and replacement for aussie hunters.
If someone were crazy enough to use his big game double for most hunting, which in australia may equate to hundreds of shots a year, is he basically junking his rifle in short order?

Karl.

Karl
What is a rifle for, how long WILL you live???
If I wear out a set of bbls for my doubles... GOOD FOR ME I will have J.J. at Champlins fit a set of new ones.
P.S. That is a good reason to have at least two doubles, so you have one to shoot while the other is being re-barreled.

NE,
Two doubles!

You can see my question is from a 'one cheap double if I am ever lucky' standpoint.

I posted the question in a hurry as it suddenly struck me hunting can be more like culling here.

I'm talking a hundred hogs in a single weekend is not unheard of, and there are crazy guys who like to wear out 375's and other bigbores all year round doing it.

My question should have been, is the replacement cost for a doubles barrels anywhere near or related to the original cost?

Karl.

[ 05-30-2003, 11:12: Message edited by: Karl ]

Karl,
I think you can "resleeve" the barrel on a double rifle for $3-5,000 US. I have seen this process done by JJ Parodeau at Champlin Firearms in Enid Ok.

The cost of re-barreling a double with new bbls starts at about 7500US by J. J. Perodeau at Champlins in Enid Oklahoma USA. I have seen a couple of his re-barrel jobs and they look as good as the originals.

Karl if you are wearing out barrels that fast on game consider yourself lucky.

You might also take a look at the Blaser R-93. When you wear a bbl out you just remove the scope mount from the bbl, remove the bbl from the "reciever" and bolt on a new one. Takes less time to do it than it does to explain it. No trip to the gunsmith is required, all bbls fit all recievers.
I have had perfect service from my Blaser's.

No I'm not that lucky myself-I've never worn anything out to date..except people's patience maybe
The above was a spur of the moment consideration.
Thanks for the info.

Karl.

JOHAN Defended your Thesis yet? What it is it about.
Different needs require different guns.
For true hunting nothing can beat a double rifle.

But if someone is doing a LARGE amount of shooting, such as culling, varmints, target shooting, plinking, etc. he can wear out a bbl in a short amount of time. With the Blaser you do not have to go back to the gunsmith. You can even have extra bbls already scoped and sighted in ready to go.
If you shoot 300 rounds a weekend in one year that is 15,600 rounds. Depending on the calibre that is several bbls.

JOHAN
Yes there other switch bbl/takedown rifles, but the Blaser is the "easiest" to use. The scopes stay on the bbls [thus still sighted in] and you can change from the 222/223 size case head to the 375/416 Magnums, and the 28ga. too.
Plus the bolt throw and magazines are specific to the respective family of cartridges. I have never had a failure to feed in any calibre with my Blaser's.

What are your specific grievances with the Blaser System. I mean you do not have to like it but....WHY HATE??

Karl,

If you could afford the ammo to wear out a set of double's barrels, you could afford a new set of barrels. That said, the barrels are the most exspensive part of a double due to regulating them. If you get one of the less exspensive doubles, you'd be best off selling it for what you could get, and buying another one.

With the amount of shooting some of you blokes do, I think you should be looking more dowards a belt fed weapon then a double

If you use cast bullets and reduced loads in a double, the barrels won't wear out and you can easily afford to shoot 10,000 rounds.

Johan,

The defence was a "walk over" for me. Someone commented that it was one of the best lestures they'd attended lately. The committee got involved in talking about the thing and they forgot to tell me the result .

Two hours later they walked out the door. My major prof did a double take, and then apologized all over himself.

After the wait, the words "Congradulations, Doctor" were a VERY welcome relief!

Over prepare, keep your cool, and try to enjoy the endeavor. It's really the first time you get to present your stuff to colleagues.

Back to the topic ...

What is the reasonable expectable life of 470 NE barrels with full power loads? 2,000-3000 rds or higher?

mstarling,

This is not a doctor thesis but a Bachelor thesis. I have beed up with other thesis I have written in Business and it have done just fine, but I'm still nervous

/ JOHAN

Johan,

Sorry for the inaccurate assumption, but Congratulations on the defense ... still a VERY, VERY significant event. Much of the advise still holds true. Get enough rest before hand, and give it your best. You'll do very well!

Karl, I have doubles that are over 100 yrs old, that are in pristene condition, after a whole life time of shooting! And they were used for most of that time with CORDITE, which is hard on bores, while a new rifle today useing modern smokeless powder, at proper pressure levels is not especially damageing to the barrels, and would last much longer that those old doubles have. The key is useing the proper loads, and how well you take care of the rifle!

Any reasonably well made "NEW" double will out last you, as long as it is not chambered for rounds that post too high pressures. No matter, the age, a break top double rifle is 19th century technollogy. Even though some chamber rounds like 375 H&H belted Mag, and 458 Win Mag, these are not suited to the double rifle, and will soon show bad habits caused by the pressure!

A new double rifle, chambered for the flanged rounds that were designed for doubles, and single shots, and combination guns, when loaded to the proper levels of chamber pressures, will handle your massive shooting in Aussie Land. One word of caution though, as with any rifle don't shoot so long as to over heat you double. It is bad for a single barrel, but absolutely death to a double. A double was designed as a hunting rifle, and that is it's only true purpose. No more than six shots in a string, then let it cool. the barrels are thin, and heat quickly, this is not only hard on barrels, but if over heated is hard on the connective tissue between the barrels, and ribs!

All I'm saying is, load your double properly, and care for it properly, and your grand kids will be shooting it, when an oppresive government takes it away from them! Of course that may not be too long, come to think about it!

Thanks mac. As I have said my post was dealing with the gravest extreme so to speak. With the replies outlining the longevity in the right circumstances, seems someone using a large bore double will be replacing his teeth before the barrels.

On my list of reasons to convince myself why I can not afford a double, I have unfortunately eliminated yet another one

Karl.

[ 06-02-2003, 18:44: Message edited by: Karl ]