I almost joined the double rifle fraternity today. There was one in a local shop for $799. Unfortunately someone else bought as I was on my way to the store...
OH well. I will continue to search and look hopefully I will find one again soon at a good price.
I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Zach and I live I Middle TN. I have been interested in double rifles for a long time. I haven't had a chance to buy one before. I went to the Colorado School of trades to learn gun smithing. Not currently in the firearms trade but hoping to get back into it soon

Zack,

Welcome to the forum and to the Double Rifle Shooter Society (you don't have to own one yet, to be a member, you just have to want one). I live in Chattanooga, and if you're ever in my area, let me know and you can come by and shoot some DR's with me.

Mike

Just dont buy a Baikal 45-70.It is full of shit.

zgunbear:
Welcome.
First, feel free to check out my website for double rifles <calpappas.com>
Second, don't pay attention to shootaway. You will learn about him the longer you follow AR. Example, I posted a pic of a Watson Brothers .500 nitro I just bought and he said it was garbage.
You will learn a great deal from the gents here so ask any questions you may have. We tend to disagree a bit but most here is sound wisdom.
Again, welcome.
Cal

Welcome; Baikals are great entry double rifles and can be more accurate than any. I have a 30-06 and it shoots into one inch at 50 yards all day. They have plain wood, very strong, but stiff actions and dull bluing, but they cost one tenth of the nearest alternative, and are more accurate to boot, so keep looking for one. They are actually easy to find.

Like the other guys said. Don't be afraid of a Baikal. They are fun to shoot and some shoot surprisingly well. (Both of mine actually have very nice wood.) If they don't shoot the way you want them to you can use your skills and tinker with them. There are always several of them on Gunbroker for good prices. You can get your local dealer to help you order one. You won't regret it.

I shot one of those Baikal in 45-70. It was as accurate as any bolt gun. In fact, it was the reason I started shopping for a 45-70 double. I contemplated trying to fix up the looks of a Baikal, but decided against it (would have been cost prohibitive).

I owned 4 different Baikals, 3 in 30-06 and one in 45-70.
All were very accurate once I regulated them. They were also crudely built with piss poor fitting stocks and the triggers were simply terrible.
My local smith fixed the triggers for $100 and I took care of the high comb on the stocks by adding an ultradot.
My least favorite was the 45-70 as the barrels were so thin they were to hot to handle after two shots.
I called them my "disposable doubles". But after a few years of playing with them simply grew tired of how ugly and poorly built they were and sold them off. Don't mean to sound like a snob, but I do have a little pride with what I carry in the woods.

Once again, the nearest double to the Baikal is TEN times the price; that will account for the detractions, which do not detract from their performance at all. I got a Chapuis 8mm for exactly ten times the price of the Baikal, which I got the same month. The Baikal shoots into one inch; the Chapuis shoots into three inches and is going back to France. Triggers on mine are not too heavy, and it is set up for scope rings; something that cost me $500 extra on the Chapuis. Yes, they are ugly to some. For entry level doubles, they are great rifles. If you can afford $6+K, you can start with something else.

those readings just told me to keep my over under baikal 30-06 and try it ...

still NIB ...

It is as simple as this.If you buy a 45-70 Baikal you stand a good chance of going to the range with two or three different loads and all will shoot a foot or two apart at only 50yds.You try the regulation screw and it makes things worst.You now are faced with the task of regulating the thing yourself Good luck!

My experience shows otherwise. So it is not quite that simple. They are designed to regulate yourself; if you move the adjustment screw, it will respond correctly. A few other shooters have not been able to make them work for reasons upon which I can't comment.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
My experience shows otherwise. So it is not quite that simple. They are designed to regulate yourself; if you move the adjustment screw, it will respond correctly. A few other shooters have not been able to make them work for reasons upon which I can't comment.

It it were a matter of moving the adjustment screw I would not be posting this.If there was anybody who had the same experience I had and was not afraid to speak there mind I would not have bought one(and I believe there were).

I do realize a few Baikal owners have trouble with the barrels shooting to a different elevation point.

