almost 3k on a rifle setup am I crazy?

[tacxted]

Crazy!? Your just getting started!

 

[USAF_Vet]

Screw the investment. If this is your dream rifle, one you're likely to never sell, but maybe pass on to your grandkids after you die, you're not going to get even 1% return if you never sell it. I don't look at guns as investments, anyway, because I'm not going to sell any more of them. I'm too prone to sellers remorse.

As multiple folks have said, if you have the money, and it's not going to interfere with the family budget or otherwise impact your current financial responsibilities, then go for it. You only live once. It's a rifle and optic that will last for several decades. It may become a family heirloom or it may be sold for a tenth of its cost to some pawn shop before your corpse is even cold, who knows? If it makes you happy, and the purchase won't have any negative impact elsewhere, then I say go for it.

My advice is worth what you paid for it.

By the way, one of my dream rifles is a custom .50 BMG, which tips the scales at double your rifle, without adding the mounts or optics. I could easily hit $10k before I'm done with that rifle (which is why it's a pipe dream floating around in the back of my head).

 

[atomchaser]

The rifle will last you the rest of your life and can be passed to your kids to be treasured by them or sold off to buy something they treasure more. The Sako has great aesthetics and you can admire it every time you pull it out of the safe. If you just want a functional tool, get a Savage. Frankly, the one Savage I have is just as accurate as my Sako's but the design and craftsmanship is no where close to a Sako. If you can buy the Sako and the cost does not effect your hunting plans, I'd go for it. If you have to forego a couple trips to buy it, I'd probably be looking for a reliable used rig or a less expensive but reliable rig.

 

[bannockburn]

folsoh

If you've got the money and it's something your really want then by all means get it and enjoy!

 

[Badlander]

Never went overboard with A rifle but I have on A couple of handguns. What seemed like A lot of money at the time seems cheap by todays prices. I quit missing the money soon after receiving the guns. My son will love them for A long time after I am gone.
If you are sure about the Rifle and caliber. Go for it!

 

[gulogulo1970]

If you're going to shoot it a lot get it. If it's going to sit in a safe and collect dust, don't.

I've bought guns that I just had to have and didn't shoot very much. And others that I've shoot the snot out of. Get it and shoot it.

 

[Ankeny]

I hope you enjoy your new Sako. I had a Sako 75 Deluxe with a Schmidt and Bender Summit scope. Nice rig.

FWIW, I have had Sako, Dakota, Cooper, Mannlicher Schoenaur, etc. rifles with quality glass. I gave up on the real pretty wood stocked rifles years ago. I now have fewer rifles and they are "lower" quality, but I shoot them a lot and use them frequently. Alas, I am still a sucker for quality glass.

 

[judgedelta]

As most everyone above said, if you can afford it - go for it. Only question is, with a .300 magnum, even a short one, why not more scope? The Leupy VX6 3-18 will give you a little more range, especially as those peepers get older.

 

[lxd55]

this is still America. it is your money do as you please, just afford me the same consideration if need be.

 

[CraigC]

...along with lowly competitors that do literally the same thing.

Please quantify, "doing the same thing".

 

[Cee Zee]

Savage makes some mighty fine rifles. But Sako makes them better IMO. It will cost you a lot more but there's nothing wrong with wanting the best and being willing to pay for it. The grade of walnut on a Sako alone is worth a bunch of money. Sakos aren't just about shooting tiny groups. Lots of rifles will do that but in my experience few actually match a Sako when you get to the range. I have a Savage rimfire that shoots incredibly tiny groups most of the time. But I took it to the gun range and got my rear kicked time after time by a guy with a Sako. I've since improved some things on that Savage and it will shoot even better but it didn't come that way from the factory. I had to fix it myself. The time I put into doing that would no doubt account for the difference in price. If I counted the time as money getting paid what I got paid when I worked then no way the Savage came out cheaper than a Sako.

I like my Savage for sure. They shoot great especially for what you pay. But there's more to a Sako. There just is. Just looking at one is part of it. You don't find many Savages that will match the looks of a good Sako. The Grey Wolf mentioned here has a laminated stock but Sako makes some rifles with gorgeous walnut.

As much as I like my Savages even the best one is sometimes hinky about ejecting empty cases. There's 100 things I like about that rifle and only a few I don't like. But it isn't perfect. And in my experience Sako comes closer to perfection. But I don't have every Savage either. Some are made better than mine I think. They have a much higher price tag for some reason.

 

[fotheringill]

If you can afford it, go for it.

If you feel guilty about spending that much money on yourself, then something is going on and you should not make the purchase.

 

[Sebastian the Ibis]

My mother just spent almost $3k on her dream/forever binoculars. Over the past 20 years she has probably spent 2-3 times that on binoculars that she thought were almost as good but cheaper- they weren't.

