I know that I personally still see a lot of value in a double rifle. Especially one chambered in something in a classic rimmed magnum revolver round. A double rifle in 460SW or such would be something like the ultimate "woods gun" in my view.
Why?
- Big game hunters in Africa and the world over have proven that 2 shots is generally sufficient for hunting
- Mechanical simplicity means low cost and high reliability.
- Easy to make mechanically tough and durable
- Safety-- absolute and positive verification of chamber condition. Travel through the woods with the action open if you want (shotgun birders do all the time), or wait to the last minute to load
- Extremely low profile-- no mag sticking out. Smooth or bob the hammers for snag-free design
- Super compact, because the breech is much closer to the shooter than on any repeating design
No, I'm not suggesting we all need a 4-bore custom English gun that weighs 50#, or a $10,000 bespoke rifle in 700 Nitro Express. But a modernized version designed for field use in a powerful straightwall chambering. Something with world-class fit and finish that sells for a reasonable price because of the cost savings of simplicity and not having 100 hours worth of engraving on it.
If you like .45-70 and hammers
https://www.davide-pedersoli.com/sc.../rifles-kodiak-mark-iv-kodiak-mark-iv-24.html
Cherry's shows $6300 for the standard.
$1500 for the .50 cal SxS muzzleloader model.
I doubt that I'll ever be in a position to buy one, but I do think double rifles are wonderful. I used to watch a bunch of YouTube videos of Mark Sullivan, a PH in Africa who hunts with a double rifle in .600 Nitro Express. Some of the shots on hippos and buffalo are at incredibly close range.
Usually done close enough you can't miss something critical because you don't want to **** it off without killing it. And because they're basically wearing armor for skin and you can't afford to lose any velocity.
I doubt that I'll ever be in a position to buy one, but I do think double rifles are wonderful. I used to watch a bunch of YouTube videos of Mark Sullivan, a PH in Africa who hunts with a double rifle in .600 Nitro Express. Some of the shots on hippos and buffalo are at incredibly close range.
That seems more than plausible. (intentional provoking). I guess you're not famous until you're YT famous.Mark Sullivan's videos are definitely exciting but there are persistent rumors of him deliberately provoking charges. Considering that he likely has more charges on film than the top 10 most experienced dangerous game PHs have experienced combined, there is probably some truth to those rumors. Regardless, you definitely have to respect his skill with a double and willingness to put his life on the line.
Eh, if ya gotta do a cull might as well have fun with it
BTW, I thought the idea of a double rifle wasn't that of two shots..........but a kinda sorta guarantee of at least one shot (two independent firing mechanisms).