Preferred caliber choice for a double rifle?

My SXS Merkel is chambered in the 9.3x74R, it has a very sharp snappy recoil however, managable. Of course shooting my bull moose with it this past autumn, I can't remember recoil or it's loud bark. I will be purchasing one of these two items for my double, 8x57R or a 28 gauge barrels, maybe both. For now, I'm on the hunt for either another kipplauf or a 28 gauge sxs.
 
Northern Shooter said:
From what I've been seeing only a handful of retailers seem to carry double rifles (Ellwood Epps, Prophet River, Wolverine Supplies and Calgary Shooting Centre).

Any others?
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So your actually saying Prophet river and Shooting Centre. Since the other two are traitors who are helping the lieberals with their confiscation.

Another might be Intersurplus, for both firearms and ammo.
 
brybenn said:
9.3x74r and 450/400 3" nitro would be my choices.
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Mine too. I have a Beretta O/u Silver Sable in 9.3x74R, and a Merkel 140Ae in .450-400 3". The Merkel is not too much gun for Canadian game. I have taken both elk and moose with mine. It is also at home in the African bush, and was very effective when I used it to shoot a Namibian Cape buffalo.
The Beretta is nice to carry, recoils less, but the 9.3x74R is not a real dangerous game caliber. Worked fine for a couple of bears so far. I could possibly take it to Mozambique for a buffalo, but the Merkel is a better choice for such heavy game.
One advantage of some newly manufactured small frame double rifles chambered for lighter cartridges like the 8x57JRS and 9.3x74R is the ability to regulate barrels yourself and therefore choose various brands / weights of ammo and bullets as you like. The big bores aren't so flexible. Krieghoff, Merkel, and some others offer this feature. If you choose a big bore rifle with soldered barrels, make sure the exact ammunition it was regulated with is available to order, or you will be forced to handload for it. Most new 450-400 3" rifles are now regulated with Hornady DGXbonded and DGS ammunition. It is good ammo and can be ordered by any dealer that carries Hornady in other calibers.
If I was to do it over I'd now likely choose a Krieghoff SxS in .450-400 3". Wonderful rifle, love the style and the engineering, and the decocker is a superior system for safety and reliability.
 
Question on doubles. Do they have option of other barrels that could be used. Example of a lighter caliber and/or shotgun barrel set
 
I have had a number of 9.3x74r doubles. The over/under models just wouldn't calibrate properly for me, but my merkel 150.1 does fantastic. I used it to take a Zama bison the first year the draws came available. I honestly found it just marginal for something that big. If you're thinking Africa, and cape buffalo, go bigger.
I have had both Searcy and Merkel doubles in 470 N.E., again I kept the Merkel. The Searcy was a little flashier but on the odd occasion it would double, leaving a real lasting impression!
My greatest passion is using the old B.P.E. hammer guns. They would tend to be quite a challenge regulating the barrels, but lots of fun to shoot. My first double was a 577/500 no.2 that I used for moose, bears, and whitetails with home cast bullets. As intimidating as the caliber sounds, it recoils about like a .338wm.
Then I found a real lovely 450 3-1/4" . Such a classic caliber! So far I have taken whitetails and a couple of black bears with it, using regular jacketed bullets. Recoil with the load I am using it close to 30-06.
If I was starting over in the world of doubles, I probably wouldn't change much, just keep in mind what you want to hunt. The 9.3x74 should be more than adequate for anything in north america (although again, I consider it marginal for buffalo). The ammo is readily available if you look a bit. I reload, so it's not an issue.
For Africa, my 470 is more than adequate, but I am very curious to try the 450/400 if the opportunity ever came my way.
 
For sure sum do, I've got a Fair SXS with 9.3x74, 20ga and 7x57R barrels, came with the shotgun and 9.3x74, used for $4500, I ordered a set 0f 7x57R barrels for 3g, and 10 month wait, made from the drawings, no fitting required,
for a price, I am sure you can get second set, but if you want a second set, likley best to get both on intial order, sum rifles, may have to go back to factory for fitting,
 
conor_90 said:
6 lbs, adjustable poi. Limited chambering availability from Chapuis USA and pricey, but man do I like that buttstock...

I better start buying lotto tickets, I can just imagine hunting in thick woods with this badboy

https://www.all4shooters.com/fr/cha...mes-x-double-rifle-express-details-and-video/

https://chapuis-usa.com/premium-guns/rifles/x4-side-by-side-double-rifle

X4_classic.jpeg
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Good looking rifle. The recoil though from a 9.3 with a 6lb rifle sounds a little painful, even one of these im 30-06 would be lively.
 
In this neck of the wood, something in 303br / 7.62x54R / 8x57R would be my first choice... easy to find ammo, reasonable $ and also easy to reload.
- There's also the 45-70 / 45-90 / 50-90 and such, that can be loaded quite hot in a modern gun.

For Africa? I guess that's a different ball game
 
The Heym doubles are nice, I have an 88b sidelock in .375H&H. Of the calibres you are considering the 450/400 seems the best to me. A general purpose double that is easier to shoot and more versatile than the larger bores, while still being an excellent dangerous game cartridge. There is a downside though, Hornady is the only major supplier of 450/400 ammunition and it is in very short supply, to the point that Heym was not getting enough ammo to regulate rifles and stopped taking new orders for 450/400’s earlier this year. I’m not sure if this has changed. In general wait times for a new Heym are several years, so you may want to consider a used rifle if you want it within 2 years or so.

The .470 is less of an issue as there are so many out there that ammo is more available. Since .470 brass is made from .500 basic brass this means that supplies of .500 brass are also likely to remain available long term, even if loaded .500 ammo is scarce.

