wood stock rifles

Who makes some nice higher end mountain rifles with wood stocks?
I've looked at Sako, blaser,cooper, Dakota and kimbers. Who am I forgetting

the two I have for sale in the Classifieds here

but if you don't like them

Sauer is nice plus the ones you mentioned

If I wanted a great 'wood stocked' rifle I would first concentrate on getting an accurate rifle/ammo combination and then have a custom stock done....will definitely save you $ vs. the ones you have mentioned and be just as accurate. P_102

One mans high end rifle is another mans base rifle. What's your budget?

5k for just the rifle. I'm not into all the fancy metal engraving. I just want a traditional looking mountain rifle. Really liked the blaser rifles but not real sure I'm comfortable with straight pull actions.

Serengeti

Well 5K will not get you very far in the custom gun world--you can buy a lot used...and get the best bang for the buck....

My blaser R8 I bought in 2009, cost $6400 and it has grade 7 wood...they go to like grade 12 I think--with 2 sets of scope mounts it was over $7K.




I have had a lot of wood work done. My 375 was built buy a guy that no longer does wood work. He charged me $1750 for the shaping and checkering, and that was 14 years ago. The blank was over $800. You could not touch that blank today for under $1000. So at 2002 prices the stock alone was $2550...

Depends on how nice you want the wood and how fine the checkering. TDK is doing some work for me as we speak...his skills are as fine as they come. If I were you I'd search the used market, there are some very fine rifles that come up for sale for a fraction of the build cost, form top makers--but your still going to shell out some coin.

Ed

Ed

For 5 grand (or half that) you can get a Sako with beautiful wood. Buzzsaw's little 6.5x55 mannlicher Bavarian carbine for sale is a good example. I love Sakos. IMO anything above them for a working rifle is just spending it because you can. But, that's just my opinion.

What Ed said. I'd be looking in the pre-war custom rifle market.

That is a beautiful rifle!

I'd rather not go custom. I'd prefer to just buy one off the shelf. Some of the blaser R8 base models are around 4K new but that's with the low grade wood offerings. The Serengetis are WAY out of my budget.

If you come in with a little knowledge and research you can also make money on pre-war customs down the road, all their depreciation is gone. Your off the shelf rifle, not so much.

But I guess if you have to be that way look into Luxus rifles.

Used customs are not money makers. That's why some great rifles can be had for good prices (as you mention) - because by and large if folks want a custom they will have their own made.

I have only ever made money on stock guns. Changing them puts their value way down.

Sweet rifle by a good craftsman:

http://www.hallowellco.com/Al%20and%20Roger%20Biesen%20Custom%20FN%20Mauser.htm

Classy rifle:

http://www.hallowellco.com/david_christman_double%20squarebridge%20mauser%207x57.htm

This blank alone would be over $1500...

http://www.hallowellco.com/norbert_fashingbauer_____custom.htm

Just some examples...

Ed

That's so funny I am inquiring about a Biesen on Gunbroker right now. Seller is about a grand above market but the rifle is beautiful.

Wow...grand above the market...thought it was pretty fair...good luck in your quest. I like Morris-he has always been fair with me.

Ed

Old pre-war customs and pre-war factory guns are great money makers if you do your part. I have numerous clients who have massive collections of such rifles, when they sell them they profit. Pre-war being the key word. Obviously a more modern custom isn't done depreciating.

When you say pre war, how old are we talking?

Another slick gun...in a 280...from a great maker...

http://www.hallowellco.com/lee_helgeland____custom_mauser.htm

Pre ww2, or better yet pre ww1

I bow to your knowledge on that subject as mine is limited. I collect old pre-war Winchester levers and pre-64 Model 70s. Not much of a seller but I do watch the market on them.

If I get the Biesen mentioned above it will be my first custom rifle purchase. Have handled a couple of them and love their balance and feel. I am coming to realize older customs are one of the bargains of the rifle world.

That is a sweet rifle, much closer to what I had in mind. No open sights and light enough to carry in the mountains

Yep, like putting custom rims and lifts on a fancy pick-up, you never get your money back.

Nosler Legacy:



I think the wood they use now is a little cheaper but still pretty nice.

That Blaser R8 action is sweet and that trigger is just delicious...lol. A friend of ours has one in 300 win mag that was on sale...Jaeger model I believe, without the cheek piece. Grade 3 wood and was on the shelf for too long so it had literally 1 NICK in the butt that depreciated its value as well. He paid I think $4k for just the rifle. This was at Briley's in Houston.

Now, jorge on here and I spoke a LONG time ago about Blasers and Sakos, and he told me that the Sako will outshoot the Blaser every day of the week. I don't remember exactly, but his experience with it was a 1-1.5" group at 100yd at best...I mean if you're not doing super long range shooting that's okay, but if you're dishing out $5k, that is kind of dismal in my opinion.

One that may fall in the same categories as those listed is the Weatherby Mark V...I've only handled one that was sub-$2k...very accurate and well made but finish wise it was no R8

I'll take a Pepsi challenge with a Sako. I'll even take my scope and barrel off once and put it back on and shoot the same group. Sakos are fine rifles... I have 2...but I have had 5 blaser frames (R93) and 2 (R8s). And between the R93 and R8 11 barrels...and all of them we at least as accurate as my most accurate Sako...

My 6.5-284 in my R8 is a half min gun...so is my 222 barrel...

Ed

Just curious, since the barrels swap, why have so many frames?

Do you reload for your R8s?

I'm drawn to the blaser line. I would have to get a base model but that's fine by me. When I started reading up about them I came across few stories that got me spooked about the straight pull action. Most of the issues happened years ago on earlier versions of the action, but still makes you think about what could happen with a over pressure round.

Well...good question....I wanted them...I have owned blaser since 1999 and rarely had more than 2 frames at one time...but they are like gun Legos...easy to swap and trade calibers. I have 2 now a brown synthetic and my wood gun...

Ed

I have never been a Blaser fan at all based on aesthetics alone. But, a lot love them. 'Merica!

The stories are unfounded, I have shot 1,000 of rounds through my R93 223, 7x64, 7mm mag,9.3x62

R8 in 204,222,and 6.5-284...they all have functioned flawless...yes I hand load a lot and the blaser handles it well...some have very long throats is the only thing I have found.

http://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-fo...un_id=100791934

Solid deal on a blaser....

Go find George Caswell @ Champlin Arms out at the Enid Airport. He usually has a nice group of Euro guns for the World Wide Travelling Hunter, where the SAKO Safari Grades I was selling him "back in the Day" was his least expensive base Africa gun, and the English & Continental guns were his bread and butter. I made a drooling fool of myself one time in the "showroom", fondling a H&H splinter forearm double 375H&H with a horn trigger guard and shadow buttplate from the early 1920's that was tagged at $37,500 in 1985, while he was on the phone with a client over seas for an hour or so. More than 90% of his clients are/were from overseas in those days. For what you are looking for as I understand you, it'll be worth your time to make the trip to Enid...but you might find you will want to spend some 5 figure money for what you can find there...Just Sayin.
Ron

Last time I was at DSC couple years ago, he was there with his booth, and I know he should be at Reno too

FWIW in your $5k price range I'd look at mebbe Coopers, or mebbe Montana Rifle Co's lines of semi customs in a couple styles & price points that allow you to add & delete features and are based on the M70 upgraded clone 1999 receiver...or mebbe Noslers that go for $2K to almost $5k depending on model last time I looked.

The old 375 Holland double gun I told the story about in my previous post was a bargain in 1985 $'s..as a new one just like it took 2 years from order & deposit date to be delivered, and had a base cost of $75,000 US at the time.
Ron

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