Which do you prefer and why? Is one more accurate than the other at ranges of about 100yds-150yds?

I've no experience with either, but my inclination (seeing as you have a 500NE if my memory serves me correctly) would be the 375FL. Load it up for PG and have a wonderful pair for a mixed bag double rifle safari.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
Which do you prefer and why? Is one more accurate than the other at ranges of about 100yds-150yds?

At those ranges you would be better off with a 375 FL...it has much less drop past 100yds than a 450/400.

George:
I've shot all of my 450-400's at 100 yards as well as one of my 450 3 1/4's. As long as they are sighted in at that range you should have no problem as they pack more punch than the .375. Just my experience.

I am not planning on buying one-just entertaining the thought.
Would the 400gr bullet offer an advantage in penetration?

quote:

Originally posted by Dutch44:
George:
I've shot all of my 450-400's at 100 yards as well as one of my 450 3 1/4's. As long as they are sighted in at that range you should have no problem as they pack more punch than the .375. Just my experience.

Dutch,did you have better accuracy with the 450-400 than the 450?

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:

quote:

Originally posted by Dutch44:
George:
I've shot all of my 450-400's at 100 yards as well as one of my 450 3 1/4's. As long as they are sighted in at that range you should have no problem as they pack more punch than the .375. Just my experience.

Dutch,did you have better accuracy with the 450-400 than the 450?

George, accuracy has nothing to do with the caliber of any cartridge! What it effects is the trajectory being flatter with one than the other. Many 450/400s are more accurate than some 375FLs but the 375FL will always shoot flater than the 450/400 making it easier to learn the hold at longer range!

The 450/400 3 inch is one of my all time favorites but if I were in your shoes, I would buy the 375Flanged magnum, simply because you already have the 500NE for any of the big bad boys, but the 375FLmagnum is legal for the same animals as the 500NE in most areas, but shoots flater so will be easier to lern the hold over for very long range.

The big draw-back with the 375FL is availability of brass being harder to get than the 450/400 3 inch. Still the 375FL mag is best for your combination in my opinion!

I agree, but you can't go wrong with the 450-400 either. It is one of my favs too. But I do not have a 375 DR; I will have to rectify that. But I have had several 9.3s, which is close. And far away from the .400.
Hell, get one of each.

Kewn Buch (Kebco) or his son (Blackburn) has a Verney Carron DR in 375 VC; a flanged cartridge that moves a 300gr bullet at 2,800 fps or so. He has it for $9,999...seems like a great deal.

I don't want to buy anything.If I bought one it would be a Searcy.

quote:

Reply

One may shoot flatter and farther than the other but with the range limitations with an open sighted double, it's a moot point.

The question is not range but what one intends to hunt. The .450-400 if the game is to be larger due to the heavier bullet.
Cal

This question also niggled me for quite a while, so I bought both and never looked back!
(Searcy Classic 450/400 3" and Verney Carron .375 Flanged O/U - both capable of carrying a scope or red dot)

If I did not have a big bore, I would go for the 450/400 - similar to a 404 Jeffery - but in a DR.

Also sheer nostalgia - I always wanted a DR in that caliber.

The 375 Fl is a great caliber but I can get similar results from my 9.3X62 Simson & it also has the nostalgia factor of being made before 1912!

George:
I shot consistent 100 yard two shot left/right with original Kynoch 450 3 1/4 ammo and would print 1.9 inch groups to 2.2 inch groups.

The 450-400 3 1/4 shot 1.3 to 3.5 inch 100 yard groups depending on which rifle. The above was all from the bench, of course. My reloads in the 450-400. JJ regulated my last one and it gave him 1 inch at 50 yards of which he was happy as was I.

I don't think that the caliber denotes one's ability to shoot great groups. My WR hammer .500 NE shot one inch groups for my pastor (who hated the recoil and never fired it after that first outing) at 50 yards and I was able to put 5 of 6 shots in 1 3/4 inches at 50 yards with the 6th shot opening up to 2 1/2 inches.

quote:

Originally posted by subsailor74:
This question also niggled me for quite a while, so I bought both and never looked back!
(Searcy Classic 450/400 3" and Verney Carron .375 Flanged O/U - both capable of carrying a scope or red dot)

Have you used any in Africa? Does the Searcy have the long bar action?

