Threw caution to the wind and bought a new double rifle
- Thread starter Ardent
- Start date
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
Artemida should make for some fun .45-70 shooting. At least one can regulate the barrels to the loads to a degree without expense. Not high end, but a durable gun none the less.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I was feeling cheeky forgive me, yea picked one up on a whim, had to try it. I've had the full range of feelings about this one, pulled it out of the box and sighed... "Well that could have been a lot of ammunition." Slowly started to like it, as it's almost what a double should be, a work tool... Then remembered how much I dislike .45-70... Then justified it to myself given the price... Little surprised by the wood, pretty though crudely fashioned. Action's stiff but not ridiculously so, as to be expected, triggers well... They do indeed release the sears after only moderate motivation. Safety certainly works, rather small for an automatic though given you're forced to use it (until deactivated, soon). It's very, very light.
In short, so far, it's a collection of compromises that actually appears to work, and I'm finding more I like about it than not... embarrassed to say. Still need to shoot it, it's sitting beside a snob in the safe at present, found the pair too amusing to separate.
In short, so far, it's a collection of compromises that actually appears to work, and I'm finding more I like about it than not... embarrassed to say. Still need to shoot it, it's sitting beside a snob in the safe at present, found the pair too amusing to separate.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
I feel you're gonna like it a fair bit after a while. Where else can folks find a decent sxs double these days at Walmart prices?
Built like Russian tractor & not hard on the eyes fer folks not into classic Brit or Euro guns. Accurate buggers to boot.
Built like Russian tractor & not hard on the eyes fer folks not into classic Brit or Euro guns. Accurate buggers to boot.
Angus, Angus, Angus...........Holland and Holland Royal and now this? Your SOMA membership is in serious jeopardy..............really a Baikal? I think at this juncture you must seriously consider giving me the H&H Royal so as not to contaminate it !!!! Even the Merkel must be sitting in it's resting place smirking and sneering................I suppose a Salvage Axis in 270 is next.........
Welcome to the dark side haw .....haw...
I put a weaver t1010 base on mine with quick release rings and a leupold 23/4 ultra light scope on mine and playing with it. Can remove scope and still be able to shoot the open sights with it
I put a weaver t1010 base on mine with quick release rings and a leupold 23/4 ultra light scope on mine and playing with it. Can remove scope and still be able to shoot the open sights with it
Last edited:
Bigfoot 870
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Nova Scotia
I knew that Doug wouldn't approve, as soon as I saw it.
Not near the quality of your others but I love mine. About 1000 rounds thru it and still going strong. Some of those were high end marlin loads to. I love mine and use it the way a rifle was meant to b used. The regulation on mine works very well left to right. There's no vertical regulation. They were factory set with Remington express ammo 405 gr jacketed at 1300 fps or so.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
Definitely embracing the "Misguided" part of SOMA.
Baikal MP-221
I had one in 45-70 back about 4 years ago.
They also make a 30-06 Sprng model.
The hinge action was stiff as old heck and didn't loosen with use.
Got the barrels regulated so the POIs would be within 3" of each other at 50 yards.
The barrel regulation screw actually works once you get used to it.
It is a light gun and kicked like a mule with vigorous loads using 430 grain hard cast bullets (1750 fps).
Sold it when the novelty wore off which was within a few weeks.
Didn't measure up to my Guide Guns or my Winchester 1886 Extra Light.
Baikals are solidly built guns.
I own a IZH-94 (12 gauge/308 Win) and the rifle barrel is amazingly accurate.
If you show up in Afica with that thing it'll be comic relief for the other clients and the PHs sitting on the rack with all the Holland+ Hollands, Westley-Richards and Rigby custom doubles.
I had one in 45-70 back about 4 years ago.
They also make a 30-06 Sprng model.
The hinge action was stiff as old heck and didn't loosen with use.
Got the barrels regulated so the POIs would be within 3" of each other at 50 yards.
The barrel regulation screw actually works once you get used to it.
It is a light gun and kicked like a mule with vigorous loads using 430 grain hard cast bullets (1750 fps).
Sold it when the novelty wore off which was within a few weeks.
Didn't measure up to my Guide Guns or my Winchester 1886 Extra Light.
Baikals are solidly built guns.
I own a IZH-94 (12 gauge/308 Win) and the rifle barrel is amazingly accurate.
If you show up in Afica with that thing it'll be comic relief for the other clients and the PHs sitting on the rack with all the Holland+ Hollands, Westley-Richards and Rigby custom doubles.
Then there'd be at least one critter hitting the ground.
You and maybe the buffalo.
The 45-70 model is a light gun and kicks hard with one barrel with vigorous loads.
I get taking a step backward to something more basic... but from Royal to Baikal is a quantum leap over an unfathomable abyss...
Having said that... I'm betting you would carry the rifle, without batting an eye, in places where the Royal would have you jumper than a cat on a hot tin roof.
