Once again, it was a great time! Always fun to be able to put faces with the posters Nickname.
Due to the weather the pigs were hold up during the day and most of the serious hunting was done via spotlight.

Friday night Jim Manion's 470 Heym accounted for one pig. 700 Nitro took a pig with 450#2's Blaser 375 H&H. Another was also taken, but I'm afraid I can't remember by who? Sorry!

The good food and drink was only exceeded by the excellent company of those who came to make the event a joyous occasion.

We had a couple of range sessions. One Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon. Below are some of the pictures of Saturday's range session.

What we all came to see.








The only known unaltered picture in existance of 400 Nitro Express shooting a non British double rifle with a scope! Bal's Chapuis in 9.3X74R. A wonderful double to shoot!



BobC and his double

Hog Killer and my 450/400 3 inch


Good to see old friends

Class photo!

I am proud to have been in such fine company, once again.

Thanks for the pictures and report -- glad you had a good time despite the heat.

Very glad everyone had a good time. Thank you for the pictures!

Sure would like to have been there. Still packing to leave for Tanzania on Tuesday. Fifty pounds for each piece of luggage is a bit tight.

You know, you know you are addicted to AR when you are sitting at DFW airport, waiting for your flight home from the DRSS, you access the AR website via your blackberry and you "borrow" the use of the guy's laptop who is sitting in the Admiral's Lounge next to you to reply to Rusty's message.

Yeah, I had that much fun.

I know I'll type more up when I'm back and settled in Virginia, but for now I wanted to post a few highlights.

First, the .577 that I have been waiting for for 16 months arrived this week and this weekend I got to hear and feel her bark.

She is one mean bitch.

But not as bad as I feared. I am going to ENJOY shooting her more. Most of the guys who wanted got the opportunity to shoot her this weekend, and I have to say one of the highlights was seeing our very own 700 Nitro double her.

Yes boys and girls, 700 doubled the .577.

And Perry, you ain't getting off easy either. PWN375 doubled my other DR, my .500 NE.

More to follow later.

A double doubling of doubles? Quite an event! I don't suppose there is video?

Yep we have started a sub group within the DRSS.
The Double-ette! There are currently three members,
Myownself doubled a 470 last year
700 Nitro the only man alive to double a 700 NE
PWN375 who doubled 577's 500 Merkel!
The Double-ette's shirts are colored black and blue!

Well I only went up on Saturday for the range session, and one fabulous meal, and Tony's safari video. I could fill ten pages with all of the fun and comraderie that went on in just the few hours I was up there....

Highlights...

shooting Doc52 and 577's new 577..violent, but you can't take the grin off your face... raw power.

shooting about a dozen fine double rifles...

enjoying the compliments from everyone who shot my DR... it's in about 4 of those pics above..

Meeting a fine bunch of fellow enthusiasts, for great conversation, great knowledge, and some plain stupid remarks now and then...

I did video Jim Manion shooting the 577, I'll try to link it up... sorry Jim, but the look on your face after you shot it... I had to share it..

We'll try to plan one in a little cooler enviroment next time...

See ya in Dallas... I'll miss Reno this year...

Well it lookes and soundes like everyone had a great time. I can't imagin doubling a 577!!! now who will be the first to double the 700

Bill

What a great turnout and from the looks of it you guys had a great time. I sure wish that I could have been there. Well, there's always next time. Perhaps by then Butch will have my DR ready. I envy each of you.

Doug

PS Paul, your rifle turned out beautifully. Well done.

To the DRSS, I want to thank all of you guys for a great day will y'all at Camp Cooly.

Doc52 & 577NE, what can I say except, WOW what a ride that Searcy gives. Thanks again for your generosity letting me shoot that fabulous work of art. The recoil was not nearly as bad as I figured it would be. That experiance will truely be remembered.

To Tony, Rusty, Mark, and all of the rest. Thanks for sharing your DRs and increasing my education of and for DRs. My wanting for my own DR(or 2) just got much worse.

470CapstickA2, thanks for the ride up, enjoyed it.

