Hi!

The lion's share of the discussions here are around the larger calibers, DG and SxS doubles.

I'm curious to hear what smaller DRs you have, how do you like them and what do you hunt with them.
Let's keep it up to and including the 9,3x74R. (OK I'll allow the .450/400 as it seems to be popping up too rarely, also....)
And for sure also O/U users, chime in, please!
Don't forget the photos.

- Lars/Finland

.450-400, .350 no2 Rigby, .450 bpe, .500 bpe.
However, a .600 is coming to Africa with me in July.
Cal

I have hunted North America with doubles including 30-30, 8X57JR,41 Rem Mag, 9.3X74R, 450-400NE 3", 450NE. 45-70,458 RCBS, 500-450#1ex 470NE, and 58cal Berdan Carbine,and 577NE. for everything from coyote to Elk,caribou and black bear.
Those are the chamberings I can think of from 58 years of hunting with double rifles in North America. In Africa the smallest was a 9.3X74R the largest was a 470NE.
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FN-Browning CCS 25 in 9,3x74R for drive hunting wild boar and other big game.

9,3x74R in a Heym 88B

I've killed a couple of mule deer, culled a few sheep and shot some rock chucks with my Sabatti 45-70.

.405 WCF

Don't take much pictures while out hunting... this is a roe deer taken last year with my Krieghoff 9.3x74R. Scope is a Schmidt & Bender Exos 1-8x24.

The 9.3x74R is, of course, on the heavy side for small roe deer. This rifle is mainly used for moose hunting, I have also used it for driven boar hunting. However, I really like this rifle, and often take it out for roe deers and red deers as well.

I do not have pictures but I shot hogs with my 9.3x74 & one black bear with my 450/400,the bear was DRT,no howl nothing,I was impressed with that 400 Woodleigh soft!

Heym 80 B Caliber 9,3 x 74 R. Sold my Chapuis 8 x 57 R

Photo later

Morten

Bill73,
I too was impressed with the performance of the .411 Woodleight "soft" from my .405 WCF; it entered just behing the left rear rib of a Cape buff, passed through the heart and exited between the front legs!

More a small bore than a medium, but I've hunted deer with my .250-3000 1920s German guild DR. Never got a shot, but carried it a bunch.

quote:

Originally posted by crshelton:
.405 WCF

Nice rifle, is it a Merkel?

M-F,
Close - a Simson Suhl

Had a double rifle drilling chambered in 9x57R that I hunted with for a few years: cow elk, antelope and deer (and pheasant, grouse, etc.). Bought 8x57R brass, expanded with a .35 whelen expander ball, shot Hawk 250 grain bullets at a very pedestrian 2100 fps or so.

Was fun for a few years but not something suited very well to my type of hunting. Sure miss owning it but apparently the new owner loves it for bear hunting out of stands in Canada.

I have a Sauer Cape Gun in 9X57R / 12ga. that was originally sold by Muller who was an early provisioner in Cape Town. It is a great little gun for spring bear and turkey. It has a lot of barrel wear from extended over the shoulder "African carry". I'll bet it could tell some stories. How it ever ended up in a Kalispell MT gun show is a mystery to me.

I suppose by modern definition it isn't a medium bore but the ballistics of the 11.15 X 60R certainly do not qualify it for a dangerous game cartridge. I have a German double by E. Goldmann in Erfurt so chambered and on a Lefaucheux action from perhaps the 1870's and certainly no later than the 1880's. I use it for deer and hogs.

Sharps4590
Are you anywhere Bennet Springs?

Taken with my 9.3X74R.

Mine is just a boring old 9.3x74R, Chapuis UGEX that shots MOA barrel to barrel at 100 yards. No joke.

Lang .400/.360

I have taken my Springer 8X57JR Elk hunting but didn't shoot anything with it.
Next year it will be a Westley 400/350 No.2 or the Greener 360No.2 if I take a nitro double. Otherwise, I would like to bag an Elk or Deer with a BPE rifle either double or single shot.

Searcy 450-400. I've shot four buffalo with it, as well as a number of plains game. Love it! Here's my last buff from the Bubye Conservancy: That's videographer Danielle Stewart in the pic with me.

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Pigs - lots - in Mauritania in February 2016 with 8x57JRS





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crshelton, if you're familiar with Bennet Springs you probably know Rolla. Rolla is about 50 miles NE on I-44 and I'm about 8 miles SE of Rolla. So not too far from Bennet, maybe 1 1/2 hours from my house.

I spent a summer on a ranch near Lake Ozark when i was 17. We went fishing at Benner Springs as often as we could.

Working Rifle - Rebarreled VZ-24 Mauser:



IN 9,3x62:

A rigby 350no2


A Franchi 9.3x74


WR 7x57R

I have taken a lot of game with a 9,3x74R double rifle, including several bears, giraffe, cape buffalo, and elephant.

I also have a Heym 26B O/U in 30/30 that I really like. I have taken bobcat, 3 coyotes, several turkey, several deer, and several wild pigs with it.

I've taken Red Stag, zebra & cape buff with my 9.3 x 74R.

Geez, I've always thought the 450/400 was a "stopper", but apparently

it is considered a medium bore. I've taken buff, elephant & lion with my

100+ yr old Charles Lancaster 450/400. A great all-around caliber (IMHO)!

My son loves the 9.3 x 74R. Very versatile caliber. I think he was around 14 at the time of this picture.

Jan
Those are some nice looking baboons.
Tell your son, well done.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
Searcy 450-400. I've shot four buffalo with it, as well as a number of plains game. Love it! Here's my last buff from the Bubye Conservancy: That's videographer Danielle Stewart in the pic with me.

How long are the barrels on your Searcy? Do you know how fast your buffalo loads were going?& lastly,which bullets did you use? Thanks.

PM to you Bill73 on the information that you asked for.

Much appreciated thanks.

Use it for hunting sambar. Blaser BBF97 in 9.3x74R

And fallow if the dogs finds them

In Africa for DG regarding double rifles the 470 is no. 1 and the 450-400 is next in Safari camps, discounting bolt action rifles..

Ive used doubles in several calibers, the 450-400-3 inch is my all time favorite by a long shot..Ive shot many buffalo, a few Hippo, an elephant and stopped one charge cold, and interviened in two with an assist of two shots each..I have never seen the need for more gun..The .470 is impressive, the 500 recoil too much for what little difference their is in between it and the .470 in my opine..

I have no particular need or use for a borderline DG rifle such as the 9.3x74 however I have shot a few buffalo with the 9.3x62 and the 9.3x64 and they did the job, same with the .375 H&H.. I guess I just prefer the 450-400 or the .416s because it makes me feel better and that counts for a lot when my a$$ is at stake.

All that said bullet placement and construction is my only positive requirement..Caliber is only a preference with me, not written in stone.

Nice Variety of calibers....

I just bought a sweet little H&H Dominion in 303 British, great shooter...no blood yet.

Second medium is 405 Winchester in a nice little boxlock Francotte/Griffin & Howe. Canada moose last year....hopefully again this year.

Cheers,

quote:

Originally posted by mchughcb:


And fallow if the dogs finds them

Love the Teckel!

Great photos.