Working mans double

Does the 30-06 extract well?

I just bought an o/u 24 inch barrel turkish shotgun for threatening bears on my porch, probably the closest I will get to a double rifle for a while.

I've never had an issue with extraction with it but I don't run any hot loads through it either, there's not much to grab it with there and I imagine if one wanted to flatten primers you could get it to fail.
 
Like everything in life its a matter of perspective and I present the other side of the coin.

My 45/70 double shoots as well if not better and I have yet to see one of Tradex's 20-30K double rifle test targets shoot anywhere near as well as either of my Russkie thugs.
I get it, they're not heirloom quality, engraved or pretty but they are effective tools and one might argue the rest is vanity.

I respect the point and would like to be able to embrace it, as it would save me a great deal of money. Your assessment would mean there is no point in marrying a beautiful woman, as the roughest will bear a family and function in the technical and biblical senses the same as a lithesome example.

I’ve owned a Baikal alongside an H&H Royal, with a Merkel in between them. I spoke fondly of the Baikal and still do, but what it’s missing is the pointing, handling, and refinement... the art and beauty, that make a double such a pleasure to use. A best made double is functional art, and that’s an extraordinary thing.

Smirnoff gets you drunk but I do enjoy myself more sipping a really nice single malt. Maybe that’s vanity, but I think it’s just slowing down to enjoy nuances and effort and time invested in a craft you appreciate. I also appreciate being married to a beautiful woman and wouldn’t trade for a rougher Russian even if it was cheaper. ;)

Finally, what made me sell my Baikal was a broken one on the EE, and the grittiness of my example. I didn’t trust it, or the limited chamberings available for backing grizzly hunters. The Merkel was the perfect compromise in the end, for me. And again for me personally, the cost increase over the Baikal was justifiable for what I received from Merkel in return.
 
I respect the point and would like to be able to embrace it, as it would save me a great deal of money. Your assessment would mean there is no point in marrying a beautiful woman, as the roughest will bear a family and function in the technical and biblical senses the same as a lithesome example.

I’ve owned a Baikal alongside an H&H Royal, with a Merkel in between them. I spoke fondly of the Baikal and still do, but what it’s missing is the pointing, handling, and refinement... the art and beauty, that make a double such a pleasure to use. A best made double is functional art, and that’s an extraordinary thing.

Smirnoff gets you drunk but I do enjoy myself more sipping a really nice single malt. Maybe that’s vanity, but I think it’s just slowing down to enjoy nuances and effort and time invested in a craft you appreciate. I also appreciate being married to a beautiful woman and wouldn’t trade for a rougher Russian even if it was cheaper. ;)

Finally, what made me sell my Baikal was a broken one on the EE, and the grittiness of my example. I didn’t trust it, or the limited chamberings available for backing grizzly hunters. The Merkel was the perfect compromise in the end, for me. And again for me personally, the cost increase over the Baikal was justifiable for what I received from Merkel in return.

One of the best responses I've read in some time on here.

You're reading more than I intended into it as it was in jest but for a little fun In a "biblical" context I would put forward that any time spent not working towards the attainment of heaven would be time wasted whether with a lithesome beauty or Ivan the tractor driver's wife Olga, vanity or not.

Functional art I certainly can appreciate and wont argue the point that some are truly beautiful works of art. That I enjoy sipping on a fine malt whiskey or have enough wrapped up in other toys to have purchased a couple of far much nicer doubles than the two I own I don't deny and with 6 loop spey rods among another dozen others downstairs with equally expensive reels I am absolutely guilty of being a hipocrite from the vanity angle. Echo's cast well too.

The actual point I was chucking sh_t at and it wasn't directed at lovers of fine rifles or anyone else is that with 20 minutes of my time and 12 rounds of 30-06 ammunition yesterday morning I was able to re regulate a double rifle most likely fashioned from melted down T-72's rather effortlessly from a 220 grain load @ 2300 fps to a 150 grain load @ 2700 fps with both barrels printing within an inch of each other @ 50 meters and into a canada ammo freebie target red zone at a hundred meters 4 rounds, 2 from each barrel into 3 inches with a 3 moa dot and my 40 dollar amazon.ca 1x25 red dot. They shoot well, sometimes really well.

