I suppose this will be old hat to you but I had the opportunity (and took it glady) to shoot the .470NE of Dr. Wirthlins, a poster here. He has an Austian made rifle and quite nice. Not being familiar with doubles, I'm not qualified to extoll it's virtues vs. other doubles but, it sure was a thrill for me. He started me out shooting cast/lubed lead bullets and reduced charges progressing to paper patched bullets with full charges (103 grs. 4831?) and finally Woodleigh and Barnes softs and solids with full charges. The only surprise came when I doubled a shot. I had been used to loading single rounds alternationg between the right and left barrels. At his suggestion, I loaded both barrels and decided I would fire the right (front trigger) barrel first followed by the left (rear trigger). What I didn't count on was the recoil making my finger slip off the front trigger and tripping the rear one about 30 milleseconds apart. I do feel good about the fact that I didn't let go of the rifle. It was a fun time and I wish I could afford one but, I'll never forget this good time. I envy you who own them and can understand your love affair with double rifles, they must surely enhance the African experience as well as their practicality on DG.

Doubling is a great teacher - it teeaches us not to do it again.

Stock fit is important in all rifles, but you don't really appreciate it until you get a double. Too long, and your finger slips from the front to back trigger. Too short, and you are a candidate for surgery.

If you ever think about owning a double, come to a DRSS shoot. All makes with a wide variety of LOP's. You'll find one that's "just right". And you'll never look back.

Masterrifleman, how is Leroy doing? I hope he got his stolen guns back.

Geronimo

Geronimo - No, at this point (or two weeks ago) he hadn't gotten any of them back. He is just getting over cataract surgery and only shot the "mouse guns" his son Roy brought along. That's why I got to shoot the "big one", he had a number of loads he wanted chronographed and Roy said he'd been beaten too bad by it in the past.

January 2006 was my first time shooting a DR. Mike Podwika, retreever here, was good enough

to meet me and after a nice breakfast we went to a nearby range and had at it. A - 1 experience!

He and I and others too have met up on subsequesnt dates to shoot Mike's and other's DR's. It's a

great world to be a part of. The more you do shoot them, the more you like them is my experience.

Just see how you like the biggest monsters, like the Father and Son Hawk's 577NE by Searcy. Unfor-

getable is the only way to describe it! A fantastic experience to be pursued by all DR enthusiasts.

I have to agree with the above posts. Doubles are addictive. I just love em. You start wondering if you really need that extra vehicle... a bigger house....you get the picture.

Alas you poor bastard....you should have NEVER picked up that Double Rifle. I used to be married once (or was that twice?) until that Siren stated calling my name. My new loves kick back but they don't talk back.

Materrifleman is a good sport. He shot the 470 D' Schulnig so we could chornograph the loads. He shot my son's 425 Westley Richards rifle rapidly.

I have never "doubled" shooting a double rifle. Do any of you shoot the left barrel first to avoid inadvertently doubling?

I have shot Dr. Wirthlin's .470 double and it is a fantastic rifle and would cost no less than $35K to $40K to build again today.