Those with high value firearms, do you bring them to Africa to hunt with?

[Berettaco]

Yes - the saying I heard and laugh at is - “life is to short to hunt with an ugly gun”

Isn't there also a saying going something like:
You wouldn't "save" your wife/girlfriend for the next guy, right? Enjoy your fine things while you can.

We will all too soon be sitting on a couch or in bed, with our biggest accomplishment of the day being to reach the toilet in time. While you are sitting there, would you rather be looking at a pristine rifle in its original box, or caress a well-worn and cared for rifle you shared many adventures with?

 

[Challer]

Of course I take them. This really close to the synthetic versus walnut stock thread floating around.

 

[rnovi]

I brought my K1 in 7mm RMag to Africa - it took one trip to scratch the beautiful wood up…mar the bluing…put a ding in the scope…

It took 8 PG on that trip…up to and including Eland…another half dozen deer in the USA. Every scratch a memory frozen in time.

I’m like others. I like pretty things and I sure like using them. High Quality tools have their own unique feel to them - why put them away and hide them?

 

[ActionBob]

I took my Marcel Thys 470NE double to Tanzania. It is a Best Gun sidelock and the most valuable gun we have. Second would be the Holland and Holland Royal 12 bore Paradox that i hope to take someday.

When @Just Gina dropped from heat exhaustion chasing Buffalo up in the mountains in Tanzania, I apparently dropped that 470NE rifle to grab her. It's all a bit of a blur but a tracker brought the rifles out as I half carried Gina out of that tangled mess of Buffalo and elephant tunnels accross the mountainside.

The 470 survived that quite nicely Gina brought her Rigby HS 9.3x62 and we had a routine of how to carry it in the truck but in 21 days of hunting, it got put in the rack the wrong way a couple times and the finish was rubbed off on one side of the wrist. We plan to hunt more with that rifle so decided not to have it refinished yet.

In spite of that we also took our other Rigby HS in 275 Rigby this past year, it survived the trip better. Also took my William Evans hammer top lever 450NE no 2 3.5" which is about as valuable as the Rigby's.

I get satisfaction and pleasure from using the guns I want to. I like using my own guns even if the lower cost ones. I've used camp guns several times but they just never quite fit right. Almost never get to shoot them enough to get a feel for them so it almost always feels a bit awkward taking a shot at an animal with them.

Kind of like pickup trucks... it's always a bit of relief to get the first scratches on it so you can settle into using the darn thing

 

[VertigoBE]

I took my Marcel Thys 470NE double to Tanzania. It is a Best Gun sidelock and the most valuable gun we have. Second would be the Holland and Holland Royal 12 bore Paradox that i hope to take so.eday.

When @Just Gina dropped from heat exhaustion chasing Buffalo up in the mountains in Tanzania, I apparently dropped that 470NE rifle to grab her. It's all a bit of a blur but a tracker brought the rifles out as I half carried Gina out of that tangled mess of Buffalo and elephant tunnels accross the mountainside.

The 470 survived that quite nicely Gina brought her Rigby HS 9.3x62 and we had a routine of how to carry it in the truck but in 21 days of hunting, it got put in the rack the wrong way a couple times and the finish was rubbed off on one side of the wrist. We plan to hunt more with that rifle so decided not to have it refinished yet.

In spite of that we also took our other Rigby HS in 275 Rigby this past year, it survived the trip better. Also took my William Evans hammer top lever 450NE no 2 3.5" which is about as valuable as the Rigby's.

I get satisfaction and pleasure from using the guns I want to. I like using my own guns even if the lower cost ones. I've used camp guns several times but they just never quite fit right. Almost never get to shoot them enough to get a feel for them so it almost always feels a bit awkward taking a shot at an animal with them.

Kind of like pickup trucks... it's always a bit of relief to get the first scratches on it so you can settle into using the darn thing

I’m sure you have shared it before, but since it never gets old: can we see a pic of your Marvel Thys?

 

[ActionBob]

I’m sure you have shared it before, but since it never gets old: can we see a pic of your Marvel Thys?

 

[KJE81]

View attachment 657770

Beautiful rifle, what is the second foreend for?

 

[ActionBob]

Beautiful rifle, what is the second foreend for?

No idea. I believe the seller had inherited the rifle and could not find a second barrel.

 

[dogcat1]

That is why I bought it... to take it to Africa and other places. It is safer there than in a gun safe in my house.