quote:

Originally posted by jorge:
Inquiring minds always want to know about potential product maladies and even more importantly the manufacturer's reponse to rectify. I know there are a LOT of Searcy owners here and I don't recall seeing any issues previously and this leads me to believe it is an isolated case. Still, details would be nice. jorge

I know of a couple people wish issues. Some mechanical and some finish issues that were bad enough to make you think, "You really let that leave the shop to be sent to a paying customer?" That said everything I'm aware of was graciously, expediently, and amicably handled by Mr. Searcy. Personally I like things that are right the first time, but for the price point combined with customer service and warranty I can see why people own them.

Brett

Some of these have been mentioned before but I'll try add a few.

Danny McCullum - 450 # 2 Watson Bros / TZ

Gerard Miller - 500 NE (for cats) Krieghoff and English (not sure on make, stays in the safe now..) Weibe 460 Weatherby for the rest / TZ

Raoul Ramoni - 577 NE, 450 # 2

Luke Samaras - 2 x 470 both english (Army&Navy) 416 Rigby by Rigby Ldn 99% of the time /TZ

Paddy Curtis - 470NE Hambrusch /TZ
Wilhem Marx - 500NE x 2 - Anderson Wheeler & Italian /TZ,SA
Jokkie Du toit - 470 NE /Botswana, Mozi
Garth Robinson - 470 NE English (Botswana)
Robin Hurt - 470 & 500 NE William Evans /TZ Nam
Derek Hurt - 470 NE Manton /TZ
Roger Hurt - 500 NE William Evans /TZ
Johnny Chipman 470 NE (Francotte?) /TZ
Keith Charters 470 NE Krieghoff /TZ
Oliver Barton 470 NE Rigby /TZ
Grant Alders - 500 NE Krieghoff /Botswana, TZ
Peter Hepburn - 500 NE Westley Richards /Botswana
Alby Van der Westuisen - 500 NE Heym
Luke Blackbeard - 470 NE Chapuis perhaps an english rifle now.. /Bots, TZ, Zam
Chris Dandridge - 470 NE Chapuis / Bots
Nigel Thiesen - 470 NE Rigby & another english.. /TZ,Uganda, Zim
Brian van Blerk - 500NE Heym
Cliff Walker - 577NE Outscha's and Sons (Austria) NO 2 of pair / TZ, Zim
Leon Kachelhoffer - 577NE Outscha's and Sons (Austria) NO 1 of pair /TZ, Bots
Chris Trent - 475 no2 English (Watson?)
Tom Dames - 470 NE Italian

470 is overwhelmingly popular followed by 500NE and a sprinkling of other Calibers..
Most guys prefer/appreciate a double in a tight spot. Some abhor them and are absolute bolt action diehards, like Simon Evans!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Wowo:
Some of these have been mentioned before but I'll try add a few.

Danny McCullum - 450 # 2 Watson Bros / TZ

Gerard Miller - 500 NE (for cats) Krieghoff and English (not sure on make, stays in the safe now..) Weibe 460 Weatherby for the rest / TZ

Raoul Ramoni - 577 NE, 450 # 2

Luke Samaras - 2 x 470 both english (Army&Navy) 416 Rigby by Rigby Ldn 99% of the time /TZ

Paddy Curtis - 470NE Hambrusch /TZ
Wilhem Marx - 500NE x 2 - Anderson Wheeler & Italian /TZ,SA
Jokkie Du toit - 470 NE /Botswana, Mozi
Garth Robinson - 470 NE English (Botswana)
Robin Hurt - 470 & 500 NE William Evans /TZ Nam
Derek Hurt - 470 NE Manton /TZ
Roger Hurt - 500 NE William Evans /TZ
Johnny Chipman 470 NE (Francotte?) /TZ
Keith Charters 470 NE Krieghoff /TZ
Oliver Barton 470 NE Rigby /TZ
Grant Alders - 500 NE Krieghoff /Botswana, TZ
Peter Hepburn - 500 NE Westley Richards /Botswana
Alby Van der Westuisen - 500 NE Heym
Luke Blackbeard - 470 NE Chapuis perhaps an english rifle now.. /Bots, TZ, Zam
Chris Dandridge - 470 NE Chapuis / Bots
Nigel Thiesen - 470 NE Rigby & another english.. /TZ,Uganda, Zim
Brian van Blerk - 500NE Heym
Cliff Walker - 577NE Outscha's and Sons (Austria) NO 2 of pair / TZ, Zim
Leon Kachelhoffer - 577NE Outscha's and Sons (Austria) NO 1 of pair /TZ, Bots
Chris Trent - 475 no2 English (Watson?)
Tom Dames - 470 NE Italian

470 is overwhelmingly popular followed by 500NE and a sprinkling of other Calibers..
Most guys prefer/appreciate a double in a tight spot. Some abhor them and are absolute bolt action diehards, like Simon Evans!!!