Hog Killer

i had one hell of a time and cant wait to do it again.....

some nice hogs were taken by jim manion....rosco and my self......tony(450 no 2) and frank martiez if im missing a person who shot a hog i apologise.

and a very important rule that i must tell every one .......DO NOT SHOOT A 577 WITH WET SWEATY HANDS WITH YOUR FINGER ON THE FRONT TRIGGER!!!

oh and tony that was one real nice 3 pound coyote you shot with your scoped double rifle.

oh and i shot my pig with a r93 bolt action.....

quote:

Originally posted by 700 nitro:
and a very important rule that i must tell every one .......DO NOT SHOOT A 577 WITH WET SWEATY HANDS WITH YOUR FINGER ON THE FRONT TRIGGER!!!

Well, when a lefty shoots a right handed double.....

Hog Killer

Way to go men, I hope to join you in the future! Congratulations to the new 577NE owners!

ya hog killer that would also help.......oh well it was still fun next time i bring some firpower for you boys to try out......forget the asprin bring the tylenol 3's

Gee, Al, I can't wait to see that video, now that my eyes are able to focus again .

Let's not forget that JudgeG had the opportunity to spear one of the local hogs, but was within 100 yards of an occupied building so had to pass. I believe Frank has a picture of that "hunt".

What a great time. You haven't lived until you have hunted hogs at night doing 25mph through a cow pasture.

The DRSS met over the weekend of September 11 to 13, 2006 at Camp Cooley Ranch ( http://www.campcooley.com ) for a weekend of camaraderie, shooting double rifles and hog hunting. There were over 20 guys in attendance over the weekend.

Alen Merdzo, Camp Cooley's wildlife manager, gave the DRSS a great deal for a weekend at the lodge that included a number of hogs per person.

Camp Cooley's hunter's lodge served as the basecamp for the weekend. The lodge was more than adequate for our needs, with the exception that we had more guys in attendance than beds, so a number of members had to find alternative lodging. The lodge had a large common room with large kitchen, two refrigerators, two stoves and numerous tables and chairs. There were three bunk rooms, each with two bunk beds. There were four showers and toilet facilities and a washer and dryer for washing clothes.

The majority of us arrived on Friday early afternoon. new_guy and 700 Nitro arrived the evening before and got the food and drinks put away. (The DRSS owes new_guy a BIG THANK YOU for taking the lead on getting the food and drinks for us! And NE450No2 and 400 Nitro Express cooked two meals and deserver another BIG THANK YOU for delicious meals! THANK YOU GUYS!)

The better park of the day Friday was spent talking, meeting the new DRSS members who were attending their first weekend get together and looking at the double rifles that were in camp. The number of double rifles covered both of the large round tables in the common room in the lodge. (Frank Martinez, a professional photographer and DRSS member, was in attendance as was the official photographer for the weekend. When he gets back home and gets settled, I'm sure he will post additional photos.) 700 Nitro was the only guy who was brave enough to go hunting during the hottest part of the day.

By early evening, around 6:00 PM, we all made our way to the river bottom area of Camp Cooley (a 15 minute drive) to the area where we would do our shooting. Alen errected a back stop with plywood and we propped it up against a dying tree. Within minutes the doubles were loaded and the gun powder was burning. We shot for about an hour and a half (or so), each of us having the opportunity to shoot our own guns and other DRSS members' guns. This is one of the aspects I love about this weekend - having the chance to see, hold AND SHOOT different makes and calibers of DRs.

And during this time our .577 was unleashed for the first time since taking possession of her four days earlier. Loaded with 750 grain bullet behind 125 grains of RL-15, this 13.6 lb chick really barked. Doc52, my old fart, shot her first. Between the burning gun powder and Texas heat, the barrels heated up big time and I had to wait an additional ten minutes or so before I fired her.

Shooting her was a religious experience. BUT, I think my .500 NE in my 10 lb Merkel "hurt" my shoulder more than the .577. I'm going to really enjoy shooting her more.

