That custom on the Ruger Red Label action is fantastic! You would never guess the modest parentage, love it. My hunting partner has been using his Antonio Zoli 9.3x74R superposed double as his only hunting rifle for over 20 years, mainly on moose. Perfectly regulated, deadly accurate and a perfect caliber for our BC big game. Along the way he had a set of 20 gauge barrels fitted to it and never looked back. Nope, not traditional side by side but very attractive and a great North American hunting rifle.
Working mans double
- Thread starter brybenn
- Start date
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
There’s a little round action .30-30 / 28g on guns international that causes me to lose sleep. Better I don’t go looking for it again, like a few others here my interest presently is in a small lightweight double, ideally weather resistant. I have a .375 double and won’t be hunting anything beyond that, but will certainly be hunting under it.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
I bought mine with no intention of going to anywhere outside of AB/BC to hunt, and after looking at what sort of ranges I generally shoot stuff at, determined it was quite viable for me. At the time, base gun was 8-9000.00, Merkel , Chapuis, VC, Krieghoff, Sabatti. Wound up ordering a Krieghoff Classic, 30R Blaser, the decocking system appealed to me, just the reverse of the Blaser, and I already had a Merkel K1, so I understood it.. Wanted the Big 5 stock on it, that req'd a wood upgrade, wanted a swingoff scope mount and regulation for 180gr at 100 yds with a scope on it, irons at 50. Also asked about 3 leaf sight, won't work with the swingoff mount, got a std v-notch and a large white bead, also have a Recknagel peep an got two sets of rings, 1" and 30mm. Acquired a 1-6x24 Z6 for it. Asked about engraving upgrade and sideplates, 4000.00, that was a nope. As was wound up at 11,7 plus tax. At the time the Big 5 was available at around the 13 mark, then they added ejector availability a couple of years later, which got them to the 16 mark for a base gun with ejectors, can still order one without. At that time I could still get a Chapuis (RGEX?) in 30-30 for under 6, think they are around the 8 mark now. I saw a FAIR 2 bbl combo set in 30R/20 ga in Calgary in 2015 for 7500, very light gun, sure Southernman can attest to that. May still get a Blaser for about 10, not sure, may be over that mark now.
30R is essentially a 7.62x68R, about like a 300H&H rimmed, 30-06AI, so it will do what needs doing around here. Been playing with front sights, am experimenting with a reflex sight at the moment. I can buy brass and ammo locally, Reload data was tricky to come by, but, found it, tried RL19 so far, working on RL22 at present, partitions, RN Hornady and H-mantels. Been a lot of fun learning about shooting it, killed a couple of deer so far, worked better than expected with a factory load RWS 180DK bullet, pretty impressed with what that did when it hit. Small calibers are a bit trickier to get to regulate, but,it has adjustable regulation, so it requires a bit of fiddling around, but, I'm close to where I want to be at 100 with one load. Shot 200 with it, good to there for first shot, only tried once so far.
30R is essentially a 7.62x68R, about like a 300H&H rimmed, 30-06AI, so it will do what needs doing around here. Been playing with front sights, am experimenting with a reflex sight at the moment. I can buy brass and ammo locally, Reload data was tricky to come by, but, found it, tried RL19 so far, working on RL22 at present, partitions, RN Hornady and H-mantels. Been a lot of fun learning about shooting it, killed a couple of deer so far, worked better than expected with a factory load RWS 180DK bullet, pretty impressed with what that did when it hit. Small calibers are a bit trickier to get to regulate, but,it has adjustable regulation, so it requires a bit of fiddling around, but, I'm close to where I want to be at 100 with one load. Shot 200 with it, good to there for first shot, only tried once so far.
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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.
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.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Glad to hear the rings are serving well Johnn 
And 209jones love the sound of that Krieghoff spec sheet, if you can would love to see a pic of her. Always likely the ultra compact Krieghoff lines.
And 209jones love the sound of that Krieghoff spec sheet, if you can would love to see a pic of her. Always likely the ultra compact Krieghoff lines.
tactical lever
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Fox Creek, Alberta
Nice guns, not a lot of talk on what they cost. What would you expect to pay, for a plain, used box lock (for example) in maybe .416 Remington Mag, exposed hammers? Seems I kind of priced these out before, with discouraging results.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
.416 Rem and exposed hammer doubles are as common as the 6.5 Creedmoor Quigley Sharps. 
This fun said, consider 209jones breakdown above, a good double usually starts around $10k. That is creeping towards $15K lately new.
This fun said, consider 209jones breakdown above, a good double usually starts around $10k. That is creeping towards $15K lately new.
tactical lever
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Fox Creek, Alberta
.416 Rem and exposed hammer doubles are as common as the 6.5 Creedmoor Quigley Sharps.
Oof! Picked a .416 Rem off the top of my head for the good ballistics and more reasonable shooting cost. Maybe something in the 45 or 50 calibers might be a better choice? Maybe a little more natural to go to a bigger, slower bullet.
But at those prices, probably not going to happen. Might have to just satisfy my itch with a big bolt. Much more cost effective. I'd like to have a double, but I couldn't stomach getting rid of everything else to do it.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I had a rationalization with higher end guns. I used to own a couple dozen production guns that I maybe used two of regularly excluding the odd range days for fun. I consolidated down to as few as a half dozen several times to find African hunts or other adventures, and found I was just as happy and still had more than I actually needed. I kept with the program to some degree and have slowly just improved the quality of what I own, concentrating quality rather than quantity. One good side by side is worth more in enjoyment to me than ten production rifles or shotguns, easily. And it’s a lot easier to store and feed only a few chamberings for very nice guns.
