A while back I posted that it seemed that in my Chapuis 9,3x74R if I shot my Left bbl first the regulation seemed off. Well today while sighting in a new scope [Swarovski 1.6-6x42 with Illuminated reticle] I did a little test.
The bbls were cold, I fired the left bbl first, the shot hit about 4.5" to the right and 3" high of the point of aim. I again shot the left bbl and the second shot was about 5" to the right. I let the bbls cool. Then I shot left/right, reload then left/right. The 2 shots from the left bbl formed a group 4.5" right and 3.5" high. The right bbl formed a group 3" high and 3" left of POA.
After the bbls cooled I fired a group right/left, reload, right/left. The group was well centered.
So......
With out any doubt, on MY Chapuis 9,3x74R I MUST fire the right bbl first, at least at distances 100 yards and out. The next time to the range and I will shoot this rifle at 200 yards. I will also check out this R/L vs. L/R business at 50 yards.

In case you aren't aware of the Coriolis effect, in the Southern hemisphere, the results would be the opposite.



I have discovered the exact same thing with my .475 Nitro Express, but my .375 Express Flanged will shoot to point of aim regardless of which barrel is shot first. I guess when a .483 diameter bullet goes down a barrel with a ton or so of 3031, something gets hot!



BTW, what do you know about Gasparini doubles?.. I think that's the spelling. A friend has a 7x65R that he wants to sell.

NE, when I was learning about DB's, my hunting partner's dad used to always tell me to shoot the right barrel(rear trigger) first and was told it was to keep the gun from doubling on me especially on the bigger bores. Now there seems to another reason to shoot the right barrel first: better accuracy.

Judge I have not heard of that brand of double.
475 Guy, All the doubles I have handled/shot, the FRONT trigger fires the right bbl.

NE 450, most doubles will react the way yours did. One has to follow the sequence they were regulated (R/L or U/O + <10" before firing the 2nd. bl.). You're lucky to have your bbls. grouping together after being scoped as most need to be regulated again after the mass repartition has been changed. Have you tried shooting R/L by single loading 1 bbl. at a time, you might be in for a surprise ? All this shows how delicately doubles are balanced and why there should be fired in proper sequence.

Damn, It's been only a few years since I've had my Merkel and could've sworn that it was rear trigger, right barrel. I guess I got CRS.

D, I'll just have to look up the guy who has my old Merkel and check it out. Hell, I can't remember half the stuff that happen in the last few days anyway.

Andre

The next time I go to the range I will fire 5 shots from the right bbl only and see what happens.



I have not noticed this same regulation situation with my big bore British doubles. This may be because I have not tested for it at 100 yards. At 50 yards I have not noticed it. I will test my big bores at 50 and 100 to see if they do the same thing as the Chapuis.

The Chapuis 9,3 has very thin bbls [which is why it handles so well and is a joy to carry] but they may increase the fact that you must shoot the right bbl first. I do know this, I fired about 60 rounds yesterday, at the very last with cool bbls I fired a four shot group R/L reload R/L, looking through the spotting scope after each shot. I had 286gr Woodleigh Softs in the right bbl and 286gr. Nosler Partitions in the left. 3 if the shots were in less than an inch, I pulled one shot slightly to the right. I then let the bbls cool and fired a R/L with 285 Hawk .035jkt. and had a 2 shot group of 7/8ths of an inch. If you overlay the two targets the composite gorup is about 1 1/4" tall and 7/8ths of an inch wide, not counting the flyer. All bullets were loaded in Norma cases over 65 grains of IMR 4831 with Fed 215 primers.

Not bad for a 7 1/4 lb double rifle. This was with its new scope a Swarovski 1.5-6x42 with the circle dot illuminated reticle. Should make for a geed Lion, Leopard, Bear and pig scope.



I have heard that on some British big bore doubles that have more bbl wear in the right bbl, the one normally fired first, that the triggers will be reversed so the left bbl gets the most use, minimizing further wear in the right bbl.

