I have been offered a Merkel 12gauge with 7x57 rifle barrel in good order for £2000. Does anyone have a view.

P.S. There are some lovely combinations coming up in the Holts sale.

Grant

O/U or Svs?

Merkel 200 or higher?

Claw ring mounts?

They are great guns the O/U:s are build like waults, however stock wood is usually quite plain and if so and without optics mounted 2000 £ is a bit high.

With pics and some of the Q;s answered a better appraisal can be made.

Best regards Chris

Am getting my hands on it at the weekend so I shall know a bit more. It is an over and under. That I know, but no idea of model number. One fly in the ointment is that I intended to get a spare set of barrels for my finnclassic in 8x57 for the purposes of boar shooting. That has not happened and this is an alternative solution but I am not sure its man enough for boar.

Any thoughts.

Grant

Grant,

Merkels tend to the spendy side but then again I've not seen a shabby Merkel as far as technical quality goes. Everything works, Set-Triggers, lock-up is tight and the barrels shoot straight. Their standard grade wood; like Chris says, tends to the Orange Crate quality and not particularly exciting but is straight-grained and stable; then again, some of the other well-known high-end manufacturers such as Perazzi & Blaser grade their standard wood VERY similarly.

2000 quid without optics and mount is a bit pricy though unless it is a high grade with extra grade wood & engraving.

I'm not familiar with the finnclassic but you ought to be able to obtain a barrel set for much less than the price of this particular rifle IMO and 8x57 is a proven Wild Boar cartridge in any of it's variations.

I used a 7x57R in a Combo Rifle as my primary Piggie Basher for years. Never had a bullet out of a 7x57R bounce off one yet. While certainly not in the drop 'em in their tracks class as a 8x57IRS, 9.3's or as speedy as it's grown-up brother the 7x65R for Wild Boar the 7x57R WILL penetrate a 100 Kg Boar (very large) from stem to stern with the right bullet and provide a clean exit wound for the follow-up. It is easy on the shoulder and the pocketbook; especially effective with the heavier .284" 160-177 grain bullets; I still use the 177 grain RWS TIG's in my single-shot K95 lumbering along at about 2400 fps and they kill all manner of game just as sure as tomorow morning's sunrise.

Net, I wouldn't get too wound around the Axle concerning the Soothsayers who claim you require an Atomic Blast to bring down a Wild Boar - just use the right bullet(s) and there are many available.

Well, I will just have to second Gerrys thoughts on the 7x57R, damn I like to stand out a bit,

a 175 grain 7 mm bullet is very long, will really do the job on all game to be found in Europe, no it will not just flopp over, hovever large boars don´t do that unless one uses very large cals and hits them hard.


The normal boar, about 60-90 kg will topple with ease, and second get slugs/brenneke that regulates with the rifled cal and you are all set.

A slug @ 40 meters will do them in wery well.

One very positive thing is less bloodshot meat to.


Best regards Chris

I am not intirely sure I am happy to say that I think this, http://www.laddsguns.com/ladd_rflarge.asp?Submit=View+Bigger+Picture&rfidi=327 is it.

Its no longer being sold by this company.

Not sure it looks two grands worth but to be fair I dont have a good feel for values in this market.

Grant

quote:

Originally posted by howa243:
I am not intirely sure I am happy to say that I think this, http://www.laddsguns.com/ladd_rflarge.asp?Submit=View+Bigger+Picture&rfidi=327 is it.
Its no longer being sold by this company.

Not sure it looks two grands worth but to be fair I dont have a good feel for values in this market.

Grant

Grant, like you I have no idea about the market for any firearm in Brittan, or Europe, and I don't know the exchange rate form pounds to dollars US, but the combo you posted the picture of in you post would cost in the $4.5 to $5K range in the states! The scope, and claw mounts would account for $1500 US alone.

In my opinion, Merkel firearms are very well made, and I have owned several that were made long before the first world war, that still closed like a bank vualt, and shot true!

Hi MacD37

Thats great thanks. Helps me put it into perspective.

Grant

I have shot a lot of boars with a 308, mostly with bullets of 165/168gr.

I would have no problem doing the same with a 7x57R with 160 to 175gr bullets.

Well I finally got to have a look and feel of it. I must admit I think I was trying to talk myself out of it until I saw it, when such thoughts disappeared. Its in better nick than I thought it would be with very little wear. I liked how it mounted and was very impressed overall. The only item of what I thought was poor quality, was the rear pop up site which did not feel as substantial as I would have liked.
My only real concern is over the calibre so its helpful to have your views N E 450 No2 thanks. I would be interested to know what kind of distance you have taken the boar over.

Howa,

if that is the rifle in question, it looks great, make sure wood is sound and barrels set is not ringing untrue, ie has loose solderings,
make sure barrels are clean and then you have a great gun.

