It isn't often anyone gets the chance to shoot two new double rifles, but I did today. I won't go into a long discussion; they are a Chapuis 9.3 just received from Dale Nygaard, and a Sabatti .450 with clean muzzles. The pictures of the rifles, and the targets speak for themselves. The only issue is that the Chapuis smacks my cheek like the time that jealous husband hit me, only that was only once! I will scope the 9.3 which should movc my cheek up off the stock. It has more drop than I like, and the .450 was much more pleasant to shoot.

Before I read the text I saw the pix of the Chapuis. My initial thought was is that a boat load of drop or is it an illusion. At the same time I also thought ouch! I bet it kicked like you owed it money. So, how much drop at comb and heel? What does it weigh?

Nice rifles. I wish I could get my hands on a Sabatti like that!

I can empathise with your Chapuis experience. I had a similar experience with a Chapuis 470 that belongs to a friend here on AR. He shoots it very well and dropped a zebra at longish range with a snap shot. But it booted my cheek, teeth and brain all the way up and back down again! I fired just 2 shots and I had a lump on my cheek that I was fingering for the next week!

I have a 9,3x74R Chapuis. I have shot more different game with it than ANY other rifle.

Like you, when using the iron sights, it is a little "rough" on my face. With the scope, it is very comfortable to shoot.

I have even killed giraffe, cape buff, and an elephant at 5 yards with mine.

The 9,3x74R in a double rifle is one great hunting calibre.

Nice rifles. Weird about the Chapuis. Both of mine have a comb that is to high that forces me to press my cheek down to get a good wack when using the stock iron sights.

How will adding a scope help? Wouldnt it make the comb drop down even further?

Good groups for a guy shooting upside down.

The barrels are parallel in the picture, so the drop on the Chapuis is real; adding a scope will require my cheek to not be pressed against the stock, thereby making it not smack my cheek bone. The cheek impact comes from the rifle coming straight back and my cheek being pressed firmly against an inclined plane coming backwards. The Chapuis only weighs 7 pounds; maybe less. The stocks on these are hollowed out and the barrels are thin; perfect hunting rifles.

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:
Nice rifles. Weird about the Chapuis. Both of mine have a comb that is to high that forces me to press my cheek down to get a good wack when using the stock iron sights.

How will adding a scope help? Wouldnt it make the comb drop down even further?

On mine, when lined up on iron sights, it kicked the piss out of my cheek/orbital bone. Now that its scoped, its much better shooting.

Glad to hear that scoping helped with the broken cheekbone, about which, today, mine is still hurting. I will call Dale right now and order a mount; BTW, if you want a Chapuis, Dale Nygaard is the man to see; custom ordered my rifle, got a slightly shorter LOP (I am 6 feet tall and the factory LOP is too long for me) and only took 3 months to get. Nice guy with which to do business.

My Chapuis 9.3X74R hurts my cheek as well with iron sights. The comb is just too high. Seems like with as many of us complaining about this, they might make a change! You'd think!!

Scoping the little double removes all the sore cheek issues but in my rifle, it was a pain to get it regulated. Some have been able to scope these rifles without any adverse affects.

They are great little hunting rifles! If only the comb was a bit lower and they got rid of that awful beavertail fore-end in favor of a splinter!

I agree; I asked for a splinter forearm but Dale said they wouldn't do it. And a straighter stock would fix the smashed cheek problems; I am glad I am not the only one who experienced this.

You can trim down the forend and do some reshaping of the comb. There was a post about that not to long ago.
Bill

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Cooley:
You can trim down the forend and do some reshaping of the comb. There was a post about that not to long ago.
Bill

You can, however it makes the stock look funny as the proportions change. I would have to remove about 3/8ths to 1/2 inch off the comb to shoot the irons properly. Before getting out the rasp I taped off the stock with blue painters tape covering what had to be removed. Removing any wood would of made the depth of the stock look way to small.
My 30R actually belts my cheek more than my 9.3. Plan on living with the 9.3 and the puffy cheek the way it is because it is so accurate but the 30R will be scoped soon. Laying both rifles side by side you can see the stocks are very similar.

Weird though, most common complaint about any Chapuis is the stock fitment yet they seem reluntant to change them. Maybe thats why we can still buy a new UGEX for around $4,500.

Yeah, trimming the stocks is a no go; firstly, all the checkering on the forearm will be gone. And although I have an electric checkering setup, I ain't that good. Secondly, the stock needs more wood at the heel, not less at the comb end. IE, make it straighter without so much heel drop; like the Sabatti in the picture. My cheek has turned from blue to yellow today and I am not a recoil sensitive pussy. No offense to cats.

dpcd
Have you considered bending the stock? I've bent 12 to 15 stocks, some straight hand and also a few with pow grips. It aint that hard to do!

That being said, all the ones that I have bent were solid wood stocks. I've no experience with thru-bolt stocks. No idea what that would add to the job.

It might be worth checking into. It's amazing how far some stocks can be moved.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Yeah, trimming the stocks is a no go; firstly, all the checkering on the forearm will be gone.

Maybe Mike Merker could do with Chapuis what he's done with Heym as in this thread:

Click Here

Of course it could be done if I wanted to spend another $900. Which I don't. I could make another one myself too for nothing. Bending? I don't know; the Chapuis buttstocks are totally hollow inside and have a throughbolt.

I picked up a pair of Sabbatti's awhile back and both shoot pretty good. Look nice too. One is a 470 and the other is a 500.