quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
Jorge, big difference on the other end, though! :-) Now that you know you can handle a 500 that easily, you need to get one.

You think so? I dunno Biebs, if I could go on more trips requiring a double I guess I'd entertain the idea, but the 450 is SO easy to load for, but anyway, I really would like a 375 Flanged.

Colin, sent you an email and a link to the website where you can research all Army/Navy guns of the past. I paid them the 20 or so odd pounds to do the research for me. Left you my contact information as well.

Larry

quote:

Originally posted by Norsk:
The only snobbery I have seen is from certain people in caliber discussions. "500NE trumps all, if one disagrees, one is an idiot". That has nothing to do with money. 20 years ago the same was said about .470NE, trends change, and there will always be enforcers of current trends....

and heaven help those with .458 Win Mag doubles...

I had seen Sabatti's a couple of yrs before I bought the K-gun. Was impressed that they were priced where they were, but, something I couldn't define made me say to myself, hold off. When I got serious about getting a double, there wasn't a lot for me to physically look at around here. That has actually changed a bit the last couple of yrs, much improved situation.
There is a shop here now with Merkel and Chapuis and Blaser at least, he may have a K-gun there now.
I had shot some WR's and H&H's and A&N's, and some I forgot what they were, maybe even a Purdey, years ago, but, they were out of the interest focus at the time. That I kick my butt for nowadays. Too bad the krap happened with Sabatti, once I found out about it, I crossed it off the list. I can't/won't fix them like some people here, and I couldn't afford a lemon, or a 50/50 chance it would work the way it was supposed to.
It would be nice if the FAIR guns were a good one, but, at this point with the way they are marketing them, and the people that are selling them, I'll have to let someone else take that chance. There again ,too, not being willing to buy an O/U doesn't help the budgeting.
I spent a lot of time looking at used stuff on the net. Just haven't developed the confidence in my knowledge about them, to spring for some of the ones I have seen, that appealed to me, yet. It seems like the used English stuff is priced in a bracket that I am not willing to get into on a used gun, 15k & up by the look of it. And our dollar tanking didn't help that situation, even on the current crop of the mid priced Euro guns. New K-gun w/ejectors is 17k up here, in the Big 5 version. It does make it tough to decide on what to do with the want vs coin issues, just have to be patient and be ready if the right deal shows up. I am sure there are lots of folk in a better financial position than me , that feel similarly.
Oh well, the looking is fun in itself for me, I learn as I go. One of these days......

Its rather funny is it not, .450 3 1/4 and .470 is toted as THE benchmark formula for DG and the .458 Win. is written off. They are equal in performance..

3 days ago I tested Federal factory .458 with 500 grain woodleighs. We stacked 2 by 8 and made a 90cm block. One bullet blew clean through and the other rested in the last plank. The recovered bullet could have been reloaded. We shot at a range of 20 metres.

Forgot to say, the testrifle was a Brno 602 with 25" barrel.

I think when anyone looks down their nose at the .458 Win in a double it is not due to any performance concerns it is due to concerns over the fact that the round is rimless and higher pressure than the nitro express rounds. Hence one of the reasons for using a double, i.e., sure extraction given a low-pressure rimmed case, is not present.

Agreed....in a double a rechambering to .450 from .458win is all the better, ie lower pressure and better extraction...the .458 was never a double rifle cartridge.

But the performance of the .458 is on par with the .450 - .476 group.

Absolutely. And the concerns over extraction and pressure may be over blown as well. Not sure I have ever heard of an incident with someone shooting a rimless double cartridge where the rifle failed to extract or eject.

Mike,
the rifle that you sold me,the O/U CZ 458 Win Mag,is now a 458 Lott,it is my favorite DR,with the shorter barrels it just feels really good coming upto the shoulder,scaringly accurate,I have hunted with this gun from pigs to a tuskless,all bang flops,I have proabably put maybe a 1000 rounds thru this gun,with different bullet weights,the PH's that I have hunted with really liked this gun,I have only had one failure to eject from this rifle,it was at the range,I could feel that something was not right with the round as I chambered it,the brass was from a new batch,the pins in the ejecter slipped past the belt & the round did not eject,upon inspection,it was easy to see that the belt on the brass was not right at all,the brass was defective,apart from this instance the gun has never let me down,it is tight on face,I have absolute confidence going after DG with this gun.

Bal, you just had to remind me of one of my all time boneheaded moves . . . selling that CZ.

Was that rifle the one with the heavy Kersten lock..?

Yes. I think they called it "The Stopper".

Yessir,
It's a stopper allright,Mike don't be hard on yourself,you have some awesome weapons in the safe

There is always room in the flock for one more lost soul in need of love.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Bal, you just had to remind me of one of my all time boneheaded moves . . . selling that CZ.

As I remember, Bal and I were standing on the floor at DSC talking, you walked up to us, we asked about the rifle not ever dreaming that you'd sell and you, for whatever reason, stated a price. I took a breath to say yes and before I could speak, Bal said he'd take it.

Got to be fast around that guy.... one of the best buys ever.

I still have dreams about his egg, bacon, syrup and whatever else sandwich that he made me in Brady. Getting hungry just thinking about it.

Brady was such a unique experience,made so many friends,just nothing like that since

We need to bring the DRSS back to its former glory

Mike,

Here is something to ease your pain.

http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=100554808

Hopefully Bal will not pour salt in the wound and mention the price I sold him the CZ for.

Need I mention the 9.3x64 Mike? I still cry at night...

Ha. I guess we all have rifles we have parted with that we regret getting rid of. I have solved that problem though . . . I just do not part with any rifles any more.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Hopefully Bal will not pour salt in the wound and mention the price I sold him the CZ for.

Mike,
I have about put into the gun what the price was,not ever about the money my friend,it's about this passion that we have,shooting & hunting Africa