A number of other guys shot her that evening, but the memorable moment was when 700 Nitro stepped up to bat. 700 Nitro is a south paw and was shooting it as such. The .577 is for a right hand shooter. 700 Nitro pulled the front trigger (for the right barrel) first, the recoil caused him to pull the rear trigger at the same time. Now this is a guy who had a .700 NE DR and has a single shot 2 bore rifle. He can take the recoil of big guns and when the .577 doubled 700 Nitro held on to the gun and took the recoil like taking a kick to the nuts. When it doubled, the barrel didn't jump up, but rather the gun cause him to turn his whole body 90 degrees to the left.

But it was the look on his face that was most memorable. A true "holy f---!" look.

After the range session ended, we returned to the lodge. Alen and one of his guides took a few guys out that evening to hunt hogs from the ranch vehicles over spotlights. I think three hogs were taken that evening.

As the hunters were in the field, most of us stayed in the lodge, watched NE450No2's safari video from last year and spent the evening talking and looking at DRs.

Tony cooked an AMAZING wild boar should roast with potatoes and carrots. The meat was fork tender was a wonderful flavor.

The next day, we were up at oh-God-early and hit the fields to drive for some hogs. I hunted with Rusy and 400 Nitro Express. We saw a lot of cows close to the creek bottoms, but the hogs eluded us that morning. After about two hours, the temperature started to rise so we headed back to the lodge to cool off, re-hydrate and eat breakfast.

Scambled eggs, bacon, sausage and biscuits were the fare of the morning.

We were joined by Keith and Steve from Dallas, two new guys to AR, 470CapstickA2 and Hog Killer came up from Houston and PWN375 drove down from Oklahoma for the day.

Around noon we all headed back to the range area and burned a lot of gun powder. The joke at the range was the amount of money spent on ammo during that session could have paid for a plainsgame hunt in Zim!

It was during this session that PWN375 doubled my .500 NE. (What is it with guys doubling MY rifles????) Frank has a photo of our three "doublers," each of them holding the two rounds of the caliber they doubled. (As Rusty mentioned, he was the first doubler, receiving his mark of honor at the last DRSS hunt in April 2005.)

After the range session, 400 Nitro Express made a thick, juicy ribeye steak dinner with baked potatoes and asparagus with hollandaise sauce. An amazing meal - thank you Mark!

We took the obligatory photo of all of the rifles in camp. Frank took a number of photos, as did others, so I'm hoping they will turn-up on here shortly. But in brief, we estimated that we have over $300,000 in rifles in camp.

Alen took a number of hunters out to blinds and feed plots early in the evening, and I know Frank got a hog, NE450No2 got a hog and coyote, but not sure who else got one that evening.

When night fell, the guides took some of us out on the ranch vehicles to hunt over spot lights.

Sunday AM, we got up, had breakfast and mingled in the morning. Doc52, 700 Nitro and I had a flight to catch in Dallas later that afternoon, so we left around 11:15 AM.

It was a GREAT time, in the company of GREAT guys who share a common interest. I thank each of the attendees for a great time and I look forward to the next weekend when it is cooler!!!!

what is the chance of having this meeting later in the year? It would be much cooler!

Doug,
I have done 3, on the 4th AR group hunts... let me tell you, it's rough getting everyone's schedules to work.. in fact, you have to moer or less say "this is the day, here's an invite, pleae come"...

I hope they do one in Feb... that way I might have my double done.


steve,
I've stood behind a doubled 577... thought it was going to corkscrew the guy in the ground.. how bad are you bruised? Richard was lacken for 6-8 weeks and had a calified spot for awhile

Here are some misc photos.





Doc52's first shot fired from the 577.


400 Nitro Express' ride on the 577

Nice Pictures, and looks like everyone had a great time! Sorry I couldn't be there, but my treatments have simply left me with no tolleration for heat. My wife walks the 40 feet form my front door to my mailbox to check the mail, in this heat.

This is the only place, I know Of, where you will see that many double rifles, of all makes, and chamberings, that are available to hold , and shoot, in the world today. That alone is worth the trip to Camp Cooley. These guys shot more double rifles in one, or two days than most PHs will in a life time, and this is the kind of thing that will tell you quickly which type, and chambering you want to buy. It may even tell you you don't want to buy any double rifle, but I doubt that!

