How much would you spend for a new rifle?

Me, maybe $1k. I would not spend $3K+ on a new rifle. When you get up there, they don't hold their value. I certainly have a few that would have retailed above that point, but I either bought them used or built them myself. What I am saying is you can easily get the performance without the price tag.

There are collectors who pay too much for high priced guns that don't hold value, there are some shooters who shoot specialized sports and those high dollar rigs are almost required to win, so there is certainly a market for some up there. However, those are specialized and only the top builders can command the top dollar.
 
If I were to win the lottery I'd get a Holland and Holland double. So around 40k.

Since that's not the case I'd guess 900 or there about. But considering I've never bought a "new" gun the odds are I'd pay a bit less.

On edit I just visited the H&H site. http://www.hollandandholland.com/

Seems like my 40k estimate was a bit low.
 
Sigcurious,

Good memory!! While I am still planning on developing cartridges of my own, I am still saving up money for the engineering/tooling, plus the 1000 piece order for the casings. At $60 per box of 20.

Have always been interested in gunsmithing. And admittedly will end up rebarreling a rifle to do ballistics testing on the cartridges that I develop.

I was just looking through one of my old "shooters bibles" and saw the price tag on some of the "custom" bolt action "hunting" rifles.

I myself have yet to pay much over $400 for a new rifle. Don't see myself paying much more than that in any near distant future.

Just surprised at the price people are asking, and obviously getting.

I'm thinking of when I get to the 6.5mm I'll name it the 6.5TFL...:D
 
I've handled some really high end rifles, and even shot a couple. There is really only so much one can do to a rifle to make it more accurate, functional, etc. After that it becomes more of an art piece than a rifle.

I was browsing around a gun store a couple of hours north of here one day, a year or two ago. The place has a massive selection, mouse guns to Barrett .50s and everything in between. I picked up a rifle off the rack that caught my eye and looked it over. Really nice wood, fit and finish was excellent. I flipped the price tag over and froze. It was a Dakota, $7,800. I very gently put it back on the rack and put some distance between us. I could not imagine why on Earth anyone would buy such a thing. It was beautiful, but it was still a hunting rifle. What could it do better than a rifle one tenth the price, aside from look better, and send you into a catatonic state when it got it's first scratch?

I view NFA weapons a bit differently. At least then you pay the premium for the guns ability to do things that most other guns won't do.
 
By the time I finish my AR it's probably going to be around 2k, and I don't really consider myself a rifle aficionado. Nor am I wealthy.
But then the beauty of the AR platform is that you can spread your parts purchases out over a year or so and it doesn't feel like as much money.

A $3000 rifle is still less than a used snowmobile (a - IMO foolish - purchase a lot of people around here wind up making). So, for people who really like shooting, it's not like it's all that much money to put in to a hobby.
 
Any high end AR10 style rifle is going to be over $3K. I have a Les Baer .308 - it was $3300. Look at Surgeon Rifles, Accuracy International to name only two - and you're easily over $3K. An action from BAT Machine is going to be $1200 - $2000. By the time you put a barrel on it and a stock + gunsmithing costs - easily over $3K.

All you have to do is look around - there are lots of rifles that are well over $3K. Even production rifles like Merkel can be $3K.
 
Very interesting thread started by such a simple question!:eek:

If we are talking about hunting rifles, I wonder how many people have hunted with guys that didn't worry too much about their rifles. I met a guy whose rifle looked like he'd been using it for a club. Stock beat-up, scratched, chipped, no bluing, muzzle was peened with sharp edges. But have no doubt, this guy filled all of his tags every year & shot hogs & varmints like crazy.

I had an uncle that would hock his deer rifle each year when money got tight. When hunting season came around he'd go to the pawn shop & buy a new "one" on the cheap. So over the years I saw him hunt with a .218 bee, .30-06, .256 win, .30-30 & a .222. He always got his one deer for the freezer.

So to answer the OP's question, I'd say about $700 will get you a good but ugly hunting rifle with a plastic stock.

FWIW...

...bug :)
 
Dayman has it right: "A $3000 rifle is still less than a used snowmobile. So, for people who really like shooting, it's not like it's all that much money to put in to a hobby."

