Can rifles be TOO pretty?

M

Montana Pete

Guest
Another forum member has posted a photo of a very beautiful custom deer rifle. It truly is beautiful.

I guess my question is, -- is it TOO pretty?

Why do I say that? My wife and I hunted Montana extensively for about nine years, most of our deer and antelope hunting on a 100 section ranch in the foothills of the Crazy Mountains, or going after elk in the Madison Range.

I look at those guns today. Her 243 and my 270. They are well cared for, but they have dings and scrapes, and scratches on the stock. The beautiful black enamel finish on the Leopold stocks has a few scores or scratches. The 270 has been in some saddle scabbards, and thus shows some some worn off bluing, and that same 270 has been with me as I went slipping and sliding up talus slopes trying to get a shot at an elk. These terrains are not easy on varnish or stock wood or enamel finish . . . or anything else.

If you go afield with your rifle slung over your shoulder, and hunt in rock and brush, and lay down and crawl over a knob to get a shot at an antelope -- over a period of years your rifle doesn't look so pretty anymore. It is clean, well oiled, and well cared for, yes, but it shows the history of where it has been.

I am a little concerned at the "ooohs and ahhhs" over the physical appearance of this beautiful gun -- and wondering if the owner is willing to fully use this gun to its purpose, or possibly anguishing over getting a speck of dust on it or something.

I'm not trying to offend anyone, really, but I bridle at the expression "hunting" rifle. Hunting rifle, or show rifle?

I'm an old guy now, and time has not been very easy on me. It has not been very easy on the pretty looks of my favorite rifles either. That's the reality of a hunting rifle.
 
Montana Pete said:
I am a little concerned at the "ooohs and ahhhs" over the physical appearance of this beautiful gun -- and wondering if the owner is willing to fully use this gun to its purpose, or possibly anguishing over getting a speck of dust on it or something.
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And exactly WHY should you care? I find this whole sentiment to be odd. As far as I'm concerned you and yours can do exactly as you please and God Bless America!

You don't have to concern yourself with pleasing me.

And vise versa.

al
 
These fine top quality custom built rifles are works of art that for the most part never be subjected to the kind of environment you allude to. That in no way detracts from what they are or their intended use as a safe Queen made for show and tell. (and there is nothing wrong with that) Rifles like the above are intended to please there owners and their friends.

The rifles that you use to hunt with, hold a special place in a hunters heart as they have been used on hunts that they themselves are part of great memories. They hold there own place in memories that are important to all of us.

Just as some of us have old match rifles and old hunting rifles that have not been used for decades we enjoy them for what they once did for us or for members of family long gone.

Great grand dad's 40 rod gun still holds memories about the matches he and his friends held at the turn of the 19th century into the early part of the 20th century.

These and many more are what we know as are firearm heritage.:)
 
too nice

For me it comes down to what it was designed to do. Guns are like hot rods. Some guys build them as nice as they can with the intention of driving them. When they get it done they take all the Pictures for memories and then go use it and enjoy driving it.

Other build it with the intention on never driving it and only showing it. They like to sit around and talk about how many coats of paint they put on it, how fast it would do a 1/4 mile, but never drive it. THere pleasure is watching other oooH and aHH over it at car shows and winning fake wood.

I am one that had a very nice (pretty) hunting gun. I bought it with the intention of using it as the tool it was designed for. First hunting trip it got sctratched pretty good, it did not ruin my day beacuse that is what I wanted the gun for.

Neither is right or wrong, its what you intend to do with it. Safe queens are nice, but not for me, why have it if you cannot enjoy it, and enjoying it to me is sending rounds down range!

To each his own!