I started this thing back in about 2000, with a, spur of the moment Eland hunt at camp Cooley, to blood a new double rifle, and the next year it was Myself, PWN375, Rusty, 400 Nitro Express, and PWN375's uncle Mike! It has gotten bigger each year, and has included folks from several states, to what it is today. I predict, it will get bigger, by next year. But lets have it in October, so it is less than 200 degrees, and most of the guys will have come home from Safaris, so they can attend!

Wish I had been there guys, and I can't wait to see the rest of the pictures, and hear the different perspectives!

.......A big TEXAS welcome to all you guys from other states!

This is my story and I'm sticking to it!

Rusty, as one of the founders of the DRSS along with 400NE, is very concerned with educating new members and double rifle owns of the "dos" and "don'ts" of loading, shooting and caring for your new toys. Therefore, last year at the first new member out-reach hunt, Rusty, being the kind guy and consumate Texas gentleman, stepped up and demonstrate for all in attendance how you SHOULD NOT grip and fire a large caliber double rifle. That demonstration really impressed the members and pledges in attendance and, to my knowledge, no one double a rifle for the remainder of a rather lengthy shooting match. Now we come to this year and the abundance of new members and new rifles-some of the rifles being huge caliberand potentially dangerous to hold and fire without the proper procedure. So, what does kind hearted old Rusty do. He asks me to demonstrate the shock effect doubling a 500 nitro will have on the central nervous system of a small human being. All of you know my regard for Rusty and being unable to decline the request of the Grand Master, I stepped to the line and did my best to snap the stock on Paul's fire breathing beast. To all who were concerned about my health (ie, only Paul who was afraid if I died he wouldn't be able to collect the money a new stock), I am able to type this message today so long as I keep my right eye closed and use only my left hand.

Great weekend guys. Thank you to all the guys who let me burn some powder through their toys.

Paul and Doc52, the 577 beats jumping out of planes on the excitement scale. What a great feeling having that beast go off and finding it still in your hands when you are done. I need to find you and elephant hunt just to see that bitch smack the largest land mammal.

Perry

Here is a photo that I took of the arsenal at Cooley this year. Someone took note of the guns in order, so maybe they will post it.

This very well may have been the only time in history when this many doubles were on one hunt at one time.

I can always count on Perry to step up and take charge!

577 and Doc,
I what to thank both of you for allowing me the opportunity to fire a few rounds with the new 577. It was something I will never forget. Correct me if I am wrong, but there were 4 new doubles fired at this event....of these 3 were fired by new shooters! I want to thank Mike, Mark, Tony and several others for the knowledge you shared with our group. Tony I would love to spend another weekend learning shooting techniques from you...from pistols to doubles...no doubt you have this game figured out. Judge, I want to thank you for keeping all of us rolling on the floor with your jokes. Paul, thanks for the great Cigar's. Mark, Rusty, and Tony...your cooking was fantastic. Chris...thanks for doing the food shopping. I could go on forever....I look forward to the next event.

The DDRSS, Doubling Double Rifle Shooters Society, is a much smaller and more exclusive group.

The motto is: If you're gonna to be stupid, ya gotta be tough.

Perry

I find it elitest and discriminatory that no one has yet mentioned that my new double rifle was the most accurate one there.... but what do you expect since I really spent the big bucks?

What a great time! Mac... have you found your keys yet. That'll teach you to keep me awake all night!

I vote for Feb. next year.

It was a great trip. Anybody who left early missed Tony's telling of dealing with escaped gorillas. I think those were just vicious rumors that's he's been spotted around the zoo with a 458 in the trunk and a pair of bolt cutters near the lion's cage!

We shot more Sunday afternoon and Tony got bored with 50 yds so we backed up to the next available shade tree at 125 yds. New guy planted a pair about an inch and half apart with his 470 (iron sights and 125 yds, for God's sake), 1st try. I think he considered that paper well shot, as somehow didn't need to shoot more to test out those irons.

