New vs Old

[COmarshrat]

Watching the hunting and fishing shows made me think of a paradigm shift which is occurring within my own stockpile of outdoor equipment. I'd like to know what other folks think about having and continuing to use "old" equipment vs replacing that old stuff with new equipment.

From the sound so of it, many of you are of similar age - I am 51 - so I would assume similar life phases, i.e. Kids in college, mortgage payments, etc. I am fishing with 20+ year old Shimano and Abu Garcia reels, bird hunting with a Browning A5, etc. Sometimes I yearn for the most modern of gear while other times I wonder if the old stuff works just as well and the new stuff is just marketing. Being in sales myself, I know that manufacturers will try any little tweak possible to make a product "new and improved"! So just curious what everyone's thoughts are on this...

 

[deer_shooter]

If something works then no need to replace it. I am fighting the urge to convince you to get rid of that old A5 for something new so I can buy it! That said I've been upgrading glass and clothing over the last couple years. All else I think is ok and only replace if worn out or fubar.

 

[MKotur325]

My theory... replace gear when it ceases to be effective, outlives its usefulness, or the demands on the gear change.

 

[roadhunter]

Seems like the outdoor companies are really good at convincing us that we need "brand x" equipment to give us an advantage while hunting. Most if not all hunting shows ultimately are simply infomercials with bits of hunting footage between the ads for guns, bullets, boots, archery equipment, knives, clothing, optics, etc.....

 

[Big Sky]

I turn 50 in August so we aren't that far apart age wise. Frankly my feelings on this is that I like to use what works best. I like new stuff like anyone else, but if I have old gear that works well, I don't feel a burning desire to run out and replace it. For example, my main big game rifle is Remington BDL in 30.06 that is nearly 30 years old. However, it wears a McMillan stock (Converted to an ADL), a Timney trigger, Warne rings and mounts, Leupold scope, and a Harris bi-pod. So in other words while the barreled action is original and 30 years old, the rifle itself had gone through some modification. I'm happy with the way it is now and do not see me doing anything with it unless I shoot the barrel out, which is a possibility. I have other rifles and have gone through dozens of rifles and calibers through the years, but this old Remington belongs to the "not for sale or trade" club. I still have my original Remington 870 Wingmaster that I got for Christmas when I was 12 years old. However I also have another 870 SP Magnum with a 3.5" chamber, and a synthetic stock, that gets plenty of use as well. Just depends on what I'm hunting for as to which shotgun I will grab. Both feel familiar in my hands. Like I said orginally I like what works best for me and it's a mixture of the old and new.

 

[Redwood]

I need to be the weak link, not my gear. It is natural to want the new and cool stuff, but once you have it all to often you see it's not all that great. But sometimes it is, such as clothing. Invest into good clothing first; lightweight, quit, layer able clothing. Then glass, it's amazing the difference between good glass and great glass. I splurged and got a pair of el's and don't regret it for a minute, vortex is what I would get for a price point. Guns, I only want a gun to be reliable and accurate. If you have that I'd spend my money elsewhere. Most of the gear on the market is for the hunter, not the hunt. Address any weak links, after that who cares.

 

[SFC B]

My theory... replace gear when it ceases to be effective, outlives its usefulness, or the demands on the gear change.

X2!!

 

[MtnWest]

I have a 1970's spotting scope my dad gave me. Bushnell Spacemaster II made in Japan with the 20-45x eyepiece. $100 back then was still a chunk of money I'm sure, probably $600 in todays dollars without looking up the exact inflation.

Last year I wanted to "upgrade"... Maybe I watched/read too many ads or something. Sat outside Sportsmans with a tripod and scopes that went up to $1500. The optics guy is probably still shaking his head, he got a bigger kick out of it than I did. I couldn't believe a 40yr old scope would perform that well. Needless to say I still use a vintage spotter and kept my money.

 

[noharleyyet]

My 45 year old Auto 5 Browning's broken in...not old.