Arriving at a point in life

Rare Breed said:

All of us are at different points in life with different priorities. Earlier on I wanted many different DRs so I bought 8 from Westley richards to Rigby etc. and enjoyed and learned from them all. At this stage of my life I know several things about myself:
1. I only need two calibers to take any animal on this earth, a 275 and a 404.
2. I prefer a Rigby Brand.
3. I now put my money in future hunts after spending decades also putting money in different calibers and brands.

I believe all of us choose to do different things at different times in our life chasing our mistress Africa!!!

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In similar way of thinking, I am no longer buying guns.

Also, my Zimbabwe 2025 trophies are coming home shortly, and with this shipment, it will be practically last of dip and pack, shipping and taxidermy expenses.

From now on, I will hunt only for experience in Africa, and elsewhere.
Photo is good enough for me.

Future funding goes only to hunt.

grand veneur said:

After decades of hunting, one has almost certainly bought, sold and still owns far too many rifles. However, exactly how many rifles you need depends heavily on what you hunt and where. For example, I cannot use the same rifle for shooting Ibex or Deers sometimes at long range also for wild boar driven hunts. Anyone hunting dangerous game in Africa needs also a specific rifle for that, and one certainly should not forget the shotgun, also a must for each hunter. That brings the requirement to a minimum of four rifles. The question of caliber is another issue. One often search for the ideal caliber, which does not really exist, but explains why the gun-safe ends up full. And let us not forget the collector’s urge, mild or intense, that arises when one becomes interested in a special type of hunt, such as hunting in Africa for example.

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Quality point - game, location, and hunting style matter.
The rifle I take to Africa for DG is vastly different than the rifle I’d take up a mountain for sheep, goats or even elk. That rifle is different than the one I’d take for Plains Game and again different than the one I’d take into Alaska after moose. A Whitetail Deer rifle can basically be anything (unless hunting long range) and this year I’m leaning towards using my 450NE double or 275 Rigby if I don’t tag out with the bow.

I struggle with this regularly. I am really good at "justifying" a new rifle/cartridge.

Truth be told, I could sell everything, keep my Blaser R8 with a few different barrels and be done.

But the I might *need* a 404 Rigby
Or a 416 Parkwest
Or another custom 6.5PRC
Or........

Yup.
Blaser can patch up any caliber hole, for whatever is needed. Just get a new barrel.

Adam Stevens said:

I agree, and glad I found that secret early in life. Maybe mid 20s

Watched my older brother buy or sell trucks for 10 years, to end up owning his first identical truck. The amount he would of saved by paying outright just owning that first one would of been substantial.

We used to get the hunting catalogs yearly and buy lots of waterfowl gear. after a few years realized we didnt need a single thing from the catalog. That felt real good.

My first trip to Zim, ended up selling a couple small hunting boats, a few guns. didnt notice them gone at all. Realized I had amassed alot of material stuff that could pay for African adventures.

Now I sit at a bit of a conundrum, I own a double, and a old rigby 275. BUT my favorite country to hunt and value is Zimbabwe. and I cannot "legally" bring them to hunt in country.

So I play alot with selling them. to provide myself more opportunities for more safaris.

I love the Zambezi Valley, and its been 8 years since my first safari. So its tough for me to try elsewhere when I know what I want.

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LMK when you want to sell the 275.

A rifle collection is nothing more than a savings account for your last grand Safari,....at least that's what mine is going to be, then I will be down to 2 rifles, 1 small and 1 big.

Those here who love and play golf will understand this. My theory of rifles has always been the “golf” analogy.

You wouldn’t think of playing a course with just a putter or a driver. Your choice of club type depends on where your ball lies - the tee, the green, or in between.

Given the diversity of huntable game species worldwide - thinking squirrels to elephants - clearly more than one rifle is needed to address that diversity, or at least that portion of it one might reasonably attempt to hunt over time.

Those who’ve hunted widely can probably cull their rifle collection down to only what is really needed, a handful, maybe 4 or 5 chamberings at best, to cover all species (for the sake of this mental exercise I’m excluding shotguns, but admittedly two of those would have to be added to my own golf bag of rifles).

In my case, if I sold off everything else and put the proceeds into the “Future Hunts Fund,” I would still retain a couple of .22lrs, a .223/5.56, my .350 Rem Mags, a .375 H&H, and a .404 Jeff. But if you count just the chamberings, it’s five. Sure some redundancy even in those, but it is what it is.

Everything I would hunt in this lifetime is covered and the golf bag doesn’t weigh a ton.

Win/win right there.

