OK in the past I used to make comments about SXS vs O/U double rifles.

Well I have totally changed my opinion.
SEE you CAN teach an Old Dog, new tricks.

It happened 3 years ago at SCI when I was helping Chris in the Heym Booth.

He had brought in a Heym 26B in 30/30 and 9,3x74R.
I had actually shot the 9,3x74R 26B the year before. I had other 9,3x74R's so the 30/30 really cought my intrest.
On the deer lease I hunt shots under 100 yards are the norm. If fact the way I hunt shots are usually well under 100 yards.
And I likd short light rifles, so I had to have the "little" 30/30.

So I bought it, scoped it with a 4x Leupold Compact and started hunting with it.
I have killed 3 coyotes, including one at 166 yards, lazered, several deer, several wild pigs, including one @ 225 lbs [he dropped to the shot], and a turkey.

The rifle was regulated with Federal 170gr SP but shoots Hornady 160 Lever Evolution, just as good as well as several other 30/30 ammo.
The scope mount is QD, goes on and off, and returns to zero 100%.

In short it had become one of my most favorite hunting rifles.

I hunted the first 3 weeks of Nov and I used it to take 2 wild pigs and a deer.

One of the pigs I shot after dark. I had to hold my flashlight under the barrels to see the pig and was able to make the shot.

So I decided it needed a better scope. I mounted a 1.5-6x42 Swarovski with the illuminated ciircle dot reticle. This is one of my favorite scopes ahd should help a lot for low light pig/varmint shooting. I still have the Leupold 4X Compact in mounts for a spare.

So I am Eating Crow.
There is nothing wrong with an O/U double rifle.
Even if your eyes are like this oo vs like this 8...

In fact in calibres 9,3x74R and under the O/U has a lot going for it.

I have also shot the 26B in 9,3x74R, 30R Blaser and 8x57R.

It is one sweet little hunting rifle.

A Heym Double Rifle in 30/30?

I'm sure it's a really nice rifle but isn't that like putting a lawnmower engine in a Ferrari?

I really don't mean that comment to be disrespectful. Not at all. I'm just surprised to hear that Heym chambers a double in that caliber.

Todd, no offense taken.

I too was suprised when I saw it in 30/30.
For most American Hunting use the 30/06 would be a better choice. you can never go wrong with the 30/06.

But for me, and where I hunt, the 30/30 makes perfect sense.
The 26B is short, light, and the 30/30 has extremely low recoil.

The way I hunt there, a shot to 200 yards would be rare, most are under 100 yards. For deer and pigs, turkey, and coyote, at those distances, how much power do you need?

I have killed deer, pigs and coyotes with my 450 No2, and 450/400, and 9,3x74R Elephant guns on this lease as well as the 308 a bunch, a 405 WCF, a 375 H&H, and a 300 Win Mag...
The 30/30 works just as good.
I could have got the 26B in 7x65R, 30R Blaser, 30/06, 8x57R, or 9,3x74R. Great hunting cartridges all, a lot more versitile/powerful than the 30/30.

Truth is if I was going to use it all over the USA or World Wide I would have picked a more powerful caliber, take your pick...

But for my Texas deer/pig lease [also considering the other calibers I have] the 30/30 just sounded perfect.
Three seasons of hunting have confirmed it to be a great choice.
When you shoot an animal, since the recoil is so low, you see the reaction to the hit. You never loose the animal in the scope. In fact the crosshairs do not rise more than an inch or two over the impact point. That in itself is pretty cool.

Interesting.

NE 450 No 2,

Nice rifles, went and looked them up. Your money, your choice, it is nice we have so many options and you found a nice tool for the job.
I could see myself owning one of these in the future.

The one I have has the all black reciever.

I recommed you do not handle one...

Once you do, you will have to have one.