Pity none own a Searcy! They can't be expert on everything!

My friend and PH in Mozambique uses a 500NE Heym PH model.

Larry Sellers
SCI(International)Life Member
R8 Blaser

Shootaway,

Of the original ones that came to Botswana not one worked from the start. I know of roughly 7. These were bought by many PHs working for Johan Calitz Safaris in Botswana.

All gave various problems from not ejecting to discharging when closed. All were "repaired" however I think that few of those are still in use. They left a lasting impression on the owners and would be buyers.
Clive Eaton of Tholo Safris almost lost his right thumb.
I have shot one and it was extremely accurate triggers were very light. Later the owner used on a elephant and it too went off when closed.

Luke Beard had one that he had repaired that continued to double - not pleasant or safe ..
Is what it is

I would like to know if it were reloads or factory ammo that was used.Discharging when closed may be caused by primers that are not seated deep enough.Again the cartridges used could also be responsible for the extraction and ejection problems.
Doubles IMO are more fragile than bolt rifles and that could spell bad news if they find there way in the hands of PH`s who are not experienced shooters.
So what is the history of the 7 doubles before coming to Botswana?

Mike Kibble of Namibia: Verney Carron in 500 NE.

I have two mates with Merkel's in 500NE, the Verney Carron of Mike's would shoot rings around them.

Shootaway,

The rifles came direct from the factory. No reloads that I know of, federal/wolf gang Romey/Knynamco.Only factory ammo available in Botswana. Butch had a gunsmith in Bloemfontein work on the rifles instead of sending them all the back to the US. All the PHs can't be that bad or careless at handling firearms, lives depend on those PHs and their firearms. Other makes don't seem to give the same problems.

Just remembered another a PH friend of mine from Tanzania was given a new 500NE, roughly 5 years ago. Valued at something like USD 17500.00 so not exactly an entry level rifle. It also failed and had to be sent back. Don't know if he got it sorted or not.

I cannot comment on other makers but I sure appreciate that the Heym factory is only a 2h drive and the staff is very helpful. Before I went hunting last year we changed the front sight on short notice, very much appreciated. Adding to the posts my PH Tim Ellement carries a Krieghoff 500 NE.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:

quote:

Originally posted by Wowo:
Some of these have been mentioned before but I'll try add a few.

Danny McCullum - 450 # 2 Watson Bros / TZ

Gerard Miller - 500 NE (for cats) Krieghoff and English (not sure on make, stays in the safe now..) Weibe 460 Weatherby for the rest / TZ

Raoul Ramoni - 577 NE, 450 # 2

Luke Samaras - 2 x 470 both english (Army&Navy) 416 Rigby by Rigby Ldn 99% of the time /TZ

Paddy Curtis - 470NE Hambrusch /TZ
Wilhem Marx - 500NE x 2 - Anderson Wheeler & Italian /TZ,SA
Jokkie Du toit - 470 NE /Botswana, Mozi
Garth Robinson - 470 NE English (Botswana)
Robin Hurt - 470 & 500 NE William Evans /TZ Nam
Derek Hurt - 470 NE Manton /TZ
Roger Hurt - 500 NE William Evans /TZ
Johnny Chipman 470 NE (Francotte?) /TZ
Keith Charters 470 NE Krieghoff /TZ
Oliver Barton 470 NE Rigby /TZ
Grant Alders - 500 NE Krieghoff /Botswana, TZ
Peter Hepburn - 500 NE Westley Richards /Botswana
Alby Van der Westuisen - 500 NE Heym
Luke Blackbeard - 470 NE Chapuis perhaps an english rifle now.. /Bots, TZ, Zam
Chris Dandridge - 470 NE Chapuis / Bots
Nigel Thiesen - 470 NE Rigby & another english.. /TZ,Uganda, Zim
Brian van Blerk - 500NE Heym
Cliff Walker - 577NE Outscha's and Sons (Austria) NO 2 of pair / TZ, Zim
Leon Kachelhoffer - 577NE Outscha's and Sons (Austria) NO 1 of pair /TZ, Bots
Chris Trent - 475 no2 English (Watson?)
Tom Dames - 470 NE Italian

470 is overwhelmingly popular followed by 500NE and a sprinkling of other Calibers..
Most guys prefer/appreciate a double in a tight spot. Some abhor them and are absolute bolt action diehards, like Simon Evans!!!

Pity none own a Searcy! They can't be expert on everything!

With your reputation on AR and in the double rifle world, I'm sure the above PHs will discard their garbage and buy what you suggest. I know I will.
Cal

quote:

Originally posted by Wowo:
Shootaway,

The rifles came direct from the factory. No reloads that I know of, federal/wolf gang Romey/Knynamco.Only factory ammo available in Botswana. Butch had a gunsmith in Bloemfontein work on the rifles instead of sending them all the back to the US. All the PHs can't be that bad or careless at handling firearms, lives depend on those PHs and their firearms. Other makes don't seem to give the same problems.

