stuff you should never have bought.

[Lloyd Smale]

I was digging threw my hunting gear and found a Game finder. Its suppose to sense heat and pick out downed game at over a 100 yards. Never saw it pick up anything past 20 yards and when it does it sometimes even reads heat on trees. They cost like 200 bucks and they had one for close out at gander mountain for 70 bucks one day when the buddy and I were in there. He thought it would be great for us doing crop damage shooting because we track deer all the time. He talked ME into buying it instead of HIM. Stupidest 70 bucks I ever spent. Right up there with tracking lights that sense blood. If theres blood there you can see it with a white light. Tried them too and wouldn't give you a dime for one. A real quality inferred sensor would probably be great but im sure there not selling them for 200 bucks let alone 75!! What was your dumbest purchase for shooting and hunting?

[snowwolfe]

About 1/3rd of the guns I bought fit into that category. After owning some for awhile I look at it and think..............what the heck was I thinking when I bought it? lol

Just recently searched high and low for a Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5 creedmor. Thank god I didn't find one.

[MT Gianni]

After 37+ years of marriage I still have been known to jokingly grumble " should have bought the Citori instead of the ring". She occasionally beats me to it, life is good.

[JonnyReb]

I bought 3 of those bushnell gamefinders on ebay for about 100.00, all new. Thought i got the deal of a lifetime and was more than a bit let down myself to find that they didn't track my dogs worth a darn so i figured they wouldn't do any better on a deer. Never took one of them hunting and gave 2 away as unique but useless presents..still have one stuffed in a drawer somewhere.

What popped to mind 1st was the flock of r\c airplanes i bought when i first got into the hobby, i have 6 or 7 built and taking up loads of space but have never flown a one of them. Turned out i am pretty happy just flying around a cheap micro sized quad or plane in the backyard over a few adult beverages as opposed to loading up planes with 4 foot wingspans and driving to a flying field where crowds would watch me crash. Now i got these planes gathering dust and their impossible to ship while assembled. I look at them and think, i gotta craigslist these. Just haven't gotten around to it yet.

[rnelson11]

My first 1911.

[leadman]

The Hi-point 45acp pistol and the hybrid travel trailer.

[destrux]

I was digging threw my hunting gear and found a Game finder. Its suppose to sense heat and pick out downed game at over a 100 yards. Never saw it pick up anything past 20 yards and when it does it sometimes even reads heat on trees. They cost like 200 bucks and they had one for close out at gander mountain for 70 bucks one day when the buddy and I were in there. He thought it would be great for us doing crop damage shooting because we track deer all the time. He talked ME into buying it instead of HIM. Stupidest 70 bucks I ever spent. Right up there with tracking lights that sense blood. If theres blood there you can see it with a white light. Tried them too and wouldn't give you a dime for one. A real quality inferred sensor would probably be great but im sure there not selling them for 200 bucks let alone 75!! What was your dumbest purchase for shooting and hunting?


FLIR, the company that makes the thermal scopes for the military, actually makes a device like that now that does work, for $150. It attaches to a smartphone and actually has a real thermal imaging camera in the unit. http://www.flir.com/flirone/

[oldred]

Metal detector, got the wild urge to see what was buried on my old farm when I bought it. I spent a lot of money to get "a good one" and I suppose it was but I got carried away and also bought a bunch of accessories to go with it, most of which were still in the boxes when I stored the thing away. Got it all set up then went outside and spent a couple of hours digging up some dandy rusty nails then promptly lost interest!

[opos]

A "Billy Bass" mounted fish that hung on the wall and sang and played music...right up there with a Chia pet

[destrux]

I'd have to put my 37mm launcher on the list. It's fun but it's a bit of a fire hazard and it gets you some sideways looks even from the most die-hard gun owners. I've shot it all of three times since I got it. Lots of fun though.

[montana_charlie]

Metal detector, got the wild urge to see what was buried on my old farm when I bought it. I spent a lot of money to get "a good one" and I suppose it was but I got carried away and also bought a bunch of accessories to go with it, most of which were still in the boxes when I stored the thing away. Got it all set up then went outside and spent a couple of hours digging up some dandy rusty nails then promptly lost interest!
I'm not a treasure hunter, but I get good service from a metal detector I bought at a yard sale. It's old, but in it's day it was one of the best.
I use it for lost tools and parts (when working on an implement out in a field), to locate the 'sockets' for our underground sprinkler system, and to dig out bullets fired into snowbanks for recovery and examination.
Lately, it's helped to find all of the cases ejected from my recently acquired 9mm pistol.