If you are allowed try it out on some clay pigeons to ensure fit.

Yes the pop up sights can seem flimsy but they are more than adequate.


I could not be happier for you for this find.

Best regards Chris

Grant, the 7x57R will do fine.

howa243

After a bit of thinking I can remember taking a couple of pigs with an 18" 308 at @275 yards, both on the same day from the same spot.

I have also taken a javelina with a 19 3/4" 308 at a lazered 412 yards.

If your 7x57R was scoped I would not hesitate to use it for game out to 300 yards, not only boar but for such game as black bear and elk as well.

That is assuming I had shot the rifle at those distances and knew I could hit where "I looked".

I agree with the above posts.

The 7X57R will do fine as long as you stick to the heavier bullet weights.

I personally shoot the bigger brother the 7X65R and have taken everything up to the size of a kudu with it without a problem.

Well thanks everybody.

The rifle has a Zeiss Diavari 1.5-6x42 MC which I think was made in America. I have now read quite alot about the calibre and it seems an excellent one for british deer. The only concern that I have is that I already have a .308 and I am wondering what the view of the police will be as the calibres look very similar and this may be a stumbling block.

Grant

I killed five California wild pigs with a Merkel drilling in 16/7X57R, using Sellier & Bellot 173gr cutted-edge ammo and found it more than up to the task.

Grant- when will you know the outcome of the police/permitt decision?

The 7x57R and 308 Win are nothing a like if you ask me, but I am bias.

Best regards Chris

Grant,
as far as I know the Zeiss Diavari range is made in Germany. If the clicks are in cm instead of inches then you'll know for sure. The Zeiss Diavaris are awesome scopes they have brilliant optics and compete with other top of the range scopes like Swarovski. I have a Diavari 2.5-10 X 52 on my rifle, it's almost as old as I am and yet the optics are crystal clear.

Steve

Chris I am interested to hear your views on the calibres. What is your perception of the two please. What, when and how, would you use them for. Thats if you dont mind.

Steve

I know nothing about the scopes other than they have a good reputation. However when I went trawling around the net I found an entry that suggested that the MC (multi coat) range of Zeiss Diavari range of optics were made in the USA. It doesnt really make any difference but it just makes it a little more difficult to compare with current models.


Grant

Grant- here are my views,

7x57R belongs in break open system, the 308 in a bolt action.

Whilst the 308 Win was designed to shoot 147-150 grains bullets it has shown that it´s capable of going from 110 grains to 220 grains should need be.

Works at ranges longer than most men can shoot.

The 7x57R was designed to shoot long, slender bullets 167 to 180 grains, good solid penetration, at moderate speeds.

There are also light bullets to be had should need be.

I have used my drilling in 7x57R for 3 or 4 years now, have had solid reports on roe deer, badgers, foxes, took a crow as well with it, I would not feel undergunned on wild boars, deer or even a moose.

The 175 grain bullets are really longish and will be somewhat slow the 139 and 167 grain bullets are better in regards to longer range shots, clean kills @ 200 meters is all up to the shooter and conditions.

Norma, RWS makes the best brass and ammo for the cal, I my self reload and I have found that the 160 grains Accubonds are great and regulates well with the steel sights of my drilling, a 167 grain RN is the old standard load for the round.

One thing I belive it was Gerry that mentioned it, is the limited recoil of the round making it very easy to shoot with.

In regards to use, as season opens in Sweden, fox and badger is the start, then pigeons and Roe, bucks only, as season the continues driven hunt for fox and hare, then roe driven, boar is all year all season except for when they breed in the spring, deer season, moose season and so forth.

In all the only times I will not use my drilling is for rough shooting for rabbit and hare, for moose only season and at driven hunts for boar.

Roe in the spring and roe bucks in august is rifled barreled guns only so that is a small stop there for about two weeks.

Well that is pretty much it, that is how a drilling should be used.

Best regards Chris

Thanks for that Chris.

I had better start emptying out the gun cabinet then as it sounds ike it will do everything I need.

Grant

Grant,

sorry could have been wrong there. The are two divisions of Zeiss that I know of the US and the German brand. I didn't realize the US division was also making the Diavari. Sorry for the bad info.

Steve

Hi Steve

No worries mate. Its just good to have some input and frankly it doesnt make any difference to me.


Grant

Grant, has "She" come home yet?

Best regard Chris

Hi Chris. No not yet mate. I have not been the most prompt individual getting the paperwork sorted out. Not my forte I am afraid. Shall let you know as soon as it lands.

grant

quote:

Originally posted by howa243:
Thanks for that Chris.

I had better start emptying out the gun cabinet then as it sounds ike it will do everything I need.

Grant

That was the conclusion I reached.
Except for specialist target (223) or big game (375 H&H) rifles, and a shotgun (steel proofed) for ducks, the BBF does everything.