Which do you prefer?

I prefer cape guns. They carry well. I've never liked to carry any sort of O/U; they are top heavy in the hand in my experience. I notice in the online auction sites that many don't know the difference, also. Wildwood has ads all over the internet calling BBFs "cape guns". They don't seem to know their product all that well.

I prefer Cape Guns as well and have owned two different ones. If you could find a later model Merkel in a Cape at a good price, that would be a handy gun to have.

But for me, a drilling just makes more all around sense.

Someone needs to be a contrarian. I go the other way. I've had both, but much prefer the O/U version. Let me say that I've shot a Superposed as my primary shotgun for over fifty years. I only rarely carry a side by side for serious hunting. I like the balance, slim lines and feel of the O/U. I find thoses acres of barrels a bit distracting. That's probably because I have such a short attention span. But to each his own. I love drillings, that third barrel sure is handy, but I really like the feel O/U more.
I've watched sales of BBF's on the auction sites and if they are listed as combinations, they often sit a long time with few bids, a similar gun listed as a cape gun will usually sell quicker and often times for more money. Searching for an O/U, combination or combo often gives a long list of a bunch of different kinds of firearms, only a few of which are BBF's. Seldom does a gun turn up on a BBF search. Frustrating, but I would guess that few folks other than the diehards even know what BBF means.
Bfly

To my eye the SXS is the more graceful design, that being said, I find the O/U handles better (given proper dimensions, balance and weight) in a combination. I use primarily SXS for upland game but a combination (16/8X57JR) is my go to gun when hunting big game in an area that also offers small game (read turkeys).

It depends somewhat on the caliber/gauge of the gun. A 12ga barrel alongside a 22 Hornet in a Cape (SxS) configuration would look somewhat unbalanced IMO....not so much in an O/U.

My Blaser BBF is light and nimble. Carries like a scoped Marlin 336, and is as accurate as some of the better shooting bolt guns.

Yes, the Blaser combination guns are quite amazing firearms. People that have them seem to treasure them.

quote:

Yes, the Blaser combination guns are quite amazing firearms.

+1 I realize that some folks might not find them appealing aesthetically but after living in Europe for years and trying quite a few of the conventional stacked or SxS combos, no maker can match the Blasers for acuracy out of the box so consistently IMO....not at that price point.

quote:

Originally posted by JonP:

quote:

Yes, the Blaser combination guns are quite amazing firearms.

+1 I realize that some folks might not find them appealing aesthetically but after living in Europe for years and trying quite a few of the conventional stacked or SxS combos, no maker can match the Blasers for acuracy out of the box so consistently IMO....not at that price point.

I'm trying to get over modern being drawback. I had a chance to shoot a Blaser drilling and was amazed how accurate it was, shot after shot.

I have never handled a Cape Gun, but do prefer the looks of a side by side shotgun, but probably shoot better with an Over and Under. I can understand the top heaviness - I use an AYA Coral over and Under that is just like a merkel in 12 bore and whilst it is quite tall, it is nic and slim in the hand. I love my side by side 410 William Jeffery, but do find a 12 side by quite bulky by comparison.

My BBF is a Ferlach built 16 bore / 7x65R and the action is scaled to both barrels and is the height of a 16 plus 7x65R - there is no ways you could fit a pair of 16 bore shotgun barrels, indeed if you wanted a pair of shot barrels you might just get away with a pair of 410. It doesn't feel top heavy at all.

With my limited experience of traditional BBF's where the bottom barrel is joined full length to the top, after a couple of quick shots the warping starts sending the bullets high. Given that it's typicially 1" high for second and 3" for the 3rd, I can live with that, but I would imagine a cape gun with its side by side configeration would start sending the bullets to one side or other. Given the twisting effect of the recoil, not at all sure where follow up shots would go. Simple cure is to get in close and make certain with the first shot - but thats why we hunt, and if wanted to shoot from 300 yds plus we wouldn't be using BBF's or cape guns!

Clearly a lot more research is required, and we all need to spend hundreds of days afield trying out each style to get firm conclusions.

You would have to work pretty hard to find a combo gun that out shoots the Valmets i've shot,



They outshoot many bolt guns, no problem!

And who says soldered bbls won't shoot?





I sure don't worry about a 300 yards shot with mine!

DM

quote:

Originally posted by Black Fly:
Someone needs to be a contrarian. I go the other way. I've had both, but much prefer the O/U version. Let me say that I've shot a Superposed as my primary shotgun for over fifty years. I only rarely carry a side by side for serious hunting. I like the balance, slim lines and feel of the O/U. I find thoses acres of barrels a bit distracting. That's probably because I have such a short attention span. But to each his own. I love drillings, that third barrel sure is handy, but I really like the feel O/U more.
I've watched sales of BBF's on the auction sites and if they are listed as combinations, they often sit a long time with few bids, a similar gun listed as a cape gun will usually sell quicker and often times for more money. Searching for an O/U, combination or combo often gives a long list of a bunch of different kinds of firearms, only a few of which are BBF's. Seldom does a gun turn up on a BBF search. Frustrating, but I would guess that few folks other than the diehards even know what BBF means.
Bfly

BBF???" Big Bore firarms????? or Big Bad Fart? or Been Bad Forever?????

As far as Cape guns being combination guns they certainly are combo guns but O/U combination guns are not cape guns! Cape guns are side by side, and are my favorite type of combination gun with O/U being my least favorite. Drillings are OK but for the drilling My pick is a double rifle drilling, or infact with all three barrels for rifle cartritges.

Mac,

I'm with you regarding any o/u. They are far nicer than no double, but a cape gun is my favorite, then drillings.

Here are the only cape guns I have presently. I sold a sweet little Emil Kerner in 16 & 9,3X72R with a little Hensoldt in claws to a friend. The SOB won't sell it back now!

1. Gladback 16/9,3X72R



2. Pre-war Sauer 12/12 set and 12/8X57JR now with a 1-4 Leupold in claw mounts

I have always been the odd one. I prefer a BBF in a hammerless gun and a Cape Gun if it has external hammers. That said, I prefer a drilling to both, whether hammer or hammerless.

Excuse the ignorance, but what's BBF stand for? Can't seem to find it on a google search

bockbuchsflinte
The German term for over and under combination gun.

To explaine the term a bit, bock is a gun in O/U version, buchse is rifle and flinte is shotgun. That sums up in a rifle/shotgun combination in the O/U version.

Thank you both! Combos and drillings are entirely new to me.