[destrux]

I had the same experience with mine trying to hunt farms at first. I had to learn to use the discriminator and be willing to turn it high enough to reject all the rusty relics (the downside being gold rings are no longer detected) but now I have been digging only coins with great luck. I had my best luck along the edges of paved surfaces. Coins fall, roll into the grass, and get left there. I also had the chance to hunt the bottom of a dried lake and found some interesting things.

It's been great for finding brass in the weeds though.

[gray wolf]

My first marriage license

[oldred]

About the only thing of value I found with mine was a small bundle of steel fence posts that heavy grass had covered over, after three years the growth was so heavy I actually walked on them without finding them. I took that metal detector out there and located them instantly. Not the sort of thing one would keep an expensive metal detector for but I had it and it worked. Really I just lost interest and had other things to do so I let my son have the detector and he plays around with every now and then but for me it just wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be.


On another note a friend of mine has a $16,000 (yep that's sixteen thousand) patek philippe wrist watch and was actually wearing the thing while running a Caterpillar D11 Bulldozer! He had brought it in to work that day to show it to the rest of the work crew and rather than leave it someplace during the work shift he just wore it. Later in the day he had to stop to,,,,,well obey a call of nature, so he stepped out on the track of the dozer which was sitting in over one foot deep soupy mud, he said he felt it slip as he snagged the strap while getting back into the cab but couldn't see where it fell! Naturally the guy was in a panic, more like a major meltdown, but fortunately the mine owner was very understanding and allowed him to take the rest of the shift off to hunt for that watch. Leaving the dozer parked where it was he slopped around in that mud for a half hour before someone suggested a metal detector, remembering that I had a good one he called me to borrow it. He took that thing and waded out in the mud nearly knee deep and found his watch on the first pass!

[JonnyReb]

" My first marriage license"

:drinks: lol

[dilly]

I would be more interested in metal detecing if I lived in Europe. Native Americans didn't do much with metal, and most of the land on North America has had relatively tame history (history is truly never tame, but I said relative). The European metal detector crowd finds some really interesting stuff.

Of course they just do that because they can't have as much fun with guns as we can.


For me, actually, I think I might have been better off not getting a progressive press and just getting a good turret. I'm so heavily invested in it now that I may as well keep it. Lock N Load bushings, shell plates, etc. really add up and I don't even like priming on the press anyway.

[merlin101]

I wish I had never bought that big Snap On triple bank tool box out in my garage, Craftsman would've worked just fine and left enough money for several nice guns!

[Firebricker]

My $130 heated insoles that not only barely put out heat but are uncofortable. They sure looked good in the ads though lol. FB

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Johnny Reb,

my first two...

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

A guy on another forum had a set of RCBS forming dies, reloading dies, and a chambering reamer for the 425 Westley Richards cartridge for sale. There was ZERO interest initially. When he cut the price in half I could no longer resist the 50% off deal. Now, I need to build a rifle. Ever have that happen?

The reason everybody badmouthed the original design, was that WR took the 404Jefferys (the RUM's daddy), and tried to cheap charlie. They did not want to pay for a Mauser magnum action, so the cut the case .200", and rebated the rim from the magnum to try and use a standard .473" bolt face. Tremendous PITA. They ended up putting a upside-down "L" shaped ears at the rear of the box, to get it to feed. Rebated rims suck. A good gunsmith friend of mine thinks we can fix the issue by using a magnum bolt face, and 404J or 375 RUM brass.

I hope so...

[minmax]

Yeah, everything for my ex-wife.

[4719dave]

This is so funny mine says what gauge was yours im wearing on my finger ...
After 37+ years of marriage I still have been known to jokingly grumble " should have bought the Citori instead of the ring". She occasionally beats me to it, life is good.

[44man]

I was digging threw my hunting gear and found a Game finder. Its suppose to sense heat and pick out downed game at over a 100 yards. Never saw it pick up anything past 20 yards and when it does it sometimes even reads heat on trees. They cost like 200 bucks and they had one for close out at gander mountain for 70 bucks one day when the buddy and I were in there. He thought it would be great for us doing crop damage shooting because we track deer all the time. He talked ME into buying it instead of HIM. Stupidest 70 bucks I ever spent. Right up there with tracking lights that sense blood. If theres blood there you can see it with a white light. Tried them too and wouldn't give you a dime for one. A real quality inferred sensor would probably be great but im sure there not selling them for 200 bucks let alone 75!! What was your dumbest purchase for shooting and hunting?
I have one, got it dirt cheap. I never found a dead deer but once I was on a ground stand and scanned the thick out front, kept getting a reading but could see nothing. Then a big doe walked out to get busted.

