How much are you willing to spend on a knockaround rifle?

Define "knockaround".

I use a 700 BDL C/D with a $700 Leupold scope for most big game hunting. I try not to damage it, but it's a tool, so stuff happens, and I would rather scratch a more expensive rifle than not get the animal I'm after due to cheap equipment on a hunt that is, at minimum, costing me several days of work and another few hundred in fuel and supplies.

Something to beat around in the truck for coyotes and the like? A $300 Mossberg Patriot with a $200 Vortex scope is what the doctor ordered.

Well, rifles that I hunt with have very different lives from those that spend all year riding in a vehicle. My hunting rifles don't get "beat up".

This is my around the house, "knock around gun", for a while now,





BUT, on my S&S I have a Henry lever 22, it's held up perfectly, even though it's an original model with the dreaded plastic sights and plastic bbl. band! (actually nylon)

BTW, the sights are still just fine, and I've knocked more than one crow out of a tree at over 100 yards with them. I couldn't even guess how many coons and possums I've eliminated with it! OR how many thousands of rounds I, and others have sent down the bbl..

It still eats everything I feed it, mixed or otherwise, even though it hasn't got it's first cleaning yet but over the years I DID wipe it off a couple times!

I bought it because it was "cheep for the quality" to just leave it on my S&S to go to work with me every day, and it has proven to be a true statement!

DM

CraigC said:

I'm a bit confused. The title of the thread references "knockaround rifle" but then the text describes a hunting rifle. For me, a knockabout rifle is something used strictly for utility, around a ranch or farm. Something to take care of the occasional pest and/or target of opportunity. Which is what the Ruger Ranch Rifle is made for, as are most .22's, depending on need.

That said, I won't own a gun I wouldn't take afield. Whether it's a $75 Mossberg .22 or a $4000 Merkel shotgun, they all get used. I don't believe in this nonsense that any gun is "too nice" to use. It's an order of magnitude weirder that someone would think a standard production bolt action rifle would qualify. For what it's worth, the rifle I've hunted with the most since I got it, is this hand built flintlock that cost me nearly $3000. It is an honor and a privilege to impart wear and battle scars on such a fine rifle.

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Your post illustrates my previous point perfectly. I’d be happy to carry a fine custom flintlock afield. It might be expensive but there’s no shortage of custom makers and beautiful guns out there should the worst happen. And an ordinary ding would be “character,” imparted by me or my family or my friends, to my gun. I’m not sure, however, if I’d feel so free to carry an original from the 18th century. Maybe I’d shoot it on a beautiful day while handling it carefully and transporting it in a padded case, but risking a slip and fall and cracked original stock? I’d feel terrible.

Like others have said, I don't intentionality beat up my equipment, but its gonna get used.
My most expensive rig is my Christensen Ridgeline and Zeiss Conquest HD5.
Its got a bunch of nicks and dings, and scratches. I hunt on lava rock about 3/4 of the time. Cant hunt lava rock without some dings and dents, and its gonna go hunting or all that money I spent would be a waste.

I am an anomaly of sorts, but I had a custom rifle out together and it doesn’t bother me thst it got scratched

it has a polymer and aluminum chassis, cerakote over a stainless barrel and a vortex gen ii razor scope. It weighs 16lbs with the bipod and magazine

I shoot it as often as I can, shoot local prs matches, but also deer hunt with it. Scratches don’t bother me. The barrel will get changed in a few years anyway

what does bother me is rust, and I am very disciplined with Rust prevention

my other guns get hard used (3 gun, duck hunting)

I buy them to use them and take care of what matters, aesthetics don’t concern me

I have knockabout rifles. They are truck/atv/tractor guns. Basically coyote guns, generally speaking.

This .204 handi-rifle rode behind the air seat in my combine one fall. Little did I know that a bolt rubbed through the rifle case, and knawed into the wood on the forend. I had to take the belt sander to it to smooth it out.


I bought this short little Ruger American Ranch in 7.62x39 because of its compact size and its ability to eat my supply of 7.62x39 ammo.



For me, the king of knockabout rifles is the AR15. Im not particularly fond of them, but their ruggedness and firepower is undeniable.

MachIVshooter said:

Define "knockaround".

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I think this is a good point. Knockaround could mean an inexpensive general purpose kind of a rifle, or maybe it could mean a rifle that is semi-specialized and rather optional but by all means NOT a general purpose rifle as traditionally defined.

If you collect long enough, you will probably get to a point that you have a number of the former and start concentrating on the latter.



The more disposable income you have, the more $ you can throw at either type of purchase. Our situations are all different, so therefore anyone's exact dollar figure is meaningless outside of their own shooting budget.

CraigC said:

Well, rifles that I hunt with have very different lives from those that spend all year riding in a vehicle. My hunting rifles don't get "beat up".

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Exactly. In that thread called "Break Barrels" I posted a picture of the plain Jane NEF 32 HMR with a Weaver 4X that stands in a corner by the back door. We use it for pest control in our garden and currant bushes. That's what I call a "knockaround rifle." I don't even remember what I paid for it, but I'm sure it was less than $500, including the scope.
On the other hand, I've said before that I paid for my custom built, Montana Rifle Company 308 Norma Magnum with my first two Social Security payments - better than $3,000. And by the time I got it slung and scoped (a 3X9 Weaver) I had part of a 3rd Social Security payment into it. Even though it's stainless and wears a synthetic stock, which might be ugly to some people, it's not a "knockaround rifle" to me. To me, it's the hunting rifle I'd dreamed of owning since I was 16 years old.

