Ever have a gun you were afraid to shoot?

S

ShadeTree

Handloader
Mar 6, 2017
3,518
3,025
Picked this Axis in 308 up a month or 2 back with the idea of turning a dollar on it. Wouldn't know it had been shot looking at it. Worked on the trigger and it has sat since. About 3 times a week I can't resist picking it up and squeezing the trigger off several times.....makes me grin.

If I don't soon put it up for sale locally I'm bound to throw a scope on it and shoot it out of curiosity, and I'm afraid it will shoot and I will be keeping it for a bad weather gun.

Came like you see it picatinny scope rail and all for $175. If a shooter, it would be tempting to keep when you don't have much in it. When I worked on the trigger I made that dummy cartridge that's in the cartridge holder, with a rubber primer so I could test the trigger a lot without dry firing it. Personally don't think that's really necessary, but it does work.

 
Pretty good buy for $175. The longer it stays the more likely you are going to shoot it and I bet it's going to be a shooter too ;)

I had a gun I was afraid to shoot too but it was a bit different than yours. My Rem 700 35 Whelen started life as a SPS 270 Win and I broke the rule and shot the donor. The darn thing shot well :lol: even better than the CDL 270 Win I bought a few years later. In hindsight I should have kept the SPS as is and built the Whelen of the CDL instead. I sold the SPS 270 Win barrel to someone and at least they got a good shooter.
 
If you need a fowl weather gun then shoot it and see what it does. If not don't torment yourself just sell it, LOL. Dan.
 
Its been said here before, "NEVER SHOOT THE DONOR!!!!!" Or in this case the trigger you are proud of and curious about. No offense intended rightly so... :) That said, I have one in the safe that has less than a box of shells through it. I cant let it go because the first group I shot with cheap Winchester ammo came in under an inch. It cost me a new scope and sling and dies and.... :) :) and I still don't have a use for it... :) I am no help at all. At that price you could sell it to some deserving kid or young family man. You would then get to share their enjoyment and still have some bragging rights. That's what I'm telling myself but I haven't done yet. :) CL
 
Cannot say I am "afraid", but rather reluctant.
My Ruger No.1 Lipsey's Edition KRSI in 257 Roberts (1 of 250) and my new-to-me unfired left handed Sako L691 Carbine with full length stock in 30-06. Bought the first as a collector and the latter as rifle I want to hunt with, but want to rebarrel to 338-06, 35 Whelen or 9.3x62. (The rifle was also originally offered in 9.3x62 and am trying to find an original barrrel)

As for afraid to shoot; No. But I DO NOT WANT to shoot a couple of my friends' rifles again! The first, his 510 Wells, a 460 Wby necked up to .511 cal firing 700 gr bullets. Built on a Ruger No.3 and that falling block lever smashes your knuckles something fierce! I did manage to put those two shots within an inch of each other at just over 100 yards! The second is his Ruger No. 1 in 450-500 3 1/4" with full powerhouse loads with 500 gr bullets. His reduced loads are more like shooting the 458 Lott and nowhere near so bad.
 
When I was 14, my dad bought me a Remington Model 1148 12ga (barely used) from a friends of his. It was one of the "meanest, most brutal" devils you could ever have a nightmare about! (did I mention "barely used"?) Oh, I shot it a lot, and got bruised, slapped, one time it blacked my eye! I hated that POC. I used it until I got out of the Army. I bought a little, plain, Savage pump in 20gr Magnum. Big difference! :)
 
My LGS had a LH German made 460 Wby mag that was ordered by a customer who never took it and lost his deposit. It sat on the shelf for several years without any interest from anyone. I made several offers to buy it before they caved in and sold it to me for a very good price. Grabbed a few boxes of factory ammo and headed to my club.

That rifle kicked the ever loving sh__ out of me. The crude Pendelton Dekicker that Weatherby installed during that time period didn't work very well. Handloads helped but it was still brutal to shoot.
 
I grew up spending the summers on a couple different farms where guns were tools. The uncles and Grandpa had some decent quality guns locked in a safe, but the guns "us kids" were encouraged to use were all prone to give one pause before pulling the trigger.

There was the Sears .410 single shot that occasionally shed the stock when fired. Usually the black tape held, but if you didn't check it frequently you got a nasty gouge on the cheek.

