Decisions, Decisions!

[luvmy40]

It's nice to have these First World conundrums!

I recently got a nice pay raise and a small bonus. Enough to treat myself to a new toy or two. The problem is I can't decide what would be the best route to go. 

I have recently jumped back into wood working, and I have always wanted a good thickness planer. I have also always been an avid shooter and sold my last .308 to buy my '86 VR. I am also a complete and uterly hopeless knife junky.

First, the money isn't enough to buy another Venture. 

There is a great deal from Home Depot right now for the Dewalt DW735 Planer with some add ons and a nice rolling stand.

There is a gun shop down the street from my hotel(I'm workin in Birmingham for a few weeks) that has a Ruger American Rifle in .308 with a Sig 3-9X scope for about the same $ as the planer combo.

There are several high end knives that I have wanted for a while that I could never justify.

I don't need any of these. I want them all(including another Venture). Obviously, the knives would be the most superficial, least "useful" choice. I'm not sure which, between the rifle and the planer would be the most practical choice. I really don't have room to store a lot of rough sawn lumber, which is the primary reason for having a planer. For that matter, I don't shoot as often as I used to either.

Help me decide how to spend my children's inheritance!😝

Edited March 17, 2023 by luvmy40

[Freebird]

I would love to have another Ruger International.308 but can’t hunt with them around here though and I no longer hunt anyway.  Love that rifle though. 

[ReinyRooster]

Tough decision.....as someone who loves ....or should I say would love working with wood if I had the room and the tools....I would be going for the thickness planer.

[PastorCurt]

I’d go for the planer too. The DeWalt 735 is a good tool. 

[campfire12]

Guns hold there value, not shure about wood working tools!

[Motorcycle Mike]

I love my woodworking tools.

I'd get the planer, but I have all the motorcycles and guns I want.

[M61A1MECH]

I  do not own any guns or motorcycles, but I do own or have owned all the wood working tools I need, including a Dewalt thickness planner, worth every penny I paid for it. A planner is one of those tools that when you need it you can not use something else to replace it. They are noisy and create a lot of chips, I have a dust collector that I connect to mine, it helps, but but I still spend time cleaning up after myself when I use it. For one of my projects I bought about $500.00 worth of rough sawn Walnut and Cherry and turned it into a buffet unit for the wife that would have cost me easily $3000.00 to buy, if we could have found what we wanted built to my satisfaction.  So I  would go for the planner then I would save up and buy a drum sander I use mine a lot more than I use my planner.

[Marcarl]

You didn't say anything about helping some other poor bloke, but then you probably did that already.

[PastorCurt]

4 hours ago, Marcarl said:

You didn't say anything about helping some other poor bloke, but then you probably did that already.

Do you know any poor blokes? I’ve had a planer for 25 years and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Except a newer bigger one. I have a 13 inch wide bed on mine and would like a 20 inch but they are big 💵!

[luvmy40]

11 hours ago, Marcarl said:

You didn't say anything about helping some other poor bloke, but then you probably did that already.

Carl,

I always try to help when I can. Rarely with $. Mostly with my time and experience. On the few occaisions I have given cash to to someone who looked to be in need, it has backfired drastically. 

[luvmy40]

As it turns out, there was a pretty large gun show here in Birmingham this weekend. I didn't find a better deal on the rifle, but I did find a good price on an Osprey 3-9 x 40 glass. I've never owned Osprey before but they are supposed to be a decent, budget optic. US owned. US and Japanese(glass) parts. Assembled in China. After the gun show, I went to get the Ruger American Predator in .308 at the shop by my hotel. After a bit of a SNAFU, the salesman didn't seem to know if he could sell a long gun to an OH resident. I educated him on the current laws and pulled up some corroborating evidence from the interwebz, and a few minutes later I was in possesion of a new rifle. He appologized and offer a few nice little freebee cleaning items and a discount on a very nice looking OTF knife. 

 

The planer will have to wait until my next unexpected bonus!

 

 

Edited March 19, 2023 by luvmy40

[campfire12]

Very nice!!!!

