If your rich, or I guess really passionate about something I guess it isn't a big deal. However spending considerably more money on a rifle really doesn't get you anything other than self satisfaction. Or it might help your ego out if you like telling others how much you paid for something.

Now a days the extra money spent is going towards prettier wood and metal and a name. Functionally there probably isn't a whole lot of difference between that and something half the price, or more. There really hasn't been much revolutionary design in the standard bolt action design in a LONG time. They are all based on the same concepts and designs. As a matter of fact from what I have seen some of the more expensive guns don't shoot as well as some of the cheaper ones do. And I'm not talking ultra expensive custum guns either, I'm talking production guns you can go into a store and buy. You can drop thousands of dollars into any gun to try and make it more accurate if you really want to.

I would also assume the more expensive rifles would hold their value much better as well if you were thinking about an investment. However there are much better ways to invest your money.

When I first think about it for me spending a grand or more on a rifle seems insane, especially for someone of my income level. However I have around that much into one of my bows. And in 2,000 I paid that for a computer tower. Not a whole computer, just the tower![]. So I guess it boils down to what you want and where your priorities lay.

In the end though a factory rifle for around $1000 dollars probably doesn't shoot any better, or last any longer than a quality made rifle for less money. Most $500 Savages shoot pretty darn well right of the box and I am quite sure they will last generations. For that matter I bet a Stevens for 300 bucks will too.

I would love to have an expensive pretty gun, but it just wasn't justifiable for me. My $500 savage with synthetic stock and stainless metal with a $250 scope is more than what I need for my purposes. Spending twice as much on a rifle and scope would not have gotten me more performance in most cases, just a gun I was afraid to take out of the gun rack.

I don't think it really matters as far as being a family airlume either. I want all my dads guns when he passes away, and would like nothing more than to pass them down to my kids. None of them were really expensive guns though. A Marlin .22 lever gun, a SxS imported shotgun and a few others, but they are priceless to me because of the memories they hold.

Expensive guns are really only worth more if you intend on selling them at a later date. Maybe

My opinions anyway.

Paul