I’d suggest trying it, my goal is to have a half dozen high end guns I use regularly, and that’s it. I exclude heirloom / inherited guns in the count, conveniently, but overall the way forward for me is more quality concentrated in less guns. I can still cycle neat cheap guns through but I know I won’t keep them forever when I play with them, just temporary amusement, which is all I really ever did with the cheap ones / under a couple $k anyhow.
Tons of us here own a dozen or more $900 guns, and could easily own a double rifle accompanied by one good shotgun and one good bolt gun for longer range in the same pool of value. For me personally that’s more satisfying, but we’re all different.
I’ve shown up for a few African hunts with iron sights only and received pained expressions from the PH when plains game is discussed, as shots can get long on some species. In each occasion I was asked to demonstrate I could hit at range down the airstrip or dirt road on a water bottle etc, and fortunately always pulled off the shot and was allowed to continue. Definitely some pressure when the PHs and tracker are standing there arms crossed watching. That’s great fun though when you’ve practiced it and you get the smirking nod after the shot.
Funny enough I found myself in the opposite position later in life outfitting, watching a guy with some rifle I don’t trust demonstrate proficiency on a water bottle before a hunt here in BC. You claim it’s a zero check to make sure nothing has moved in travel, which is a quarter true, and when the guy makes the shot I got the smirk too.
I’d suggest trying it, my goal is to have a half dozen high end guns I use regularly, and that’s it. I exclude heirloom / inherited guns in the count, conveniently, but overall the way forward for me is more quality concentrated in less guns. I can still cycle neat cheap guns through but I know I won’t keep them forever when I play with them, just temporary amusement, which is all I really ever did with the cheap ones / under a couple $k anyhow.
Tons of us here own a dozen or more $900 guns, and could easily own a double rifle accompanied by one good shotgun and one good bolt gun for longer range in the same pool of value. For me personally that’s more satisfying, but we’re all different.
I’ve shown up for a few African hunts with iron sights only and received pained expressions from the PH when plains game is discussed, as shots can get long on some species. In each occasion I was asked to demonstrate I could hit at range down the airstrip or dirt road on a water bottle etc, and fortunately always pulled off the shot and was allowed to continue. Definitely some pressure when the PHs and tracker are standing there arms crossed watching. That’s great fun though when you’ve practiced it and you get the smirking nod after the shot.Funny enough I found myself in the opposite position later in life outfitting, watching a guy with some rifle I don’t trust demonstrate proficiency on a water bottle before a hunt here in BC. You claim it’s a zero check to make sure nothing has moved in travel, which is a quarter true, and when the guy makes the shot I got the smirk too.
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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.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
So true! Memories you can take to the grave, #### you can’t.
And in the vein of a couple high quality guns versus safe fulls of production guns, my kids will appreciate one really good double more than seven off the shelf guns each.
And in the vein of a couple high quality guns versus safe fulls of production guns, my kids will appreciate one really good double more than seven off the shelf guns each.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10217881132393916&set=p.10217881132393916&type=3&theater
Like everything in life its a matter of perspective and I present the other side of the coin. Strong like Yuri's tractor, reliable like lada but not engraved or fancy and I dont spare it any pain. Just a working mans rifle, 700.00 at the time
I spent 20 minutes this morning and two adjustments to re regulate from my 220 grain game king @ 2300 to a charlotte deer potting (closely approximating .303 levels) load with a 40 dollar amazon red dot with 3moa dot.
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.
Like everything in life its a matter of perspective and I present the other side of the coin. Strong like Yuri's tractor, reliable like lada but not engraved or fancy and I dont spare it any pain. Just a working mans rifle, 700.00 at the time
I spent 20 minutes this morning and two adjustments to re regulate from my 220 grain game king @ 2300 to a charlotte deer potting (closely approximating .303 levels) load with a 40 dollar amazon red dot with 3moa dot.
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.
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Even at the insane prices that people are asking for these things nowadays...the Baikals still represent the most amazing value that has ever existed, and probably will ever exist, in the double gun world. But...yeah, tractors, for sure...
They don't actually shoot better than "real" doubles; but getting them to shoot is a lot more, shall we say, "viscerally straightforward" than their exotic kin. If you have a quality big-bore double, the price you paid for it includes the time spent by a skilled artisan doing the trial-and-error regulation of the barrels. If you have the adjustable types like the Merkel, a bit of your time spent with a couple of tiny set-screws will regulate the barrels.
If you have the Baikal, a few different sizes of hammers, shims and pry-bars are utilized to achieve the same goal. It works...but it ain't elegant...
They don't actually shoot better than "real" doubles; but getting them to shoot is a lot more, shall we say, "viscerally straightforward" than their exotic kin. If you have a quality big-bore double, the price you paid for it includes the time spent by a skilled artisan doing the trial-and-error regulation of the barrels. If you have the adjustable types like the Merkel, a bit of your time spent with a couple of tiny set-screws will regulate the barrels.
If you have the Baikal, a few different sizes of hammers, shims and pry-bars are utilized to achieve the same goal. It works...but it ain't elegant...