[pcolapaddler]

I'm not a treasure hunter, but I get good service from a metal detector I bought at a yard sale. It's old, but in it's day it was one of the best.
I use it for lost tools and parts (when working on an implement out in a field), to locate the 'sockets' for our underground sprinkler system, and to dig out bullets fired into snowbanks for recovery and examination.
Lately, it's helped to find all of the cases ejected from my recently acquired 9mm pistol.

I worked at a marina in another life. I can't tell you how many tools I dropped in the sand and never saw again. Sure could have used a metal detector in those days. Funny, I could see where it fell, immediately reach into the sand and it was nowhere to be found. I think they just kept on sinking deeper and deeper.

[jcwit]

:cry::shock::popcorn:

[hoosierlogger]

It's funny how we all have spent money on a piece of **** purchase, but we feel obligated to keep the item we wasted money on. My regrettable purchase is a gamo bull whisper .177 air rifle. It is an inconsistent turd that won't hit the same place twice. Might be the scope, but I don't have enough extra money to spend on a new springer scope right now. I have put countless pellets of all weights thru it with minimal success. I just can't bring myself to rehome it.

[labradigger1]

Metal detector, got the wild urge to see what was buried on my old farm when I bought it. I spent a lot of money to get "a good one" and I suppose it was but I got carried away and also bought a bunch of accessories to go with it, most of which were still in the boxes when I stored the thing away. Got it all set up then went outside and spent a couple of hours digging up some dandy rusty nails then promptly lost interest!

Keep at it sir! Lots of civil war history in Tennessee. Use the machine as much as you can and learn from it. I prolly have at least 1500-2000 hours on my trusty whites dfx and still learn something new every time I use it.
I would love to get me some Tennessee treasure.
Lab

[Kent Fowler]

New '83 Cadillac for ex-wife. Should have bought her a Yugo and me a nice pickup.

[Suo Gan]

Most things at yard sales, things bought on a whim, Chinese tools.

[Plate plinker]

Beginning to think my Springfield 9mm 1911 loaded. Struggling to make it shoot as well as the Kimber.

[jcwit]

One of our best Bulls Eye shooters got one of those and has much of the same luck.

[Walkingwolf]

Marriage license...

[Blue2]

I have been thinking about building a 375 H&H. Awhile ago I saw a bunch of factory Kynock loaded ammo for sale in 10 round boxes. Thye price was so interesting I did not pay attention to what I was buying and now I have a bunch of 375 Rimmed Magnum ammo for a double rifle. Duh!

[Geezer in NH]

I have been thinking about building a 375 H&H. Awhile ago I saw a bunch of factory Kynock loaded ammo for sale in 10 round boxes. Thye price was so interesting I did not pay attention to what I was buying and now I have a bunch of 375 Rimmed Magnum ammo for a double rifle. Duh!

Worth really big bucks on the auction sites. Unless of course you paid that in the first place.

[Geezer in NH]

I got to go with the marriage license even after 44 years.

[baogongmeo]

I would be more interested in metal detecing if I lived in Europe. Native Americans didn't do much with metal, and most of the land on North America has had relatively tame history (history is truly never tame, but I said relative). The European metal detector crowd finds some really interesting stuff.

Of course they just do that because they can't have as much fun with guns as we can.


For me, actually, I think I might have been better off not getting a progressive press and just getting a good turret. I'm so heavily invested in it now that I may as well keep it. Lock N Load bushings, shell plates, etc. really add up and I don't even like priming on the press anyway.

Spend some time on Treasurenet and I think you'll be amazed by what people find in the U.S.A. .

[7point62nato]

About 1/3rd of the guns I bought fit into that category. After owning some for awhile I look at it and think..............what the heck was I thinking when I bought it? lol

Just recently searched high and low for a Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5 creedmor. Thank god I didn't find one.
Why not?

[Rufus Krile]

It's funny how we all have spent money on a piece of **** purchase, but we feel obligated to keep the item we wasted money on. My regrettable purchase is a gamo bull whisper .177 air rifle. It is an inconsistent turd that won't hit the same place twice. Might be the scope, but I don't have enough extra money to spend on a new springer scope right now. I have put countless pellets of all weights thru it with minimal success. I just can't bring myself to rehome it.Junk the scope and use the iron sights... The cheap scopes won't hold zero on the springer (or IGT) guns. Put a rear aperture sight on mine and it's deadly on tree rats.

[Lloyd Smale]

they sure would be the cats @@@ if they worked like they claimed!!
I have one, got it dirt cheap. I never found a dead deer but once I was on a ground stand and scanned the thick out front, kept getting a reading but could see nothing. Then a big doe walked out to get busted.

[OnHoPr]

A Stoeger Uplander from Brazil. Aint a quarter of the gun as a Springfield.

[thegatman]

My gatling gun as it's such a chore to reload 45-70 for it. Just kidding. or am I

[mold maker]

Those other 5 presses under the bench. Just different handles on different colors, doing the same thing.

