Beautiful wood/works of art -- Do you hunt with them?

[Opposite Pole]

I’ve got a reasonably nice stock on my double. The rifle is two years old and I’ve collected some ugly scratches on it. One of them hurts a bit cause I dinged it while getting into the 4wd - a silly moment of carelessness. The rest? I was out hunting. With my hunting rifle. A rifle I bought to hunt with.

I drove to the factory to order it. The drive took 9 hours. I got to Ulm in the evening and had an appointment at the factory the following morning. I spent all this time thinking about embellishments I would or wouldn’t get, including wood choice. Once at the factory, holding my chosen (and somewhat pricey) wood blank in my hand, I asked myself for the final time, will I hunt with it and accept wear and tear? The answer was yes.

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”

 

[Mort Hill]

I think the decision ultimately lies with the owner’s purpose for buying the gun in the first place. Like classic or exotic cars. I have friends who drive them any time the feeling moves them too. I have others that have them covered or on display to never see the road except for an annual maintenance spin. The first bought to enjoy the experience of driving. The latter bought as an investment to cherish and watch appreciate in value. For me, all my guns are bangers, not hangers.

 

[1dirthawker]

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”

that is a perfect way to say it! great quote!

 

[Opposite Pole]

Like classic or exotic cars. I have friends who drive them any time the feeling moves them too. I have others that have them covered or on display to never see the road except for an annual maintenance spin.

Precisely. I know a guy, in his early 70’s who two years ago bought a 911 Turbo S. By now the car has over 60 000 kilometres on it, 90% of which are heavy use track kilometres. He bought the car for driving and since it’s a “sports car” he tracks it, a lot. Why he didn’t get GT3 I don’t get but his money his business. He was once approached by a young fella who asked him why he didn’t change the exhaust on his car - the answer was “cause the car is for driving not farting”.

His car gets wear and tear, and I mean a lot of it, as in a set of tyres lasts him no more than one thousand kilometres and he does not do burnouts. But despite hard use he does take good care of it and doesn’t trash it, however he uses it to the fullest.

What would you find more interesting, a pristine old rifle that has never been used or a rifle such as the one owned by Hemingway with dings, dangs and blueing all rubbed off?

 

[Curious]

Precisely. I know a guy, in his early 70’s who two years ago bought a 911 Turbo S. By now the car has over 60 000 kilometres on it, 90% of which are heavy use track kilometres. He bought the car for driving and since it’s a “sports car” he tracks it, a lot. Why he didn’t get GT3 I don’t get but his money his business. He was once approached by a young fella who asked him why he didn’t change the exhaust on his car - the answer was “cause the car is for driving not farting”.

His car gets wear and tear, and I mean a lot of it, as in a set of tyres lasts him no more than one thousand kilometres and he does not do burnouts. But despite hard use he does take good care of it and doesn’t trash it, however he uses it to the fullest.

What would you find more interesting, a pristine old rifle that has never been used or a rifle such as the one owned by Hemingway with dings, dangs and blueing all rubbed off?

One of my closest friends went the GT3 route. He very nearly died at the track. The car was never the same. Your friend was sensible. (GT3 $600 per tire five years ago, new tires every six months or less...)

And I'm just going to say it: I'd guess Hem's wives got more dings than his rifles. He did fish a lot...

 

[Rob404]

I think I have one Closet Queen that I shoot when the temperature and the humidity at the range is correct, the rest are made to shoot whether they have great looking wood or not

 

[Forrest Halley]

I'd like a used rifle that shoots well and looks good. The scratches and dings ease my mind. I won't be the first to add character and it is my job to see that I won't be the last either. My Ruger No. 1 is my pride and joy of all of my guns in the collection and it has been all kinds of used before I even got it. It goes with me everywhere. I don't have to worry about it.

The things I keep as safe queens are for sentimental value. Only when they can recite the stories of the men that carried them will my sons be allowed to use them.

I was cured of beautiful wallhangers disease at 15 years old. I was shown a collection of beautiful guns and asked which one unwanted to shoot. Sheepishly I pointed to a high grade gun and quickly said that I understood it was not possible. That great man laughed and said, "Son those are guns and meant to be shot. They just happen to be nice to look at." Twenty minutes later I was shooting the gun of my choosing. I will be forever grateful for that lesson.

 

[thriller]

Ok another thing I am curious about, for those of you with really fine exhibition grade guns who hunt with them, how do you keep the wood nice?
Do you worry about it?
Do you have a different stock for your hunts like a fiberglass stock you use or do you just not worry about it?
I currently dont own any super fine wood on my rifles, but I do salivate over it. I did take 2 of my rifles and restock them then put a London oil finish on them. Was a fun, long process I enjoyed. I do find it somewhat regretful when I come in from a hunt and see a new battle scar, and to be honest If one of my sons "dings" one of these guns I put all this time in, it bothers me to a much greater extent than when I do it.