You've heard the zen question, what's the sound of one hand clapping? The DRSS version is 'How can you start a truck in Texas with the keys in Georgia?'

Great time, guys. Bob

BTW, it takes a great set of gonads to show up at the DRSS with a Baikal o/u in .308.

I think that Bill75 a/k/a Bal, has to cook some Indian food next time. I went on line and read some reviews of his restaurant in Grand Rapids. The guy is holding out on us. He's quite the chef!

this must be why there are not elephants left in Texas

Actually I think ws Chris[newguy] that wanted go back to 125 yards.

I like to shoot my doubles at 6 yards or less.

Judge did show up with a Baikal o/u in 308.
I shot that rifle several times and it did indead shoot pretty good.
I would like to have shot it at 100 yards and played with the bbl regulationg wedge.
The triggers were noty bad at all, and it handled and felt good.
WE, the Judge and I shot 2 different loads through it and they both did good.

If they can ever get the sxs 45/70 doubles looking that good and on the market they will sell like hot cakes.

The real reason this hunt/shoot was conducted when it was, is because Doc and 577 wanted to try out their new 577, and so did the resr of us.

It is a very nice double. The balance and handling is very good. It is neither butt heavy or bbl heavy. The rifle fits me pretty good.
The wood/metal fit and finish is very nice.

The kick of the rifle is not bad at all.
Notice I said "kick".
"Kicks" are supposed to be painful.
The 577 did not hurt my face, shoulder, or bang the second finger of my trigger pulling hand [the right].

The rifle does have a lot of recoil.
It shoves you back hard and far.

Not as hard and far as I thought it would.

I also shot a 500 Merkel that new guy has for sale, [more about that later], and I found the "kick" of the 500 to be worse, but the recoil of the 577 to be less, if that makes any sense.

When hunting with the 577 I would probably not even notice the recoil.
You must have the proper stance however as if shot off balance it might push you a step back causing you to trip over something and loose you balance. It is just a matter of physics,
With the proper leverage or mechanical advantage even a car can be pushed over.

I cannot wait to see ya'll shoot a pig with it.

new guy brought a 500 Merkel that he has for sale.
It is one of the nicest Merkels I have seen.
The animal engraving is nicely done.
As a bonus the rifle is fitted with claw mounts, and he has the rings for it.

I shot this rifle and it shoots good.

I do not think I would want to shoot full power loads with a scope on a 500, however with loads of my 75% rule or for fun with pigs a Nitro for Black load the scope would be great.

I have shot 3 different 500 Nitro's, and must admit their recoil with full power loads is above a 470.
The 500 comes back faster than a 470 or the 577.

For me I find recoil speed to bother ME more than the amount of "shove".

Several people that fired the 500 and the 577 that I asked all said the 577 was worse, for me I would rather shoot the 577.

Recoil is a subjective thing.

Shooting at game I doubt you would feel the recoil of either one.

That 500 Merkel is a nice looking double.

Big Five Jack, take notice.

The Heym 470.

There were 2 Heym 470 rifles present.
Jim, rifle fit me a little better than Chris's did.
Several different times I have been able to handle 4 or 5 new doubles by the same maker. They all feel a little different. Some always fit me better than others.

Both were put together very well and handled very good.
While my trigger finger has never been wacked by the front trigger when shooting the back on any double both rifles had this feature and it is a nice one.
While not a splinter fore-end the Heym is small enough to feel good to me.

I shot Chris's Heym with full power loads.
The double did not hurt my shoulder,face or bang up my hand.

You will always see me refer to the above, as recoil is a subjective thing. One DRSS member says my 450 No2 bangs his face while other rifles do not.

This is why I always recommend you fire the double rifle or at in the case of new made doubles one just like you ar planning on buying.

Chris shot his rifle at 125 yards, sitting, at a hard target to use with iron sights and both shots could be covered by my hand.

When Heym gets the 400 Jeffery guns on the market, I think they will be great sellers.