Willys46
 
This is my hog gun until I finish my 9.3X62. I took the scope and bases off to put on my 6X47L.
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You are right, they get scratched, but mostly dented. http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj197/butchlambert/DSC01750-1.jpg
All of my rifles have seen blood except the 7X57. I am waiting on a 2.5X8 Leupold VariX111 scope for it.
Being in the auto repair business, I have had some very nice cars in the past. I don't like car shows and had always driven them. I don't think it is necessary though as we all have them for different reasons. My very best friend and partner has a few really nice things. They are for his own enjoyment and not for show. Most people have not and will not see what he has.
Butch
 
You can have your cake and eat it too. I have some nice, original Pre-64 Model 70s that I bought other stocks for when the rifles go on hunts. That way you can add a recoil pad, pillar bed, or refinish the second stock without affecting the appearance or value of the rifle. If you are careful, bluing holds up very well--I have some rifles with 25+ years of use that show very little blue wear.

I also have some high-condition rifles I do not take hunting--never have; never will. There's nothing wrong with owning both those you use and those you admire if you can afford it. Some guys regard all rifles as users and sneer at collectors. Other guys use some and collect some.
 
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If your going to use it...

YES!!! A RIFLE IS A TOOL. i just sold off my Cooper model 21 custom .223 because i was always afraid of scratching it or damaging it in any way, or getting it wet.

keep in mind im not a very good reloader at all, and i got a couple 1.250 groups at 400 with it. it was an extremely accurate, well built rifle, and nice to show off at the range. at the same time i USE my guns.

not to say i throw them around and beat them like redheaded step-children, but like i said if your going to shoot it often its very hard to aviod scratching or bumping it.
 
As usual I go somewhat against the grain, I have what I consider a nice rifle, a Cooper classic sporter in 222 with a very nice piece of wood on it, and I use it for my pick-up gun. It is not a high-dollar gun compared to some of the custom made rifles out there but it is somewhat nicer than the average off-the-shelf rifle. It goes everywhere with me, and gets shot a lot. Yes, it does have a few minor marks in the stock and it will have some more, but I bought it to use and it is my favorite rifle so why not use it. The alternative is to not use it, but instead use a rifle that I don't like as well, doesn't feel as good to me, and that I don't have as much confidence in.

I take care of my rifles and do not abuse them but they were made to be used. I don't concern myself about a few "hunting memories" on it. To put it into perspective, when I purchased my last new vehicle when I signed on the dotted line the vehicle immediately depreciated more than the cost of the rifle.
 
No Way!!! If they get whacked just fix them!!

This is the blank that we are going to use for my Fred Wells switch barrel..
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It just hurts me to dink a pretty stock that came from an old tree that has more time on this planet than I do. Those are for drooling only imho.

I am fortunate to have held (w/ white gloves) some true works of art from old side by sides / H&H to black powder lever winny's.

I would cry if someone messed them up on an 'outing'.

There is ART & there are tools....very few are both.

For me anyway.

pf
<><
 
tpende said:
nice hunk of wood! too bad someone drew all over it...:)
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HAHA!!! Here is the blank that is only waiting on a tube before becoming a 280AI!! It is flat sawn btw so when it is turned it will be brutal!

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if it was a newly built rifle i would hunt with it reguardless of how nice it was. if i stumbled accross a mint rigby or something similar it would be a safe queen.
 
Quote: "Can rifles be TOO pretty?"

No. They can be too gaudy, too ugly, or politically correct but NOT too pretty and not too accurate!
 
No a rifle can never be too gorgeous. SOmetimes the rifle IS the trophy. This gorgeous English Walnut beauty is mine....

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JeffVN
 
Rifles are like women...

Some cost way too much.

Some you part with and regret it the rest of your life.

Some still look good after many years of hard use.

Some are downright butt ugly.

But they can never, ever be too pretty.
 
Function

If I had the cash I'd buy a high luster rifle. I own two custom rifles and their features are in the barrel,trigger,action,bedding and scope. Its a free country we do what we want with our hard earned legal tender. Hey back in the Revolutionary war the militia used their muskets as boat ores to get across the Delaware river and smash the German mercenaries at Trenton( Do I have my history right?)..... That fiddle back grain is beautiful and all but what am I going to do look at it all night long? For my green backs its about performance.
 
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