I have been talking to Dale about a UGEX in 9.3x74. I am trying to deside about the option of getting the 20ga barrels for the UGEX.

I will have several of my SxS shotguns listed in the Double Gun Journal, if everything goes well, I hope to finally cross over and become a full fledged DRSS member.

Keith

Question:
How many of you ordered the extra set of 20ga barrels and which ones did you order?

How many wished they had ordered the extra barrels?

Choices:
Got them and love the way they shoot.
Got them and wish I had just bought a 20ga instead.
Wished I had ordered them.
No regrets with just the rifle barrels

 

Keith
As you know I really like my 9,3 Chapuis, and I have hunted with it quite a bit, including Texas, Montana, Idaho, Canada, and Zimbabwe.

I wish I had a set of 20ga bbls for mine, as then I would have had a SGN with me on several hunts were I could have used it, as it is much easier to carry a set of bbls vs a whole gun.

This would have been especially good on my Montana and Idaho bear hunts and on my first 2 trips to Zim.

I love my Chapuis as well. I've used it on deer and hogs in Texas and plan on taking it to colorado this winter for some elk hunting. It's light, accurate, aesthetically attractive, a real killer, and has little recoil. Could ask for better.

450 No2- Someone on the biggame forum suggested I seek your advice on 9.3 loads for the chapuis. As of yet, I've shot the norma orex 286 grainers as they are what my rifle was regulated with. I assume he was talking about you, but I might be mistaken. Any advice is useful.

Also, I wanted to know if you've used yours on cape buffalo. I'm going next summer tu hunt buff, and I don't know whether to shoot it, my 416 remy, or my 470 merkel nitro express (don't know if I'll feel confident/safe with it). I'll probably choose a double regardles if the opportunity presents itself

maddenwh
I use 65 gr of IMR 4831 with 286 Woodleigh Softs and Solids and the 286 Nosler Partition.

All 3 of them shoot to the same place out to 200 yards or so. At 300 the Nosler shoots the best and a bit flatter.

However if I had to pick two bullets It would be the 2 Woodleighs.

I have taken a buff with the 9,3 Chapuis. It is the only buff I have killed with one shot, a 286gr Woodleigh Soft at @60 yards, frontal chest, on my biggest buff, he was down and dead in less than 40 yards.

I also took a cow elephant at 5 yards with a side brain shot, 286 Woodleigh solid.

On all 3 of my Safaris I used my 9,3 for plains game, with my 450 No2, or on my 3rd Safari my 450/400 3 1/4".

My wife was on my 3rd Safari and I used her 308 Blaser on a few animals, just so I could say I killed stuff with a Blaser in Africa.

Is your Chapuis scoped?? If so I would take it and your Merkel 470. That would be an excellent pair.

I used the 9,3 scoped for thatr particular cape buff as the Ph said we would get a shot at last light, he was correct, the Swarovski 1.5-6x42 with the circle dot illuminated reticle proved perfect. The reticle was "turned on" when I made the shot on that buff.
I do not think I could have done it with iron sights.

I shot the elephant with iron sights.

I have shot quite a bit of plains game with the 286 grain Woodleigh Soft and the 286 Nosler Partition, both have performed perfectly.

Zebra are pretty tough and my 9,3 has killed over 20 of them.

I think the 9,3x74R Chapuis, with a scope in QD mounts, is one of the best hunting rifles on the planet.


I would pick my 9,3 Chapuis for use on buff or elephant over ANY 416 bolt rifle.

I didn't answer the poll because I got my Chapuis second hand from another source. It came with 20 ga 3" barrels in a fitted canvas and leather case.

Over the years wing shooting has been the most exasperating experience for me. Just don't seem to be able to judge leade very well. Even with a lovely 12 ga Citori White Lightning it was no fun.

Some years ago, I went to Texas to hunt pigs and I was invited on a bird hunt at the Rio Brazos Ranch. Had never fired the Chapuis as a shotgun. Even so I took it to minimize the number of guns I had to transport.

The pig hunt went well, with the scoped 9,3x74R doing its job well ... one piggie DRT.

We went to the bird hunt and had a WONDERFUL day! They warmed us up with clay pigeons. Missed the first one, but used the second barrel to hit it while it was still in flight. There after I missed VERY few birds (clay or other wise).

We took home the biggest pile of quail, chukkar, and pheasant I had ever seen. I probably killed 70 birds with 75 shells.

Every dog has his day if he lives long enough ... and I will remember that hunting day for the rest of my life!

The Chapuis as a shotgun is simply marvelous. One single day is not the measure of a shotgun's performance ... but it has since been shown that for me the Chapuis is the right prescription for bird hunting! I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Mine was the "problem child" Chapuis from the early 2006 group buy that wouldn't regulate the rifle barrels. It's still back in France to get re-regulated (apparently the entire country takes August off for vacation???).

The few times I did shoot it with the 20 guage barrels I appreciated that it would be an AWESOME handling shotgun.

Given my other experiences with the 9,3x74R, I think the two-barreled set is pretty close to an anywhere/anything tool. If it can be made to regulate.

I think the French are singularly talented at finding an excuse to "take off" work...Ils n'aiment pas traveiller. (spent some time there). I got my chapuis in late 2006, but it was regulated perfectly. I assume that yours didn't come with the regulation proof or target...? Sounds like a giant pain in the ars.

mine is the second "problem child"... but according to dale, its on its way back to me....with triggers repaired and release lever issues addressed/repaired....tip burns installed the QR scope bases on mine a couple weeks ago, so i'll get to shoot this week...any houston area shooters wanna protect us from dangerous water jugs this weekend???? ... hog killer???....i got plenty of ammo....and as far as the poll, i'll have a pair of 20 ga bbls fitted this next year....

Jimatcat, you have a PM.

mstarling, go ahead and vote even though you bought a used Chap. Which barrel lenght and chokes do you have? Weight as a shotgun?

LRH270, did you vote? Same question, which barrel lenght and choke. Weight as a shotgun?

Keith

I voted. Simply have no use for a shotgun.

My Chapuis' shotgun bbls:

76mm chambers
27.5"
R bbl marked F
l bbl not marked but it appears to be Modified
each bbl marked 15.8 proof
Weight as a shotgun 7 pounds 4 oz.

Serialized with the same number as the frame.

Thanks Mike, I do find it curios that the right barrel is the tighter choked. As the left barrel on most SxS shotguns has the tighter choke. Maybe it is a "Euro" thing?

Keith

Keith,

I took a look at doing the same thing a couple of years ago. There are a number of options with the shotgun barrels that are price add ons - length, rib, certified for steel shot, etc. By the time I added up what I wanted, the barrels were a couple grand if I remember correctly. For that money, I figured I could buy a new SxS shotgun like a Kimber and get a new case from Storm that holds two doubles.

Things may have changed since then.

Jim, I think that you would be able to buy 1/2 of a Kimber SxS for that money. Or you could buy a Huglu and two gun take-down case and bunch of ammo.

It would be neat to have A rifle/shotgun combo, that you could literaly hunt the world with.

Keith

26", improved and modified.