KsSkaEnthusiast said:

were looking for a premium rifle id probably take an older beaten up model 70 that I can find for about 450 with all the field scratches and wear already stricken o

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I don't mind older used rifles, I've bought several that have honest wear, usually they have been carried afield L apt and shot little. Lots of life in them.

I don’t look at it as a dollar amount necessarily. I don’t own a rifle that I paid over $600 for, but they may well be worth more that that now.

I use a rifle for it’s intended purpose. For a knock around rifle I wouldn’t spend more than $600 for something I’m going to throw around in a Jeep or let ride behind a tractor or combine seat. That’s me though. I also would not hesitate to take a 1000 dollar rifle hunting in the mountains in a snow storm either.

Jeff

troy fairweather said:

About $500

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Sounds about right. You can get a really good, accurate, reliable rifle for $500 nowadays. I treat all my guns and knives the same pretty much. Sometimes the honeymoon phase lasts a lil longer with more expensive items but eventually all my stuff gets used and treated the same, pretty much. I wouldn't go out of my way to scratch and bugger up a gun whether it's $200 or $2000. I view guns as tools, keep em in good working order and they will last forever.

500 or less, 200 if I'm lucky. But again, if it does the job best it goes with me, no matter what it costs. As @Armored farmer said, this is what the ar15 is for...

I bought my recent AR15/M4 uppers and lowers separately, the brands being BCM, LMT, and Colt, so, I am willing to spend in the mid-teens to about $2000 on a hard-use rifle, for hunting people.

The complete Colt AR15A2 Govt Carbine, that I bought in 2002, with PD letterhead, to use as a duty patrol rifle, cost between $800 and $900. (I later sold that one to a colleague with younger eyes.)

I have treated my rifles better than my duty shotguns. My actual “knock-around” guns have been shotguns.

My two hunting rifles are both custom built. The one by myself and the other was an upgrade by a local gunsmith.



The reason I built them was to use them. Same with the muzzle loaders or any of the firearms I own or have owned.


Kevin

At today's prices. Or for what they were bought for originally?
My top walk around rifle is my 1894 Winchester, pre safety in 45 Colt that I probably paid around 500 for way back when......I also have a Savage 24, 223/12 that's been modified and ceracoated (sp) as my canoe gun.... around 250 ages ago.

KsSkaEnthusiast said:

To reference as knockaround I intended for a rifle that you are willing to beat up in a rather broad since so that it could encumber things such as truck guns, hunting rifles, varmint/pest rifles and all of the such. It is a personal sense to each one as to how much they'd spend on a rifle they would beat up. It just so happens that for myself and some others hunting rifles are what would classify as knockaround the most.

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My knock arounds are a r-92 in 357 and an Anderson AR that I put together. The first is about 500 the other varies from 800 to 1000 depending on whether it's wearing NV or not.

6 figure guns are made to "knockaround" in the bush. 6 figure shotguns are made to "knockaround" the field. As others stated, I do not intentionally beat my guns up. I am not using them as hammers or chopping wood with them or whatever your trying to convey. I use them and shoot them.
Over the course of decades and decades hunting, I have slid down scree fields, slipped down arroyo's, fallen in streams and lakes. Crap happens, I am not going to cry about a scratch or 20 no matter the cost of the equipment.

I use a Soviet SKS carbine as a knockabout gun. Bought for under $100 a couple of decades ago. It is heavily worn from sliding around on camping trips etc. I wouldn’t use any gun with much value for that especially since it could get stolen being carried in a vehicle.

You would be surprised what can be found on the cheap and be really good firearms. Pump shotguns are now ignored like Stevens 520 (Browning design) for $200. How about a Pattern 17, Enfield chambered in 30.06, $150 or a Thompson Center .50 cal Hawkins for $100.

The two rifles I show in post 41 are special.

The Winchester Model 1895 came to me as a 30 US. It is now a 405 WCF with a 27” barrel. I have found that for cartridge rifles I prefer that length and get them when possible. The smith who did the work argued with me to cut it shorter. He lost.


The black rifle has had an interesting life. It started as a Model 1861 musket. It was converted sometime between 1867 and 1869 to become a Model 1866 Springfield chambered in 50-70. After it was removed from service it was sold to Francis Bannerman and cut down to become a short rifle. It may have been sold overseas. When I got it, it was merely a barreled action. I had hoped to restore it using original parts. Too pricey for a newlywed! My best friend suggested a replica 1861, also pricey. Stopped into my favorite ML shop in Lodi Ohio. During the course of conversation and BS Dan says, “Take a look at this poor old thing” and handed me a replica 1841 Mississippi Rifle with a trashed barrel. While we were all lamenting how anyone could do that to a rifle, I was seeing my next project. It took a bit of bargaining but it came home with me. Eventually I was able to let the action and barrel into the stock and alter the hammer to make contact with the firing pin. After some years, I grew to dislike the new look so stripped the wood and using various stains got the color you see.

All told, I like and use both.

Kevin

@CraigC, that flintlock is gorgeous!

Don't know that I have what y'all are referring to as a "knockabout" rifle. I have some "walkabout" rifles, but they are all in pretty good shape. Probably the least expensive rifles currently in the safe are the two Henry Single Shots in .357 and .44 magnum that I bought before the current price inflation.

The thing about it is you don’t have to settle for an older rifle if you don’t want to because almost all of the manufacturers offer a sub $500 centerfire rifle that will pretty much handle 90% of all hunting situations.

To me, relatively cheap used levergun always seemed like the perfect knockabout/truck/ATV rifle.