I don't share your dislike of the .45/70 cartridge... I actually love it for it's peculiar attributes... there is only so much it can do in certain platforms and it usual gets the call when circumstances are ideal for it's use. I am down to a No.1 in .45/70 and doubt that I will buy another anytime soon.... but I love loading for it and in the thickets I have extreme confidence in it's ability to put significant hurt on the target.
Ardent, when you do shoot that rifle you may find that you like it far more than it's lowly pedigree would suggest you should.
I will interested in reading your review.
Having said that... I'm betting you would carry the rifle, without batting an eye, in places where the Royal would have you jumper than a cat on a hot tin roof.
I don't share your dislike of the .45/70 cartridge... I actually love it for it's peculiar attributes... there is only so much it can do in certain platforms and it usual gets the call when circumstances are ideal for it's use. I am down to a No.1 in .45/70 and doubt that I will buy another anytime soon.... but I love loading for it and in the thickets I have extreme confidence in it's ability to put significant hurt on the target.
Ardent, when you do shoot that rifle you may find that you like it far more than it's lowly pedigree would suggest you should.
I will interested in reading your review.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
It's the Russian Thug, I'll run with that. Forgive the disorganised post below, tired.
My only beef with .45-70 is it's not fast enough to shock in my half formed opinion, no doubt it kills just not confident about its "lightning bolt" kills like a .300 or fast .338/375.
The gun is surprisingly decent, I mean it is a bit crude but everything functions as advertised and really, it's a double for the price of a Remington 700- that's spectacular. If I keep it Hoyt I'll certainly treat it very roughly, as that's what I bought it for. Even my Merkel I cringe pushing it through alders, and frankly as I trust Dogleg's shooting so much left it behind a couple days at camp. But you worry about it there too, the Royal would even be worse and is a "travel rifle"- well insured and sunshine destinations I'm afraid.
From my as yet non-firing perspective this thing is a two barreled, roughly hewn but apparently well built short range, lightweight tool that meets every personal requirement I have of a double except for the speed of the cartridge. I like cartridges that can beat 2400fps with the heavier bullet weights in their spectrum, just seems they "smack" game harder, a lot more animals seem to fall down where they stood at those velocities than the slower and heavy stuff. Slow and heavy kills everything I've shot with it (quite a lot, cullingj, just not with any flourish. A bit slow to act unless a CNS hit.
I anticipate if I can hit a paper plate at 100 yards with both barrels and the regulation I set holds, I'll be forced to give this a very favourable review. That is entirely influenced by the price and novelty of being able to beat it up without a worry, a "for what it is" statement. In handling however, it is a real double rifle, and gives the experience in full albeit crudely. That's a nice thing, as it opens doubles up for everyone as an interest.
I wonder... I have a bunch of .45-100 brass, if reaming this out would allow any increase in velocity at the low pressures it can handle. That's so far out of my hand loading expertise with smokeless I don't know where to start. I suspect it would not function that way, and I'd likely just burn low charge loads of H4895 with more powder and the same performance as .45-70. Couldn't care less about an increase in recoil from the extra powder, I just want more velocity.
Forgive the disorganised post below, tired.My only beef with .45-70 is it's not fast enough to shock in my half formed opinion, no doubt it kills just not confident about its "lightning bolt" kills like a .300 or fast .338/375.
The gun is surprisingly decent, I mean it is a bit crude but everything functions as advertised and really, it's a double for the price of a Remington 700- that's spectacular. If I keep it Hoyt I'll certainly treat it very roughly, as that's what I bought it for. Even my Merkel I cringe pushing it through alders, and frankly as I trust Dogleg's shooting so much left it behind a couple days at camp. But you worry about it there too, the Royal would even be worse and is a "travel rifle"- well insured and sunshine destinations I'm afraid.
From my as yet non-firing perspective this thing is a two barreled, roughly hewn but apparently well built short range, lightweight tool that meets every personal requirement I have of a double except for the speed of the cartridge. I like cartridges that can beat 2400fps with the heavier bullet weights in their spectrum, just seems they "smack" game harder, a lot more animals seem to fall down where they stood at those velocities than the slower and heavy stuff. Slow and heavy kills everything I've shot with it (quite a lot, cullingj, just not with any flourish. A bit slow to act unless a CNS hit.
I anticipate if I can hit a paper plate at 100 yards with both barrels and the regulation I set holds, I'll be forced to give this a very favourable review. That is entirely influenced by the price and novelty of being able to beat it up without a worry, a "for what it is" statement. In handling however, it is a real double rifle, and gives the experience in full albeit crudely. That's a nice thing, as it opens doubles up for everyone as an interest.
I wonder... I have a bunch of .45-100 brass, if reaming this out would allow any increase in velocity at the low pressures it can handle. That's so far out of my hand loading expertise with smokeless I don't know where to start. I suspect it would not function that way, and I'd likely just burn low charge loads of H4895 with more powder and the same performance as .45-70. Couldn't care less about an increase in recoil from the extra powder, I just want more velocity.
