Combination Gun Opinions

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rwn390

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Hi guys, I’m new to drilling’s and combination guns. I really like the idea of being able to take a coyote with a rifle while actually hunting turkey with a shotgun. With a combination gun fitted with a scope, deer hunting with slugs seems quite appealing too.

My question is can drilling and combination guns handle heavier loads better than say an O/U upland gun. While most modern upland guns have 3” chambers, I was always led to believe that they weren’t actually designed for a steady diet of heavy loads. Especially the older guns.

I just purchased a high quality German combo gun 16/70 x 222 Rem with an alloy frame fitted with a scope. My question is would any of you be concerned about shooting slugs, or 1 1/4oz magnum loads out of this gun? It’s probably a 60’s vintage gun and the intention is to hunt it, not high volume shooting. Thanks guys!
 
I think you're going to find that a combination gun will be illegal for turkey hunting, even if you don't have rifle ammo with you. Explaining that the rifle barrel is for coyotes isn't going to fly with the C.O.
 
A conservation officer would have to be a real jerk to charge anyone for having a combo gun turkey hunting. And if no rifle ammo was present there isn't a hope in hades of a conviction.
 
Sorry I should be more specific, I use Rottweil Exact 1 1/32oz slugs, a Gaulandi slug like what Challenger uses for deer, and Federal 1 1/4oz copper plated #6 for turkey. I have a Sweet 16 with both a slug barrel and a Japanese Invector barrel. With a Trulock choke I can reliably shoot out to 40yds for turkey. I was hoping to use these two loads in the combo gun for turkey and deer until my master plan was dashed by a legality issue. It never occurred to me that there would be an issue using a combo gun for turkey, the regs are pretty specific about what you can shoot during deer season. Lots of coyote where I live and it’s common to see them during both deer and turkey season.
 
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BattleRife said:
A conservation officer would have to be a real jerk to charge anyone for having a combo gun turkey hunting. And if no rifle ammo was present there isn't a hope in hades of a conviction.
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I was told that if you were using a combination gun during the shotgun only deer hunt, even if you didn't have rifle ammo on you, you would be charged. I assume the same would apply for turkey.
 
rwn390 said:
Sorry I should be more specific, I use Rottweil Exact 1 1/32oz slugs, a Gaulandi slug like what Challenger uses for deer, and Federal 1 1/4oz copper plated #6 for turkey. I have a Sweet 16 with both a slug barrel and a Japanese Invector barrel. With a Trulock choke I can reliably shoot out to 40yds for turkey. I was hoping to use these two loads in the combo gun for turkey and deer until my master plan was dashed by a legality issue. It never occurred to me that there would be an issue using a combo gun for turkey, the regs are pretty specific about what you can shoot during deer season. Lots of coyote where I live and it’s common to see them during both deer and turkey season.
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Combination guns .... having two barrels ... are normally built a bit lighter. I just compared the barrels on my BRNO Combo 12ga/30-06 to my bolt action ... and wow ... I was surprised how "thin" that 30-06 barrel is compared to my bolt action.

Combination guns are hunting guns .... and they are build for that purpose .... to be carried all day ... and to be shot maybe a couple of times on such a day. They are not build to shoot 10'000 rounds at the trap range ...

Your loads should be working fine ... as long as you do not shoot thousands and thousands of those.

And with respect to the legalities .... if you bought a license to harvest a coyote and a license to harvest a turkey ... then what would be illegal about enjoying a day out there with a combo gun? And harvesting one or the other .... or even both .... ?

p.s.: And if turkey and coyote seasons don't overlap .... well then you would need some other valid reason to shoot coyotes .... like protecting your property ..... but then you need to be hunting on your property .... ;)
 
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And one more thing ..... with respect to hunting deer with slugs out of a combo gun .... the barrels of a combo gun are as a general rule regulated to shoot shot out of the shotgun barrel .... meaning a slug out of the shotgun barrel will not shoot to the same point of impact as a bullet from the rifled barrel. And the difference might be a foot or several feet ....

