[ditto1958]

I was watching a cooking show on YouTube last night that had originally been live streamed. The chef appears to be an excellent cook, who mostly posts Italian recipes that look to be to die for. But, that’s not the point. What I noticed was that he kept getting questions and comments about the “gear” he was using- what brand of knives, pots and pans, even comments that he should get a “professional” model stove. Very few, if any, questions about the actual cooking itself.

He seemed a bit unprepared for those questions. And probably for good reason. You got the impression he wasnt worried one bit about his tools. He could have cooked the same dish over a campfire with stuff he bought from Goodwill.

We get the same way with firearms, I think. Too much worry about what brands ad models of presses, what brands of dies, case preparation, etc., when really it’s the load that counts, the quality of the components and the care that goes into making quality ammo that counts.

The same age thing also goes for actual shooting. I think many shooters concentrate on what make and model of gun, instead do shooting skills. Anyone who spends enough time at the range knows that the really good shooters can shoot enaything well, even that old Hipoint that looks like it got dragged behind the truck a coupla times.

 

[gunscrewguy]

Refreshing to hear that the show was not using the moment to hawk overprice cooking tools but focusing on the skill of the chef.

Craftsmanship by far is more important than the quality of the tools. For me, quality tools provide enhancement of the work being done.

Gotta' say I love my gas stove and my 40 year old 'forever' Revereware pots and pans. They go well with some of my reloading tools that go back a half of a century. They bring pleasure to me when using and caring for them

AC

 

[Marlinjunkie]

Good points! And a good reminder to not worry about brands so much, but think about results. :congrats:

 

[amustangrocks]

I just "cooked" up some 30-30 rounds yesterday

 

[smokinjoe]

My Grand Dad once told me " it ain't the brush...it's the artist " roud:

 

[Steve_In]

It ain't the gun but the nut behind the butt. There are guys and gals that just naturally do things better no matter what equipment they use.
I used to make some awesome shooting 22 K-Hornet rounds with a Lyman Nutcracker.
Remember this is the latest, greatest V.ersion generation. All the manufactures have to do is make a little change to a product, no matter how good the old one worked, and the new one will sell like hotcakes.
My old Herter's press still works great.

 

[Vic in Va]

I'll admit I like a well-outfitted rifle. I have several with aftermarket barrels, stocks, triggers, high-end scopes, and receivers fawned over.

There are two guys I hunt with. One uses a stock Remington 788 .308 and the other uses a Savage 110 in .30-06 that has an aftermarket barrel and stock, plus some other TLC. The guy with the 788 kills a bunch of deer, he just hunts were shots will be under 200 yards and does not miss, for one instance, the capabilities I and the other fellow have with our rifles.

He just sets himself up to shoot a distance he's comfortable with, and does a good job of knockin' 'em down.

He enjoys his hunting as much as we do.

 

[Youper]

It's not the arrow, it's the Indian.

 

[BubbaJon]

LOL!!!
Tell ya what - You go buy a Phoenix Arms 22 pistola and tell me the quality of tools don't matter.
While I think that a certain amount of proficiency is required you also need capable tools to realize the potential.
You mention loads - that too is a an area y6ou can go cheap or pricey. We all know some cheap ammo is barely worth hearing the bang.
Then you can get into areas that make a difference in how a weapon shoots like aftermarket triggers. I'm sorry, you have a rifle you want to shoot 1,000 yds an 11 lb trigger ain't gonna cut it.
The tools should be up to the capabilities of the person using them and perhaps even challenge them to be worthy of the tool.

 

[BubbaJon]

It's not the arrow, it's the Indian.

Even a really good brave can't shoot a warped arrow worth a damn.

 

[papajohn]

Reloading and firearms are generally two categories where you get what you pay for, but there will always be overpriced junk as well as bargain equipment that actually works as advertised.

My first reloaded ammo was done on a $12 Lee Loader, and it shot a lot better than I did back then! My most expensive reloading press cost me under a hundred dollars, and has served me well for a couple decades. I could have spent more, but decided not to.

When it comes to firearms, there are cheap guns, and then there are "more affordable firearms". Some call the Taurus line cheap guns, and in some cases they're right......but I've had four of them, and two were just fine. The other two were pretty abysmal, because with some gunmakers (especially during certain eras) it's a crapshoot.

I typically buy S&W revolvers because I've had pretty good experiences with them since the 80's, but I've also seen a few that never should have left the factory, either. When you pay upwards of $750 for a brand-new gun and have to immediately pack it up and send it back to the mother ship, it tends to stick in your craw for awhile!

Do fancy, expensive guns shoot better? Sometimes. But don't tell my $150 Marlin 30-30 it can't shoot .75 MOA, because it has done it on numerous occasions, with multiple witnesses.

I also had a fancy AR-15 Varmint rifle that cost me $1250 in the early 2000's, and it wouldn't group under an inch, with anything. Sometimes ya just pays your money and takes your chances! :bandit:

 

[kingstrider]

Maybe not the best analogy but I have owned a lot of guitars and can tell you the better guitars inspire you to play better and longer than cheap ones do. I actually find guns the same way and tend to stay interested in certain models than others.

 

[ditto1958]

Maybe not the best analogy but I have owned a lot of guitars and can tell you the better guitars inspire you to play better and longer than cheap ones do. I actually find guns the same way and tend to stay interested in certain models than others.

True. And, to be honest, I tend to buy good “tools” for no matter what I’m doing. Still, if I make a good shot at the range, and someone else sees me do it? I hope the first thing out of their mouth is not “what kind of gun is that?”

 

[rob42049]

One of my bestest shootin' buddies had a birthday coming up. I went to Something's Cooking,a retail chain specializing in high-end cutlery and cookware to get him a fillet knife for Catfish. He needed one. The cheapest fillet knife they had was $132.95,about $140 after State Tax. No way.
I went to Scheels and found a fillet knife and board with a heavy duty clip to secure the fish's tail. It was about $34 out the door. While the $140 German steel fillet knife was certainly very nice,if it got lost fishing or boating,that would hurt. In this case the proper tool fit the requirement. Sometimes you have to weigh the options based on practicality.

 

[Youper]

Even a really good brave can't shoot a warped arrow worth a damn.

While that is true the OP's example was about adequate equipment v. more than adequate equipment.

 

[Youper]

Maybe not the best analogy but I have owned a lot of guitars and can tell you the better guitars inspire you to play better and longer than cheap ones do. I actually find guns the same way and tend to stay interested in certain models than others.

I've found this true also, but I have seen a strong correlation between how much I've paid for a rifle and how well it shoots nor how much I enjoy shooting it. Clearly junk is junk, but my best shooting rifles have been in about the midrange of what I've paid. Two of my favorites to shoot are on the low end of what I've paid.