Why do we have duplicate rifles?

[SJB358]

You guys are a sick lot. Just face the facts! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

What facts? I haven't seen anything compelling me yet, not to have a proper back (1) up for my primary, for my backup (2), just in case someone else wants to hunt to, in that case the back up, becomes a primary (3) and then, they need another back up (4)...

Jeeze, see how many rifles we are all lacking? Get out there.. There are rifles looking for good homes!

 

[meatmachineman]

.... "The price was great!" "I've always wanted want of these, ever since I was a kid." "I had some brass lying around that I picked up and needed to use it." "There is a spare scope in my safe, and I didn't want to sell it." When all is said and done, we have duplicate rifles because we can.... ...Having said all this, I guess in the final analysis, we are infected with a fine and pleasant misery.

I had to laugh... I have used each of those rationale to buy... and almost in that exact order of importance/justifiability. The third one is the worst and second favorite... "I've got brass!" A friend of mine knows that is one I use and with a big old grin on his face, he said, "Look what I picked up when I went shooting yesterday," as he hands me a bag of 5.7x28 brass. I took the brass and promptly gave it to a coworker who has one... just to keep me from some undue temptation!

 

[Oldtrader3]

I don't have duplicates, I have a designated rifle for a class of game and a back up or transition rifle for each game catagory. I means that I have two rifles for light game/varmits. Two rifles for deer and antelope. Finally, two rifles for Elk and other larger game. Actually, in each case the back up rifle transitions to the next catagory up which gives me maximum flexibility. Plus I have one large caliber rifle, just for fun.

 

[Guest]

While I have several rifles in .308cal, I certainly don't have overlap. I look at rifles much like I look at tools. I wouldn't pick up a small flathead screwdriver and work a phillips head screw out with it, just because the small tapered blade will sort of fit in one of the cross slots on the screw...I go get my phillips head screwdriver from the toolbox and go after it. And, I might get two screwdrivers, one that's bigger, and one that's smaller, to see which one works best. That is, in fact, the reason I have multiple rifles.

I have rifles for close woods cover like a 30-30 or an open sighted 350RemMag that work for deer or hogs or even elk if need be. I also have rifles for when I'm sitting in a treestand and need a little more oomph at 200yds, such as a 30-06, when I might get longer shots and need something with energy and optics out past 200yds. Then there's the rifle for open country. For me, that's a 270Wby, but it could easily be a 7mmRemMag, a 257Wby, or a 264WinMag. Or even a 300WinMag or such. Long reach, good wind-bucking capability, and plenty of punch for the 400-500yd shots I might take from a stable rest on a calm day when the deer is feeding or such. And, so far, we have barely touched other game. A 300Wby in stainless for elk hunting, or a heavy barreled 243Win for coyotes, or a fast, light 25cal for antelope could be useful. Or a nice medium bore for closer elk hunting, but with a low-powered scope on it, for those 100-200yd shots, unlike the open sighted rifle for dense timber mentioned earlier. If I hunted small varmints out west, I'd need a 22-250 or a 223 for those long sessions firing a lot of shots over a dogtown. And then I need a couple of rifles that are more "mainstream" for folks I take hunting the first time. Something simple like a 270Win or 308Win, with a 2-7 or 3-9 scope and some easy recoiling loads. Oh, and a heavy hitting 338 for when I'm in bear country (safety first, you know!). I could go on.

Mark Twain once said something to the effect of, "If the only tool in your box is a hammer, all your problems start to look like nails." I don't like to be caught without the right tool for the job.

 

[meatmachineman]

I have duplicates on shotguns and 30 cals... that's not to say I don't have 4 7mm rifles, but my wife uses (almost never) a 7x57, my son a 7mmMag, my daughter a 7-08, and a 7WSM for myself. Guns for family members is great excuse for duplicates! I guess I do have 3 22 cal centerfires but each is a different platform for a specific purpose. A T/C Encore 223 for whistle pigs, an AR 223 for plinking and zombie preparedness :roll: , and a 22-250 for general varmints. Duplicates? Maybe... but only in caliber and not in purpose. Shotguns are tough ones not to duplicate.... there are only so many gauges to choose from and so many different applications. Handguns, as well.