But if a shooter can't turn the regulation screw that changes the horizontal spread they need their fucking head examined and have no business owning a Baikal.

I guess some did not complain because they thought they know how to solder or use metal shims and everyone got the shaft except them.

quote:

Originally posted by cal pappas:
zgunbear:
Welcome.
First, feel free to check out my website for double rifles <calpappas.com>
Second, don't pay attention to shootaway. You will learn about him the longer you follow AR. Example, I posted a pic of a Watson Brothers .500 nitro I just bought and he said it was garbage.
You will learn a great deal from the gents here so ask any questions you may have. We tend to disagree a bit but most here is sound wisdom.
Again, welcome.
Cal

Cal, Santa is going to bring you a garbage truck for Christmas(I heard it from one of the elfs).

Zack,

Save up and buyyou Merkel or VC and don't look back. Used Mekels are probably the best deal out

there, and the one listed on GI is probably the best one I have seen

Thanks for all the replies.
I like to tinker on work on guns.
SO the Baikal might be pretty good for me.
I have read through all the posts on them.
I like the fact the regulation is adjustable.
Refinishing the wood and doing a trigger job shouldn't be beyond my capabilities.
With my wife facing a hip replacement soon a Baikal is more affordable to me than a more finished gun. I see the Baikal as a chance to buy a gun that will need work to make it perfect for me. it is like a guy who buys a stock jeep. Over time he builds it up and gets it to do exactly what he wants it to do.
When I buy a Baikal it will be used for deer hunting and hopefully wild pigs in Texas. The sights will be changed the wood and metal refinished and the triggers worked over. So it will be a fixer upper for me and I enjoy doing that. I just finished building a Mauser in .45 acp for my dad using a Rhineland kit. So if this is rambling I am tired and not focusing well

Wood on my Baikals. The checkering could be cleaned up a little but overall it's not bad for $700 each.

Those look pretty good. Did you refinish them?

ZGUN, welcome to the board and good luck with your search. I picked up mine (30-06) for $600 out the door and it was spot on from the very first shot! Yes the action is stiff and the triggers could be better BUT, it is a great rifle to get you in the game. Chances are you will be pleasantly surprised with the regulation and you can just tinker with little stuff as you see fit.

That's the way they look right out of the box. I thought about re-finishing them to bring out even more of the grain and seal the pores but haven't yet.

If I hunt with a Baikal it would just be here in the USA for pigs or deer. Would there be any advantage to getting the 30-06 over the 45-70?
I was thinking more about the 45-70 just because it is a thumper of a round however
30-06 might be better at a little longer range. Most of the places I would hunt are fairly heavily wooded and a long shot might be 150 yards

Buy it. I got the 45/70 about 4-5 years ago. Had the triggers re-worked, worked the action so it would open completely, and got it regulated with the jack screw. Had to shim one barrel to get vertical alignment. All in all, it was a fun project and I now have a fun shooter. I have about $900 into it. I can fall on it, scratch it, use it in the bad weather and not feel bad at all. You can search for the old threads where we described the work. Good luck, have fun!

Jerry,

when are you going to take me Cougar hunting?

Rich

Only in Idaho: Jerry has this nice Baikal, his wife Syd has a Chapuis double in 9,3x74R.

The 45-70 will be great in this particular rifle since it is usually an open sight,close range proposition. I only chose 30-06 since I already have several rifles in this caliber, LOTS of ammo on the shelf and 30-06 can still be picked up for $17.99 at walmart in a pinch.

Well real life has intervened. My wife is going to have to get a hip replaced at 44 years old. So buying rifles will have to wait for another time. Luckily she has okay insurance but I have to watch spending right now. On the bright side it gives me an excuse to finish up a synthetic stocked 6.5x55 that I have had in storage for almost 20 years

I broke my 45.70 Baikal the third time that I took it out to shoot it. After about 60 rounds I heard something rattling around under the rib. I took the rib off (it has little screws that hold it on) and a T shaped piece of metal about 3/8" long fell out. I assume it's part of the regulating adjustment but I haven't investigated it completely yet.