I just hunt with it and try not to bang it around but every gun gets beauty Mark's if used. The one I have, I have no intention of ever selling so I just dont worry about it too much. Also it's not one of these 40-50k jobs .

 

[IvW]

I recently purchased a Weatherby Mark V Royal Ultramark in .257. If l draw the tags and the lord willing l will take it Muledeer and Antelope hunting this fall

Something as shiny as that needs a lot of hard bush work to get rid of the shine...or a work over and a proper London oil finish...

 

[Mike Van Horn]

Something as shiny as that needs a lot of hard bush work to get rid of the shine...or a work over and a proper London oil finish...

Haha, that's ok, it will stay as is.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

If you aren't going to hunt with it , why own it ?
Just learn to properly treat your stuff

 

[MS 9x56]

No one ever sat somewhere, whether waiting for game or waiting out a storm, and looking at their gun thought "Man that's beautiful plastic!"

How true. I only own 2 guns with plastic stocks one a shotgun I had a camo-wrap applied to the stock and forearm. One a Ruger American that I had a Burlwood wrap applied. They are not beautiful but at least palatable now.

 

[Ray B]

Haha, that's ok, it will stay as is.

Keep it the way you like it- after all, the 257 can reach out and touch them way beyond the flash of the stock.

 

[Longwalker]

I have some very nice rifles and shotguns that are works of art. I use them. I have one rifle that is a "beater" stainless steel / synthetic for rough backpack ATV and boat trips and one shotgun that I use in goose blinds and duck boats. All the rest get used normally, and with normal care and attention I have never broken a stock, never put a bad gouge in one, never had any serious mishaps. I did have a blued rifle rust rather unfortunately during a remote and very wet moose hunting trip, but that's it. I don't baby my firearms, and don't sweat the small dings and scratches that occasionally happen. But I wonder just how some hunters treat their firearms when I see the damage that so many report.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

The beauty one sees in a wood stock is relative. A few minor bumps and dings enhances the character and attests to the enjoyment one had in taking his rifle afield. A totally unblemished stock is the sure sign of a brand new rifle or a safe queen. Like a friend of mine one said "all yak and no shack."

Shootist43
My K Hornet is not a safe queen,I had it built to hunt not just look pretty. It's got a couple of small dings but scratches are easy fixed, a bit more Linspeed and a quick polish with Gilleys gun polish wax and all's good. Having a nce gun and not using it is a akin to having a guard dog and doing the barking yourself . Pretty pointless.
Just my 2 cents worth

Pretty but no safe queen. Sees regular use on small game and wild dogs.
Cheers mate Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I’ve got a reasonably nice stock on my double. The rifle is two years old and I’ve collected some ugly scratches on it. One of them hurts a bit cause I dinged it while getting into the 4wd - a silly moment of carelessness. The rest? I was out hunting. With my hunting rifle. A rifle I bought to hunt with.

I drove to the factory to order it. The drive took 9 hours. I got to Ulm in the evening and had an appointment at the factory the following morning. I spent all this time thinking about embellishments I would or wouldn’t get, including wood choice. Once at the factory, holding my chosen (and somewhat pricey) wood blank in my hand, I asked myself for the final time, will I hunt with it and accept wear and tear? The answer was yes.

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”


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Opposite Pole
Beautiful bit of wood. I agree a nice rifle is only nice when you are using it. No use sitting in a,safe looking good.
Cheers mate Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I think the decision ultimately lies with the owner’s purpose for buying the gun in the first place. Like classic or exotic cars. I have friends who drive them any time the feeling moves them too. I have others that have them covered or on display to never see the road except for an annual maintenance spin. The first bought to enjoy the experience of driving. The latter bought as an investment to cherish and watch appreciate in value. For me, all my guns are bangers, not hangers.

Mortgage Hill
A well cared for gun can appreciate in value to, not as much as unused. My opinion is use it care for it and enjoy it. Let the person who will get it as inheritance worry about the value.
Cheers mate Bob

 

[James Adamson]

I really try to look after my guns and gear but not to the point where I wouldn't use it as intended. I have a beautiful old fowling shotgun, it's an old hammer gun made just after the first war. It was built for wildfowling and that's what I use it for. If it gets wet and muddy so be it, that's what it was made for, it wasn't made to stay in a safe or hung on a wall.

 

[MS 9x56]

I don't own any fine gun's just nice ones that shoot great and all are synthetic stocked. Problem solved

I am an old soldier and unfortunately black plastic stocks take me back to places I do not wish to go. I simply cannot abide them. They may have some perceived advantages but I figure if wooden stocked rifles have conquered and helped settle continents and nations that is good enough for me.

 

[MS 9x56]

I sit in my tree stand or my hidey hole and think "Damn that hydrographic dip is some neat stuff".


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I find it slightly more palatable that black or brown plastic. That pattern would worry me that if I walked away from it I may never find my rifle again.