What a real beauty.

If he is ever interested in selling it, I'll have to buy it for my daughter who is, herself, a lefty.

Beautiful, built to customer's request and, per south paw's attestations and experience, built to last.

Really nice!!!

Outstanding piece, for sure.

Thanks for posting the photos, would just like to add this is a Azur Safari Standard, the wood is NOT upgraded. It weighs 10 pounds even with 24 inch barrels, ejectors, flip up night sight, built in scope mount, and three leaf rear sight. If I had to do it over again would of dropped the 3 leaf. Should of listened to most of you guys from the start as it is something that will not see any use.

With some luck she will harvest a bull moose for me next month.

OMG:

I have to say that is one of the finest looking rifles I have laid my eyes on in a very long time.

Congratulations and good hunting.

By the way, did you order this gun directly from the factory?

Kind regards,

Carpediem

Yes, factory ordered thru Ken. Order was placed in October and rifle came in this week.

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:
Thanks for posting the photos, would just like to add this is a Azur Safari Standard, the wood is NOT upgraded. It weighs 10 pounds even with 24 inch barrels, ejectors, flip up night sight, built in scope mount, and three leaf rear sight. If I had to do it over again would of dropped the 3 leaf. Should of listened to most of you guys from the start as it is something that will not see any use.

With some luck she will harvest a bull moose for me next month.

That is a beatuful rifle, but they screwed up and put the cheekpiece on the wrong side!

Snowwolfe, don't discount the usfullness of those flip-ups! If they have been cut to numered ranges you need to try the rifle at those measured ranges, you may well be quite supprised to find they are very usefull for long shots on Caribou and wolf out on the tundra! If the loads are worked up properly the rifle should shoot to those ranges quite well! Smetimes you don't have time to mount the scope, or may not want to in a driving rain!

............................Congratulations Sir!

That's a great looking rifle! I can't wait to see it (and shoot it ) in person..

It's too nice to drag into the woods here. Save it for Oz or Africa!

Beautiful wood!
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Brooks:
That's a great looking rifle! I can't wait to see it (and shoot it ) in person..

It's too nice to drag into the woods here. Save it for Oz or Africa!

Mike,
Just don't see Africa in my future anymore. Moose, grizzlies, black bear, and caribou will keep me grinning.
But I do think hog hunting in the lower 48 would be a blast. Nice as it is, it will be used. Scratches are just beauty marks in disguise.

What can I say but WOW!! Very impressive!

Magnificent!

WOW, that really is nice, and as i'm also a lefty, i'd love to own it!

If you decide to sell your Chapuis, let me know what you want for it, as i think it would fit me just fine.

DM

Did you request the thin pad? It looks very nice and is somewhat appropriate on a lighter recoiling double. NOTE, I did NOT say, nor did I intend to say on a "Lady's" gun!

Looks awesome! Congrats again.

quote:

Originally posted by DoubleDon:
Did you request the thin pad? It looks very nice and is somewhat appropriate on a lighter recoiling double. NOTE, I did NOT say, nor did I intend to say on a "Lady's" gun!

Did not request it. That was VC's choice and it seems to be a good one. Will find out tomorrow how it shoots.

Compared against a 7.3 pound Chapuis 9,3 with a wood butt plate I am thinking recoil might be less than the Chapuis. Only negative so far is the comb appears to be about 1/4 inch to high but tomorrow and 20 rounds will tell me for sure how my cheek likes it.

Hell that is very nice indeed.

.

Don't shoot it too much if your wing isn't healed up that good..

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Brooks:
Don't shoot it too much if your wing isn't healed up that good..

Exactly.

In fact, send it to me and I will shoot it plenty for you. I'll work up loads and with any projectile you want.

Randy, that is about this nicest looking wood I've seen on a double. If that is "standard" they have very high standards indeed!

Very well done, and be sure to give us a detailed report after you get that moose.

Bob

Is it regulated with scope on or off? Will be interested in seeing if there is any difference as I am considering having mounts put on my VC 450-400.

What kind of wood is on the gun? ie. Turkish, American, etc.

What is the pistol grip cap made of?

Kind regards,

Carpediem

Pistol grip cap is metal. Ken would be a better person to ask about the wood as I do not know. I believe it was regulated with scope off. I had the scope mounting base added "just in case".
Easier to add it while it is being built than later.

First trip to the range today. Was shooting resting my elbows on a padded bench. Load was Jamison brass, Fed 215, 80 grains of IMR 4831 and 400 grain DGX with a light crimp.

Load was crossing by about 3 inches at 50 yards and was shooting 9-10 inches high. Not what I was expecting. Using the front bead "night sight" only lowered point of impact by an inch.
Next trip out will try 76 grains of IMR4831 and 80 grains of H4831. Hornady factory load is supposed to be 81.5 grains of H4831.

Not sure why the rifle is shooting so high as I am using the same technique I do with the Chapuis and the Searcy. Last thing I want to do is to file down the rear sights as this would require me to push my cheek down even more. Higher front sight might be needed.

Comb is a tad high but recoil on my cheek is tolerable. Recoil is closer to my 11 pound 450 NE Searcy than it is to the 7.2 pound Chapuis 9,3.

Sights may have been filed in for a 6 o'clock hold? Where was your aim point?

To my eye that is some of the nicest wood I have ever seen. I can hardly believe it is standard grade.

Snowolfe

Just a suggestion re the loads you take to the range for a first time shoot with a new DR that you haven't shot before.

This is because I have seen comments on here about how far people have to drive to shoot.


Anyway, with a new DR that I have to shoot, I load up 2 or normally 4 rounds in each load, so in your case I'd go 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 and 80. Sometimes I just do even numbers at the lower end where I know going up 2 grains won't be too hot. I might do this with 2 powders as you are doing.

