I wish double rifles would make a comeback

[Hookeye]

Some Browning Continentals for sale on the web

 

[Mgderf]

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.

Not exactly "World Class" fit and finish, but doesn't Savage still make the model 42?
I don't like the looks nearly as much as the model 24's, but they are no longer produced.

I'm pretty sure they made them in .22lr/.44mag or .44mag/.223...
If nothing else, maybe they would make a custom double for you in .454 Casull, or .500S&W.

Just a thought.

 

[Hohn]

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’d adopt 45-70 readily if that’s all it took to have that. What a stunning rifle.

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

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.

 

[russc2542]

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.

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

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.

Oh, yeah, I get it. At this range though, there's not much time for second thoughts.

 

[two70]

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.

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.

 

[Hohn]

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.

That seems more than plausible. (intentional provoking). I guess you're not famous until you're YT famous.

 

[Hookeye]

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).

 

[two70]

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).

Oddly enough, most of the actual culling work was done bolt action rifles...as much because .458 win mag rifles and ammo were cheaper to supply than for any other reason most likely.

That may have been the original idea behind double rifles or at least one of them but most people that ran afoul of dangerous game did so after an initial shot was fired. There are some notable exceptions of people who were bitten, stomped or gored without provocation but "wrong place, wrong time" was certainly far less common than "poor shot placement/bullet performance".

 

[Hohn]

That seems right to me ^. Funny how shooting an animal tends to make it think you are a threat.

 

[NKBJ]

35 years ago my dad shot a 9.3x72 / 16 Ga. side by side. The rifling geometry, the buffalo horn furniture, it was all awesome.
Wished he'd a'sold it to me but I was gone on business and it was gone before I knew it was going.

 

[two70]

Not really strictly germane to double rifles but I wish the various 9.3 caliber cartridges were more popular in the US, especially the 9.3x62. They are not flashy and certainly not high velocity but they seem to punch above their weight class without being too punishing on the shoulder.

Circling back to double rifles, if it weren't for the .375 minimum caliber to hunt buffalo in many countries, the 9.3x74r would make a nice versatile medium bore chambering for a double rifle. Given that .375 minimum, I think a 450/400 would have to be my first choice of caliber if I were ever in position to buy a double rifle.