The Double Rifle: Share your experience.

I have had two 470's , a Manton Boxlock extractor and a Midland boxlock ejector.
Both were heavey rifles that shot well. I find the newer ones, ie: Merkel and Kreigoff are built on too light a frame and while nice to carry can be brutal to shoot. The Searcy's seem heavey but the Chapuis and the Verny Caron all seem light for handling recoild well. I'd stick with and english mad double.Jack
 
I have a Baikal double rifle [new], and a new Marlin model 1895 [new].
Both are 45-70's.
I really like the Baikal, it is a hoot to shoot.
I have stried stiff loads with no problems.
I download the shells so that the kick is not as bad.
It is a really nice[light fun gun].
When it barks all the animals listen.
 
dande jack said:
I have had two 470's , a Manton Boxlock extractor and a Midland boxlock ejector.
Both were heavey rifles that shot well. I find the newer ones, ie: Merkel and Kreigoff are built on too light a frame and while nice to carry can be brutal to shoot. The Searcy's seem heavey but the Chapuis and the Verny Caron all seem light for handling recoild well. I'd stick with and english mad double.Jack
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You are right on the mark with the Chapuis, Verny Caron and Kreigoff doubles in 470, they are too light but my Merkel weighs in at 10 1/2 pounds which according to John Taylor is right on the mark for a .470 NE. I have never handled a Heym in 470 but my buddies 450/400 is about 9 1/2 lbs and real pleasant to shoot. I wouldn't want my 470 any heavier and at 10 1/2 lbs it handles very well and is very controllable and fast second shots are not a problem. Check out Angus' video, my Merkel was far and away the fastest accurate second shot.
 
c-fbmi said:
You are right on the mark with the Chapuis, Verny Caron and Kreigoff doubles in 470, they are too light but my Merkel weighs in at 10 1/2 pounds which according to John Taylor is right on the mark for a .470 NE. I have never handled a Heym in 470 but my buddies 450/400 is about 9 1/2 lbs and real pleasant to shoot. I wouldn't want my 470 any heavier and at 10 1/2 lbs it handles very well and is very controllable and fast second shots are not a problem. Check out Angus' video, my Merkel was far and away the fastest accurate second shot.
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Agreed, Merkel scales them dead on to the chamberings. My H&H .375 Flanged and Merkel .375 H&H weigh the same.
 
You may still be able to get a Chapuis UGEX at around the 5 mark, if there is any old stock left. Too bad the dollar tanked, as there have been some really good deals on Merkel's in the US in the last year. FAIR has one out, on the Iside 20ga frame, in a small calibers, it may be around the 5 range, it is really light though. There are some non-Cabelas Sabatti's around as well, haven't heard anything about ones sold thru other vendors than Cabelas. Could be they got all the bad ones.
At the time I was searching, Merkel, VC and Krieghoff were all within pennies of each other, Chapuis UGEX and RGEX were cheaper in the smallbores. There are still Blasers and some Merkel's around for just under 10. But a bigbore SXS in anything other than used, or a Merkel or Blaser, won't be under 13 mark now. You want to add any options, add some loot, for some options, add a lot of loot.
For range plinking, an O/U would be adequate, unless you are hung on a SXS, and there are lots around at under the 5 mark.
I forked out for a Krieghoff 3 yrs ago, it has made me happy, it is a different gun to shoot than anything else I have owned, and to load for. Been a learning curve, but, I knew that going in. Points like a shotgun, hits what it is supposed to hit, carries well, it will do what I wanted it to do. It is fun to shoot.
 
I have an 11.6 lbs 10 ga sxs. Carry it by the muzzles over my shoulder. Easy to keep muzzles pointed away from others and it balances the weight well over the body. It's the ammo that is a ##### to carry lol
 
brybenn said:
I have an 11.6 lbs 10 ga sxs. Carry it by the muzzles over my shoulder. Easy to keep muzzles pointed away from others and it balances the weight well over the body. It's the ammo that is a ##### to carry lol
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And this is the only way I can carry mine all day long as well.

Occasionally locking it up for the most likely productive hunting spots.