ALL doubles are regulated right/left, right/left, as far as I know.... 99% will not shoot true the opposite, but probably most will be OK for shooting at 20 yards or so...

ALL the doubles I have seen fire the rt. barrel with the front trigger, not sure one could do them otherwise after looking at the locks, but I guess anything is possible if you got the bucks...

Something I have noticed on the old English guns, envaribly the right barrel is the most shot barrel and will show the most wear. Probably because most game is shot once and that's with the right barrel, but mostly because a true user of double rifles always reloads after each shot, ala single shot, if time permits so that he will have two rounds ready to stand a charge..

Again its important to shoot a series of 3 shot groups from EACH barrel seperate from one another, then one knows what kind of accuracy each barrel has and his gun is only capable of firing a right/left group equal to that of the LEAST ACCURATE barrel....

NE 450, I'm about sure that separate groups from each bbl. have little chance of grouping together. I even experienced the same by loading 1 bbl. only at a time, then quickly loading the second one before firing again. It seems that one empty chamber is enough to upset the regulation. I'll admit becoming rapidly bored of shooting a double off the bench, because of the necessary cooling time between strings. True, my bbls. are pretty thin also and maybe thicker ones are more permissive.

Andre
You may be right. When I originally tested loads in my 9,3 I would shoot 6 rounds, always R/L. Some times I would use 2 targets, shooting all R bbl shots on one target and the L bbl shots on the other. Both bbls shot good individual groups, my right bbl always shot smaller groups. Next time I am going to shoot a 5 shot group with the R bbl only and then see where the left bbl hits.
If a double rifle does not shot good enough groups R/L at a distance, it would be nice to know if you could use the right bbl like a single shot.
Just for the science of it.

Howdy, NE450#2

Nothing to do with your post, but congrats on your new scope. A great choice. Look forward to seeing it on your Chapuis. What's wrong, did the old scope not shoot well enough at 271 yards?

450, I would say if you want a single barrel for extremely long range shots, and both barrels are the same accuracy wise, I would choose the left barrel. The trigger is so much easier to use! I see in your case, though, the right barrel shoots tighter than the left, so that of course would be the long range single shooter!

In all the years I've been messing with double rifles, I have never seen a rifle that would regulate properly with a L/R L/R sequence!

What ever sequence you were useing, with that little Chapuis, at Camp Cooley to hit that coyote with both the right, and left barrel at 271 yds, I'd say it works pretty well!

Hey Aggie, you old HOSS Doctor, hows it going?



Enjoyed hunting with you down a Camp Cooley.

Hi Aggie,
Once again I must say you made a great shot on your Eland with your 450/400 3 1/4".
There is nothing wrong with the Leupold 2.5x8 [heavy duplex] that I had on the Chapuis at Camp Cooley, my PH said He would like me to have an illuminated reticle for Leopard, and I can use it for Pigs here in TX. Plus any rifle I travel with a lot I like to have two scopes sighted in in QD mounts. Both scopes go on/off with complete return to zero.
We might have to take our 450/400's to J.J.and have him fit a Swarovski PV-1 1.25-4x24 with the illuminated circle dot reticle in claw mounts. I do not think there would be a finer pair of "all round" doubles on the Planet.

Mac
That sure was a sweet 500/450 No1 Express.
I fired R/L at the coyote. There is no way I can shoot the left bbl first on this rifle at any distance. I will test the ability of the right bbl to keep 5 shots in a group at 200 and 300 yds next range session. It may be that the rifle will still regulate good enough at 300 so that the "single shot" technique is not necessary. The results on the coyout tend to indicate that, but I need to see it on paper.
The more I shoot double rifles the more I see that their "limitations" have been GREATLY exagurated.

Er a when one gets a rifle from that Atkinson Hunting Outfit, you can bet he has a good'un