Dear friends,

after some years of hunting in africa with Take Down Rifles (.416 Rigby, .375 H&H Mag and .458 Lott) i am planing to by a Heym double rifle. Now i am thinking about which caliber to order. I would like to use the rifle primarily on plainsgame but maybe also on elephant and buffalo.
From the calibres availabil by Heym (.450/.400 NE, 450 NE 3 1/4, .470 NE, .500/.416 NE, .375 H&H Mag, .416 Rigby and .458 Win) which one would you choose?

regards

Florian

The classic caliber is .470. It is on your list.

You could get it with two sets of barrels. One set in .375 and the other in one of the NE cartridges. Of those I would go with the 450 3 1/4 or .470.

With one set I would be tempted to go with the .500/.416 NE if you want to do eveything with it.

I would give the 500/416 some serious thought.

quote:

Originally posted by Florian Wegehaupt:
Dear friends,

after some years of hunting in africa with Take Down Rifles (.416 Rigby, .375 H&H Mag and .458 Lott) i am planing to by a Heym double rifle. Now i am thinking about which caliber to order. I would like to use the rifle primarily on plainsgame but maybe also on elephant and buffalo.
From the calibres availabil by Heym (.450/.400 NE, 450 NE 3 1/4, .470 NE, .500/.416 NE, .375 H&H Mag, .416 Rigby and .458 Win) which one would you choose?

regards

Florian

Florian, first off there a couple of things you need to avoid in a double rifle that may be used for any dangerous game. First and foremost is any cartridge that might be used to defend your self from any of the dangerous game with a double rifle should never be a rimless or belted/rimless cartridge. Secondly, for the same reason on a double used for the same large animals one should avoid single triggers, especially the non-selective type.

The two sets of barrels is a very good idea but expensive! Because of the fact that when hunting non-dangerous game in bush where dangerous game may be encountered the smaller chambered barrels should be flanged and be capable of taking the biggest animal you may encounter. IMO, out of the list you post above I would strike the 458 Win Mag, the 416 Rigby, and 375 H&H right off the bat! Because though they are all good cartridges they were designed for use in CRF bolt rifles and can be problematic at the most inopportune time in a double rifle.

If I were going to have only one barrel set and the rifle to be used as you describe, My pick would be either the 450NE 3 ¼ inch, or the 450/400NE 3 inch. The 500/416NE would fit in that group as well, but wouldn’t be my pick of the flanged cartridges you list.

If I were to go the two barrel sets route, for the use you describe my pick would be 450NE 3 1/4 inch and a set of 375NE flanged with a Trijicon 1.1-4x24 scope in quick detach rings and bases.

All the above is my opinion based on 60 years of owning, shooting and hunting with double rifles! OPINION none the less, and you know what they say about opinion, and bodily orifices, everybody has one and most stink, you decide which the above is, it’s your money and skin.
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Thank you, Mac, for this post and for all your posts. They are interesting and useful.

Tom

The 375 for longer range.

quote:

Originally posted by 376 steyr:
The 375 for longer range.

Flanged maybe, but not H&H in a double for DG. You really need a rimmed cartridge for that.

470 NE.

You should consider resale, and, I believe, .470 NE brings the most value of all the calibers, in a given rifle.

Plus, it works. Not too punishing on the recoil, easier ammo to obtain, compared to others, as it is the most common double caliber ammo ... I believe.

But what do I know. I am admittedly not a Double-Buff. Sold my .470 after killing a Buffalo with it.

This is my $.02, and it is worth exactly that. Maybe less.

Absolutely agreed, the cartridge for DG should be rimmed. If that is the case I think the combination with the standard 375 ( for plains game) is a very nice addition in a switch barrel especially because ammo is readily available everywhere. Definitely no 416 Rigby or 458 Win. in a double for DG.

Herr Wegehaupt, you'd be better off taking one of your existing rifles, and using the DR money to pay for another hunt or two. Those who think the DR is a superior weapon to a magazine rifle are "verrucht"!!!! :-)

450/400. Mild recoil for the use with a detachable scope yet the 40cal hole it makes is usually sufficient for up to Elephant.

Florian

Baised on what you have stated, for mostly plains game, with a cape buff and an elephant, especially of you will be getting close and making a brain shot I would recommend a Heym double in 375 Flanged with a scope, in claw mounts.

I base my choice on the fact that I have shot most all of my plains game in Africa with a scoped 9,3x74R, including giraffe, and my biggest cape buff, and a cow elephant at 5 yards with the 9,3.

If you are hunting bull elephant for Ivory, and may have to take a body shot at a distance then I would consider a scoped 450/400 3" double rifle.

I also have a scoped 450/400, and have used it a lot. With the scope I have taken zebra, several baboons, warthog, and lion. My wife took her cape buff with it, and the scope. With it and the iron sights I have taken deer, several pigs, black bear in Montana, 2 caribou in Alaska, giraffe, cape buff and a bull elephant.

I find the 450/400 on a double rifle to have less recoil than a 375 H&H bolt rifle.

It will be a little heavier, as you can get the 375 Flanged in a Heym on the smaller frame.

Also, using my 75% rule you can use 300gr Hornady bullets in the 450/400 for plains game with great results.

I used to have a 500/416 and swapped it for a .375 FL. I am happy with my choice, but I would never consider my Krieghoff along range rifle, even though it shoots 235grn Bullets very well (both barrels to POA at 100m)

My all time favourite cartridge is the 450/400 but it surely isn't going to be a long range number.

On my Krieghoff I have an aimpoint Micro- (aimpoint make a specific mount for the Krieghoff)- If I had a scope I could swop between scope and aimpoint for different situations.

The 500/416 is a great cartridge- but Its recoil level is in the same category as the .500NE for me- ie just over what I consider comfortable to shoot from a bench. The .375 is a pleasure to shoot - cheap to shoot and get shot alot.

I would also order a set of 20g shotgun barrels- best thing I ever did to get used to cocking feature on the krieghoff- ruinied my skiet scores but improved my snap shooting no end (shooting skiet with full and full in 20g makes for impressive hits when you do connect)