Hey Y'all,

Just curious if anyone puts notches on their rifle. I am considering doing it if/when I take some deer this season. I bought a new Henry 30-30 and I think it would look pretty awesome with some notches in it. At the same time, I am sure it hurts the value of it.

Just a thought, let me know if y'all do this or have any other cool traditions after taking wild game.

Why would you purposely degrade a weapon, not to mention the animal, in that way? If all the animal is to you is another notch on your gun, I would suggest getting a different hobby. Perhaps table tennis.

No way, I have rifles that I bought that are 50 plus years old. I want them to look as good today as they were when I got them.

FWIW, he didn't say anything about the animal only being "another notch".

If anything, it could also be seen as a memorial and sign of respect to the animal. One more way of remembering the animal and the hunt.

My dad wanted to notch his 44 mag for each animal he shot with it. He didn't live long enough to even take a shot at a deer with it, so who knows if he would have carried through with it.

It is your gun, do with it what you want.

That said, I don't have any notches in any of mine.

Nope. Never have and never will. Not saying its wrong but not my thing. Wouldn't have much of a stock left on a few of my guns if I did!

I am not trying to degrade the animal but more like jdk1985 mentioned as remembering the animal. I thought of it as seeing the notch and looking back on the experience. If a picture says 1,000 words, I figured a notch could do the same.

However, I do play table tennis! Sorry if I offended you in anyway, I did not have any intention of doing that.

I wouldn't notch mine either, but there are other options. A leather wrap on the stock near the butt, with say some "trim" hanging down woold look neat and you could use a wood burning tool or even go so far and get yourself a customized mini "brand"

I see no disrespect doing this if its "your way". I bet nobody keeps photos, post on the net or facebook thingy either?? I dont see any difference.

X2

I knew a guy that did around is receiver. he lived in another state where its one deer a year. he had like 6 notches on his gun. it was pretty neat.

I own the same rifle and would have notches all the way from the receiver around the foreend and back down the other side.

Personally I think it is pretty cool and doesn't degrade the animal or the weapon one bit. IMO it would make a great gun to pass down. My Great Grandfather had a double barrel 12ga shot gun that he hunted the woods of East Texas with and it had notches on the stock from his deer kills. I wanted that thing so bad groing up and you are correct in the memories. He told me the stories of every one. He is passed on and the youngest boy of eight boys (my uncle) has that shotgun now and will pass it to one of his boys I'm sure. I say do it and give it to your son or daughter some day.

The thought never occurred to me to consider it but........ No I wouldn't

Like was said earlier though, it's your gun if you want to devalue it, go ahead. Not meaning that to sound demeaning or belittling but it would plummet the value of the weapon

I apologize for misreading your intentions. That being said, I would never intentionally deface one of my firearms. Not only for the destruction of the value, but because my weapons will be handed down and the memories/notches would not be their memories/notches.

Would not have much of a stock left if I did it to my rifle, the only thing that would be handed down is the action and barrel.

Same here.

No. Never.

It's your gun so do as you please but I would never do it myself.

I wouldn't ever consider it. x2 others' comment that it's your gun, do what pleases you.
Alternative if still available? I vaguely remember from many decades ago some outdoor sports place preceding BassPro/Cabelas/Etc (Herters?) sold little tacks you could buy to kind of memorialize the trophies you shot.

So, does notching your bed post degrade the value of your bed?

I don't think I'd notch my gun but we do write date, time, name, buck or doe and how many points in the deer blind.

I would never do that to any of my firearms, I have a rifle that passed down to me by my father,he had bought it when he was about 18 or 19. He told me once that he had thought about putting notches on the stock for every deer that he took, later he mentioned to me that he was glad he had not done so and ruin the beautiful stock on the rifle. I agree with what others have said, it's your rifle to do what you want, but just be sure that later on down the road your still ok with your choice to notch your rifle.

Yours? Probably not. Who would possibly want it when you were done with it anyhow?

I would take it as sign someone is trying to impress others with their hunting prowess, rather than commemoration. YMMV

I have thought about putting notches on my gun but haven't done it. Instead, I think I will start keeping a log of each animal harvested with a story of that hunting trip. Might even write stories of my unsuccessful hunts. I can hand that down with my gun. Maybe one day someone can show the writing of their great grand dad, grand dad, and dad's hunting experiences.

I kept my shell casings from all of my kills.

Now, I will have to figure something else out the day I stick one with an arrow.

I do the same thing.