George:
My .450-400 (which you have referred to as garbage on past occasions) has taken game well past 150 yards to include several caribou, lion, leopard, hippo, croc, sable, warthog, nyala, water buffalo, white tail deer, poacher's dogs, and more.

While I know my rifle(s) could never equal yours, the caliber is a wonderful all-around cartridge for any and all game.

As a side bar question, are you sending a copy of your video to me as requested?
Cheers,
Cal

I'd love a double in .375 Flanged, for sentimental reasons. Many years ago at a sportsman's show in Portland, Oregon, I stopped at a booth run by one of the Colorado Duckworths, representing the East Africa Safari Company. He had a big Cape buffalo mount in the booth, and he handed me an old off-face double in .375 Flanged and said, "swing it on the buff." I did just that. It was the first time in my life I had held a double rifle. I was enchanted. That single encounter led me to find this Web site and register back in 2000 -- and the good folks and great advice here led me to Namibia in 2007.

Searcy makes a long bar model that costs a lot more than his normal lower end rifles.

He also made a Rigby rising bite after programming his CNC with a donor rifle to copy. I wonder how that rifle turned out.

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:
Searcy makes a long bar model that costs a lot more than his normal lower end rifles.

He also made a Rigby rising bite after programming his CNC with a donor rifle to copy. I wonder how that rifle turned out.

If you are going to SCI this year,Butch will have my .500NE rising bite sidelock on display - let us know what you think.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:

quote:

Originally posted by subsailor74:
This question also niggled me for quite a while, so I bought both and never looked back!
(Searcy Classic 450/400 3" and Verney Carron .375 Flanged O/U - both capable of carrying a scope or red dot)

Have you used any in Africa? Does the Searcy have the long bar action?

My Searcy 450/400 is not a long bar action, but I have taken a buffalo and a tuskless with it in Zimbabwe. The .375 flanged is yet to see action.

The rising bite side-lock should be something.If money were no object I would order a field grade with a screw grip action and chopper lump barrels in 500NE and one in 450-400NE.Since my goal was to hunt with only one rifle I am happy with my current one.Also the more I hunt with it the more I want to stick with just one.Also have a bolt Lott being near completion and want to use that along with my double on my next hunt.

If one were to be fortunate enough to have a 450/400 which shoots well with the 75% rule you would have the best of both worlds.
Cal, what velocities and accuracy have you found running 300gr bullets in a 400?

Come by the booth in Vegas. We will have both, and you can compare them side-by-side.

I settled on the 450-400-3" many years ago as the best of the best, and found it more than suitable for all game..I only recall one time when I shot a buffalo beyond 50 yards so I never put much stock in wanting a long range double rifle..Any of them are suitable for 100 yards IMO but you need to practice with them at a 100 or even a 150 and know their trajectory for sure...

If I had any notion of wanting a big bore for 100 to 150 yards, I'd opt for a bolt action in a .375 or .416..

Ive played with and shot a 375 Flanged and a good friend of mine uses it for buffalo, and finds it suitable, I have seen it used on buffalo and it sure killed them..A .375 flanged or a 9.3x64 is certainly a couple of fun guns and I would hunt buffalo with either one, but the 450-400 is my favorite double caliber.

As far as flat trajectory? I can't tell the difference in any of the double rifle calibers, they all shoot about as flat as the next, unless you get plumb anal about it, and call inches into play. Comparing drop at 100 or 150 yards with the usualy double calibers is a waste of good time from a hunters stand point, its too close to call..If your bored and don't have a real job, it would be a so so project!

quote:

Originally posted by Huvius:
If one were to be fortunate enough to have a 450/400 which shoots well with the 75% rule you would have the best of both worlds.
Cal, what velocities and accuracy have you found running 300gr bullets in a 400?

Velocity increase of 275 fps. accuracy from 2" at 50 yards to 3-3 1/2" at 50. Not perfect, but fine for inexpensive plinking.
cal