In my case ... and for my BRNO Combo 12ga/30-06 ... the difference is about a foot and a half at 50 meters ....
 
Thanks guys! I hope to shoot this gun this weekend to see where it prints. My Sauer drilling shoots about a foot high with the 7x65R barrel, and as you have suggested a 12ga Brenneke Classic slug prints just about right. Unfortunately the drilling isn’t scoped, the combo gun wears a cool claw mounted Hensoldt 2-4 scope. Coyote are always in season where I live and only a small game license is necessary to hunt them. Thanks again for your comments.
 
0faustus0 said:
And one more thing ..... with respect to hunting deer with slugs out of a combo gun .... the barrels of a combo gun are as a general rule regulated to shoot shot out of the shotgun barrel .... meaning a slug out of the shotgun barrel will not shoot to the same point of impact as a bullet from the rifled barrel. And the difference might be a foot or several feet ....

In my case ... and for my BRNO Combo 12ga/30-06 ... the difference is about a foot and a half at 50 meters ....
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I have a BRNO Combo but mine is in 7x57R/12ga. Where mine has and does come into play, is on those late season sometimes wet & windy days, here on the wet coast. Usually walking old skid roads in the lower river bottom areas where you're just as likely to flush a Ruff Grouse as jump a Blacktail. I'll have to try and see what the difference is in the point of impact with 12ga slugs vs 7x57R ammo. Never tried it. Oh, have a set of additional skeet barrels for it, which I've never had 'reason' to use.
 
9.3mauser said:
I was told that if you were using a combination gun during the shotgun only deer hunt, even if you didn't have rifle ammo on you, you would be charged. I assume the same would apply for turkey.
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Were you told this by the same guy who tells students it is illegal to use hollowpoints in handguns?

Anyway, I fully concede there may be peace officers out there who would charge you, but I would be shocked if a judge didn't throw it out if there was no ammunition present.
 
https://oodmag.com/carrying-multiple-firearms/

The relevant part is at the bottom of the page:

Q: I’ve purchased a combination gun: a 12 gauge over a .308. Can I use this for hunting, let’s say, geese, even if the .308 isn’t allowed and not carrying .308 ammo? Or, when hunting deer in a shotgun-only area, again, not carrying any ammo for the .308, would those situations be legal?
-Dan St Denis, Moose Creek
A: The combination gun could be used for hunting geese, provided that only the shotgun portion is used, with appropriate ammunition. However, it would not be legal to carry or use for hunting deer during a deer season that does not allow the use of rifles, regardless of whether the person had .308 ammunition or not.
–David Critchlow (Provincial Enforcement Specialist, MNRF)
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OP, to answer your original question, "My question is can drilling and combination guns handle heavier loads better than say an O/U upland gun. While most modern upland guns have 3” chambers, I was always led to believe that they weren’t actually designed for a steady diet of heavy loads. Especially the older guns."

Even the oldest combination guns were chambered for rifle cartridges that far exceed the operating pressure of shotshell loads. As long as you are using the correct length shells for the shot chamber, it would take an extremely high diet of rounds to damage the gun.

Ted
 
For turkey, coyotes and deer, you are not going to shoot enough heavy loads to shake that little Heym apart. Especially if you are shooting good European ammunition like the Rottweil Exact slugs. I would caution you to be careful with some of the reload data available for the Guilandi slug. I have tried some published 16 ga. loads that were apparently too heavy for some other 16 ga. guns that I tried them in. Send me a PM if you'd like my 16 ga. slug data.
 
Thanks guys. I will call the Ministry tomorrow. I appreciate all of your feed back, the gun works great and hopefully I can use it in some way as I initially intended. Thanks Guy for doing such a great job of sight in, both my 222 loads and the Rotweil slugs land within 3” of each other at 50yds which is almost exactly my point of aim. The Federal 1 1/4oz #6 patterned well, I feel that I can reliably take a turkey out to 35yds. Such a great idea these guns!
 
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