If you know this is the one you want, get it. It will be more enjoyable and less expensive in the long run.

However, If you are like me and jump from platform to platform, this logic doesn't work.

 

[rswartsell]

leadcounsel,

You are entitled to your opinion and the right to express it. There is however a difference between that and the insinuation, regardless of how subtle, that differing opinions are somehow foolish or misguided. You stated the advantages of your option, it is now up to the OP and whoever else reads the thread for edification to pick what suits them. You are the only one bringing up the selection as an investment.

On an unrelated note, if you feel it necessary to inform me that you are not MY attorney, why did you choose the screen-name leadcounsel? The vast majority of us find it unnecessary to disclose our profession in our screen-name.

 

[Simon_Edmondson]

I got a small inheritance so I picked up a Sako Grizzly in
.308, Optilock rings and bases and after 6 months of dithering and ohh and arr ing at the LGS decided on a Leupold 1.5-4x20 VXR Patrol, I haven't shot it much, but I like to open the safe, admire her clean lines and pretty much say 'precious' over and over in a hoarse voice.

Did I 'need' it? Nope, I already have 3 other Sako's in the safe with Zeiss glass, but this one satisfies something in me that the others don't, even my sweetie 85 in .222, its hard to explain, but if guns are your 'thing' and you are not putting anyone at risk of lacking essentials, then go for it.

 

[vaupet]

Congrats on buying your dream.
You did the right thing, and once spend, you won't miss the money nomore, after all, its just some print on a bank statement.

And like you did : buy the thing you want to end up with because if you don't, you will later on but you will have spend money on things who will be gathering dust in the safe: that's money wasted.

 

[greyghost01]

I wanted a Harley Davidson for over 20+ years, I finally walked in picked the one I wanted, Did what I wanted to it, Had every kind of bad luck you could have with it, But I kept spending money on it, Finally got the bugs out of it, Rode it for 8 yrs I had over 28,000 in it easy, The most I could get out of it was 8500.00 so it cost me over 2400.00 a yr to own it. So now 3000.00 is not much money for a rifle, In fact my guns are probably the cheapest hobby I have. My last AR rifle and scope was more than that, And your guns wont depreciate near as much as a Harley will, In fact more than one of my rifles are worth 2x what I paid for them.

 

[Cee Zee]

cost me over 2400.00 a yr to own it

Wow. A lot of Harley's gain value over the years. I'm not that crazy about them personally but my daughter sells them or actually she's a finance manager at a dealership.

 

[Garrobo]

Yes

Sir.

 

[TIMC]

If you can afford it then there is no issue if you like it. I have way more than that involved in quite a few rifles. Now that we have been debt free for quite a few years and empty nesters we have a little more disposable cash to play with. I have taken the opportunity to buy myself some very nice toys with excellent glass. You know, you can't take it with you so have some fun now!

 

[coloradokevin]

I am contemplating buying a Sako 85 Grey Wolf 300 WSM Rifle with Sako rings and bases. Topping it off with a Leupold V6 2 x 12 42mm CDS scope. Roughly with tax and shipping just shy of $3,000.00.

This rifle is my dream rifle. I have never spent more than $1500.00 on an rifle and scope.

Have I lost my mind????

As long as you have the money, you haven't lost your mind. It's good to be responsible with your money, and the fact that you're asking the question in the first place probably means you have been. Some people have no business buying a $3.5K rifle, others have no business buying a $100 rifle. It all depends on how much cash you have laying around for "recreational purposes", and where you want to put that money.

I'll tell you this much: I went to the range today to shoot my favorite rifle. I drove my diesel pickup truck to the range, and the rifle it carried is probably worth more than the truck itself. In a couple of years you will have probably forgotten about the purchase price, but will likely still enjoy your rifle.

Everyone has things they like to spend their extra cash on:

-boats
-cars
-vacations
-strippers
-guns
-motorcycles
-horses (an affliction my spouse suffers from)
-fancy meals and entertainment

If you have the extra cash, put it toward the things you like


Incidentally, I say this despite the fact that many people think of me as the cheapest person they know. I'm not reckless with my spending in the least. I'm not rich (I work a government job), but I paid off my house by age 33, have no debt, and have acquired significant savings. Again, I work as an LEO, I'm not rich. If you're responsible with your cash, there's always room for a few toys!

So, now go buy your fun gun, and enjoy it

 

[coloradokevin]

First of all the name calling is not very High Road.

Secondly, I'm quite familiar with Sako and Tika, along with lowly competitors that do literally the same thing.