Just remembered another a PH friend of mine from Tanzania was given a new 500NE, roughly 5 years ago. Valued at something like USD 17500.00 so not exactly an entry level rifle. It also failed and had to be sent back. Don't know if he got it sorted or not.

It would be interesting to hear what Butch has to say about this.Just curious if you are associated with anyone in the gunmaking industry? Are you a PH?

WOWO,
Your statement you made about Johan Calitz rifles and his PH’s is totally false. First of all I have only built rifles for two of Johan’s PH’s, Ron Crous and Jokkie Du toit, I spoke to Johan’s marketing manager this morning, she tells me that Ron and Jokkie are still using their rifles to the best of her knowledge. She told me that Ron is still in Botswana working with Johan’s son trying to get a photographic safari business going, and Jokkie is free lancing on his own, Johan is in Tanzania hunting buff, and of course he’s using his Searcy rifle. A few years ago I built Johan two bolt rifles, a 416 Rigby and a 375 H&H. He started using them because of his damaged right hand, he couldn’t reach the front trigger reliably on his double. In fact Krieghoff gave Johan a 500 NE that he ended up giving to his son because he couldn’t operate the cocking (safety mechanism) system. And I’m not say there is anything wrong with a Krieghoff rifles, there fine rifles.
As to Barry Stiles he broke his stock and I guess the stock I sent over a few years ago hasn’t been installed yet. There’s a DVD out there that has Barry telling how he loved that rifle and that it has saved his and his clients life several times.
Now about Clive’s rifle, the problem arose when he had a RSA gunsmith work on the triggers. By the way two years ago he came by my booth at SCI to tell me that the second rifle I built him was working just fine.
Luke left his rifle in a soft case during off season and it rusted to beat hell. I never got it back for repair.
The only Deluxe Model rifle to my knowledge in Tanzania was a second hand rifle that was given the PH as a tip by a very wealthy client. I spoke to the PH and advised him to send it to me and here again never heard more about it.

Shootaway and BLS

I apologise if I may have muddled my facts.

When I was doing my apprenticeship in Tanzania in 1998. Kevin Peters did a hunt with a prototype Searcy in 577NE, so he told me.
I personally know Luke Blackbeard, Clive Eaton, Kevin Chadwick, Louis (can't remember his surname right now{Fourie})
Luke sold his to Darin Smit (PH) he accompanied me on a hunt were he took a crack at a wounded bull and it doubled after it had returned from the gunsmith in Bloemfontein. He then sold it on.
Kevin Chadwick (PH) sold his 470 to a close friend on mine. Who used it on an elephant hunt. The elephant went down from his first shot and when he closed the rifle after reloading the empty chamber the shot went off. Another friend was with him. He then sold it on ...
I shot the one Kevin Chadwick sold to mine friend and it shot very well. Two shots almost touching using the "hood" of a land cruiser as a rest.
This is what I know and have been told

quote:

Luke sold his to Darin Smit (PH) he accompanied me on a hunt were he took a crack at a wounded bull and it doubled after it had returned from the gunsmith in Bloemfontein. He then sold it on.

I believe the clown who built my "custom rifle" and the one who was working on Butches doubles were one and the same.

I stand to be corrected but Butch ended this relationship because of the shoddy workmanship out of said rifle maker.

When I approached gunshop to have a Searcy rifle in 577 built for me, they offered to custom build a rifle on their own action rather than using Butch's metal.

Thankfully the 458 arrived before I put any money down and saved me a lot of trouble and wasted money.

Thanks Butch, for clarifying the facts. I, for one, own a Searcy and have had nothing but great results and wonderful hunting with my 450-400 Searcy Double Rifle. And, Butch is building me another in 375 Flanged.

I love the .500 NE that Butch built for me and he is now making me a .470 NE that is a step up from the field grade. I would have no qualms hunting again and again with one of Butch's rifles. I have never had the .500 or the other .470, double on me but then again, I shoot the back trigger first.

When Keven Chadwick was guiding me elephant hunting for one of those enormous Botswana Bulls he closed his Searcy 470 and it doubled. Thank goodness Keven was practicing good gun safety or it could have been tragic. The worst we got were our ears rang and we had Kalahari sand blown up into our eyes. Though if memory serves me correctly he may have also cut his fingers from the trigger guard sliding into his hand. After the shot or shots as I don't remember if both barrels went off I cleared my eyes and said Wow!! Then asked does that happen often? He answered never before but as I recall he said he had heard of it happening. At that moment he didn't know what to do with his gun. I then left Keven and pursued my previously hit elephant which was not moving very quickly on my own and finished him off.