I made an appointment for January for an heirloom bespoke rifle buildout. It will see Africa. I’m also sending off my two primary Africa rifles for custom engraving. They are precious to me and have memories and sentimental value I can’t put a price tag on. Fortunately, I’ve got two boys that understand me and they both want to preserve them after I’m dead.

But, in truth, they don’t hold a candle to the attachment I have for my old .25-06 Remington BDL.

I understand the OP clearly. I’m just not there yet in terms of turning loose of my collection. Yet…

Jack Stevens said:

Those here who love and play golf will understand this. My theory of rifles has always been the “golf” analogy.

You wouldn’t think of playing a course with just a putter or a driver. Your choice of club type depends on where your ball lies - the tee, the green, or in between.

Given the diversity of huntable game species worldwide - thinking squirrels to elephants - clearly more than one rifle is needed to address that diversity, or at least that portion of it one might reasonably attempt to hunt over time.

Those who’ve hunted widely can probably cull their rifle collection down to only what is really needed, a handful, maybe 4 or 5 chamberings at best, to cover all species (for the sake of this mental exercise I’m excluding shotguns, but admittedly two of those would have to be added to my own golf bag of rifles).

In my case, if I sold off everything else and put the proceeds into the “Future Hunts Fund,” I would still retain a couple of .22lrs, a .223/5.56, my .350 Rem Mags, a .375 H&H, and a .404 Jeff. But if you count just the chamberings, it’s five. Sure some redundancy even in those, but it is what it is.

Everything I would hunt in this lifetime is covered and the golf bag doesn’t weigh a ton.

Win/win right there.

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I love your analogy, it's spot on. The only question is where do each of us buy our clubs. Some are able purchase the top brands from fancy pro shops. As for me and my budget I look for deals at local garage sales.

Regardless of what's in the bag, it's still fun to play.

skydiver386 said:

I don't have a collection.

I have an accumulation.

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Looking at @skydiver386 post, I'll have to agree 100%. I have way too much (if there such a thing), but at the end of the day, the satisfaction I get when I pull for example my Ruger No 1 in 275 Rigby to clean and oil, is, well, hard to describe. My fanciest rifle is a wood stock Blaser R8, and I don't believe at my age I'll ever own anything more expensive.
On one thing I'm starting to make peace with, is the fact that I may not be bringing any more mounts from Africa. I don't have any more wall space, so, good pictures to make memory albums and if it is something unique, then maybe a Euro mount.

Once my .404J is complete, I can honestly say I've got all the big bores and various calibers to hunt anything one earth.

Now I'm waiting for my second Africa hunt in 2027 and then I'll just be weighing my options of which I prefer spending my hunting money on in decades to come...... Africa or Australia and honestly the scales are tipping to the land down under more and more.

Hedge774 said:

I often look back at when I really began collecting rifles. It was completely accidental. (Of course) Knowing then what I know now, I could have put aside $10,000.00 for two rifles and two scopes. That seemed like a ludicrous a.mount of money at the time and there was no way that I would have done it. I also would have saved enough for two or three safaris in doing so. I've also come to a point in my life that my happiness can't be overvalued. So...All is good my friends.

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I enjoyed reading everyone's responses since we're all on different but somewhat similar trajectories. @Hedge774's post nailed it for me. Everything I've shot so far in the USA could have probably been taken with one single midrange caliber like a 275 Rigby. Knowing what I know now, I could have easily added @Rare Breed's second choice of a 404J and had a winning combo for any future hunts that appear after I retire at the end of this month.

But after years of prioritizing other people's needs, I found myself not too long ago at a fun stage of life where I could finally stop being quite so responsible & indulge in some things I had always quietly pined for. I might have gotten a little over exuberant but every time I think of thinning the herd, I fall in love with each one of my firearms again.

The last time I gave some serious thought to downsizing, I wound up buying another 30-06 so that was a total failure. As an avid photographer, I traditionally spend too much on quality optics so I've always liked having a nice scope. I got into the habit of making a hobby out of buying rifles and setting them up to be the "perfect" choice for particular locations or scenarios I often hunted. An objective observer might opine that my gun safe has a bit of redundancy to it but it was a lot of fun cobbling together my personal "accumulation".

So...All is good my friends indeed!

I am trending toward modern 7mm ‘s 7 rem mag , 7 prc , 280 ai . They shoot sub 3/4 inch groups with 150-170 grain loads.
I fondle my Dakotas and older winchesters but they don’t get out much. As I’m I am in my 70’s I enjoy lower recoil and 22 inch suppressed barrels. I shoot weekly and smile when I am all in the bullseye

Rickmt said:

I am trending toward modern 7mm ‘s 7 rem mag , 7 prc , 280 ai . They shoot sub 3/4 inch groups with 150-170 grain loads.
I fondle my Dakotas and older winchesters but they don’t get out much. As I’m I am in my 70’s I enjoy lower recoil and 22 inch suppressed barrels. I shoot weekly and smile when I am all in the bullseye

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Sounds like you have it figured out, Sir!

