I have my new Searcy double in 450 NE and just learned to post pictures. The rifle is 9.5 lbs and as slim as a young lady. A beautiful rifle. Butch is producing great guns. What we call yankee ingenuity. Searcy rifles are accurate, makes you wonder why the europeans can't compare.

Beautiful rifle. Congrats.

Let us know how it shoots.

Great looking DR! I have a 450 on order with Butch now but still have about 8 months to wait... Can't wait to here a ranger report!

Very nice rifle....

Did you request the 9.5 lb weight, maybe via a smaller frame?

Very nice, a hunter's rifle. Congrats!

JPK

A beautiful double you have,very nice wood.What model is that?. I am drooling,have to save my pennies.

This rifle is the PH model which was discontinued but is now back in production. The wood on the Searcy's is very good. Butch has a room full of blanks that are just beautiful. He has some blanks that are just priceless and I imagine go on his top end rifles. He uses a european walnut.

Congratulations on your new Searcy!

Dang, that Butch is going to have to pay closer attention to detail! He put the triggers on backwards, and the cheek-piece on the wrong side!


Beautiful rifle, even if it is backwards!

Drift, that is a very fine piece of iron. Wish you all the best with it. What loads are you using?....I have a Heym 450 and am still working on some loads. Of course, I shoot from the other side .

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

So that's the weight of a Searcy PH in big bore chambering, 9.5 lbs? Seems kinda light. But sweet to carry, like for a PH!

No kidding, Show....my Heym weighs 10#-8oz and she WILL get your attention....but once she's set to go, carrying that baby will sure be nice!

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

quote:

Originally posted by Showbart:
So that's the weight of a Searcy PH in big bore chambering, 9.5 lbs? Seems kinda light. But sweet to carry, like for a PH!

PH's are generally in better shape (and often younger too) than us since most of us are desk bound. We need the lighter rifles, certainly more than they do.

JPK

Yeah but recoil and control become issues. Eh? I'm in shape and hell yes a 10.5# 470 gets my attention. I'm certain that my 9# 458 Lott was too light. A 9.5# 450 seems boderline, at best.

Recoil is a beast seen only at the range or wherever practice is done. Within a reasonable range, and 480grs at 2100 or 2150fps from a 9.5lb rifle is well within the reasonable range, it doesn't exist in any noticable form on live game, let alone live DG. Recoil will be just stout enough to let you know the rifle has fired when you are looking at the buff or ele you shot.

Control is a similar phantom. We rock and roll to recoil when shooting for practice, and this creates muzzle rise. But not when shooting for real at live game, and again, especially live DG. There is no substantial muzzle rise so long as you pay your dues practicing. This also applies within that reasonable range, and a 9.5lb rifle shooting 480grns at 2100 to 2150fps is within that range.

If you doubt that a 9.5lb rifle shooting 480grs at 2100 to 2150fps is within a reasonable range, take a look at 458wm weights. 9.5lbs is neither heavy nor light for a 458wm. The 458wm shoots a 500gr bullet at anywhere from about 2090fps for Federal factory ammo to 2250fps for top end hand loads (see Hornaday's manual for verification). This runs from comparable to a 9.5lb 450NE 3 1/4" shooting 480grs at 2100 to 2150fps to substantially more. Runs from similar to substantially more than a 470 at the same weight too since 470 muzzle velocity doesn't often get to the middle, and never gets to the higher end of 458wm muzzle velocity, except for some earlier Searcys.

My own 458wm DR weights 10.5lbs and I wish it weighed less. With 500grs at 2145fps from the muzzles, it takes some getting used to if I haven't shot for some time. But a little (read frequent, say, once a week or every other week) diligent practice and it is easy to handle. And this kind of practice should be done before a safari no matter what you're shooting. My Lott weighs less, but I shoot similar loads in it.

You may be in shape compared to me or the guy next to you at the office, but chances are excellent that your fitness pales in comparison to the PH's or trackers, especially into the season. When you slow them down you impact your hunt, negatively. It is probably impossible not to slow them down, but carrying a relatively light rifle helps minimize it.

