The Ruger American Rifle

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HKFan9

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That is perfectly fine..TX Hunter. I don't spend money on much anything but firearms so I have a few. Some are basically put away, some get shot weekly.. and some get used for just hunting.

The way I look at it is... the gun pretty much is the cheapest part of the entire investment, even if you are "just a hunter".

I hunt.. but not a lot.. ill take off a few days for deer.. and a few days for small game and a few days for Turkey. I don't care if I don't shoot anything, there are enough hunters in my family that I get the meat no matter what.

What I do do... is shoot weekly if not multiply times a week at the range or private property. I can easily double what I spent on the gun.. just in ammo costs... very quickly.

You will spend a lot more in ammo than what the gun initially cost you if you enjoy shooting sports. Even for hunting, you have ammo costs, gear costs, scope and mounts cost, ect.

The gun... albeit more upfront cost.. generally is the cheapest part of the equation for me.

It is a buyers market right now.. there are tons of LNIB guns sitting on the used racks just begging to be bought up. Check the used gun forum here as well.

I listed the deals I bought.. you can tell I am more into handguns and such than hunting guns... I couldn't even begin to describe the deals I passed up and your average joe's deer rifle.
 
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PDW292

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@ BigMikey76, don't forget all with spare change.
I guess you guy's have spoken! Our opinions are wrong. From now on why don't you guys just tell the manufactures what to build, and we will buy your used guns when you are bored with them!
 
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johnwilliamson062

Moderator
You will be the first ones in the crowd to complain about how gun manufactures are not making "what they used to be" and wondering why old model 70's and Ruger tang safeties and such are "just so dang expensive now". You demand junk that's a low cost... you will get just that... junk.
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You are right they aren't making what they used to be. Mass produced rifles have gone cheaper and cheaper. You want something quality you have to pay a custom maker a few grand for it. When you adjust for inflation that is about what my great grandfather was paying for his guns around the time he bought his first model T. I don't complain, I love it. For one thing "quality" as you are describing is mostly fit and finish, not utility. Look at the cost of a sub MOA gun 75 years ago. Now almost everyone on this board owns one, even if it came with a flimsy plastic stock. For three hundred dollars you can get a very high quality target stock and still be ahead of the cost 75 years ago. Look at the gun collections of some of the big time gun fans with lots of money a hundred years ago. They had maybe a dozen guns. Elvis had 40-50. I know a dozen or so people with that many or more.

Anyone who thinks cheap junk guns weren't being made, even by the major manufacturers, 50 years ago are kidding themselves anyways. Take a better look next time you are on gunbroker. Not everyone wants an heirloom all the time, and most don't want one any of the time.

Most people don't like to buy used things that contain explosions a few inches from their eye unless they know a lot about them.
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there is a limited amount of time and a whole lot of people don't want to spend it looking at web pages about guns, especially if only making a single purchase. Even then you are going to need tools. Look at the revolver checkout guide. I think it is now something like 54 pages. How long does going through the whole thing take?

Face it, like a Glock, this gun does the job and probably just as reliably as anyone's cooper arms. Effective accuracy for most hunters probably isn't significantly different either. Not only that, but if I am out camping with only the simplest cleaning supplies and this thing gets wet I am not going to worry about it. First, it isn't blued, so it can probably go through a little abuse before rusting, and two if it does get a spot of rust on it I am not going to cry.

Sold my blued BDL in 222 b/c I was babying it.
Was much happier with a stainless savage, even if the receiver had "sharp edges."
Sold that when I needed to get down to one small safe, may replace it with one of these "American" rifles.

Sold my blued walnut stocked 11-87 after it received a scratch on the barrel and a couple dents in the stock from someone bumping it while I had it leaned against a tailgate while I took off my sweatshirt.
Much happier with a Mossberg w/ Marine coat which seems impervious to everything.

I don't want to worry about that crap when I am hunting just like I don't want to worry about how much sweat is on my carry gun when the thermometer hits 120.

I haven't seen anyone with experience with this gun comment on the stock. Savage has had very very cheap stocks on their rifles, but they have been very clear that is because the stock is fine for their hunter market and they expect target shooter to buy a higher priced shooter specific stock anyways, so they don't want to waste anyone's money. Think how it would cut own their market if they put a specific target stock on their rifles. I don't have any experience with the Tikka beyond almost everyone who has one being extremely happy with them.

Sometimes I wonder if you all are trying to pick up girls while you are hunting.
 
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HKFan9

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By the way, only 2 of the weapons you listed had prices that were the same as or lower than the price of some of the new and inexpensive offerings on the market, and one of them is marked as having been a special deal - not exactly proof that supports your position.
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Take away the extra's I got with them.. the tax.. the background check... and see what your left with.

Even still if money is that tight.. why spend $350-$400 on a new Edge or 770 when I can even walk into the over priced local Gander Mountain.. and pick one up used for $150-$200, they even have the cheap re-branded scopes that originally come with them.

The guns I listed are of much greater value retail than a 770 or the liking.. Like I stated above.. I am not big on hunting rifles, so I pass most of the deals up. It is not hard to find a deal on a decent rifle, just need to open your eyes.
 
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HKFan9

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This took me all of 3 minutes to pull up... for those of you who are "too pressed for time" or just too lazy to go look at a used rack locally.


http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=473744

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=471445

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=463538

http://www.armslist.com/posts/26679...-for-sale--winchester-model-70-synthiec-30-06

http://www.armslist.com/posts/258632/oklahoma-rifles-for-sale--savage-model-110-30-06-with-scope

http://www.armslist.com/posts/266430/birmingham-alabama-rifles-for-sale--savage-270-win-

I have passed up better deals on hunting rifles, but this is what a quick 3 minute internet browse pulled up.

Locally I see Marlin 336's going for $150-$200 in good shape... which is the gun that has probably killed the most deer in this country.
 
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johnwilliamson062

Moderator
I am 25... College educated with two degrees and working on a master..
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All that education and you don't see how this separates you from the majority of Rugers market(and US population in general)? I know a lot of hunters who could get fellowships to grad schools and still wouldn't make it through. I'll probably buy a new production K31 in 308 or nice Winchester 1895 in 30-06 before too long, but I probably won't be carrying it on many hunts and realize many can't buy one under any circumstances.
 
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HKFan9

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Right the guns I listed I spent about $5100 in over a two year period like I stated. That comes out to be about $7.00 a day. Your telling me you can't save that much a day? Sure you can mock me for my spare change and coupons, but I just had a 5 gallon carboy filled with change, took 2/3s of it to the change machine at my credit union and walked out with a little over $1000. Looks like I'll be buying a few or a new gun with that spare change yet again.

It is not hard to put away 7.00 away a day, most people are just too lazy. $7.00 is also based on my spending $5100 collecting guns, which "a new shooter", or "just a hunter" doesn't need to spend that much.
 
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