If you do order a Heym from Ralph I would suggest talking with Chris Sells at Heym USA before deciding what to order he’s very helpful and very knowledgeable. But look at the used market too, I picked up an 88b sidelock (which is no longer made) for less than a quarter of the price of a new 88b boxlock.
 
Mainly because I decided I didn't need to go to Africa, I bought a Kreighoff Classic in 30R Blaser. At that time, 2012, ammo was harder to find, there are a few places keeping it now, reload info was hard to come by, lot better now, there are listings from Deva Institute posted on a few places from the 2005 manual, stuff from the 2017 manual is on XXL reloading. I got mine regulated for 180gr, turned out to be 185gr RWS. Also had the Big 5 stock put on, which was an upgrade, and a Recknagel swingoff scope mount. Kreighoff also regulated it at 90m with the scope.
I'm happy with it, turned out to be a lot of learning about how to shoot it, how to load for for it. I have about 350 pcs of brass and bullets for it, I'd ordered 40 rds and 200 brass at the time I ordered the gun, along with dies from RCBS custom shop.
I already had a 450-400NE in a Ruger, liked it, but, didn't hold my interest after getting the K-gun. Main reasons I bought the K-gun was the dealer, John @ Wolverine was good to deal with, and I liked the 90m regulation along with the cartridge, and the safety setup. I will say their set trigger is light, as in I've never had another one that light, it takes some getting used to.
 
contaucreek said:
I think EPPS has a .375 HH double right now. Look under Dangerous Game catagory.
Edit: https://ellwoodepps.com/hunting/firearms/merkel-140-ae-side-by-side-safari-rifle.html?___SID=S
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I’ll through my 2 cents in:
- this particular double rifle - Merkel 375H&H from EPPS sold last April for $6,700+tax at auction.
- it looks great, but I believe it has some mechanical issues. When I checked it myself the Greener cross bolt didn’t completely latched back when it was closed it and needed to push the opening lever manually to the locked position.
- a couple month ago it was sold and it was returned back on the shelf after several weeks. Maybe it was the fit to the buyer or maybe it was something else.
- unless you can check it in person, inquire about the return policy and the penalty for it.

Next, from all the cartridges that one could get a double rifle in, the 375H&H would be the most unfortunate one.

Before someone would get upset with my comment I’ll briefly explain my opinion:
- the double rifles eject best with rimmed cartridges, as they lack the camming power of a bolt action rifle. They work with rimless cartridges as well, but why would you sacrifice one of the most defining and safer features of a double rifle?
- the double rifles work best for one and ONLY one load. The one it was regulated for. One weight of bullet, one velocity and quite often one bullet manufacturer as well. To what end would you sacrifice the versatility of 375 H&H and constrain it to the use in a double rifle? 375 H&H is one of the most versatile cartridge because YOU CAN vary the weight, velocity and type of the bullet you can use.
- if 375H&H is the one you want than go for 375 H&H Flanged and never look back.

If Africa is on your mind than 450/400 NE is hard to beat for versatility. Before 375 H&H was invented, 450/400 NE was the most versatile cartridge in Africa. And 100+ years later, if we are talking strictly double rifles, 450/400 NE still is.

Good luck with your decision.
 
There’s a lot of guessing going on in the post above, and a handful of others. I carried a .375 H&H double, a Merkel 140AE, for work and pleasure in rather ‘hard service’ a good deal. It spent time chasing dangerous game in the red sand, and chasing grizzlies in the wet sand guiding on the north coast.

Having owned and extensively used a few double rifles, from British white collar to German blue collar, my strong advice is equip yourself with a German double in .375 H&H. You’ll actually use it. Almost every double in the world sits in the safe after going on one trip, and goes out shooting once every couple years. A .375 H&H is a broadly useful rifle, and you can find ammo easily.

It has the reach of a .30-06, far more stopping power than the .45-70 and even the slow Nitro Expresses in the real world, and the recoil is tolerable. Also, there is utterly zero issue with the extraction of the belted H&H in German doubles, that puzzle was solved nearly a hundred years ago reliably. I actually preferred it, as the extractors hold the cartridges in the chambers and you can keep a pair in an open action, and not risk losing them.

My nickel’s worth (inflation adjusted), is if you want to actually use it, buy it in a broadly useful and readily available chambering.
 
Ardent said:
There’s a lot of guessing going on in the post above, and a handful of others. I carried a .375 H&H double, a Merkel 140AE, for work and pleasure in rather ‘hard service’ a good deal. It spent time chasing dangerous game in the red sand, and chasing grizzlies in the wet sand guiding on the north coast.

Having owned and extensively used a few double rifles, from British white collar to German blue collar, my strong advice is equip yourself with a German double in .375 H&H. You’ll actually use it. Almost every double in the world sits in the safe after going on one trip, and goes out shooting once every couple years. A .375 H&H is a broadly useful rifle, and you can find ammo easily.

It has the reach of a .30-06, far more stopping power than the .45-70 and even the slow Nitro Expresses in the real world, and the recoil is tolerable. Also, there is utterly zero issue with the extraction of the belted H&H in German doubles, that puzzle was solved nearly a hundred years ago reliably. I actually preferred it, as the extractors hold the cartridges in the chambers and you can keep a pair in an open action, and not risk losing them.

My nickel’s worth (inflation adjusted), is if you want to actually use it, buy it in a broadly useful and readily available chambering.
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You're definitely not wrong. Even though it's heresy, if you scoped it you would have a ridiculously functional rifle for most every kind of hunting.
 
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