By starting at the lower end, see where it shoots then go up, you can see what the rifle does every time the load changes.

So at the end of the range seesion, you have a pretty good idea what is going on and how "sensitive" the gun is to a change in powder load - by this I mean you can see the bullets "come together" as the velocity is increased - HOPEFULLY !!! We all know what DR's are like !!! LOL

Anyway, hope that helps.


Also, I thought for safety reasons the general rule of thumb was drop back 10% if working a new gun or a new component in a load which isn't the case with your "and 80 grains of H4831. Hornady factory load is supposed to be 81.5 grains of H4831."

Just an observation.

.

quote:

Originally posted by vagrouser:
Sights may have been filed in for a 6 o'clock hold? Where was your aim point?

Bottom of the front bead rests on the V. Top of the front bead is held at 6 oclock on the bottom of the bullseye. Rifle then shoots the bullets 8-10 inches higher than the bottom of the bull. Same technique I use for all my iron sighted weapons.
Be interesting to see what happens when the load is reduced because with my Searcy reducing the load to stop the crossing raised the point of impact which worked out perfectly.

500N, that is some good advice and I am going to follow it even though my range is only 10 miles away. Will drop the loads another 4 grains and start from there. Come to think of it, I made the same mistake with both my Searcy and Chapuis, first trip to the range with each and loads crossed.
Thank you

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:
Was shooting resting my elbows on a padded bench.

Load was crossing by about 3 inches at 50 yards and was shooting 9-10 inches high.

Snowwolfe,

Even though this bench technique works with the others, why not take a few shots freehand before changing anything?

I'm sure you, just as most here, have far more experience than I with doubles so the following is based upon what I have read here and elsewhere:

The only thing that is supposed to support the double is you.
The only thing that is supposed to support you, is you.
The only deviation being you can rest he back of your non dominant hand as it wraps around the forend and barrels on a standing rest as long as the rest does not restrain the free movement of the that hand and barrels.

If it were me with that problem, I would first give it a few shots off hand before doing a single thing different. Even if the technique works with my other rifles.

Just my $0.02

quote:

Originally posted by CCMDoc:

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:
Was shooting resting my elbows on a padded bench.

Load was crossing by about 3 inches at 50 yards and was shooting 9-10 inches high.

Snowwolfe,

Even though this bench technique works with the others, why not take a few shots freehand before changing anything?

I'm sure you, just as most here, have far more experience than I with doubles so the following is based upon what I have read here and elsewhere:

The only thing that is supposed to support the double is you.
The only thing that is supposed to support you, is you.
The only deviation being you can rest he back of your non dominant hand as it wraps around the forend and barrels on a standing rest as long as the rest does not restrain the free movement of the that hand and barrels.

If it were me with that problem, I would first give it a few shots off hand before doing a single thing different. Even if the technique works with my other rifles.

Just my $0.02

Absolutely golden advice!

It's a beautiful rifle. You'll get the proper load figured out soon.

Hey Randy. That is just a beautiful rifle. If I come back to Anchorage again next year, maybe I can meet you and Mike at the range.
Butch

Butch, sounds like a plan! Just drop either of us a PM.
Will take the sticks out next trip and give them a whirl over the bench. Always open to advice, but with my Chapuis and Searcy POI never changed when going from bench to sticks to offhand. When shooting from the bench the rifle is touching nothing but my shoulder and hands.

Nothing is impossible, get the right load for regualtion then if she still shoots to high will have to get VC to make a higher front sight. Easy fixes and just takes a little time and patience.

AYE CHIHUAHUA that's pretty! Congratulations.

Would like to meet you there to. Kurt

Kurt,
We will get together next summer.
Butch

Snowwolfe,

My VC was regulatd with Kynoch 400 gr, though the target does not indicate solids or softs and Ken has not been able to find out from the factory. Based on her behavior I think she was regulated with solids. DXG and Woodie softs crossed for me also, and by about the same amount. I was also able to get the DGX to regulate pretty well at 50 and 100 with 79 gr H4831SC. No crossing at 50 and pretty much overlapping groups at 100 yds - certainly more than adequate for the rifles intended purpose. Haven't gone back to try the Woodie softs yet. 71 gr H4350 and Woodie solids are beautiful at around 2" at 100 yds and no crossing. Northfork CPS are absolutely awesome in my rifle and 79 gr H4831SC gives me around 2" at 100 yards and no crossing. Oh yeh, I can't see open sights good enough anymore to do any better than 2" at 100 yards and even then I figure it's just a fluke! I was a little frustrated at first, but had gone thought the same thing with a Heym 470 that was regulated with Romey solids. Eventually we came to an understanding. Same for the VC. You will find what she likes and remember, part of the fun of doubles is their quirks and going through the development process. Enjoy.

So guys, I take it it's safe to shoot NF softs and solids through doubles if I can get them to regulate? My 450 VC will be regulated (at my request) with factory Hornady stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by jorge:
So guys, I take it it's safe to shoot NF softs and solids through doubles if I can get them to regulate? My 450 VC will be regulated (at my request) with factory Hornady stuff.

When I asked V-C directly, I was told that it was safe to use Barnes Banded Solids in their doubles without worry. I would assume (if such assumptions have any value whatsoever) that NorthFork's banded solids would be equally safe.

Another trip to the range today and decided to start really low.
74 grains of H4831, Fed 215, Hornady 400 DGX.
Shot eight rounds and all eight crossed by about three inches and were 7-8 inches high.
Still have some more playing around to do but at this point am thinking the rifle was not regulated with Hornady ammo as requested, the barrels are exceptionly "fast", or something is amiss with the rifle.
Will post more information after another range trip, hopefully tomorrow.