To be very honest!
I approached the get together at camp cooley with some trepidation,I had no idea what to expect,I had never done anything like this before,in fact I am new at this sport,I have shot only for the last three years,I got my double only weeks before this event,I had no idea how I would be recieved!
Much to my surprise & delight,this was the finest bunch of guys that I could have wished for,the courtesy,comraderie that I experienced at camp cooley,I will soon not forget!
If I went to get educated about doubles,it was a great investment of my time & money,if I went to make new friends,it went better than I could have hoped for,I have tremendous respect for you gents,I felt right at home the entire time & thoroughly enjoyed the company the good food,the hunting & the shooting.
I thank you for your generosity for letting me shoot your rifles,needless to say I am looking forward to the next time we get together!

JudgeG,
thanks for the kind words,the food was delicious ,Mark & Tony did a splendid job of it,I would be happy to pitch in with them for the next time!

What a time we had! The only person I had met prior to the hunt was Tony. It was a great experience to finally meet some of the fellows who I have relied upon to educate me in the subject of double rifles. I know I had a wonderful time throughout all the activities and I believe everyone else feels the same. The knowledgeble, experienced people, the chance to handle and shoot a wide variety of double rifles and other fine weapons, the friendships developed and continued, and the hunting camp environment combined to make this experience certainly unique. Thank you to all who attended. It was a wonderful time for me and you made it so.

Mike

I was one "fortunate" enough to shoot the Hawk's new Searcy .577. I took careful aim with a good hold on the beautiful rifle.

BOOM! and my right hand knocked the snot out of my nose... and that's not just a idiom. Before I could shoot the second shot, I had to clean my glasses. But with a firm grip with my left hand, the second shot was much less like getting a jab from George Foreman and really not that bad.

Actually, and Mac and Tony might agree, I think my 4 lb. 9.3x72 stalking rifle gave the sharpest whack of the entire group of rifles.... well, maybe not the .577 or a .500.

New Guy's .470 load with 540 grain bullets at 1350 fps or so was amazing. I was able (probably luck) to hit two metal targets (a chicken and something else) at 50 yards in about two seconds. Recoil was about like a .30/30 with a recoil pad. What a pleasant way to practice.... and that New Guy is a fine shot, BTW. That 125 yard group wasn't a fluke.

One lesson learned from shooting so many rifles was that recoil is nothing but relative. By the end of the shoot, picking up a .475 N.E. with a full-house load and banging away was a non-issue recoil wise. It was just plain fun.

And Bill74... a gentleman like you is always welcome most anywhere. After you left, we unoffically voted you the "biggest smile" award. You just couldn't wipe it off your face. It was a pleasure and you'll have some friends for life.

I'm glad to hear everyone had a great time. I sure hope I can make the next one.

470CapstickA2 and I will be having our own double rifle pig hunt in a couple of weeks; we'll probably try for some doves also, but I think I'll use the Beretta 12 gauge for them.

I'll have mucho ammo for my double when we meet up Lhook7.... I'm not sure what days off I'll have around labor day, but I'm gonna try my best to meet up with you...

JudgeG, I'm glad you enjoyed shooting my Coggie.. for those who don't know, I met JudgeG only this year at DSC when I bought my 475... he owned one only a few serial numbers off of mine... he told me great stories about his gun, and then gave me all of his old 475 ammo and brass so I'd have some stock to start reloading. I made sure he got the first shots of anyone on Sat's range day when I got there..

I'm always thrilled when someone else shoots my gun and appreciates and enjoys it as much as I do... everyone comments how mild the recoil is and how well it feels and shoots... gentlemen, those were full house loads, 480 grainers at 2100 fps, I had no reduced loads..

So here's to the DRSS and DDRSS, a finer group of enthusiasts you will not meet...

Now if I can just figure out why my shoulder and neck are tender... oh yeah, shooting about 15 doubles might do that... but how many people can only dream of a day that we had, we are truly blessed and fortunate in many ways...

470CapstickA2,
I personally found your rifle to be one of the best looking doubles at the shoot,I am partial to case coloring & your rifle had some real pretty colors,I enjoyed shooting it & was also surprised at the mild recoil,I liked the sights as well,me not wearing glasses & they were still easy to see well