The new bottom of the line CVA is called the Buckhorn. It took the place of the Staghorn. I bought a Staghorn last year for $89.00 (approx + shipping etc.) and I have to admit, the Staghorn is a great shooting rifle. The simplicity of the rifle is its most attractive feature. A simple striker sets off the 209 ignition, and the safey is a matter of making sure the striker can not slide forward. The 1:28 twist shoots conicals and sabots very well. I have worked up some excellent loads in the rifle.

The trouble with buying a used rifle is, you really need to examine the bore after it has been CLEANED. This is when you can look for rust and pitting. For example the one you said was caked with bore butter, there is no telling what that bore butter was hiding. Many times, used rifles are a gamble. Sometimes you win and sometimes you don't.

The Hawkins you took home was a great buy. Even with a bad barrel you could replace the barrel and still have more then the value of the rifle.

I never shot a Tradition's Buckhunter Pro but I own a couple Tradition rifles and they are good shooting rifles. It might have been a good deal. You probably could have always sold the rifle and got your money back out of it.

The Bobcat was priced about right. I think I would have bought it. But then I buy a lot of rifles and work them over and if I don't like them they go down the road. Trouble usually is, I like them and so I have to keep building gun racks.

If you had young shooters around, they would have made nice guns for them. But then you never know what your going to get until you get it home and on the range.....