There was a 16 guage single, maker unknown, probably stamped under several layers of barn rust. I'd describe the choke as "Lazerbeam" and the ergonomics as nihilist. It weighed slightly less than a handful of cattail fluff, and would put an Army mule with PMS to shame in the kick department. Shot my first legal deer with that one, as well as pheasant and duck.

There was a .22 single shot that came with a small flat screwdriver on a lanyard, which came in handy if you actually wanted to shoot it again. The chamber was so corroded you got a little jet of powder residue on the cheek when you fired it. Despite the apparent lack of any rifling, it was remarkably effective on anything close enough to hit with the buzzing, tumbling DumDum bullet. This "rifle" encouraged careful stalking LOL. Shot my first deer with this one under the tutelage of one of my outlaw uncles on a late night coon hunt.

Finally, there was Grandpa's double barreled Fowling 10 guage. This was usually brought out by the old folks when some impromptu target practice was in order (as well as some exquisite pieces such as Uncle Allens Ruger 10-22, Dad's old Remington bolt .22, and Great Uncle Glenns Nazi Mauser he brought back from the war). This was offered to anybody big enough to hold it generally parallel to the ground to give a try if they dared. When I worked up the courage to try it at the ripe age of 9, I found it more pleasant to shoot than the 16 guage. Gramps even let me drop a couple honkers with it from his blind that fall, which was a fair trade as I was the retriever. Ah memories!
 
Polaris":3pmza349 said:
I grew up spending the summers on a couple different farms where guns were tools. The uncles and Grandpa had some decent quality guns locked in a safe, but the guns "us kids" were encouraged to use were all prone to give one pause before pulling the trigger.

There was the Sears .410 single shot that occasionally shed the stock when fired. Usually the black tape held, but if you didn't check it frequently you got a nasty gouge on the cheek.

There was a 16 guage single, maker unknown, probably stamped under several layers of barn rust. I'd describe the choke as "Lazerbeam" and the ergonomics as nihilist. It weighed slightly less than a handful of cattail fluff, and would put an Army mule with PMS to shame in the kick department. Shot my first legal deer with that one, as well as pheasant and duck.

There was a .22 single shot that came with a small flat screwdriver on a lanyard, which came in handy if you actually wanted to shoot it again. The chamber was so corroded you got a little jet of powder residue on the cheek when you fired it. Despite the apparent lack of any rifling, it was remarkably effective on anything close enough to hit with the buzzing, tumbling DumDum bullet. This "rifle" encouraged careful stalking LOL. Shot my first deer with this one under the tutelage of one of my outlaw uncles on a late night coon hunt.

Finally, there was Grandpa's double barreled Fowling 10 guage. This was usually brought out by the old folks when some impromptu target practice was in order (as well as some exquisite pieces such as Uncle Allens Ruger 10-22, Dad's old Remington bolt .22, and Great Uncle Glenns Nazi Mauser he brought back from the war). This was offered to anybody big enough to hold it generally parallel to the ground to give a try if they dared. When I worked up the courage to try it at the ripe age of 9, I found it more pleasant to shoot than the 16 guage. Gramps even let me drop a couple honkers with it from his blind that fall, which was a fair trade as I was the retriever. Ah memories!
Click to expand...

Good one!
 
I'm sorry, I thought you meant "afraid of the recoil, etc" not "it will be too sweet to change", like the "plain girl at the dance". ha Yes, I can't help myself ( like I was after my first "Plain Girl Surprise") from shooting anything I get, but especially donors, ha! I've had Remingtons and Rugers and one or two Mod 70s. I used to do a lot of trading/selling with Marlin 336/444/45-70s and I ended up keeping 2 or 3 every year, ha.
 
I have downsized a bit over the last 6 months but hope to use the money on purchasing a nice O/U shotgun :wink:. I know that when I pass my oldest Son would keep that O/U until he passed it to my grandson.
The one rifle I really don't want to get rid of is the Model 70 in 270wsm as I purchased it for my youngest son but he has only fired it twice as he takes a lot of heat from his wife on hunting :(.
It is to the point that we do not talk about rifles or hunting when she is within ear shot.
He tells me to get rid of it but I just can't seem to put it up for sale.

Blessings,
Dan
 
preacher":27zl9yqe said:
I'm sorry, I thought you meant "afraid of the recoil, etc" not "it will be too sweet to change", like the "plain girl at the dance". ha Yes, I can't help myself ( like I was after my first "Plain Girl Surprise") from shooting anything I get, but especially donors, ha! I've had Remingtons and Rugers and one or two Mod 70s. I used to do a lot of trading/selling with Marlin 336/444/45-70s and I ended up keeping 2 or 3 every year, ha.
Click to expand...