As I remember he ended up getting a left handed bolt action 495 A-square possibly a Winchester action and had some hassles with that as well but I believe he got that sorted out and appreciated the power of that particular cartridge.

I haven't heard from him for years and hope he is doing well I really enjoyed him as a PH as he was a great fellow.

In closing I think a person needs to look at all these guns as mechanical devices that could fail or falter anytime including the ammunition but most importantly as I age I include myself in being a potential weakness as well.

WoWo - do a search in the Double Rifle category - you are re-visiting sacred ground for many of the forum members, but i wont add anything extra it was all said in that forum.
My experience is that .500x.416 Krighoff meets and exceeds my expectations as a big game widow maker , the one pity is that they only recently brought out ejectors as a standard feature - i still have the extractors which I like my colleagues have adapted to. I also have a .500 in Blaser and .500 Searcy - I only use the Krighoff and hire out the Blaser from time to time. The .500 and above are great in short distance and close up charges but for a wounded elephant buffalo "yellow dog dingo-ing out of there " penetration is wanting beyond 50 yards in my opinion. BUT my NUMBER opinion on double rifle's is = Reliability . but i have yet to handel one that was not a most pleasant experience !!!

No Sabatti huh?

quote:

Originally posted by boarkiller:
No Sabatti huh?

There's a shocker....

But it wouldn't surprise me if a few get into the hands of a PH.

Theunis Botha the south african hounds specialist uses a blaser ,i dont remember the caliber but i believe in 470.
Louis Fourie has several doubles Heym ,i dont remeber the calibers ...

Pierre van Tonder carries a Merkel 470 and a 500 Jeffery bolt gun.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by pagosawingnut:
I love the .500 NE that Butch built for me and he is now making me a .470 NE that is a step up from the field grade. I would have no qualms hunting again and again with one of Butch's rifles. I have never had the .500 or the other .470, double on me but then again, I shoot the back trigger first.

I had a Uncle and his well off Nephew who had Butch build them a .470 and .500 for their safari. The .500 was a bit much for the old man but the youngster used the .470 (open sights) to take all his game both small and large. I was well impressed with the quality and accuracy of their doubles and they were sweet to shoot.

quote:

Originally posted by boarkiller:
No Sabatti huh?

I have used a Sabatti .500 for a number of years now. So has a very good friend of mine who also hunts a lot of Big Game. It has served me well. Never let me down - no issues what so ever , it shoots and regulates well. Actually my 16 year old son shoots it as accurately as anyone else.
Next year my new VC will see service. I know this is a double in another class but can not trash my Sabatti.

Gentlemen, back thrity years, one would be lucky to see even one PH using a double rifle. In those days ammo was almost unobtainable. While the double rifles were cheap to buy they were mostly useless without a steady supply of good ammo.

Federal came out with ammo for the 470NE in the late 70s or early 1980s and the double started to come alive, with Butch Searcy coming out with a good workable double rifle built on the Browning BSS action at a very reasonable price. Then shortly there after the Europeans began building double rifles under some of the old names also at very reasonable prices.

Slowly we began to see more and more doubles in the hands of client hunters, and that exposed the PHs to their use in the field. Because of the fair prices from Chapuis, Merkel, and Krieghoff we started seeing more and more PHs carrying double rifles. Today they are quite common for both client and PH alike.

This is a trend I have looked forward to for many years, as the double rifle has been my favorite hunting rifle since being exposed to double rifles at age of six years, and having bought my first double at age 21 yrs of age in 1958. Since that time I have never been without at least one in my gun vault.
.....................................................................

Hmm, so how was the transition from black powder to smokeless Mac?

JPK

quote:

Then shortly there after the Europeans began building double rifles under some of the old names also at very reasonable prices.

This is not correct.

For example:
Merkel and Heym had build doubles the last hundert years and more...
Of course in 1950tys and 1960thys too.

quote:

Originally posted by JPK:
Hmm, so how was the transition from black powder to smokeless Mac?

JPK

......................

I was happy when they invented the percussion cap, so I could convert my flint lock to cap!

..................................................................

quote:

I was happy when they invented the percussion cap, so I could convert my flint lock to cap!

When I hunted with Hilton Nichols in 2011 he was carrying a Belgian 470 double. At the time, he was planning on transitioning to a Sabatti .500.

I got couple Sabattis and these things shoot great
Of course I'm not PH, but never had any issues whatsoever and I shot plenty of rounds of different ammo makers and handloads

quote:

Originally posted by boarkiller:
I got couple Sabattis and these things shoot great
Of course I'm not PH, but never had any issues whatsoever and I shot plenty of rounds of different ammo makers and handloads

Only accurate rifles are interesting.

100 % . My Sabatti is very interesting. Really accurate....

Hopefully my VC will live up to that