I'm a DR wannabe and have a couple questions. When looking at the rifles available out there I see both ejectors and extractors. Can someone give me some opinions of why you prefer one over the other and the things one should consider when deciding which to get.

Thanks

D

It's just money. If you can afford ejectors, get 'em.

Heyms can be ordered with an ON/OFF switch.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the two?

If I were to buy new I would get ejectors if they were available. Even if you want only extractors, the ejectors can be deactivated so they work as extractors. If you decide to sell the rifle later, the ejectors will make the rifle easier to sell quickly.

There are only two reasons the old hands wanted only extractors! #1 because most of those old hands were Elephant hunters, and liked to get deep into the herd so they could drop as many as possible for the ivory. The very metallic ping of the ejectors marked their position for the Eskaris, and not only pointed the hunter’s position out, but gave the whole herd a position to avoid in their escape. Today, one rarely shoots more than one elephant at a time, so the ejectors do speed re-loading a little. #2 The biggest reason folks today want extractors is so they don’t get that very expensive brass chunked into the weeds, and makes the rifle much easier to close after a re-load because the rifle doesn’t have the re-cock the ejector springs. The rifle is re-cocked on opening and the springs, for the ejectors, are re-cocked on closing, so there is some resistance and “CLICKS” both ways.

The ejectors, as I said earlier does shave off time in the re-loading of the rifle for shots three, and four, but not appreciably so. Today most hunters may never shoot even one elephant, and if he does, they usually will be on separate safaris. On Buffalo which is the member of the big five that most hunt, the ejector, or extractor double rifle is simply a matter of personal choice. However the one place I see a real need for good working ejectors is for follow-up on the cats, because here, one needs all the advantage he can get because these things are usually encountered at very close range, and speed is as important as straight shooting, but not more important!

The rifle bought with ejectors can be made into an extractor rifle, and also be made back into an ejector rofle by removing and reinstalling the ejector springs. However the extractor rifle cannot be made to eject easily, and requires a fairly extencive modification.

SO!, It all boils down to what ever you want, double rifle are good either way!

If I found an older English double that I really liked, I wouldn't be too concerened if it didn't have ejectors. On a new rifle, I would get them for the reaons Mac detailed above.

465H&H

After owning both my conclusion is if the rifle comes with ejectors take them. But if you have to pay extra for them pass.

Thanks guys,

Mac's explanation helped me understand what I was looking for. Now if I can just figure out how to fund the project I can start inquiring about calibers and such.

Hey Mac, make up your mind. Do you need ejectors or not?

Extractors are cheaper. Same reason Remington made their push feed.

An extractor gun will be a bit easier to close as it won't have to cock the ejectors. Buying an extractor gun to save two or three dollar brass on a fifty thousand dollar jumbo hunts seems a little absurd, don't you think?

In the vast majority of cases the double never gets reloaded in an emergency so it probably doesn't matter but it matters to me. Get ejectors if you can.

Agree Will, at the range, fine, wory about the brass but in the field, I think we should concentrate on putting the animal down as quick as possible and worry about picking up the brass later.

I do tend to drop my hat or something where I started shooting so I know where to look.

Get a DR with ejectors or or you my as well save your money and buy a single shot rifle.

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I do tend to drop my hat or something where I started shooting so I know where to look.

That way I'd loose my hat too!

If you want your brass, send the tracker back.

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Originally posted by Will:

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I do tend to drop my hat or something where I started shooting so I know where to look.

That way I'd loose my hat too!

If you want your brass, send the tracker back.

Almost done that a few times (lost my hat) LOL.

Then again, Water buffalo tend not to go as far as elephant !!!

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Originally posted by dirklawyer:
Get a DR with ejectors or or you my as well save your money and buy a single shot rifle.

That's a bit strong. But tell me, should that be a single shot with an extractor or an ejector?

If you practice, you can be as within a split second as fast with
an Extractor gun as you can with an Ejector gun.

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Originally posted by Grenadier:

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Originally posted by dirklawyer:
Get a DR with ejectors or or you my as well save your money and buy a single shot rifle.

That's a bit strong. But tell me, should that be a single shot with an extractor or an ejector?