Does anyone know where to get these repaired?


BTW my left barrel will put a variety of loads into an inch or less at 50 yards and the right barrel will do the same, except that the right barrel hits 8" lower than the left. I have to shim the right barrel up in the collar I guess.

Frank, don't worry about it. Mine did it also with about the same number of shots. It is been several years ago I can't remember exactly where the part came from but believe it was part of the structure anchoring the rib between the barrels. It isn't a big deal at all. It has nothing to do with the regulating screw. Shim your barrel with the proper size feeler gauge. Shoot your rifle with several different thicknesses to find the proper one to bring the barrels into horizontal alignment. You Will be pleasantly surprised what a good shooter you end up with.

Thanks Judge.

Baikals have great barrels, are plain, hard working guns. I considered buying one, but it's illegal to hunt in France with any military calibre past or present. Bought a used Laurona o/u in 9.3X74R, for £450.00. The barrels can be regulated for windage and elevation with an allen key. Handload using Nosler Partitions and RL 15...

I have never seen a Baikal with enough room in the front band for shims, although some have them. And you do not want that much room in the band anyway. I recommend removing teh two locating pins and soldering the barrels to the band; easy to regulate vertically doing that. It is just like soldering copper water pipe, which I just assume any man and some women, can do.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
I have never seen a Baikal with enough room in the front band for shims, although some have them. And you do not want that much room in the band anyway. I recommend removing teh two locating pins and soldering the barrels to the band; easy to regulate vertically doing that. It is just like soldering copper water pipe, which I just assume any man and some women, can do.

The collar on my right hand barrel is close to an 1/8" larger than the barrel diameter.

Since my right barrel shoots 4" lower than the fixed, left barrel at 50 yards, I'm thinking about drilling a hole on the bottom of the collar and threading it for a set screw to regulate it.

I don't own one of the rifles, but do have one of their 20ga.sxs. My smith put some nice sights on it, and it shoots within 3" at 50 yards using 20ga factory slugs. total investment was under $500 including the sights. Go get one of these too as you can use it as a bird gun.

Wow, 1/8th inch free play in the barrel band is a bad thing. My 30-06 is has zero clearance. Yes, a set screw would work in your case. I can't believe they let the barrel float that much on yours; that won't work. As for shotguns shooting well, I once bought a Savage 12 ga (actually I bought it in Korea at an auction from the Post gun club). I sold it to a friend who cut the barrels off to 20 inch and put sights on it. The damn thing would pile slugs on top of one another at 50 yards; I could not believe it but I saw it and shot it. So, do not spend Ten plus thousand dollars on a double rifle; just saw off a shotgun. Better results.

dpcd,
that is what I found out too even though I own some DRs, but like to shot them all. Using a shotgun cut back to say 24" with sights is just fine, and can of course be used for meat. I am currently playing with a nice 10ga sxs, and custom hollow based slugs...the recoil is quite engaging.

quote:

Originally posted by MotelAlpha:
I don't own one of the rifles, but do have one of their 20ga.sxs. My smith put some nice sights on it, and it shoots within 3" at 50 yards using 20ga factory slugs. total investment was under $500 including the sights. Go get one of these too as you can use it as a bird gun.

Interesting. What barrel length is it is it fixed or screw in chokes? What model shotgun is it? Are the Baikal sxs' s regulated well enough to do this? Might be a way to get a ball and shot gun. Would it be be tater to use a 20 or 12 for a project lie this?

I think it is a matter of luck to get a shotgun to shoot that well but many of them will. Worse case; you have a cape gun. Gauge would not matter.

I just joined the Baikal .30-06 DR Klan, New gun and I got it for $705.00. My dealer price is higher that that, Hoping to shoot this week end if we have no more snow and ice. Trigger seems nice and crisp. The buttstock and I wiil have a meeting, the damned comb is to high to get on the sights.

Great deal for 705. I can get one for 775. A local shop will have to order it for me. I don't have an FFL right now.