thinking about a double rifle for a future cape buffalo hunt. i am left handed. money is a factor. i know there are some reasonable chapuis and v-c over unders in 9.3x74. i know chapuis makes a sxs in 9.3 for a little more. but the 9.3 is not always a legal minimum caliber. i have also seen some bigger o/u's but they are at the top of my money range and not always looked on favorably. what are my best options?

what's your budget range??????

Hunting for dangerous game is not a place where you want to scrimp on quality. A 9.3x74R left handed Chapuis double is probably the perfect choice for your circumstances if the caliber is legal for buffalo where you hunt. Many cape buffalo have been killed by this cartridge, and the advent of bullets like the Barens X triple shock and CEBs make it all the more potent.

If not, you may want to consider a Ruger #1 single shot in 450/400 3" NE. While not a double, it is still a classic design, quality is superb, recoil is low, and the no cast stock suits a lefty just fine. You can find them for sale on line for around $800 - $900 with rings. I have one, and it is a real tack driver. The 450/400 is also a superb round for buffalo. I killed a buff and a tuskless with my Searcy 450/400 double on my recent hunt in Zimbabwe.

Good luck finding the right rifle!

Mangwana

Thoughts from a left hand shooter in a right handed world.....First you have to define what you need from a left handed gun, for me its mechanics and fit not always in that order. If you have been shooting break action shotguns then most of the guns that you have been shooting that are made for the general public the Top Lever opens to the right.
Stock fit is more important and can be more of a problem, cast off or in the right hand world cast on is needed to have the gun come up properly but if the stock is straight you can make do. Cast can be achieved by bending the stock or re-inletting the stock at the action. cheek pieces look good but are not necessary if they are on the wrong side and it does not bother you no problem, if it does and if you are handy with a wood rasp it can come off in a moment. while you are at it you can take a little extra wood off the right side of the stock and get your cast.
I have been buying and shooting SxS shotguns for a long time and it being left handed or right handed has never slowed me down if the gun does what I want it to do...
Good guns to me are animate in-animate objects, if you put ten double guns on a table one of them will wiggle her hips and call my name. If my heart was set on a 470NE and I found one that i liked and was with in my budget new or used I would ask my self these questions..
(used is it mechanically sound)
Can I make the stock fit my dimensions, length of pull, cast and height of comb. If so it's a good chance it's coming home with me...
Best of luck, dreaming of new guns is a wonderful past time

P.M. sent with a lead to a left-handed Searcy .470 at a good price.

thank you all for your replies.

quote:

Originally posted by ddrhook:
what's your budget range??????

What he said. No one can offer you any advice if they do not know your budget for the rifle.

I'm a lefty as well. My 2 cents : if you are looking at a new double then fit is critical and having the stock built to your dimensions is a must, make sure you select a caliber that is legal for what you want to hunt and that you can shoot well, practice, practice and then some more practice. As has been said above you do not want to scrimp on this gun. Your budget will dictate your potential selections.

Don't discount looking for a used double. There are not a lot of left handed used doubles that surface but every now and then they do. Call Chris at Heym, JJ at Champlin, Kebco or any number of the folks that post here that deal in doubles and ask them to keep their eyes open for you. You might get a lot more gun for the money going the used route. Cheers.