I'm just seeing who's goat I can get, I own an extrator SxS myself along with my ejector rifles. But to answer your question ejector single shot for shure.

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Originally posted by Will:
Hey Mac, make up your mind. Do you need ejectors or not?

I have both, and, in my case I can re-load just about as fast with one as the other!

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by Will
Extractors are cheaper. Same reason Remington made their push feed.

The difference here is that the extractors came first, and the change was more costly when they went to ejectors, unlike Remington, who went to pushfeed was simply a cheap way to make the bolts on thier rifles, going from CF to the less desirable cheap PF.

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by Will
An extractor gun will be a bit easier to close as it won't have to cock the ejectors. Buying an extractor gun to save two or three dollar brass on a fifty thousand dollar jumbo hunts seems a little absurd, don't you think?

As stated earlier, the reason for prefering extractors by the old ele hunters had nothing to do with saving brass. The #2 reason is a modern concept that is not realistic IMO! As you say the brass is cheap compared to human remains shipment and funerals. Even if the brass is a concern in the bush, it is easy to collect the spent brass with out going to an extractor rifle. Simply open the ejector rifle letting the brass hit you in the belly, and droping at your feet. with this method there is no need to take your eyes off the target!

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by Will
In the vast majority of cases the double never gets reloaded in an emergency so it probably doesn't matter but it matters to me. Get ejectors if you can.

That may be so with elephant, but it is certainly not the case with Buffalo, or the cats, and in the case of cats my choice is ejectors. I like the old switch that Heym used to disengage the the ejectors for the range use! By the way, when is your double rifle book coming out? I want a signed copy to go with your first book!

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By the way, when is your double rifle book coming out? I want a signed copy to go with your first book!

It's a book about eles and John Taylor, with a few pics of cute doubles thrown in. Within three months. I'm just about done. Just need to find the money to get it printed!

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Originally posted by Will:

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By the way, when is your double rifle book coming out? I want a signed copy to go with your first book!

It's a book about eles and John Taylor, with a few pics of cute doubles thrown in. Within three months. I'm just about done. Just need to find the money to get it printed!

Great! Let me know when it is available, looking forward to it!

I am an ejectors man. If I need to reload the last thing I want is to take an extra minute to dig those empties out before I can reload.

Rich
DRSS

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Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
I am an ejectors man. If I need to reload the last thing I want is to take an extra minute to dig those empties out before I can reload.

Rich
DRSS

Rich,if your double rifle is chambered for a flanged "REAL" NE cartridge, you don't have to dig the empties out, simply raise the muzzles up, and they fall out! The cartridges are tapered enough that the extractor moves them far enough out of the chambers that the sides of the case is free of the chamber walls, and they slide right out. That is why they were designed that way.

I like Ejectors for most hunting, especially if I would following up on a cat! However, they aren't but a split second faster to reload than an extractor rifle, if at all and a lot more noisy. Heavy recoil is far more slowing for re-loading a double than the extractor/ejector factor.

The one case where ejectors are a must, IMO, is if the double rifle is chambered for a rimless, or belted rimless cartridge! Just like a push feed bolt rifle, that is a double that will never be in my hands for a DGR, unless I have no other choice, and so far I have a choice. So, in my case, the thought is a moot one!

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Originally posted by Will:

If you want your brass, send the tracker back.

On that abject, during my last Ele hunt I asked the trackers to find my 425 cases. After about five minutes they returned saying they found none, so as the Hornerber cases are quite expensive and we had time I decided to look myself. Ten minutes later I had my four cases and the trackers earned less of a tip.

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Originally posted by ozhunter:

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Originally posted by Will:

If you want your brass, send the tracker back.

On that abject, during my last Ele hunt I asked the trackers to find my 425 cases. After about five minutes they returned saying they found none, so as the Hornerber cases are quite expensive and we had time I decided to look myself. Ten minutes later I had my four cases and the trackers earned less of a tip.

Maybe you should have told them to look for Horneber brass instead of Hornerber. They were probably confused.

Speaking of confused, I heard one time if one in on the grass in the southern hemisphere, brass is invisible to the naked eye. Just what I've heard.