Thread: Rifle and Optics Snobs

I think it's near impossible not to have a perception of someone when you first meet them and make a stereotypical judgment on their seriousness and ability in hunting & shooting based on their equipment and appearance.

So due to this, is there a degree of snobbery involved in what rifle/optics combination hunters/shooters have?... ie Tikka/Sako/Coopers rifle with Zeiss scope, Swarvoski binoculars, and Leica rangefinder?

I suspect rifle and optic snobbery does exist in NZ. Those that buy the 'best/most expensive' so they can show they are 'better than' others? (I'm not sure how exactly, but maybe through financial class structure??). In this day and age of rampant consumerism, there's no doubting that what you own/wear/drive/use "says" something about you.

Or is there really no snobbery and NZers buy the best/most expensive rifle and optics they can afford only because they want top gear due to being passionate about the sport? If that's the case the snob value of the rifle and optics really wouldn't play any important consideration in the purchase.

So is there rifle and optic snobbery?
And what do your rifle and optics say about you .... or what do you hope they say about you?
... or even what do others rifles and optics say about them?

I spent years being a Mauser snob, but I'm in remission for now . . . .

I've not confronted much Rifle snobbery over the years , but have seen first hand quite a few Shotgun Snobs .
I own a wide assortment of Firearms and Optics ( yes I was a Blaser Rifle owner for a number of years and still own a Blaser Shotgun ) but my two current favourite rifles are both Howa's so go figure
I have no idea if I'm a Snob or not , I'm to busy using my guns to worry about that .

Originally Posted by Hermitage

what do your rifle and optics say about you ....

my setups say "peasant".............
having said that you cant deny the difference between leica (for example)optics and what i run.....

If you have a flash rifle and big expensive scope I'll probably assume you are a city dweller who only gets out hunting once a year.

I still shoot with a Boito U/O that fits me tried everything in a gun shop years ago it it was the best fit.
Gave an SKB to a young fellow the other day far superior gun but I prefer the one that fits.
Might have to buy better optics as eyes age or I should say have aged.
You see snobbery in everything cars, houses you name it.
But those who save their pennies and buy the best they can afford are not snobs.
They understand the law of diminishing returns and do not look down their noses at others, they used to be in the same position themselves.

I have come across both ends of the spectrum.....personally if I could I would have the best optics and rifles money could buy (who wouldn't ?) if cost didn't come into it....as far as I'm concerned I'm more interested in if you can shoot whatever you bring if you're hunting with me be it a $300 baikal or a $6000+ Mauser, Sako, etc etc

I am only a snob in that I am in the figured walnut- blued- hand chequered -all metal -lots of neat machining detail - type of hunter

Calibre snobbery is probly more common than snobbery about the actual rifle

I like functional stuff that does a job well. Ive been guilty of spending stupid amounts of money on stuff also just because I thought it was cool or others would think it was cool but I think I'm past that now and see things for what they are, couldn't live without my swaro binos but that's because they actually do their job better than anything else I've ever picked up, I appreciate them and the hard work I've done to be able to buy the odd nice thing here and there. I like good glass, currently have swaro and Zeiss scopes but again, they do their job very well. There are levels to it though, had a Z8 for a while, very nice, didn't shoot any more deer because of it though, in fact I think I've shot more deer in the past 6 months with my little Forbes 243 and swaro Z3 (now has Zeiss Diavari 3-9 on it) than I shot with all the super flash rigs I've had put together. Is the Forbes a refined "snobs" rifle? Not by a long stretch, in fact the action is rough as hell, but its light, and I like light rifles, and it's accurate, and I certainly like accurate rifles. Is the little Zeiss scope "snob material" other than the name on it? Nope, again it's simple as, I bought it second hand off here for $600, but it has nice glass and does it's job perfect, and it's something I feel I can trust.
I think if something makes you feel good then go for it. I have been guilty of sniggering behind my breath at the cliche guys lined up waiting for the chopper before a tahr ballot decked out head to toe in Kuiu and flexing their Hardy hybrid with a nightforce on it that looks like those old photos of the space shuttle humping a 747 but at the end of the day that shit probably makes them feel good so go them.
The definition of snob really lays in the attitude of the person brandishing the so called fancy gear. I cant stand the types that have an attitude towards others who may not have the latest and greatest. The "best" hunter I know is not a rich man by any stretch of the imagination but he is time rich and spends a lot of time with his Savage axis 223 and his Leupold vx1 and Leupold cascades, all of which he's had since I've known him and doesn't seem to want for anything else but he knows his gear well and has developed his hunting around it and would out-hunt (is that even a term?) most of the kuiu clad Hardy hybrid crew.
Do what you want I say, the important thing is to just get amongst it.

Shot a deer with single round on Saturday...using a single shot bakail with a nikko stirling fixed 4x on top.... yeah hardly a snob. every other rifle wears a leupold but none are above vx3
if it works it works..big price tag doesnt guarantee it will be any better.

Originally Posted by erniec

But those who save their pennies and buy the best they can afford are not snobs.
They understand the law of diminishing returns and do not look down their noses at others, they used to be in the same position themselves.

I can vividly recall standing in supermarket isle with my wife and debating if the family budget would stretch enough for me to by a wee bottle of 3n1 oil to clean my rifles with...
a few years later I had $1000 to spend on sporting stuff and a salesdork in a shop I had previously worked in,insulted my wife...so we walked out and across road to opposition sports shop and spent my $$$ there. waders,a nikko stirling 1.5x5 scope decent cleaning rod are 3 things I remember buying.

even now I really watch my pennies and the sporting budget is VERY carefully managed...the generousity of folks on this forum is a wonderful thing. being able to help others out when I can do so is also a wonderful thing.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Shot a deer with single round on Saturday...using a single shot bakail with a nikko stirling fixed 4x on top.... yeah hardly a snob. every other rifle wears a leupold but none are above vx3
if it works it works..big price tag doesnt guarantee it will be any better.

And you'd be a far better man to be out in the field with than any of the 'snob' class @Micky Duck!

In some ways I like the fact there is a snob class, they would not want to hang out with me anyway so we're both better off.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

...the generousity of folks on this forum is a wonderful thing. being able to help others out when I can do so is also a wonderful thing.

And you are a great example of the kind of guy that makes this forum good.

I met a builder from a nearby village who had sold the family farm when his folks passed and did he have some expensive rifles, he showed me a couple but there will be more I'm guessing. Also work with someone who want buy anything other than Tikka.

It's been a long time since I had coin for new expensive stuff. Actually never really bought expensive stuff.
Closest I had to that was when I got the 416 2nd hand for 750ish dollars and then paid that much for the scope for it back in 97.
Always looked at most high class rifles and scopes with jealousy. Not always though although I do have a lot of respect for really good scopes.
It is funny though when it goes the other way for me.
Up kaikoura on the last trip I was on.
One of the guys had maybe a savage laminate with suppressor and a good scope, maybe a leupold and was talking about getting it lightened. Pretty solid heavy beast all up
I handed over my mauser 98 8x57 (23" barrel) sporter in a basic but nice wooden stock and a bushnell 3200 3-9 (got from here), on the top and he remarked on how nice and light it was l(it is compared to his lol). He isnt going to sell his anytime soon but it was interesting.
I will say I was a sporting clays shoot just out of Ikamatua back in the early 2000s. Big weekend event
There were a couple of shooters from Canterbury that were putting on the english nobility mould.
I shit you not one of them was wearing the tweeds, range rover with the picnic set etc.
Word was one of them had a 30k shotgun.
The gun nut wanted to have a look.
The coaster in me told me not to because it would just stroke there already inflated ego so I didnt