Small Bore Double Rifles

[Bushpig4Ever]

Yep, I’m a southpaw and I kept the trophy. The most interesting so far.

 

[8 x 60]

Thanks Bushpig4ever. Having that well presented head on the wall must be great and having that brass "cigar" below only adds to the picture. Very nice.

Ade

 

[Bushpig4Ever]

Thank you 8 x 60. The trophy I left in Germany but the “cigar” I took home to South Africa. Jim Corbett seems to be pleased about my hunting success.

 

[8 x 60]

A worthy epitaph to your trophy

 

[Opposite Pole]

I have recently become very interested in the concept of owning a small bore double rifle. Does anyone here own a double rifle in a small bore cartridge? Pictures would be highly appreciated of course.

I know Krieghoff makes them in several 7mm, .30 and 8mm calibers as well as 9.3x74R and 20G in light alloy frame or you can go with steel frame up to 500N.E. and have a set of smaller barrels on a heavier frame. I've got a 9.3x74R and 470N.E. and it works well. With the lighter frame I would 100% get a set of shottie barrels for it. Still undecided if I should order them for my gun as I think it would be a bit heavy for a shotgun.

 

[Bos Javanicus]

I have a lovely little Raick Freres SxS double in .256 Mannlicher or 6.5x53 Rimmed. Cases can be formed out of .303 brass. I bought it last October and due to licensing issues I’ve only viewed it once, and being made back in the 1930s it’s one sweet little rifle.

 

[Saul]

I saw online an old Holland & Holland in .303 British with 28" barrels for sale for...35K. Now assuming that you could ignore the price, how could you justify this gun? What could you hunt with it?

And has anyone had any experience with the new Fausti double rifles in .45-70? I could at least justify something like that for 5K because I could hunt boar with it at least.

 

[HWL]

I saw online an old Holland & Holland in .303 British with 28" barrels for sale for...35K. Now assuming that you could ignore the price, how could you justify this gun? What could you hunt with it?

Nothing wrong with the .303 British.... you can hunt everthing, the cartridge can handle.

In my gun rack houses a double in .30-06..... reh, deer, sheep, pigs an all the stuff this size are the prey.

For sure, you will find something in Africa you can take with.


HWL

 

[Saul]

Nothing wrong with the .303 British.... you can hunt everthing, the cartridge can handle.

In my gun rack houses a double in .30-06..... reh, deer, sheep, pigs an all the stuff this size are the prey.

For sure, you will find something in Africa you can take with.


HWL

I love the .303 and I do not doubt its performance. It is just hard to justify a double rifle with 28" barrels that is too nice to mount a scope on.

 

[Moosemind]

Bailey Bradshaw Falling Block Double Rifles are superb and are very reasonable in 9.3x74R and smaller. 300 Win Mag is my plan.

 

[IdaRam]

Bailey Bradshaw Falling Block Double Rifles are superb and are very reasonable in 9.3x74R and smaller. 300 Win Mag is my plan.

A while back a thought hit me, I wondered if anyone has done a falling block double. I came across Bailey Bradshaw’s website after some digging around the web. They look really nice and certainly intriguing.
@Moosemind do you have some firsthand experience with his rifles? Have you shot one? Or had a chance to handle them? Would really enjoy hearing more about these rifles! How long has he been building these?

 

[ActionBob]

Sorry i have not read the whole thread. But here ya go... Winchester! I actually just saw (Cabelas Owatona MN) a Winchester made, labled experimental, M21 chambered in 470 NE. Yes a double rifle made by Winchester.

Well here is the one you are asking about

www.nratv.com/episodes/curators-corner-season-8-episode-12-2-3-scale-winchester-model-21-22-long-rifle

 

[tarbe]

Sorry i have not read the whole thread. But here ya go... Winchester! I actually just saw (Cabelas Owatona MN) a Winchester made, labled experimental, M21 chambered in 470 NE. Yes a double rifle made by Winchester.

Well here is the one you are asking about

www.nratv.com/episodes/curators-corner-season-8-episode-12-2-3-scale-winchester-model-21-22-long-rifle

Man - wouldn't you love to put a brick or two through that little beauty?

