, the last few I haven't really made much for changes. I'm pretty well set on what I use now for every situation or condition. But ya, I've gotten rid of a lot of unneeded stuff that was laying around. But I've always used some stuff that is older than most guys on this site.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I never fell into the hype of the latest, greatest thing. So, I guess I haven't come full circle yet.

 

[ODB]

That ooollldddd fashioned feeling....

 

[MuleyFever]

I never really bought into the hype of the latest and greatest. I do a lot of research and buy something good and then I use it for a while unless it fails.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

After years of going through several different backpacks and always trying to tweak the best organization setup, which item goes in which pocket, what attachments, etc, I switched to a Seek Outside Goshawk last year. It has one main bag with a full zip, and I added just one waistbelt pocket for headlamp and chapstick. It has been very refreshing to not spend hours organizing myself to death. I simply dump all my gear in the main bag, zip it up, roll the top and go hunt.

 

[Buckman]

While I've never made a lot of money, I tried to buy the best I could afford sometimes even doing stupid shit. Between Hunting and Fishing and doing it for near 40 years. Its been a lot of money. In hind sight i wish i would have bought some land instead. Big regret.

 

[gbflyer]

While I've never made a lot of money, I tried to buy the best I could afford sometimes even doing stupid shit. Between Hunting and Fishing and doing it for near 40 years. Its been a lot of money. In hind sight i wish i would have bought some land instead. Big regret.

You can’t take it with you brother. Best you can do is live life while you can.

 

[Shrek]

I’ve always been a little bit of really good and simple gear type. I’ve built my kit and sadly find I need little else. I say sadly because I enjoy researching and buying the things I want at the best price. I’m mostly set so it’s only a handful of things a year now and no big ticket items.

 

[LaGriz]

Interesting thread,

A few months ago they had some folks on this site taking about the "Gear Fairy" that whispers in our ear "Ooh I want one of them". The "Gear Fairy" can be a bitch that will cost you a lot of money if you let her rule you. I'm weak at times and I find myself at a point in my life with little or no debt and some disposable income. Being once very poor and on a budget, I now find that I often struggle with the little voice that tells me to "go ahead and get it if you want it. It's not like it will break you tight ole bastard."

I credit the condition from my younger days as backpacker who could not afford high end gear. I'm a sucker for dual purpose items that will lower my pack weight. 15 years ago in a Maine deer camp a friend called me "Mister Gismo". My recent weaknesses have been for: shelters, wood stoves, car camping gear, ultra lite camping gear, and of course camo clothing.

I've been in recovery for this syndrome. However, past & recent accumulations include a kayak, used ATV, Wool backpacks (3), Rifles (now have 5), high end optics, and recurve bows (5 + extra limbs) . Traditional archery has actually helped my condition. Back when I shot a wheel bow, I had it real bad! I called it "hunting like a democrat". If I missed a deer .....I would throw money at the problem. My PSE gained weight every time I passed a bow shop or read a Archery Catalog! Some of these new items worked too! This only adds fuel to the fire when I would spot another must have item.
LaGriz

 

[TREE ‘EM]

I’ve gone in never ending circles with rifles over the years. I figured out a long time ago that the only two big game rifles I need are my .270 &. .375.
That said, when the 6.5 Creedmoor came along, I still took the bait. For hunting it doesn’t do anything that might 270 can’t do better, but it has a permanent place in my safe along with my 30/30 and 30/06.

I had one of them there twisty knob scopes for a short time. Thankfully came to my senses before I tried to hunt with it and traded it off. Too many moving parts for me.

It’s hard to believe how many knives someone can end up with over the years until the bottom of the drawer falls out one day. I still keep going back to my old 4 inch Dexter slim blade and 6 inch green river beaver knives. In my defense, I’ve only bought about 50 knives over the years, my family and friends gave me the other 200+ that are in that drawer.

 

[*zap*]

I am stuck on the curve...….

 

[El Gavilan]

I’ve been a bow hunter for many years and mostly a compound shooter although I started in the 1960s with a recurve. A couple of times in the journey I’ve grown tired of the technology part and switched back to primitive equipment. Just a couple years ago I hung up my Hoyt carbon matrix bow and bought a recurve, longbow, a couple more recurves, and longbows, LOL, then about 2 months ago I went and bought a PSE carbon stealth 35, put a Garmin Xero range finding sight on it and I shoot it with a truball HBC release. Yeah I’m severely conflicted, but I do love to shoot them all and with the current setup it’s very nice to hit what I aim at, even way out there!


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[Southforkguy]

Recently Ive spent some pretty good money on gear. Namely backpack, boots, tents, clothes, optics. Do i regret spending it, yeah kinda. But on the other hand, this is the only stuff I have and if i had to now, I wouldnt be able to afford that same quality gear. So in a way I am glad that when I bought these items I spent above and beyond to get quality gear! Now I'm not scrambling around trying to piece together a decent gear set to head out west with. The advice buy once cry once has been true with my experience.

 

[bowtech840]

I’m 34 and have been buying guns since I got my first real paycheck at 12. I’ve only sold one in that 22 years and still regret it. I’ve accumulated quite the pile but I’ve never once felt like I was throwing money away? If you take care of them they will hold their value and I’m willing to bet at least 50% are worth more now than what I paid for them.

I got the Sitka bug last year and invested a couple thousand in clothing but before that I was wearing clothing at least ten years old. I figure if I can get ten years out of Sitka that’s peanuts in the grand scheme of things.

I’ve personally owned 2 bows in my life and both were/are lower to middle of the road models. They shoot lights out and I’ve never really seen a reason to change or “upgrade”.

I guess in short, guns are my only hunting vice but I don’t see those as something I will look back on and regret buying. Time will tell.


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