Suggesting that for the average canadian working joe who is never going to see the dark continent and most likely going to grab his scoped bolt gun for serious hunting, the cheaper and somewhat more flexible ( saved a bit of time not de soldering barrels or filing wedges ...) and easy to re regulate Baikal could fit the bill. Potting blackies on the side of the road or out of your tree stand .
 
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some pics of the K-gun, have to see if I can find the pic of the peep as they sent me some when installing the front sight

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209jones, could you possibly point me in the correct direction to find that Recknagel rear aperture sight? Can't even find it in their catalog online, let alone find one for sale anywhere.

My Merkel always had Recknagel bases on it, I assume from the factory...but I owned it for over 15 years with just a cheapo Weaver base screwed onto it before getting a good deal on proper Recknagel QD rings (thanks, Angus!) and fitting them to it. Nuked a coyote with the new set-up a few days ago; hope to use it on game next fall. Now that I have honest-to-goodness return-to-zero rings on that gun, I need an excuse to use them...and since I can't use open sights worth a crap anymore, a peep sounds very interesting.

Part of the setup on mine, is it has interchangeable adjustable front sight posts, I have two different ones for it, thinking about making a couple more to test out various diameter truglos on it, but, I kinda like the Leupold Deltapoint I have on it at present. Only issue with it, is it isn't a QD mount like the peep
 
One of the best responses I've read in some time on here.

You're reading more than I intended into it as it was in jest but for a little fun In a "biblical" context I would put forward that any time spent not working towards the attainment of heaven would be time wasted whether with a lithesome beauty or Ivan the tractor driver's wife Olga, vanity or not.

Functional art I certainly can appreciate and wont argue the point that some are truly beautiful works of art. That I enjoy sipping on a fine malt whiskey or have enough wrapped up in other toys to have purchased a couple of far much nicer doubles than the two I own I don't deny and with 6 loop spey rods among another dozen others downstairs with equally expensive reels I am absolutely guilty of being a hipocrite from the vanity angle. Echo's cast well too.

The actual point I was chucking sh_t at and it wasn't directed at lovers of fine rifles or anyone else is that with 20 minutes of my time and 12 rounds of 30-06 ammunition yesterday morning I was able to re regulate a double rifle most likely fashioned from melted down T-72's rather effortlessly from a 220 grain load @ 2300 fps to a 150 grain load @ 2700 fps with both barrels printing within an inch of each other @ 50 meters and into a canada ammo freebie target red zone at a hundred meters 4 rounds, 2 from each barrel into 3 inches with a 3 moa dot and my 40 dollar amazon.ca 1x25 red dot. They shoot well, sometimes really well.

Suggesting that for the average canadian working joe who is never going to see the dark continent and most likely going to grab his scoped bolt gun for serious hunting, the cheaper and somewhat more flexible ( saved a bit of time not de soldering barrels or filing wedges ...) and easy to re regulate Baikal could fit the bill. Potting blackies on the side of the road or out of your tree stand .

This is the best part of this forum, friendly and informed back and forth. Appreciate the reply and its pragmatic take on doubles for Canada, makes sense. I really like the Baikal, and if mine had of been a .30-06, I definitely would have kept it; I’m very much not a .45-70 fan. In fact if I see one, I’ll be buying it.

So, we can definitely agree there’s a fine place for Olgas and Victorias in this world pragmatically and biblically. And for Smirnoffs and Craigellachies, hope we get to share one on the Skeena one evening.

Angus
:cheers:
 
This is the best part of this forum, friendly and informed back and forth. Appreciate the reply and its pragmatic take on doubles for Canada, makes sense. I really like the Baikal, and if mine had of been a .30-06, I definitely would have kept it; I’m very much not a .45-70 fan. In fact if I see one, I’ll be buying it.

So, we can definitely agree there’s a fine place for Olgas and Victorias in this world pragmatically and biblically. And for Smirnoffs and Craigellachies, hope we get to share one on the Skeena one evening.

Angus
:cheers:

I'd love to, if you're in the neighborhood over the summer give me a holler, there's room in the boat, no shortage of spey gear and the Macallan in the flask.

Cheers!
 