BTW, the only fellow I know who doesn't slow the PH and crew down, and this is from the mouths of two PH's, is 500 Grains. I know that there are a few other clients over the course of years who don't, but damn few. This again, from the mouths of two PH's. Edit: The two PH's are Buzz Charlton, who likes a relatively slow pace, and Peter Wood, who likes a very fast pace.

JPK

Also edited to add that a 9lb Lott is too light, imo. 9lbs and 500grs at 2250 or 2300fps sounds like a recipe for pain. But slow the 500 grainers down to 2100 or 2150fps, right in the range of the 450NE but with 20grs more bullet, and you'd have a nice combo. Better penetration than 500 grainers from a 470 at the same speed too.

JPK,

You state your position very clearly,
no margin for someone to mistake you.

Driftwood,

All the best to you, our new rifle owner.

I hope it serves you with perfect reliability.

At that weight it will carry on the light side

and give you a bigger "kiss" when you fire it.

I expect you'll live. You can likely find 350

grainers that will shoot straight enough for
deer hunting too!

quote:

Originally posted by driftwood:
makes you wonder why the europeans can't compare.

congrats on your new rifle, it looks very nice and should be a delight to own and hunt.

i dont understand the above quote please explain.

regards peter

peter not that european rifles are not of the highest qualities, that is the high end producers. I am refering to accuracy that Butch is able to gurantee with his rifles. They are remarkably accurate which is something I was told not to expect from a double rifle. He showed me what he does to produce this accuracy and said that the europeans were doing things differently by tradition.

who told you not to expect good accuracy from a dbl rifle, some of them need a bit of tweeking in the load department. but that is it.
the good thing with new guns is that reloading components match the regulation load precisly.

a gun that is older might not be so lucky but that is what makes it fun.

look else where in this forum, i think it is a merkel doing 0,65" at 100 yards.

butch rifles gets better and better, and he really is in the big league now, but it will never be a london best.

usually it is not the gun or its maker but the person shooting it.

just my 2 cents.

regards

peter

I agree with you completely. It is usually the shooter and not the rifle in many instances. The larger calibers especially. The fear factor and flinching play a big part and the doubles are usually large calibers. The accuracy mind set just comes from what I have read in the past.

If you flinch at home on the range then you will flinch in the hunting field. Thats how buff are wounded for the most part..

My 450-400-3" will weigh 9.5 lbs. and it will have a kick to it, I can't imagine what a 9.5 Lb. 450 will be like, but it will get your attention I am sure..Fortunately recoil is subjective and some folks can handle it and others cannot and some unfortunatly think they can!

I would not buy, or order, a 450/400 unless it's 9-9.5 lbs (the lighter the better) or a 500 unless it's 10.5-11 lbs (the heavier the better). The 450-470 class guns should be 10-10.5 lbs (the heavier the better). When I see all all these Olde English at their respective varied weights it troubles me as much as new makers who don't hit MY criteria. To each his own, for certain, but 9.5 lbs in the 45-475 cal class of guns is too light. Tis said my Heym at 9.9 lbs may likely pass muster but maybe only after weight is added.

Showbart,

I am sure that you meant your post to read "...too light FOR ME..." As I posted earlier, 480grs at 2100-2150fps out of 9.5lbs of rifle isn't particularly light or even unusual.

JPK

Yes, MY preference. Still, a long 500gr solid at 2150 fps out of a 9.5 lb double will get your attention. This is all manageable, I'm always looking for the sweet shooter spot.

quote:

Originally posted by JPK:
Showbart,

I am sure that you meant your post to read "...too light FOR ME..." As I posted earlier, 480grs at 2100-2150fps out of 9.5lbs of rifle isn't particularly light or even unusual.

JPK

I'll never live to see it, but a a 8.5 lb. 470/450/etc would be plenty heavy. So would an 8 lb. 450/400 but that will never happen.

My 7.5 lb. 416 Taylors are no big deal to shoot at targets, and nice to carry and handy to shoot in a hurry. Nor will be my ~7.8 lb. 458 WM when it gets done next year. As the saying goes, recoil is momentary but gravity goes on forever.

Competing with some kid that has walked hundred of miles all summer up and down the hills is just unrealistic.

A beautiful rifle! Congratulations!