Rickmt said:

I am trending toward modern 7mm ‘s 7 rem mag , 7 prc , 280 ai . They shoot sub 3/4 inch groups with 150-170 grain loads.
I fondle my Dakotas and older winchesters but they don’t get out much. As I’m I am in my 70’s I enjoy lower recoil and 22 inch suppressed barrels. I shoot weekly and smile when I am all in the bullseye

Click to expand...

I have a "soulless" savage ultralite in 280ai with a 22" barrel that shoots incredible.....it gets taken way more than other guns. Plus I let others hunt with it - utility gun.

That being said the 2506 my dad gave me, a 405 win lever gun, cz550 416 rigby, wwii collectables, ect come out of the safe more often for fondling.

Blued steel and wood stocks speak to me, but practicality say I need to down size.

If I were to trim the collection I would keep my 280ai, 416 rigby, 2506 (sentimental reasons), all my shot guns as I play turkey hunting guide for friends and family in the spring, 22 pistols, 44mag revolver for archery hunting and a basic polymer 9mm.

I fully support the golf club analogy but am starting to whittle down my collection. I don't have anything to grand but I want to be able to go to Africa again and my fun with black rifles has waned after leaving California so long ago. If my son did not hunt with me I would get rid of many of them. I think my .375HH, .308, and .30-06 really are all the rifles I need, 1 AR for classes and end of the world, and 1 duck 12g and 1 O/U 12g suits me fine.

And I am starting to live by this quote from the gentleman the Double Rifle Society put on their instagram.

I started by collecting many calibers and rifles.

Then I decided to simplify to a handful of calibers.

Now I find myself wanting to reduce my number of overall guns drastically. I wish we were allowed to post them to FB marketplace or CL.

I also find myself wanting to simplify taxidermy as well. I used to love getting things mounted. However, now I find myself feeling overwhelmed at the number of mounts and the space they take. Also, when I think back on the money the mounts cost, I wonder if it would have been better spent elsewhere. I have started doing much more euros and flat skins. But even that, you still need space for it, and it still costs a decent amount to get it back from overseas.

Rare Breed said:

All of us are at different points in life with different priorities. Earlier on I wanted many different DRs so I bought 8 from Westley richards to Rigby etc. and enjoyed and learned from them all. At this stage of my life I know several things about myself:
1. I only need two calibers to take any animal on this earth, a 275 and a 404.
2. I prefer a Rigby Brand.
3. I now put my money in future hunts after spending decades also putting money in different calibers and brands.

I believe all of us choose to do different things at different times in our life chasing our mistress Africa!!!

Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this. Gives a bit of perspective on my hunting life and gives me 2 cartridges I haven’t looked at in depth to do more research on.

Rare Breed said:

All of us are at different points in life with different priorities. Earlier on I wanted many different DRs so I bought 8 from Westley richards to Rigby etc. and enjoyed and learned from them all. At this stage of my life I know several things about myself:
1. I only need two calibers to take any animal on this earth, a 275 and a 404.
2. I prefer a Rigby Brand.
3. I now put my money in future hunts after spending decades also putting money in different calibers and brands.

I believe all of us choose to do different things at different times in our life chasing our mistress Africa!!!

Click to expand...

You have been on quite the rifle journey!

Sabre said:

I started by collecting many calibers and rifles.

Then I decided to simplify to a handful of calibers.

Now I find myself wanting to reduce my number of overall guns drastically. I wish we were allowed to post them to FB marketplace or CL.

I also find myself wanting to simplify taxidermy as well. I used to love getting things mounted. However, now I find myself feeling overwhelmed at the number of mounts and the space they take. Also, when I think back on the money the mounts cost, I wonder if it would have been better spent elsewhere. I have started doing much more euros and flat skins. But even that, you still need space for it, and it still costs a decent amount to get it back from overseas.

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This is probably a separate thread, but my 1 big elk i had euro mounted. Several friends chastised me for not doing a shoulder mount. Smaller, easily cleanable mounts seem to fit my life better.

To admit my hypocrisy, one of my bucket list critters is a.cape buffalo. the tattered ears and a scared face tells such a grest stroy of the animal. I would have a hard time not going shoulder mount if I pull that hunt off.

Shameless photo of my elk, otc public land eastern wa bull. Its already a wall hog