Does anyone have any experience/opinions on Searcy Double rifles. I am leaning towards the Deluxe Boxlock in 500 NE. Also there is a possibility that the recoil will be too heavy for my liking as I have never shot anything larger then a 458 Win. This will also be my first DR.

Use the search function and you will find all the info you are looking for. I don't recal ever seeing anything negative about these rifles. Butch is a class act and builds a great double rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by bulldog563:
Does anyone have any experience/opinions on Searcy Double rifles. I am basically on the verge of putting a deposit down this month and wanted to see what you guys thought of them. I am leaning towards the Deluxe Boxlock in 500 NE. I may go for the 577 but have been told that it is really not necesary for DG in Africa. Also there is a possibility that the recoil will be too heavy for my liking as I have never shot anything larger then a 458 Win. This will also be my first DR. I have posted on Nitroexpress.com and got good feedback, just wanted to check all the resources available to me.

Personally I would avoid the .577. Even if you can handle the recoil, humping that 14 pound rifle for 20 miles in 100 degree heat will be a miserable experience.

I have a Searcy field grade .500 x 3". To date I have used it to shoot 9 elephant, 3 cape buffalo, 1 bison, 1 bushbuck, and lots of targets. It always goes bang, and shoots well. Here is a 50 yard target shot with my .500.



SEARCY .500 doing what it does (my apologies to those who have seen the pics before):

I have a Searcy Deluxe .500 NE 3" and have only recently begun to load and shoot it.

With the quality of the rifle, service that I have received and close availability of the builder, I can fully recommend it without reserve.

Mine is an extremely accurate rifle but from what I have read, most of his are.

You should be very happy with one of Butch's rifles.

All the best,

Sam

Bulldog563,

Lots of positive feedback on Searcy here ... some from me. His rifles are accurate and sturdy. His service is simply superb.

The previous advice on the .577 NE makes really good sense. In fact, I have to ask if the .500 NE has enough advantage over the .470 NE to justify the additional recoil.

Try to shoot both of them and then carefully analyze the options. You really can go too big and doing that tends to make the rifles rather specialized and unpleasant to shoot.

These things are way too much fun to sit on the shelf or in the back of the safe.

buy what ever you think you would like more... i have shot both calibers and love both with my preferance given to the 577 but i also consider the 700 nitro a suitable hunting double rifle as i have owed one and hunted with it

it really hinges on what your phyicaly capable of.

There is a 470 with extra set of 12 Ga barrels in the classified section.

No offense, 700 Nitro, but did you spell as poorly before the effects of the recoil of 700 NE? If not, I think I'll stick with the .470!

Dan -- great photo! How did the hunt go this year? Sorry to hijack the thread!

Whitworth, it was fantastic! There is a thread about it in the hunt reports forum.

Butch makes excellent rifles that are the best value proposition in double rifles, and hewill stand behind them, if there is an issue.

since you are new here, you probably don't know who the recoil junkies are. You start the list with Rob and John and Neal.. then you put in Jeffe!!

I find the 577 NE obnoxious to shoot, and at 14.5-15.5# rather a drain to carry.

if you have not shot anything larger than a 458 win (how did you like that) the 470 NE is the paper/nominal match for that.. 500gr at 2150

my advice, worth less that what you are paying for it, is to get a searcy, in 470 or 500, upgrade the wood, and have a ball

jeffe

Bulldog If your going to get a Searcy I would get the order in before January. I sent my deposit about four weeks ago for a PH in 470. Two others who post here sent their's in right after me. I called Butch and he told me if I were to wait till after january it could take well over a year to get it, since most of his orders come from SCI. Then there is the rumor of the price increase.

I too ordered a Searcy PH model in 470NE (sent my deposit in September). I had a hard time deciding between the 500NE and 470NE (initially ordered the 500NE and changed it to a 470NE).

I have handled Searcy's doubles in Reno and this will be my first double rifle. He stands behind his product 100%.

As far as caliber choice I think you should get what you want.

Some of the reason I chose the 470NE are:

1. It is the most popular double rifle caliber and if I would ever decide to sale it - it would be more marketable and hold more value.

2. Northfork bullets are available for the 470NE and I really like their bullets in other calibers.

3. It will kill anything that walks and a bigger hammer doesn't make up for bullet placement.

4. Rifle weight is a major concern (as noted by others). You spend 98% of your time carring the rifle.

5. I talked to several people including several PH's who use the 470NE for back up work. They recommended it, too.

6. If you talk to Butch he will reommend the 470NE as his personnel choice.

MHC If you haven't done so already Midway has RCBS dies on sale for $199.99. I picked up a pair and a shell holder. Regular price is $245

quote:

Originally posted by KINO:
MHC If you haven't done so already Midway has RCBS dies on sale for $199.99. I picked up a pair and a shell holder. Regular price is $245

COOL!

KINO,

Thanks for the heads up!

maybe i dont like to edit my posts if you were joking haha.....very funny if you werent joking kiss my ass.

quote:

Originally posted by bulldog563:
Any other suggestions to expedite delivery would be appreciated.

Bribery.

yeah, no kidding

By the way that is a grest picture.

