Double Barrel Rifle

[carter33]

Interested to hear who has a double barrel rifle and wether or not they feel the expense was worth it?

I am years, as in probably 10+, from ever going to Africa but plan to make it one day. Part of that dream is hard to detach from having a large bore double barrel rifle. I would love to hunt some plains game and as the big goal take a Buffalo. I recognize a double barrel rifle is completely unnecessary but I view it almost as an art piece or heirloom. There are many options but would probably lean towards a Krieghoff.

 

[BIGEYES]

carter,
I an not a DR owner but I've come close to "pulling the trigger" on one several times. I think that the Kreighoff is a sound rifle. After handling a few in my search, I decided that it would take me a very long time to become acclimated to the decocker/cocker "safety system " on that rifle. I'm certain one could adapt but having begun with a conventional double shotgun: there is a world of difference in sliding a traditional safety vs the Kreighoff's. None the less the Kreighoff is a nice rifle, especially if budget is a limiting factor. Best of luck in your hunt for a DR and for your Buff.

 

[Fatcamp]

I do not own a double rifle or even a big bore of any kind, but I fully support your need for one.

You work hard. You deserve nice things.

 

[carter33]

they

carter,
I an not a DR owner but I've come close to "pulling the trigger" on one several times. I think that the Kreighoff is a sound rifle. After handling a few in my search, I decided that it would take me a very long time to become acclimated to the decocker/cocker "safety system " on that rifle. I'm certain one could adapt but having begun with a conventional double shotgun: there is a world of difference in sliding a traditional safety vs the Kreighoff's. None the less the Kreighoff is a nice rifle, especially if budget is a limiting factor. Best of luck in your hunt for a DR and for your Buff.

Thanks for the input, I am in the same boat as I have never even shot a double barrel rifle and I am sure there would be a learning curve. Like many I am hooked on the idea of old Africa though which makes the idea of the DR so appealing. Budget is a concern, I think I can make it happen but don’t anticipate I’ll ever be in a position where buying something like a Holland and Holland would be responsible.

As far as the hunt goes I would like to be in an area where I would be hunting from a tent as opposed to a lodge or cabin. Of course this is all day dreaming at this point.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Only one I’ve ever seen or tried was a Russian baikal dluble rifle in 45/70. It was fun but pretty rough around the edges. I think it was fairly affordable. Those double rifles can get very expensive, I remember reading an article about one from EAA (maybe) and the article was talking about how good it was for the price…..about 25k if I remember.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Thanks for the input, I am in the same boat as I have never even shot a double barrel rifle and I am sure there would be a learning curve. Like many I am hooked on the idea of old Africa though which makes the idea of the DR so appealing. Budget is a concern, I think I can make it happen but don’t anticipate I’ll ever be in a position where buying something like a Holland and Holland would be responsible.

As far as the hunt goes I would like to be in an area where I would be hunting from a tent as opposed to a lodge or cabin. Of course this is all day dreaming at this point.

Pretty sure there’s a dress code just to get into the H&H show room.

 

[LoggerDan]

Only one I’ve ever seen or tried was a Russian baikal dluble rifle in 45/70. It was fun but pretty rough around the edges. I think it was fairly affordable. Those double rifles can get very expensive, I remember reading an article about one from EAA (maybe) and the article was talking about how good it was for the price…..about 25k if I remember.

I remember when Big Green was importing these, but I guess only briefly. If I recall correctly, it was 30’06 and 45/70 Gov. I tried like hell to find one in the 45. I don’t think I’d buy any double gun chambered in a rimless cartridge, no matter the manufacturer. Extractors or ejectors, either is fine by me.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I remember when Big Green was importing these, but I guess only briefly. If I recall correctly, it was 30’06 and 45/70 Gov. I tried like hell to find one in the 45. I don’t think I’d buy any double gun chambered in a rimless cartridge, no matter the manufacturer. Extractors or ejectors, either is fine by me.

It was fun to blast stuff with it, I’m not sure I’d really have much practical use for it but that’s not always the point right?

Double rifles are very cool but if I was going to actually buy one, I’d want a real safari cartridge.

 

[Afhunter1]

Buy a nice used double then sell it when you’re done, prob wouldn’t lose much at all on it. I always wanted a inexpensive double rifle for bear hunting around here and bought one of those sabatti 30-06 but got rid of it as soon as I shot it and saw how cheap it was. Then I got a Chapuis 9.3x74r and I am rally happy with it for a cheap double rifle. If I ever go to Africa I will have one of these with me in 375h&h

B. Searcy & Co. -- Double Rifles

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Buy a nice used double then sell it when you’re done, prob wouldn’t lose much at all on it. I always wanted a inexpensive double rifle for bear hunting around here and bought one of those sabatti 30-06 but got rid of it as soon as I shot it and saw how cheap it was. Then I got a Chapuis 9.3x74r and I am rally happy with it for a cheap double rifle. If I ever go to Africa I will have one of these with me in 375h&h

B. Searcy & Co. -- Double Rifles

Those are cool, did you notice their 4 bore rifle starts at $85,000?

