If it is that you don't like the way it looks, take the rifle and lay it down on a table and take something like a large piece of poster paper and hold it in line between the nose of the comb, and the top of the butt, this will show you what the stock will look like with the Hog Back removed. If you are going to remove this hump, do it before you have the pad done. You have to be very carefull who restocks a double rifle, it may destroy the regulation.

I have a Merkel 140E 9.3x74R and the hump is going, though this rifle fits me as perfectly as if it were made to fit me!

The only person I would let restock a double rifle is JJ at Champlin's in Enid, Ok.
www.champlinarms.com But they are not cheap!
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..Mac >>>===(x)===>
DUGABOY DESIGNS
Collector/trader of fine double rifles, and African wildlife art

[This message has been edited by MacD37 (edited 09-02-2001).]

By the way , I'm shooting factory Federal's from my double. Maybe some creative handloading might get it dead on? I have A square's book and that is the only load data I have on the 470. I ordered Shooting the British Double last night.

It is crossing about 3" at 50 and about 6" at 100 yards. I will be ordering some dies for this in the near future.
Terry

quote:

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Originally posted by Terry P:
Mac,
By the way , I'm shooting factory Federal's from my double. Maybe some creative handloading might get it dead on? I have A square's book and that is the only load data I have on the 470. I ordered Shooting the British Double last night.

It is crossing about 3" at 50 and about 6" at 100 yards. I will be ordering some dies for this in the near future.
Terry

---

I think handloading this rifle is the answer! Your loads definetly need to speed up, to bring them together. The Merkels are regulated with RWS ammo, and it is even more expensive than Federal. Hunington has every thing you need for the reloading of this cartridge. One word of caution here be sure your press has enough opening to load this round, most do not! I use an old RCBS "BIG MAX" but the RCBS AMMO MASTER will handle almost anything you will be loading to shoot from the shoulder.

With dies only $170, NORMA cases less than $3.00 ea, they are equal, or less than about the cost of one box of 20 rds of federal ammo, which does not shoot in your rifle! I would start with a load of:

POWDER: IMR4831 105 grs

PRIMER: Fed 215

BULLET: 500 gr Your choice, I like
Woodliegh

WADS: NONE

PRESSURE: 12.1 Mtrc tons (very low)

VELOCITY: 2,052 out of a 28" barrel

This load is right out of Graeme's book, and IMO, it is a good starting point. The chamber pressure is light, and it gives you room to move up carefully! If I'm not mistaken your rifle has 24" tubes, so this load will probably only make about 2,000 fps But again a good starting point! Factory ammo from the old British catalogs is 75 grs Cordite,with a 500 gr mtl cld bullet @ 2125 with a chamber pressure of 14.0 mtrc tons

One other thing, does each barrel group well for it's own group? If it does all that is needed is to speed it up to bring the two barrels together, for a composite group about the size of the individule group from the most open barrel! I'm sure you are aware of this, but a group consists of four rounds, and the correct fireing sequince is RT, LFT, RT, LFT, from cool barrels, and the four shots should be fired quickly. Before trying again the barrels should be allowed to cool. The rifle should touch nothing but you, it absolutely must be allowed to recoil naturely. Rest your hands between the rifle and any sand bag you use! If you have a cronograph use it! A crono is valuable for working up loads for a double rifle.

Hope any of this helps

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..Mac >>>===(x)===>
DUGABOY DESIGNS
Collector/trader of fine double rifles, and African wildlife art

[This message has been edited by MacD37 (edited 09-02-2001).]

The groups from each barrel shoot about 1-11/2" or less. Now this is only a 2 shot group from each barrel and the only the 2nd time I have shot this rifle. I shot right-right and left - left. The right barrel shoots about 2-3" higher than the left. I was shooting off sand bags with my hand under the forend and the butt was not resting on anything. This was about 50 yards. If the left and right could be brought together that would be nice.

I took a straight edge and put it across the stock. That looks nice but would it drop the comb too much? I'll probably keep "old humpy" like it is for awhile. If you order a silvers pad you might try the smaller one. I have the large silvers on mine -- it's ok but the smaller one from Brownell's might look a little better. I think they make 2 sizes.

How about that 9.3X 74? How is it working out for you? Have you chronographed anything out of it and would you use this for buffalo? I would love to have a double in that caliber with a scope on it.

Terry

A double is designed to shoot right, left and right left...It makes a difference.

Go back and try it that way before you try to fix something that ain't broke...

It will normally cost half as much as the gun to restock a double...I charged $2500 labor for mine, before I retired and thats about the going price.....

I looked at a photo of the stock in question and I believe you could cut the hump off and stay off the comb and it would be fine unless you plan on scope use. I cannot tell if it has any cast off, but it should...Merkel does use quality wood that I believe to be Turkish or at least European walnut, quarter sawn, and that has the best end grain, an important factor in double rifle stocking...

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

quote:

---

Originally posted by Terry P:
How about that 9.3X 74? How is it working out for you? Have you chronographed anything out of it and would you use this for buffalo? I would love to have a double in that caliber with a scope on it.

Terry

---

Terry all I have shot in the little Merkel is S&B factory ammo, with 286 gr soft points, but they shoot to point of aim, and group a RT, LFT, RT, LFT for four rounds is in the 3" to 3.25" range. They cronoed at an average speed of 2348 fps, with about +,- of 23 fps, pritty good ammo. I shot through a 3"x3" pine board+ a 3/8" plywood to hit a 3/8" steel plate behind them, and the S&B soft point almost shot through the steel, from 10 yds. If I had been useing a solid it wouldn't have shot through with ease,IMO! We will see once I get some Woodlieghs!

Nosler makes the 286 gr Partition in the .366 dia, and I love Partitions, but will work up loads with Woodliegh, solids, and softs as well.

I will probably get my butt bitten by Ray Atkinson, for pulling a stunt, which it would be, but I probably will take at least one buffalo with this rifle. UHHHHhhhhhhhhh perhaps two! My main dangerous game with this rifle will probably be large Brown Bear, in Alaska. I'm looking for a Ruger No1, chambered for 7mm Rem Mag now to re-barrel to 9.3X74R as a scoped partner for this rifle, for Africa. The reason I need the 7mm mag rifle is the ejector is for the same rim size as the 9.3x74R, and the barrel configuration is proper for the 9.3x74R as well, allowing me to use the quarter rib, barrel band, and front sight, from the old barrel.

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..Mac >>>===(x)===>
DUGABOY DESIGNS
Collector/trader of fine double rifles, and African wildlife art

------------------
Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Ray, this thing shoots really well, and I wouldn't be unduely alarmed if I got in the way of an old duggaboy with an attitude,having nothing else but this little double! Might wish I hadn't, but that remains to be seen. I think this would be a great rifle for following up Leopard, with the right loads! Colud be wrong there as well, hope not!

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..Mac >>>===(x)===>
DUGABOY DESIGNS
Collector/trader of fine double rifles, and African wildlife art

[This message has been edited by MacD37 (edited 09-04-2001).]