I have lots of big bores rifles and two big bore doubles. I was thinking about picking up a 9.3X74R double. I know Ken sells Chapuis and Verney-Carron doubles in that caliber. (I have to say I am impressed with the guns in the Verney-Carron catalog.) Alex Roy sell Blasers. Can someone tell where you think you could get the best deal on a Krieghoff or Merkel?

sure as hell ain't gonna be cabelas if you've got a bit of time i thing the classifieds here will do about as good as you will get

Dave, you might consider an 8X57RJS double or Express rifle. I really do like mine!

As far as the 9.3 goes find a good deal and go with it. No matter which one you get, get it with a scope!

Rusty:

I have been exchanging e-mail with Ken regarding a Verney-Carron. They are pricey but the appear to be very nice guns. IDEALLY, what should a 9.3X74 weigh? I think most today are made too light. I think they should weigh at least 7.5 pounds which would put them right around 8-8.5 scoped and loaded. What do you think?

I got my Merkel from Ken. Somtimes he has them. The 141 Merkels are a bit light for 320g bullets unless you like recoil, but they carry like a dream. 8.5lbs is nice for heavy loads otherwise 7.5lbs is o/k but a bit lively. My 141 is 6lb15oz and 7lb13oz scope off/on. The Merkel has some nice features like the small size and weight, set trigger and adjustable regulation but the Chapuis has much nice build quality.
Look them all over before you buy and find what suits you best.

If you decide on a Chapuis do a search and try to find Dale's contact information. He is the guy who occassionly ran a Chapuis "group buy" on this forum although I have not seen him post in awhile. Fine upstanding gent to do business with. Last group buy price was about $4,300-$4,500 if memory serves me correctly for the UGEX with ejectors.

A double rifle chambered for 9.3X74R regulated with 286 gr bullets weighing in at 8.3 pounds like the Merkel 140E-1 (E= Ejectors) recoils enough to need a good recoil pad. Mine was fitted with a Pachmeyr decellatator and is a pleasure to shoot, and carry. I'm not one for very light rifles and a good scope added to this rifle would bring it close to 9 pounds. However most of my deer type rifles are in the 10 pound range loaded, and scoped, so the Merkel feels light to me. Ballance has a bunch to do with felt weight, and recoil. I find the new 141 Merkel, and the chapuis Ugex too light for the 9.3x74R, but that is a personal thing. All the rifles mentioned are good rifles, and the 9.3X74R cartridge is one of my all time favorites!

What ever floats your canoe is what you should buy!.........

I just got a Chapuis UGEX 9.3x74 from Dale Nygaard. Fits me like a glove - those were just about my exact stock measurements. With scope it was 5300. Got it for Christmas and the weather has been so poor that I've only shot it twice and it feels very nice.

Of course the ol' slippery slope....reloading...caribou hunt...Damn!

My Chapuis 9.3X74R has a much sharper recoil than my 450/400 3 inch. One of our members Watchman put a duck decoy weight in his butt stock and that really helped tame the recoil!

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:
I think most today are made too light. I think they should weigh at least 7.5 pounds

Nothing like taking a nice, light little double and trying to make a boat anchor out of it!

Oxon,

I've lost Dale's contact information. For all of us, would you mind posting it?

Rich

quote:

Nothing like taking a nice, light little double and trying to make a boat anchor out of it! Wink

Curmudgeon cakes, anyone???

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
Oxon,

I've lost Dale's contact information. For all of us, would you mind posting it?

Rich

Dale Nygard's website;

http://www.heirloomarmes.com/index.htm

Have one 9.3 in a Valmet 412 O/U and one in a Chapuis-- the Chapuis is my preferred rifle of the two , but the other several sets of barrels of the 412 make it quiet useful

I must second the comments on Dale...he is a class act, professional, and his word is good enough for me. There aren't many folks I will say that about.

Dave

I have been using a 9,3x74R Chapuis for several years.

I have shot more different species of animals with the 9,3 than any other calibre.

I have taken giraffe cape buff and elephant as well.

IMHO a scoped double in 9,3x74R is the best rifle/calibre under 40 on the planet.

The Valmet 412 in 9.3 X 74R is a fine gun indeed. I own the 9.3 X 74R along with several of the some 20 barrel configurations that Valmet made. The newest version is called a Finn Classic 512. All of the parts are interchagable, however they are more costly then the Valmet parts. I originally purchased the gun back in the 80's as a poor man's double, but lately I had the stocks fitted and I use it for Skeet and Sporting Clays. The gun is still a bargain, but I think the cat is out of the bag finally! Valmet pricing has climbed recently. The action has actually been copied by the "Big Boys"

Glenn