I think a 30/30 in a double sounds fun. Rimmed and readily available at just about any gun store in the US. Certainly not one for dangerous, but just fine for most others.

my o/u in 06 will shoot 1" groups out of consecutive barrels all day long, another in 9.3x74 does about 2-2 1/2"

I have two O/U DR'S,I have shot the 458 lott a lot,it is one of my favorite rifles,short pipes,very quick,very accurate,shoots everything from a 350 gr to a 500 gr bullet very well,I would have no qualms buying another O/U,if the price was right

Agree; nothing wrong with an O/U. I often use either a sxs or an O/U, without reservations, depending on hunting conditions, etc. I don't like a scope on a sxs, but I don't mind one at all, on an O/U. When I need a scope, for quick stalking shots, to see the antlers on deer quickly, for example, an O/U does it for me. I have no trouble at all, transitioning from O/U to sxs, whenever I want. Works for me! I have both O/U and sxs in .270, .30-06, 8x57R, 9.3x74R, and a few other calibers, in Austrian and German doubles for deer/elk, and I love them all. Have big bore ones for going after the bigger stuff!

The problem has never been accuracy or whatnot and the single plane barrel is fast and accurate. The problem has been that the OU tends to make the bottom barrel awkward to load in a DG rifle, like during a charge and historically has got folks stomped it appears...The long arc of the O/U seems to cause human error to multiply under stress. I have seen this a couple of times with the good superposed shotguns, its happened to me, but I did survive and killed the charging quail..

I've owned two double rifles chambered for 30-30 Win, both were home builds, and both worked very well for what I built them for!

The first one was built on a SKB 20 ga shotgun action, and sported 20 inch barrels! The other was made from a 20 ga S/S Laurona shotgun, and also with 20 " barrels. I regulated these two rifles perfectly with Wincherster Western 170 gr ammo, and both would print 4 shots two from each barrel on a standard playing card @ 50 yds.

These two rifles were specialty rifles for following bear and lion dogs in the mountains of New Mexico, and were light to carry, and very accurate, and were the nuts for knocking a black bear, or Cougar out of a tall Pondarosa Pine tree.

I've always said the double rifle makers are missing a big share of the market in the Southern USA by not making a short barreld 30-30 double rifle in a Pick-up gun finish! Every dog man in the USA would have one!

I've always thought a .30-30, or even better yet, a .303 British, double would be a lot of fun.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
I've always thought a .30-30, or even better yet, a .303 British, double would be a lot of fun.

Well as you can tell I agree with you and MacD37.
The nice thing about a 30/30 double is that you can find ammo anywhere, even WalMart, and it is very cheap.

I have not found the 30/30 to be lacking in killing power, for the game I am hunting.

Tony, will you have your 30-30 in the Heym booth in Dallas?

Mac: I for one would love to hear more about your double-building adventures!

quote:

Originally posted by Antlers:
Tony, will you have your 30-30 in the Heym booth in Dallas?

Yes, and it will be for sale too!

quote:

Originally posted by Antlers:
Tony, will you have your 30-30 in the Heym booth in Dallas?

NO Definately not.

In fact I will hunt with it in Dec and I will bury it at a secret location on the lease...

Otherwise New Guy will sell it out from under me.

Mine is not for sale.

However we will have some Mod 26B's in the booth you can see. They will be in 30/06 and 9,3x74R, but we can get you a 30/30 if you want, and some European calibres too.

Tim - Tony brought a red dot sight of his to SCI last year, and I sold it without asking him (gotta please the customers, right?)

Of course I replaced it with a new one, but he was not happy about having to sight in the new one... so it's a bit of a joke between us now about me selling anything he brings to the show.

Another thing I really like about the 26B is the scope mount. It is a one piece base, 1" or 30mm rings and it has 2 throw levers, making it Quick Detach. And it goes back to zero.

But Tony, the problem I see in all of this is that Thanksgiving is over, therefore no big meal of crow is in the offerring until Christmas. You'll have time to kill a big crow by then!

quote:

Originally posted by AfricanHunter:
But Tony, the problem I see in all of this is that Thanksgiving is over, therefore no big meal of crow is in the offerring until Christmas. You'll have time to kill a big crow by then!

Actually there was a bunch of crows in my barn pen just a little while ago, I should have shot one of them...

Are you and the wife comming to DSC this year?

quote:

Originally posted by new_guy:
Tim - Tony brought a red dot sight of his to SCI last year, and I sold it without asking him (gotta please the customers, right?)

Of course I replaced it with a new one, but he was not happy about having to sight in the new one... so it's a bit of a joke between us now about me selling anything he brings to the show.

LOL! Watchim Tony, he's liable to sell the shoes off your feet while you're not looking..