 

[Fatcamp]

Pretty sure there’s a dress code just to get into the H&H show room.

I was looking at prices for double rifles and found several articles which stated, "If you need to know how much an H&H costs you won't be able to buy one." Or something to that effect.

LOL

 

[Fatcamp]

Buy a nice used double then sell it when you’re done, prob wouldn’t lose much at all on it. I always wanted a inexpensive double rifle for bear hunting around here and bought one of those sabatti 30-06 but got rid of it as soon as I shot it and saw how cheap it was. Then I got a Chapuis 9.3x74r and I am rally happy with it for a cheap double rifle. If I ever go to Africa I will have one of these with me in 375h&h

B. Searcy & Co. -- Double Rifles

A Field Grade .500NE for 10.5k!!!!

Someone should buy that!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I was looking at prices for double rifles and found several articles which stated, "If you need to know how much an H&H costs you won't be able to buy one." Or something to that effect.

LOL

For sure. I’ve heard they send cars for you to take you to the facility and stuff like that. I guess when you’re going to spend enough $$$ to buy a house they take care of you. If I was stupid rich and going on an African hunt, I’d fly to England to get outfitted at H&H. As it is though, I’ll just keep shooting my Remington and Winchester 375 H&H rifles.

 

[Fatcamp]

For sure. I’ve heard they send cars for you to take you to the facility and stuff like that. I guess when you’re going to spend enough $$$ to buy a house they take care of you. If I was stupid rich and going on an African hunt, I’d fly to England to get outfitted at H&H. As it is though, I’ll just keep shooting my Remington and Winchester 375 H&H rifles.

Solid plan.

I'm pretty set on a Ruger in .375 Ruger. Affordable and think it will scratch the itch.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Solid plan.

I'm pretty set on a Ruger in .375 Ruger. Affordable and think it will scratch the itch.

It will scratch the itch for sure. I wouldn’t mind having a Ruger alaskan 375 Ruger.

 

[LoggerDan]

Solid plan.

I'm pretty set on a Ruger in .375 Ruger. Affordable and think it will scratch the itch.

Do it! You won’t regret it. It’s a fantastic chambering. I have a pair of old style Africans and one is brand new condition I keep trying to trade for an Alaskan or any other variant or a 416 Ruger. The round is very capable. The recoil is very tolerable.

 

[Rogena]

Interested to hear who has a double barrel rifle and wether or not they feel the expense was worth it?

I am years, as in probably 10+, from ever going to Africa but plan to make it one day. Part of that dream is hard to detach from having a large bore double barrel rifle. I would love to hunt some plains game and as the big goal take a Buffalo. I recognize a double barrel rifle is completely unnecessary but I view it almost as an art piece or heirloom. There are many options but would probably lean towards a Krieghoff.

I think some of the doubles are stunning but being a girl the big African game calibers like the nitro expressed of yore make me shiver.... Ouch !

 

[bbell]

Was in London this summer with my family. Wanted to take my grandpa to H&H showroom but it was by appointment only. Didn’t have the guts to book a spot as a couple tourists.

 

[Wapiti1]

Not many owners. I have a Valmet 412S with .375 H&H Flanged Mag barrel set, 30-06 barrel set and 12ga barrel set. It's the cheapest route to a quality double rifle. The .375 barrel set is custom, they never offered that set, but did offer 9.3X74 which is good for buffalo. A used Valmet 9.3 goes for about $1500-$2000. Barrel sets are not necessarily interchangable between frames, so don't assume that.

Well priced options, relatively speaking, do exist. Chapuis, Merkel, Sabatti (check the muzzles), Renato Gamba, Siace, Zoli and Rizzini are a few that I can think of that can be found sub-$10k. O/U are cheaper than SXS.

Is it worth the cost? You can only answer that. That said, you don't lose much buying and selling used doubles, which is what a lot do. Buy it, shoot their buff, and sell it after.

If you look at older ones, have them checked out by someone that understands double rifles.

Jeremy

 

[Touchdown88]

I've been intrigued with double rifles ever since I saw 'Ghost and the Darkness' when I was in high school. I followed that up by watching a lot of the Mark Sullivan videos and now I'm hooked on double rifles. My wife bought me a Sabatti 45-70 double for my birthday several years back and I've used it on several hunts, taking a few mule deer and a Mouflon sheep. I also have quite a bit of experience shooting a Chapuis 470 NE.

Right now it seems like the modern heyday for doubles is waning due to brass availability, similar to the lull that hovered over the double rifle market for decades until Hornady started making brass in NE calibers around 2010. It seems like Hornady slowed production of the NE brass a few years before COVID and since then I have had a hard time finding brass in 470 NE.

I know the op wants to use a double for buffalo in Africa but in all reality, for the cost of a serviceable big bore, you can almost pay for the entire buffalo hunt. If you would like an all around double that you might be able to use on buffalo, a 9.3x74r would be the way to go. That caliber is legal in some countries for buffalo, has similar ballistics to a 375 Flanged Magnum, and brass is readily available. The 9.3x74r would make a great moose rifle with enough power to deter an angry grizzly.