Craigellachies 13 or 23? Id take the 23 myself lol

For what it is i love my baikal in 4570. I hunt blacl bears with it and carry it when baiting. I hunt in thick forested areas. Would i like a higher grade gun. Of course. But id still keep my baikal.
 
IMG_00011507.jpg by far the least fancy in the thread but its taken several bears and grouse
 

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Some one warm up that pot of crow, time for me swallow a bit.

So I just test fired the Baikal 45/70 on some primed cases in the basement,compared pin strikes and success!!

let's just say sometimes you do indeed get what you pay for. Went to the range the other day and lo and behold the right barrel wouldn't fire, turned out to be a broken pin and I figured I'd just order one (wrong answer) Baikal Canada wouldn't respond to my emails, western gun parts said no luck. I was in a bit of a pickle so found some medium carbon steel in the form of a grade 8 bolt, spun up the old 13x40 lathe and built one. Tricky little bastard but managed it on the first piece, a little torch application to a dull red, into the oil and we're back in business.

Best part of the entire exercise though is I spent a bit of time with the dremel tool and some craytex wheels smoothing things out while I had it apart.
 
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Some one warm up that pot of crow, time for me swallow a bit.

So I just test fired the Baikal 45/70 on some primed cases in the basement,compared pin strikes and success!!

let's just say sometimes you do indeed get what you pay for. Went to the range the other day and lo and behold the right barrel wouldn't fire, turned out to be a broken pin and I figured I'd just order one (wrong answer) Baikal Canada wouldn't respond to my emails, western gun parts said no luck. I was in a bit of a pickle so found some medium carbon steel in the form of a grade 8 bolt, spun up the old 13x40 lathe and built one. Tricky little bastard but managed it on the first piece, a little torch application to a dull red, into the oil and we're back in business.

Best part of the entire exercise though is I spent a bit of time with the dremel tool and some craytex wheels smoothing things out while I had it apart.

I for one really, really appreciate this post. The vast majority wouldn’t be this transparent and post an honest report like that, and just be quiet about it if it undermined a previous position. So nobody learns about it.

The stock of your opinion has hit an all time high here, and the Baikals still present a great value nonetheless. So a big thank you, and you’re not the first guy with the issue the broken one I saw on the EE was the exact same issue. Also admirable you have the skill to repair it promptly, all around another Scotch for you.

:cheers:
 
Bwanadave. Plz dont forget how to make a new pin lol. Just in case mine decides to crap the bed on me.
Im sure we could come to an agreement for labour costs. Say gold...macallan gold lol

Anyway im glad its back to booming. Im hoping time and circumstances will allow me to chase a bear this spring with one of my doubles be it my 4570 or my 10ga
 
100% spot on!

The thing is...you have to want to do it, sorta like quitting smoking. You can say you're going to quit smoking, or get into a serious exercise regimen, or consolidate your 30 redundant interchangeable bolt guns...but saying it will never make it happen until your brain crosses the magic threshold into wanting it.

When it clicks...man, what a relief! You start to kick yourself for not doing it earlier...especially after you divest yourself of a handful of guns, use the proceeds to fund a great hunt somewhere, and realize that you don't miss those guns at all and instead have a memory that will last you a lifetime. More memories always trump more metal.

Memories are good, but at the price point a double comes in at, it'd be foregoing a couple of vacations in Mexico, or it could represent a sizeable chunk of a dream African hunt. As you say, I could get rid of a few, but it represents a bunch of guns that would leave a sizeable hole in my collection.

If I'm being honest, it is about what I have tied up in my truck, and I'd probably be almost scared to take it someplace.
 
You’d be surprised, none of us even the busiest with guns need more than four or five in all honesty. Whether the surplus is enough to go on a dream hunt, or a dream hunt with your new double (as one of the four guns now if chosen properly in chambering) is interchangeable. The idea is own less volume and what you do have concentrate on quality, and live more. It’s not the only way but it’s been very satisfying for me personally, and rather liberating in an odd way.
 
^ Absolutely true! No critter yet has managed to slip through the "holes" in my collection. In fact, they're not holes; they're doors leading to a more satisfying experience of gun ownership and use. Once you get a couple of those "perfect" rifles, you feel a little silly using any of the lesser iron in their place...and then the beaters can be sold off without a second thought, or at least without a third one.
 
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