Lol. I should've used the word reluctant, like Gil stated, but enjoyed enough reading stories about big kickers that I didn't bother clarifying.

If I'm afraid of the kick on a 308 I got plenty of dies, powders, and bullets for other cartridges I need to get rid of. Ha.
 
I have a couple including two Ruger #1H models in .404 Jeffery and .416 Rigby. Dunno what Ruger did wrong on those two but they flat out hurt. Didn't say I couldn't shoot them though, just painfully uncomfortable. My .375 Chatfield-Taylor, .375 Taylor or somewhat more commonly known as the .375x338 Win. mag is another that is very uncomfortable to shoot. A 7.5 pound rifle that equals the famous .375 H7H Magnum will get your attention. That one was built on a tang safety Ruger M77 with a Ramline stock for elk hunting in some rather steep rugged terrain. Chronograph reads on the 270 and 300 gr. bullet deliver the same velocity as advertised for the H&H magnum. I can also add a Winchester M70 stainless classic in .338 Win Mag, that flat out beat the hell out of me.
The on gun I'm totally terrified of shooting though is that T-rex. I've said I'd shoot anything once but I draw the line on that one. Yeah, I'm chicken.
Paul B.
 
ShadeTree,
Go ahead and shoot that Axis. It was meant to be used. I did a similar thing when I picked up a Remington 783 in 308. Not much to look at, but one of the most consistently accurate guns I own. But I never used it much after initial break in and load development. My nephew was in need of a deer rifle, so off it went to his house. Look at it this way, even if you shoot it, you're not likely going to change the value of it good or bad. Enjoy it.
 
Yeah, I caught the original intent of the post also, but my mind was already on walkabout, so I decided to share some of my youthful indiscretion.

Personally, I always shoot donors. I don't really have donors anymore, as "The Death Ray" .280 rem is the love of my life and any other rifle I get will likely be either a tool for a specific purpose or just something pretty to look at or fun to shoot. I do have a very hard time passing up deals however, and I feel it is my duty as a sportsman to find "bread and butter" rifles for a good deal and pass them on to new or low-income hunters at a reasonable price. Several rifles have passed through my hands in this manner at a break-even price point. Some of their owners still send me Christmas cards with pictures of deer and families some 20 years later. It's to the point where some random youths at our gunclub will ask if I have anything in a Rebarreled Mauser or a restocked Savage I'd like to part with. Need to shop some more cheap but serviceable guns, there's a new crop coming up!
 
Yes, I will shoulder the blame for taking the thread down that other road! LOL
But I couldn't help myself, as I had the feeling that many would see "afraid" and go there...
It does make for a very interesting thread, so I am glad that you found it interesting and aren't upset by the derailment!
 
Blkram":3do6s6dc said:
Yes, I will shoulder the blame for taking the thread down that other road! LOL
But I couldn't help myself, as I had the feeling that many would see "afraid" and go there...
It does make for a very interesting thread, so I am glad that you found it interesting and aren't upset by the derailment!
Click to expand...

Lol. That's okay. I'm not a real big guy but got fairly broad shoulders when it comes to that kind of stuff. Didn't bother me that some mistook what I meant as long as I know I'm not really "afraid" of the gun, so I let it ride as I enjoyed reading some of the recollections of prior abuse delved out by some unscrupulous cartridges. :lol:

There are guns and cartridges out there though that when you look at the bullet weights and powder charges, if they wouldn't generate a certain level of fear, you might have a screw loose. :lol: I wouldn't stand behind a horse while someone threw a cat on it's back, and I wouldn't pull the trigger on some of those monsters without being prepared for what's coming. :shock:
 
While the pain inflicted by those bruising monsters isn't exactly fun, recoil is something that must be experienced to truly appreciate!

I was told that it would be unpleasant, and even painful. But this temporary pain went away, and didn't cause an actual injury, and I can say that I have fired those rifles/cartridges. And I actually hit what I was aiming at! Twice!!
I has always suspected that I would not want to shoot the big bores such as the 4 bore and 600 and 700 NE's. Now I know for certain that I do not want to!
And now I know why sensible cartridges are more popular than those mighty cannons for those of us with more sense! LOL
 
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