I am tempted by a Drilling with 65 mm 12 ga barrels over 9.3x74R. I am having difficulty justifying it, however, for hunting in New England and Pennsylvania where small game and deer seasons are not open at the same time.
Any ideas as to how it would be useful? I am concerned, for example, in explaining the rifle barrel, even if I was not carrying rifle ammunition, if I used the Drilling for small game in PA. I have found Game Officers there to be less than understanding.
Similarly, 65 mm 12 ga slugs don't seem available, making it simply a single shot during deer season.

65mm 12 gauge shells are readily available, check RST Shells.
Do you have a Fall turkey season?
How about upland birds?

I've used a 9.3x74/12 for hunting in PA. As you say the PGC folks are not real flexible. I used mine deer hunting with slugs, but the slugs were just fillers. Those barrels crossed way too much to be useful with slugs. I did this so there was no discussion of shot in those barrels in big game season. Also be sure there are no shotshells on your person or in your vehicle during bear or deer gun season. That was the advice they gave me when I asked about using it. You can use if for fall turkeys. I used it with a 22 mag adapter, with shot in the left barrel. You could also use a cast bullet in the 9.3 barrel. Same would be good for coyotes. However at least a few years ago you couldn't use cast 9.3 for squirrels or rabbits.
I've found some area's of VA a bit easier because of season overlaps, but county gun rules can make my drillings all but useless. Where i currently hunt, if they change the rules back to where they were a few years ago, I'll be out of luck.
Good luck,
Bfly

I really like the 9.3 X 74R rifle cartridge but I wouldn't have a drilling in 12 bore. To me all I've ever handled were clubby and clumsy.

Good grief....makes me glad I live in Missouri! Right now it's firearms deer season and as a landowner I can take my Thieme & Schlegelmilch drilling loaded with a 16 bore shotshell in the left barrel, 22LR in the right barrel in the einstecklauf and a 9.3 X 75R Nimrod in the bottom rifle barrel. Those who aren't landowners do not have quite as many options.

I hunted with both a regular drilling, if there really is such a thing, and a double rifle drilling in Montana for a few years. Was fun, beautiful weapons but moved on with no regrets. Shotgun gauge was 16, rifles were 9.3x72 and 9x57. My main reason was that they were poor long range deer, antelope and elk rifles. No big shocker there, but kind of important where I go. Just couldn't get a tight group past 150 yards. That didn't bother me with the double rifle drilling, but couldn't get the regular ones to group. Might have been me, the load or the drilling.

In Montana the seasons overlap, so a good combo has a reason to exist!

If I get more time in the future I'd do it again in a heartbeat and deal with the limitations. I have a weakness for back action hammer drillings.

Good luck, you've got the right rifle cartridge for sure, hope you have fun with it.

Here in Washington our small game seasons continue through the deer, elk, moose etc. seasons and I'm often tempted to carry my combination guns with both bird and big game loads--when canoe hunting, of course, I carry only non-toxic shot so I can take waterfowl if a shot or two present themselves; the game folks are a bit touchy about lead around waterfowl. More often it's grouse or rabbit while deer hunting these days, but my interest in combinations was spawned by the mule deer hunts of my youth, when I'd often kick up a hundreds of chuckars when I was packing a rifle, and herds of thirty or forty mulies while I had the shotty.
windy

I've heard that eastern states have some tight regulations that can make a combination or drilling "illegal", sad. Anyway, here in Montana I use my 12/7x57 for bear and turkey in the spring, been successful on both counts. In the early fall for grouse and fall bear, if spring bear doesn't work out. I've hunted in the eastern part of the state for mule deer and sharp-tails, great success in that area and also whitetails and pheasants in those area where both are available, again things worked out well for me.

I carry only Heavi-shot when waterfowl seasons are open as I have taken ducks and even goose as the opportunity arose. My combination has interchangeable chokes with a extra-full for spring turkey it works well. I settled on a 154gr load that duplicates Norma factory ammo and it has worked well on everything.

I have posted these before, my Simson 16-gauge over 7x65R. These pictures are from a walk in the Colorado high country with a bear tag in my pocket, and grouse and ptarmigan season open. For the hunting for which I carry a drilling, this Simson will pretty much do it all.

.

Great pictures, great colours, good looking drilling.

