Hello fellows.
I have several hunting rifles,mostly I use my 30-06,on sundays only..my 45-70.I have allways wanted one doublebarrel But...they are so fu....g costly.Now,I owe one Valmet 412 shotgun o/u which is as you know an combirifle with available barrelpairs in riflecals also.Here in Finland,ewen close me is an gunsmith who have specialised in making doublebarrels to this shotgun in 45-70 cal.Sofar he have made roughly one hundred pairs of teese,so,he now knows and can provide high quality and reasonable accurasy(he said 2" 100 yds both barrels)he makes the barrels either to open sights or for scope only.I prefer open sights. OK...My question is..HOW do you find an ower/under doublebarrel rifle in practise.Moose and bears will be infront of the muzzle.The gun itself is strong enough to use the maximum loads of 45-70,which cal I like really.Please let me know your thoughts of this,the construction itself is tested and ok,prise is about 1100 usd / pair assembled,tested and sights adjusted.Shall I buy,or forget.

Elias, it is hard to reccomend something I haven't seen or used! Your gun smith's barrel sets fall into that catagory! However, I do have some experience with the Valmet 412, as a double rifle, with factory barrel sets. First off, the factory barrels are adjustable for regulation to shoot different loads. If your smith is building this feature into the barrels he is makeing then you might use the load you want, within reason. I wouldn't use the loads for 45-70 that are indicated for rifles like the Ruger No1, but the loads indicated for the Marlin 1895 should be OK, if you work up slow, watching for pressure sign. If, however, the barrels are made, and regulated for a particular load, then that load will be what you will have to use, or the rifle will not regulate! If you have access to another 45-70 double Valmet that you can work up your own load,within pressure limits. This load doesn't have to regulate, only come within safe limits for the rifle. Then the smith can regulate the new barrels to fit your load.

If all this works, and the rifle shoots with your chosen load, then your intended use on Bear, and Moose, will fall into this rifle's ability. In fact, the 45-70 in a double rifle is just about perfect for those two animals!

Good luck with you new double rifle, and welcome to the double rifle world, you will enjoy hunting with doubles!

[ 11-04-2003, 01:20: Message edited by: MacD37 ]

Elias
I agree with MacD37. And the 45/70 is one of my favorite calibers. However, the 9,3x74R is offered as a factory option by Valmet. The 9,3x74R is also one of my favorite calibers and is also perfect for the game you have named.

The gunsmith who is making theese barrels uses a load of 5000J energy.Bullet is hornadys 4512 350gr and powder Lapua nammos n-130 3.6g
Sights are adjusted to this load,otherkind of loads offcourse hit elsewhere,up or down.
I hawe also Ruger no1,modified with 30"octagon barrel.Im famous with 45-70 cal and have reloaded different cals since -75.
Anyway,thanks of your comments,I want to see double barrels and shoot with them before my desision.Im looking for a bush cannon which is fast to shoot twice on close ranges,and takes down anythin walks around here.

Elias,

I am no fan of the 45/70 especially out of an express/double riflem, or lever action.
Those actions will not let you generate enough velocity to over come the short/fat .458 bullet.
You need a Ruger No. 1 or bolt action rifle that will allow you the ability to achieve that velocity.

My old Speer reloading manual states that the 45/70 would be a good deer round out to 100 yards.
Now that is for lever action or trapdoor velocities.

I personally have been very disappointed in the results I got with the 45/70, 300 grain bullet on East Texas Whitetailed Deer. Although shot through the chest at close range the (95 lb. field dressed) deer ran over 100 yards before dropping. Internal damage was not as massive as you would get with a higher velocity smaller bullet.

The 412 would be a wonderful platform for the 9.3X74R. The 9.3X74R is a modern day 400/360 Nitro Express.

My only dislike of express rifles is due to how far they must open to load the bottom barrel. However for hunting not dangerous game the express rifle would be great fun to hunt with. Just my opine.

Rusty
We band of brothers!