[Woody]

Nice looking rifle I like Ruger, a few years ago I went on a military base in Mississippi with ID card in hand I tried to purchase a Ruger .380 and when the guy seen my Alabama Drivers license he said he couldn't sale it to me.

[PastorCurt]

Nice!! But it won’t make piles and piles of wood chips!

[N3FOL]

Here is my take...save enough money for a new 'to you' Venture.  It will make you happier.  

[luvmy40]

I just finished converting the RAP (Ruger American Predator) to accept AICS mags, lapped the scope rings, leveled and mounted the scope. I'll get it bore sighted tomorrow, but the weather looks like a no go for the range this week end.

 

[larrydr]

Interesting topic for me too ...From 1964 till 1970 I did ammo reload for most all law inforcement here in Southern Manitoba , and had a great time ...The only problem was my reloading equipement was a single stroke press where I had to change all loading dies for every process of the load ..I was loading atleast for more than  15 guys and was getting behind .I had to make a decission to upgrade my equipement or quit , I did quit ...  My favorite rifle at that time was the Schultz and Larsen 7.62 Magnum  ( I had to hand load all ammo , could not buy it any where  )  which would carry a 220 grain slug at 2800 feet per sec at 300 yards ... When a moose was hiding behind a 6 inch tree it gave that moose a big surprise when that 7.62 went right through that tree and did the job well ... I have retired from all firearm activity ..My favorite pass time is motorcycles , forever ...

[Pasta Burner]

Ok I’m not trying to hijacker this thread but I’ll call it piggybacking…Many years ago I saw a smoking deal on a brand new (used) Remington  .223 heavy/bull from Cabela’s used rack for under $150 and always wanted a heavy for long range even if it was just to touch paper.  At that time I had a 300yd (in east PA) flat level target distance mostly 50% open into 50% woods or the opposite if I knew the house was empty. Anyway got divorced and moved so I’ve never shot this gun and need a scope.  I’m in Utah now so 300yd is peanuts in comparison.  Asking for scope recommendations. Out here I would love to do some long range varmint or just paper shooting.

[luvmy40]

4 hours ago, Pasta Burner said:

Ok I’m not trying to hijacker this thread but I’ll call it piggybacking…Many years ago I saw a smoking deal on a brand new (used) Remington  .223 heavy/bull from Cabela’s used rack for under $150 and always wanted a heavy for long range even if it was just to touch paper.  At that time I had a 300yd (in east PA) flat level target distance mostly 50% open into 50% woods or the opposite if I knew the house was empty. Anyway got divorced and moved so I’ve never shot this gun and need a scope.  I’m in Utah now so 300yd is peanuts in comparison.  Asking for scope recommendations. Out here I would love to do some long range varmint or just paper shooting.

The optics world has exploded in the last 20 years. My bench rest .308(I sold it to buy my '06 RSV) sported a Trijicon AccuPoint 5-20 x 50 and it was worth the discounted price I paid for a gun show display model. I'm not sure I'd pony up the $1600.00 they go for new at this time.

This Osprey Global 3-9 x 40 MD has a good reputation in the bargain level scopes and does seem, at first glance to be well made. The rings it came with are junk, at least it came with rings. The glass is very clear and the Mil Dot reticle is crisp. The windage/elevation adjustments are 1/4 MOA/click and the detent is distinct but not too aggressive. The knobs can be reset to show zero at your discretion. Only range time will tell if it's durable/reliable. The MSRP is $169.00, I paid $125.00 for it at a gun show in Birmingham. I've never seen them in any retail store but there is always an Osprey Global vender at every gun show I've been to. They have an elite series which have FFP available, but you are back into the $1,200.00 range for them.

Vortex glass has a spectacular reputation, though their prices have risen along with that reputation. I've never used anything but their red dots.

I had a Leapers(UTG) BugBuster on an AR15, 5.56 for a few years and it was actually quite nice. I just decided to stick with red dots on my ARs and gave the BB to my son in law.

Edited April 1, 2023 by luvmy40

[uncledj]

  I like "peep" sites.    My shootin' bench at the cabin is 68 yards, and I can shoot as good with the "peep" sites as with a scope.

  LOL.