I thoroughly enjoy shooting and collecting all types of weapons and those come in all sorts of price ranges. Some people spend tons of money on snowmobiles, art collections, golfing equipment, etc. I spend mine on firearms. To me they are practical art that I get to play with. I have some with accessories in the $3,000+ range of value. I fully intend on getting some class 3s and historicals valued at much more than that as the funds designated for my hobby come available.
 
There are a few instances where I could see myself spending that much. But alas, I have yet to master my rifles, so for now at least, I'll spend it on ammo :D
 
I've got one 3000.00 rifle here if its scope is included. Never again would I buy another. It sits here unused as its not my favorite hunting rifle. Just too fancy to want to take into the field and chance getting it scratched or bother with the disappointment of selling it for a lower than B/B Valued price. So

How much would you spend for a new rifle?
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I'll put it this way:
Frugal behavior is now my requirement: No longer do I carry a wallet with cash & cards for my spur of the moment pleasure purchases. Yup I'm one of those down sized individuals that now carry's a Empty Money Clip. But I do have that $3000.00 Safe Queen to look at. >whoopie!!
Perhaps I can scrounge up this amount. Like #2 BombthePeasants commented earlier: $647.67 and not a penny more!! _:rolleyes::)
 
I've got one 3000.00 rifle here if its scope is included. Never again would I buy another. It sits here unused as its not my favorite hunting rifle. Just too fancy to want to take into the field and chance getting it scratched or bother with the disappointment of selling it for a lower than B/B Valued price. So

Sure shot- No matter how hard I try I can make no sense of that statement.
Take it out,shoot it if it gets scratch thats not a big deal,at least you are using it and enjoying it.
 
Anyone who can afford to buy a computer and pay for monthly internet access can afford at least one expensive gun if they want to. It is just a matter of how you choose to spend your money.

There are a lot of guys who say they wouldn't spend more than $500-$600 for a rifle, yet they own 5-6 of them. They could have bought a $3000 rifle and have money left over.

I have a couple that would be worth close to that if optics, custom stocks and other features are included. I paid for them by selling off several $500 guns and put money in the bank. I've found I'd rather have and use 1-2 nice guns than have a safe full of inexpensive guns.
 
Is there really a market for the $3,000 plus custom rifle? What are your thoughts???
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I've got $3,000 burning a hole in my pocket for a SIG AMT - any takers???

As far as custom bolt action type rifles go - not for me. I can see spending $3,000 on a good shotgun if you are going to be doing a lot of Skeet/Sporting Clays shooting. Some folks will tell you that there XYZ O/U from Turkey holds up just fine - but they really aren't made for the type of abuse that the 2-3K guns are made to take.

Rifles just don't get shot as much, and you generally aren't moving them to make the shot. So, no I don't think a 3K+ custom bolt action rifle is any better than one that you can get for about $1,000
 
In New Zealand people pay nearly 3k for a Nightforce scope.
Sako 85 hunting rifles are more than 3k, and a lot of them are sold.
My Tikka T3 cost me $1400 and my scope $600.

A mate of mine has a custom built 284winchester which would owe him nearly 5k, and I guarantee your average Remington 700 or Savage would not shoot even half as good as that. Which is not surprising as you don't pay the extra just so you can say you have a custom rifle.
 
I paid $1300 for a rifle about 2 years ago. I thought long and hard about it and did considerable research before making the purchase. Comments from previous and current owners contributed to my decision more than comments from the manufacturer. The comments ranged from "I own one and love it to I owned one and regret selling/trading it. I didn't feel too good about spending that amount of money but got over it quickly once it arrived. When it performed as advertised I felt even better. Will I spend that amount (or more) again? Perhaps. Maybe. We'll see. There is one more rifle that I want.... :)
 
Depends on what your looking for. I used to be totally satisfied with a good Rem 700 off the shelf. As of the last couple of years I have been caught up in the age old experience of building a custom on a Mauser action. Depending on the barrel, trigger, options and scope you choose you can spend $1000 to $1500 or more...
 
I have a ton of rifles, with a median cost to me of ~ $125.
They are almost all used with a median age of ~ 75 years.

The rifle I bought today cost me $200 + $19 tax.

It is ~ 75 years old.

Winchester69A200tax12-28-2013.jpg
 
How much would you spend for a new rifle?
Is there really a market for the $3,000 plus custom rifle?
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It would be hard for me to spend that much on a single rifle. I've had way too much fun with rifles that cost 10 or 20 times less than that.
 
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