At what weight is a 577 N.E tolerable to shoot ?only interested in shooting here, not carrying !

I asked Butch about the wood upgrades as many here have posted it is the quickest and best way to improve. Butch told me that he has been getting some very nice wood in that he has been using. He told me he would e-mail photos when the gun is in production and if I didn't like any we could find nicer. He told me I could spend as much as I was willing on wood upgrades. So I guess the skys the limit and there is no set levels or cost break downs.

I had an interesting talk with a gun maker who makes doubles and he was of the opinion that no double "commercially made today" in the DGR class is good for more than 300 rounds before it's off face.
In other words, if it doesn't weigh 14 # it won't last. One man's opinion but his credentials are impecable.
I know a friend who sold a Krieghoff becsuse it was getting loose after 200 rounds of 470. It needed "reregulating".
I don't mean this as an idictment but as the guy told me "Don't expect to shoot a case of shells out of anything out there today and still have it tight".

Feel it is too bad that the .470 has won the popularity contest over the original .450 Nitro which is equally powerful and not as thick through the middle.

Dr. Duc
I have several hundred rounds through each one of my doubles.
Two British rifles made in the 1920's, and a 9,3x74R Chapuis.
All 3 of them are still as tight as the day I bought them.

quote:

Originally posted by bulldog563:
Do you guys think the Deluxe model is worth the extra 6 grand if I plan to keep this rifle for a llong time and in all likelyhood forever. How much does the wood upgrade cost on the PH?

If you amortize that extra cost over the rest of your life, then it will not cost you very much per month to get the rifle exactly the way you want it.

I think I said "commercially made today" and I don't consider the 9.3 in the same class as the 470, 450 or the 500 not to mention the 600 or 700.
The gunsmith stuck by his statement that to be reliable and durable a double in heavy calibers had to weigh 14 #.
I don't intend to get in a contest about it . It was just an observation. I'd buy a Beretta or even a Rizzini in 9.3. I have a Valmet 412 in 9.3 and it's had over a thousand rounds through it and still tight. It's just homely as a mud fence.

I have a Searcy .470NE field grade with over 2000 rounds through it.

Still tight on the face.

Where does this arbitrary 14# thing come from? Does said gun smith even deal with doubles?

I just took 3rd place at the western double rifle championships with that rifle. And I can guarantee you the rifle still shoots as tight as the day I bought it.

That rifle weighs 9.5 lbs.

I have to agree however, there are very few mass produced doubles capable of doing this.

quote:

bulldog563

Could you give me a ball park cost on what you plain on as a down payment....

There is a reason i ask.. i know someone that has One Hell of a good Searcy Double rifles
That you might want to talk to .. if he still is in the market.. i had to bow out on the deal .. but its a once in a life time deal and the rifle is a one of a kind somthing your going to hang on to till hell...Well you know what i mean ... case's are a bit on the high side but i do know were you can get all the bullets you want for is ..


Martin

Cough..Cough..700 Nitro..Cough..Cough..

i sold the 700 nitro 4 weeks ago to a gentlman from GA...........sorry.lol figures.

700 Nitro! Does that mean you will be changing your handle to 505 Gibbs?

465H&H

quote:

Originally posted by 700 nitro:
i sold the 700 nitro 4 weeks ago to a gentlman from GA...........sorry.lol figures.

Crap... that was just about the best deal i ever had pass by me ... and one hell of a double ..

Who was the overly luck SOB that bagged off the best buy of the decade..

Martin

there is a guy on here by the name os safarie kid...... he owens it...........

and no im gonna leave my name as 700 nitro cause knowing me ill end up with another 1. but in a single shot farquson.

quote:

Originally posted by 700 nitro:
there is a guy on here by the name os safarie kid...... he owens it...........

and no im gonna leave my name as 700 nitro cause knowing me ill end up with another 1. but in a single shot farquson.

There's two on GunsAmerica ones up for 69.000
the others up for sale at 79.000

Martin

Martini, thanks for trying but I am looking for something closer to 500. Just out of curiosity...about how much was this deal of a lifetime 700?

Kind of off topic but how does this New Member/One of Us thing work?

quote:

Originally posted by bulldog563:
Martini, thanks for trying but I am looking for something closer to 500. Just out of curiosity...about how much was this deal of a lifetime 700?

I think the owener posted that he would take $25K for the rifle, which cost $40K to get built and would run $50K to build today. But you gotta add to that the bills from your chiropractor and orthopedic surgeon.

ill work on your back for free............

quote:

I think the "owener" posted that he would take $25K for the rifle, which cost $40K to get built and would run $50K to build today. But you gotta add to that the bills from your chiropractor and orthopedic surgeon.

Somthing along those lines but its not up to me to talk about a priv/ sale.. the rifle's gone and what ever he sold it for is his busniess

Needless to say you will never find another deal like that in a million year's...
And i blew it.. ..Once again


Martin

quote:

Originally posted by MartinPotts:

And i blew it.. ..Once again


Martin

You only blew it if this is something that you ordinarily could achieve but due to error or neglect, failed to achieve it this time. So unless you are in the habit of buying rifles that cost as much as a new car, I would say you did not blow it at all.