 

[buckfever]

Rifles are like baseball cards their fun to collect :grin:

 

[AzDak42]

Thanks to this discussion, I'm thinking that a 338WM may need to be procured. Sure, the 7mm RM could be a backup elk gun, but a 338WM might be just the ticket...

 

[DrMike]

Thanks to this discussion, I'm thinking that a 338WM may need to be procured. Sure, the 7mm RM could be a backup elk gun, but a 338WM might be just the ticket...

'Atta boy! Now you're talking.

 

[AzDak42]

Ok, to be fair, I've bought a couple of rifle stocks from red hawk rifles, and I had such great service, I've been looking for a reason to pickup one of their clones of the Remington Alaskan model....

A rifle looking for a reason and a caliber.. Win.. Win!

 

[runtohunt]

My goal in life is to own at least one rifle of every caliber type, i.e., 22, 24, 25, 26 etc. My wife thinks that I am nuts, and I very well may be :mrgreen: .

I can justify over lapping and duplicates for many reasons.

1. I have four children whom I hope will hunt. Each of them needs a rifle.
2. I would hate to wear out any one rifle by shooting it too much--the 30-378 Roy comes to mind.
3. As was said before, I need a back up for each type of hunting. During the last antelope hunt, I bought the 7 STW and the 257 Roy as a back up just incase some unexpected gremlin worked his dark magic on the STW.
4. Every once in a while something catastrophic occurs. This year, the STW that shot itty bitty groups before and during the antelope hunt with the 168 LRX bullets took a nose dive. Suddenly I was scrambling to figure out what to do with the rifle. Luckily, I have the 30-378 and the 300 WSM to take on my elk hunt if I could not get the STW to shoot again.
5. Here in California, even the winter is warm and my rifles heat up fairly fast, so I need to have a rifle(s) to shoot while the others are cooling.
6. Also, here in Ca. several of our hunting zones are "lead free." I need a dedicated rifle for shooting E-tips/TTSX when hunting hogs in those zones.

 

[feillins]

I have several collections of rifles but never have had the chance to buy two with same type of model.

 

[Wincheringen]

Except for some target .22 rifles I don't have any true duplicates. I have several .25/06s but they are different makes or barrel lengths at least.

 

[FOTIS]

I have several collections of rifles but never have had the chance to buy two with same type of model.

Welcome to the forum Fellins!

 

[DrMike]

Feillins,

Welcome aboard. Picking up rifles is an addiction for which there is no cure. The affliction (addiction :?: ) continues throughout life. Still, as I've said on other occasions, it is a great way to go. :grin: What are you shooting?

 

[FOTIS]

I have 2 22 LR's. Other than that I do have overlaps but not actual duplicates.

Oops spoke too fast! How did I forget?

I currently have 2 416 Bees!

 

[Wincheringen]

Turns out I do have some duplicates. Oh well, I've heard if you know how many guns you have you don't have enough.

 

[DrMike]

Turns out I do have some duplicates. Oh well, I've heard if you know how many guns you have you don't have enough.

Ah, another of the sayings of the wise.

 

[meatmachineman]

Turns out I do have some duplicates. Oh well, I've heard if you know how many guns you have you don't have enough.

Ah, another of the sayings of the wise.

I was at Cabela's today and saw a 10-22 sporter. The fella in the gun library saw me checking it out and asked if I had a 10-22. "I've had four or five over the years, but currently I have two... I'm not sure if I need a third," I said. He shared with me a similar pearl of wisdom... "You can have enough 10-22s, but you can never have too many!"

 

[Wincheringen]

I just have a few 10/22s, I prefer the 77/22 myself. I have several of those.

 

[meatmachineman]

I just have a few 10/22s, I prefer the 77/22 myself. I have several of those.

I saw a couple of those on the shelf... I did get to drooling a bit. They were both SS and wearing that boat paddle stock. I thought my 338 needed a little brother. But alas, I had to pass for the time being.