[doc1876]

an engagement ring in 1974, and a 1984 suburban. they were both a money pit.

[garym1a2]

Lee Loadmaster

[dragon813gt]

Cabine Tree ALF for a RCBS LAM1. Always had some sort of lube leak w/ it. Didn't really increase my production either.

CH4D primer pocket swager. It worked great thr first few times I used it. Then no matter how it was adjusted it would rip off case heads. Really slow when compared to the Dillon swager that replaced it.

A plethora of electronic scales. Truthfully I bought them to test them out. I threw them all out except the ones I currently use. I couldn't possibly sell those pieces of junk to other reloaders.

Countless firearms. Need versus want seems to never apply in this situation :laugh:

[Love Life]

Those mystery meat tacos in Mexico.

[Lloyd Smale]

that's odd. I had one on a lyman that was one of the first he made. As a matter of fact I did a lot of testing on it for him and mine worked great. I could lube 20-30 bullets without touching the lube tension. Probably worked better that way then my star.
Cabine Tree ALF for a RCBS LAM1. Always had some sort of lube leak w/ it. Didn't really increase my production either.

CH4D primer pocket swager. It worked great thr first few times I used it. Then no matter how it was adjusted it would rip off case heads. Really slow when compared to the Dillon swager that replaced it.

A plethora of electronic scales. Truthfully I bought them to test them out. I threw them all out except the ones I currently use. I couldn't possibly sell those pieces of junk to other reloaders.

Countless firearms. Need versus want seems to never apply in this situation :laugh:

[catmandu]

Those mystery meat tacos in Mexico.

I hear ya Love Life. !!!

I walked out if the shop and saw one skinny 3 legged dog running scared and it hit me:

What did I just do!!!!!

I still regret it.

Paul in WNY

[starmac]

I hear ya Love Life. !!!

I walked out if the shop and saw one skinny 3 legged dog running scared and it hit me:

What did I just do!!!!!

I still regret it.

Paul in WNY

Well did it taste good at the time???

[Love Life]

They tasted amazing. Especially after spending all night at the club that was having buy one get one buckets of beer.

[popper]

Those mystery meat tacos in Mexico. No mystery there. Had a Chinese guy come work for us for a short time (got hired but couldn't get a security clearance - Hillary wasn't around then) asked him about ****zu, he said they taste good.

[catmandu]

Well did it taste good at the time???

It tasted ok, but was way over spiced, I wondered (ha ha) what they were trying to hide.

Well I wanted authentic Mexican food.... I guess I got some. :)

Paul in WNY

[Mal Paso]

Mexican?
How about rounds of shots of Tequila at The Long Bar in Tijuana.

I take that back. The story is too good.

[bstone5]

Tijuana

1965 all from Pedlenton went there before going overseas, a real good time.

[MUSTANG]

Tijuana

1965 all from Pedlenton went there before going overseas, a real good time.


Last time I was in Tiajuana was in 1975 when Jose Padilla (a Marine buddy of mine) and I went down from Pendleton for a day. We grabbed a Taxi and the driver started talking to Jose in Spanish suggesting they "Roll the Gringo" in the back of the car. I interjected myself and suggested to the Taxi Drive "Let's Not" and have not been back to Tiajuana since. Have been down to Ensenada and Los Bufadores numerous times since then. No more border towns for me.

Ate a few dogs in Korea over the years with Korean friends. They see them as a delicacy for special occasions. Never cared for them myself, but "When in Rome", don't upset the hosts by refusing their generosity and special consideration.

[Lloyd Smale]

found another one. A 400 dollar delorne gps I bought and now cant find!

[starmac]

LOL My list is too long to type, how about another twist on the matter.

Things you are going to buy that you really don't need.
I am dealing on a 61 KW, that I really really don't need, but I gots to have it. lol

[Love Life]

LOL My list is too long to type, how about another twist on the matter.

Things you are going to buy that you really don't need.
I am dealing on a 61 KW, that I really really don't need, but I gots to have it. lol

That list is a rather large one!

[sparky45]

Well, he did say he couldn't type it.

[starmac]

Example
I bought a 1 ton welding rig complete with a miller big 40, leads torches and related tools on ebay.
Iirc it was in Indiana, and I really didn't want to make a trip just for it, so I ask the guy if I could have a week or so to pick it up. He said fine, but he was moving his business out of state in 30 days, anytime before that would be fine.
I then found a dump truck in Illinois and bought it to make the trip worthwhile.
That night I was called in to work and needed to be in Utah the next morning, didn't get back for 4 months, so never went and picked either of them up. lol Huge waste of money. lol