 

[IdaRam]

Man - wouldn't you love to put a brick or two through that little beauty?

 

[ActionBob]

Is the 9.3x74R really considered small?

well now charlie ....compared to my .470 double or my .500 jeffery possibly....

Ok as I am uninformed how does it compare to the 416?

416 to which cal here?

The 9.3x74 to the 416

Here you go Charlie.

Charlie I don't have a 416 Ruger but isn't that just a necked up 375 Ruger? And Mike, no 500 Jeffrey but a a 505 Gibbs.

Left to right, 375 Ruger, 416 Rigby, 9.3x74R, 470NE, 505 Gibbs.

The 9.3x74R is a soft, the rest are all solids and are all legal and I suppose appropriate for elephant. Personally I would not feel under gunned with the 416, 470, or 505. And although I know a PH who carries a plastic stocked Howa in 375 Ruger for DG hunts including elephant, and I have no reason to believe he can't shoot it very well (If talk is deadly, everything near him would drop) I would not pick him as my first choice as a PH nor backup.

 

[tarbe]

Case capacities (gr water):

9.3x74R - 82
375 Ruger - 100
416 Rigby - 130
470 NE - 146
505 Gibbs - 178

 

[cal pappas]

As I get older (mid-60s now) I am losing the thrill of shooting doubles that kick me into the next zip code. The .350 no2 Rigby shown here is fast becoming my favorite and I am toying with the idea of selling my 8-4 bores, .450, . 500, .600 doubles and replacing them with a .303, 280 flanged, or .300 flanged. The rifle here will shoot six shots into one inch at 50 yards. My best shooter yet!
Cal

 

[Red Leg]

I love the .303 and I do not doubt its performance. It is just hard to justify a double rifle with 28" barrels that is too nice to mount a scope on.

Germans and Austrians have been scoping O/U and SxS doubles since scopes were developed - and very nice ones. I have a Scoped Verney Carron O/U in 9.3x74R with which I would not hesitate to take a 200 yard shot. Would love to have something similar in .303. My Blaser S2 has scoped 30-06 barrels that has taken plains game to 175 yards in Mozambique. It shoots MOA for each barrel and a combined 2" four-shot LxR/LxR at 100 meters. For most of us, as we get north of forty, our eyes start to betray us with open sights. It is comforting that there are a whole tribe of non-English doubles that were designed with scopes in mind.

Pre-War German 9.3x74R

• Red Leg
• Jun 4, 2017
• 3

This is my most elegant. It is a pre-war 9.3x74R with original claw bases. JJ Perodeau built new rings and Lance Hendershot and I worked up the load. The right barrel shoots MOA and the left just slightly over. Composite 4-shot group at 100 meters is 2.5-3 inches. I sight in on the right barrel and left is minute of deer or pig to 200. What's not to like.

 

[Velo Dog]

Cal,

I feel your geezer pain.
Rarely do I shoot my hard kickers any more and when I do, it’s only with the bottom loads in the reloading manuals.
I know your thing is vintage English doubles.
Who wouldn’t prefer these over something newer ?

That said, I have thought for many years that, if some of the continental makers would produce a SxS in .303 British caliber, with pre-war look and dimensions, at a working man price, they’d sell very well, at least for a few years (until the market perhaps became saturated).
By then their profits would presumably have been handsome.
And if the market dried up, they could go back to making their 8x57R and etc again.

I can see no reason not to make a version with Prince of Wales grip / splinter forearm, 2 triggers, 26” barrels, oval cheek piece, and retail it for a price similar to the plain grade ones they already make in calibers like 8x57R, 9.3x74R, at working man prices.

Merkel very nearly has it now but, only in several calibers except .303 and their barrels are only 23” (and shorter on some versions).
It is however offered at affordable prices, just not in that classic caliber that I would prefer.

Anyway blah, blah, blah and boo hoo hoo for me I guess.
Cheers,
Paul.

 

[Odinsraven]

Would sell my soul for a 303 double - or indeed a 22 RF SBS double -

have to make do with the 318 WR and the BSW Shul O/U in 7x65 r and 9.3x74r