Thousands of Drillings for sale in Germany and Austria. Popular as the all purpose high seat gun in the 80s and 90s but has lost out to the "modern" and synthetic users of late.

A drilling in the right hands in a Kanzel would cover hare, fox, pigeon, wild boar, roe, red and anything else that came along and was open! All purpose!!

Must confess I do not own one but have been tempted a few times. A 16 or 20 bore combined with either a 9,3 or a 7x65 would be fun!

.

I have a couple of Cape Guns, one is a V. Haffner 20 ga shot barrel on the left , and 58 Berdan carbine on the right barrel. These barrels are Domascus and the firearm is for Black powder. Another cape gun is a H. Barella made in Berlin. It is chambered for 16 ga on the left barrel, and 8X57JR (.318) on the right barrel.

Both are exposed hammers with a top lever on the Barrella, and a Jones under lever on the Haffner.

I have a Sauer drilling that is a 16 ga double, and the rifle barrel is chambered for 8X57JRS (.323)diameter.


All are fine shooters, and are very handy in My part of the country when both bird and deer seasons are open at the same time.

The Drilling I haven't hunted with yet but the other two combos have taken tons of game both deer and birds along with coyotes, and rabbits.

The only other combo I have now is a Stevens O/U 20 ga/.22 LR that my grand sons like to hunt rabbits, and doves with.

I have always liked multi-barreled firearms. But double rifles are my passion!

………………………………………………………..

quote:

Originally posted by vangulik:
I am tempted by a Drilling with 65 mm 12 ga barrels over 9.3x74R. I am having difficulty justifying it, however, for hunting in New England and Pennsylvania where small game and deer seasons are not open at the same time.
Any ideas as to how it would be useful? I am concerned, for example, in explaining the rifle barrel, even if I was not carrying rifle ammunition, if I used the Drilling for small game in PA. I have found Game Officers there to be less than understanding.
Similarly, 65 mm 12 ga slugs don't seem available, making it simply a single shot during deer season.

It might seem like a little overkill, but it's a useful deer/antelope/sage grouse/duck gun for some areas of Montana.

Have you checked the internet for the 2-1/2" 12ga slugs? There's a company that makes short shells--can't recall the name--but they listed quite a few different loadings; wouldn't be surprised to find they had slugs. If not, you might be able to load your own, either slugs or pumpkin balls, once you had some hulls. Better yet, get some components from the ballistics people and some brass hulls--Cabela's sells them, too--and make up some rounds with BP.
windy

I have owned and taken game with a bunch of Drillings over the past 25 years. I probably shot a hell of a lot more birds than big game. I know the quail is in the over 1000, and dozens of pheasant, woodcock, and a good number of Montana Ruffed Grouse. I always open up the chokes so I can safely shoot slugs, and still have a great bird gun.

My current Drilling is a JP Sauer Sidelock in 12x12x9.3x72. Great wood, solid shooter, and light between the hands. Just fun stuff.

Drillings, made well, are the most effective Firearms ever.

.

Saw a wonderful Suhler drilling at my local gunsmiths / gun shop. 20x20 over an 8x57.
Beautiful wood - engraved wildboar scene on lhs of shaft and fox with duck on rhs.
Fish scales on fore end. Sidelock with rose scroll engraving. Going for USD 1.800,-
Very tempted ........ driven game, Africa planes and lots more !

.

The Suhl one sounds very good, if it is 8x57Jrs it is a good price for it, just see what kind of scope it has and that the gun is tight, and have a look at the barrelset . But ir sounds good .

I have taken everything from moose and bear on down to whitetails and small game with my Krieghoff 16-16 8x57jrs,







I shoot one or two whitetails with it every fall, including two this last fall.

DM

There are state lands in California where combination guns are prohibited...

Congrats DM...that's quite a selection with your Drilling...and with the underappreciated 8mm as well.

Most folks are more successful hunting with a bolt or lever gun for instance..Hunting with a drilling is like hunting with a bow, muzzle loader or double rifle, it adds to the hunt challenge and your definatly at a certain amount of disadvantage..If you enjoy it then don't deprive yourself of using one, if you are mainly after trophy or meat, probably better off with a repeater of some kind. Ive shot deer with a pistol, double rifle,shotgun and all manor of Winchesters...None of which are better than my 30-06 or 270, but enjoyed the change of diet..Only you can determine the use of such guns.