Third, let's assume you're correct and a Sako will shoot under 1 MOA. So does a Savage, and according to Savage their rifles shoot MOA before they are sold. So, let's give a 1/2 inch MOA edge to a Sako for the sake of argument. Yep, Sako may be more refined, hand fitted, etc. But on a 1,000 yard shot at most that's at most a 5 inch difference. On any game, that will make no real world difference. And how often are hunters really taking such long shots? I'd venture not often, unless on a unique valley, firing across a ravine or something. Probably quite a rare situation... and not one IMO worth of spending 5-fold for the setup. And that's assuming Sako can outperform Savage, which I'm not inclined to believe it can to any real-world degree where it matters. I've read plenty of .5 MOA Savage reports to support this belief. And my Savages perform at the sub MOA range.

Forth, functional guns are and some guns are not investments. I'd venture a high-end hunting rifle is not going to be an good financial "investment" given the niche market and people with that kind of money want a new one, not a used one, if they're paying near retail value. Take that rifle in the field on a few hunting trips, knock it around a bit, and watch the value get cut in half.

I used to think that guns were good investments and have a lot of money tied up in guns. Some of them have appreciated (mostly due to politics, and C&R stuff), but modern current manufacture off-the-shelf stuff does not appreciate or hold value well. While I believe they are generally good things to own, they generally seem to be pretty poor investments. You can buy off the shelf new guns for less today than a decade or two ago, not including the random spikes in prices. Handguns, ARs, AKs, hunting rifles, you name it. Unless it's particularly coveted and unique and kept in excellent condition, it's going to lose value.

You buy a Sako because you want a certain thing - and the more power to you. I would never try to dictate what people can spend money on... But the OP asked opinions, and this is mine. Just recognize that it's not a rational or smart financial decision because MUCH less expensive rifles will do effectively the same thing. The same comparison can be made for many other things in life, like the difference between high end watches versus off-the-shelf watches, etc.

On the subject of guns as an investment, I am honestly starting to believe that they're a better investment than most other areas I could have put my money. I will say that I've never bought a gun as an investment. I'm a shooter, and I buy my guns to shoot. But, I've come to the realization that I could sell many of my guns (now used) for either as much as I paid for them, or in some cases more than I paid for them originally. Ammo is another thing that has greatly increased in value in the last few years (should have bought extra cases of whatever ammo when I had the chance).

As for the debate about quality, it's really a hard thing to measure quantitatively. As you mentioned, a Sako is more refined than a Tikka or a Savage, but at a higher price. Does the value of this refinement produce more accuracy? Not always, but sometimes. Does it produce more value? Again, not always, but sometimes.

I am a BIG fan of Tikka rifles. I have one, and it shoots phenomenally. But, it still doesn't compare to my Accuracy International for the purpose of long range precision shooting. However, there is clearly an issue of diminishing returns when I look at my AI: you pay a lot more to get a little more. But, my AI would resell for a lot more than my Tikka, too.

So, it really just comes down to what you want to buy, and why

 

[vaupet]

Last year I spend 7000 € on a Unique Alpine TPG1 in 6,5x55 with Schmidt&Bender PMII 5-25x56 glass.

People said I was crazy, until they see the groups I produce :best sofar 0.1 moa, average 5 shot group 0.25 moa, any 20 shots whitin 0.5 moa, of a bipod and back spur with factory ammo (lapua scenar match grade 139 grs)

It was my dream and I went for it.

This year I need my budget to buy my little girl a new rifle for her 16th Bday: 22lr from Bleiker or Grunig&Elmiger.

If you're mad, where do you place me?

 

[Walkalong]

Have I lost my mind????

Only if you can't afford it. If you can, then heck no you haven't lost your mind.

 

[Frostbite]

You have most certainly not lost your mind. You put it to good use in selecting a quality rifle and scope combination. As long as the amount is not too much for your budget (I, for one, can not currently spend that on a rifle, but that is completely irrelevant to your situation), you should enjoy what you like.

Restaurants, good wine, flowers for the one you love; they do not last nor bring profit, but they are certainly enjoyable. Money exists to be spent, one should as well have fun doing it!

If someone wants to invest, there are better options than rifles out there.

I also adhere to the idea that a good rifle is a rifle you will shoot, and therefore, its buying price, when it is all over, is going to be a small percentage of what it is going to have cost you to enjoy it. Ammunition, gun care products, range fee, hunting trips, gas to go to the range, ammunition, ammunition, etc. should represent a lot more than the cost of the rifle and optics alone, in the end, or at least is it what I wish you and everyone. So, if you are going to spend all that money around the use of a rifle, you do well in choosing one that truly pleases you.

By the way, I also agree with the idea that such a nice rifle is not a need. As far as need goes, some inexpensive used rifles out there are all one really needs in terms of a hunting rifle.

That does not imply they are all one should ever want.