Cheers
 
^I think he might mean carrying it locked and angled down with the grip resting on his shoulder. Then you can sort of drop it on your shoulder and shoot rather quickly.

This is what I did when hunting the most dangerous game of all, ruffed grouse, with my sxs shotgun in extremely vertical areas. But I think it may be called a "safari carry"
 
I've heard that some folks recommend the 30-06 baikal over the 45-70.

I've never shot a round like 45-70, should i be worried about starting in that caliber? There is a baikal for sale on the EE right now.

Thanks for your guys' help,

-Tony
 
No. Factory 45/70 loads are very tame. Recoil isn't much more than a light weight 410. The 45/70 can be loaded very hot though.
I load 405 gr hard cast at 1600 fps and it's still tame with minimal muzzle rise. Both calibers are very versatile however sxs guns are generally a short range gun. Plus a sxs should be rimmed cartridges. I love my 45/70 sxs.
 
They are regulated for fixed vertical dispersion. Horizontal dispersion is regulated by a jack screw. It's in cm not inches. Make sure the jack screw is centered not twisted. Make sure there's no shims in the barrel. Other than that just your basic used gun checks. The sights are crude but i've scoped mine. Mine has taken a beating and seen harsh weather. It still shoots perfect. It's not a Holland and Holland it is a working grunt. They swing surprisingly well and handle very nicely. I have mine regulated for 25 yards but it's still within 2.5" at 100 yards
 
BRNO had at one time a very nice .375 H&H side x side in the 'vertical format' .. had lovely detachable sidelocks. Handled one at Pragotrade here in Toronto years ago and it was very impressive (as nice mechanically as anything I had seen in London!) .. and reasonably priced. I stupidly passed on it - and it was one of the last in Canada and they (Pragotrade) were closing down their firearms business ... I did take a few ZKK's they wanted to sell off -- one was a hand selected 308W with extraordinary wood, oh well!

(as near as I can tell - the only really well made firearms to come out of the UK are the Accuracy International 'AW' and anything made by RPA)
 
I've had a couple Baikals, both in .30-06 and .45-70 chamberings...that model is one of the great values in shooting today. It's the SKS of double rifles. If I were to get another, it would be in .45-70; lightweight (I think under 8 lbs), and easy to get it shooting very, very well.

You mentioned that the Merkels have adjustable barrel regulation. I believe (don't quote me) that feature is available only on the small-frame gun, not the big boomers. I have a Merkel .30-06 double with that feature. With a little bit of easy adjustment, both barrels of that gun can produce groups that rival those out of a bolt gun. I really wish I liked .30-06 more than I do!
 
I have the Baikal in 45-70 SxS OP. It's a nothing fancy, low maintenance, incredibly reliable go to double when you need it. Fantastic stopping power, take down, auto ejector.

What's not to like. And adjusting sights becomes second nature once you get an initial handle on it.

As for big bore I was eyeing the pre owned Butch Searcy .500NE at Prophet River, then the Clay surprised me with being able to order a Sabatti chambered for 470NE in for me at a smoking deal. After doing some reading on them, decided to take the plunge. Just in time for June's SA hunt for Cape Buffalo. Although my Pop talked me into the O/U instead of the SxS, the SxS are available for order no problem and very well priced.

Might post up a range review on the Sabatti once it comes in, but for the price and my first big bore, what's not to like.
 
AntekPL said:
I have the Baikal in 45-70 SxS OP. It's a nothing fancy, low maintenance, incredibly reliable go to double when you need it. Fantastic stopping power, take down, auto ejector.

What's not to like. And adjusting sights becomes second nature once you get an initial handle on it.

As for big bore I was eyeing the pre owned Butch Searcy .500NE at Prophet River, then the Clay surprised me with being able to order a Sabatti chambered for 470NE in for me at a smoking deal. After doing some reading on them, decided to take the plunge. Just in time for June's SA hunt for Cape Buffalo. Although my Pop talked me into the O/U instead of the SxS, the SxS are available for order no problem and very well priced.

Might post up a range review on the Sabatti once it comes in, but for the price and my first big bore, what's not to like.
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And we have a 500 NE SXS sabatti coming with it that will run 7.5k or so. Should be 2-3 weeks, hopefully!
 
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