Can you guys clue me in on this rifle? I do not have a big bore double rifle. This one is moderatly priced and would seem to be a good starter. Do you guys and gals have knowledge that you can share with the rest of us? Would this be a good dangerous game rifle? Quality, accuracy, shootability??
Any help is appreciated.
Thanx, Jeff in Texas

Who did the conversion from shotgun to 470?

What is the price?

I have shot one done by Butch Searcy.
It shot good.

i had one once, it either doubled or one or the other barrel wouldn't go off. sent it back 4 times to the maker, then twice to gunsmith. couldn't do anything about it due to design and poor machining according to the last smith

You will do well to stay away from it, moderately priced or not.

here is a link to the rifle.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/community/gun...087652_bss470_kc.jsp

I'd stay way from that one. Looks like a full length sleave job, I bet it handles like a rail road tie.

There is a Blaser 375 S2 in ARbay for 6,000 you could get a different barrel set for it and trade in the 375 barrels if you dont like them.

It would be a better gun in the long run, than this one!

Ed

quote:

Originally posted by 505ED:
I'd stay way from that one. Looks like a full length sleave job, I bet it handles like a rail road tie.

There is a Blaser 375 S2 in ARbay for 6,000 you could get a different barrel set for it and trade in the 375 barrels if you dont like them.

It would be a better gun in the long run, than this one!

Ed

As strange as it may seem to those who know me well,I will have to agree with 505ED on this one! The rifle mentioned here is a full length liner rifle, and as stated will handle like a fence post. I will, in this case, agree the Blaser is a much better choice, though there are far better choices than a Blaser in a reasonably priced double rifle. Even the double rifle chambered for 470NE built on the refined Browning BSS action , by Searcy,are a better choice than a Balser double IMO, for what that is worth. The ones made by Searcy were labeled B. SEARCY, and the action body was rehardened, and had a third fastener added, Those rifle were MONO-BLOCKED,and were somewhat stronger than one simply sleeved full length.

There are many reasons I would not buy the rifle asked about here. I will not go into them here, because most here know what those objections are. Though they are personal, they are simply that the rifle is not well designed for use as a dangerous game double, and not a bargain at all! I would come closer to paying the price asked, for a mint Browning BSS shotgun than I would for that abortion!

gas57
I agree with the other posters.

One of the most affordable double rifles is a Chapuis in 9,3x74R.
Several postersw have them, including me.
I have hunted quite a bit with mine do a search on previous posts.

If You are looking at getting a larger bore, take a look at [listed in no particular order],
Chapuis, Merkel, Blaser Searcy Krieghoff and Heym.

Buy the right one the first time, it will last you for a lifetime.
Most of us in the DRSS use them to hunt wild pigs, deer, bear etc. as well.

Oh, good Lord. I guess it would give you cancer too?

I made a BSS 470 and hunted buff with it. And it worked quite well especially on a quick followup shot on a right to left spine shot buff at about twenty feet.

That particular one at Cabelas as I recall is a tank. It is highly doubtful it weighs just 10 1/2 lbs. as they claim. I could hardly pick it up, but that's me.

If you don't mind the weight or can get the gunbearer to carry it, and Cabelas will guarantee that it shoots straight (groups) and functions, it is a possibility.

Buff die just as dead from a 470 from a BSS or a H&H!

Will's right, and wrong. He's right because if it works, it works. He's wrong because if it don't work, you're dead, or out a trophy fee. Then you'd be better off with a $700 push feed 375.

Show me any firearm made by anyone anywhere that you can say with ABSOLUTE certainty will not fail at the most inopertune time. I have never seen one.

Searcy used to make conversions on the BSS action, I visted he shop in Boron Ca. when he first made his first box locks of his own design quite a while ago. He had a couplr of rifles on BSS a 470 and a 375 Flanged. They were very nice and handled very well.

Johann Callits used one of his original BSS 470 conversions for a while

Please bear with me. I am not trying to be funny or combative. I own no double-barrelled rifles.

From perusing calibers involved and the costs for moderately priced double rifles, has there been any consideration for something like a modern lever action rifle converted to 510 Kodiak Express? The power level of the cartridge compares favorably (somewhat more powerful) with 470 Nitro Express -- that is, anything routinely acceptable for taking elephant/Cape Buffalo. Reliability for first shot is comparable with a double. Subsequent shots are also comparable. Reliability of mechanism gets another "comparable" evaluation, although stainless steel action may evaluate somewhat better over an owner's lifetime. The missing thing is the mystic of a double, although artists such as Doug Turnbull and Mic McPherson create works of art with underlevers. Is this specific mystic what impels you to own them?

quote:

Originally posted by gas57:
here is a link to the rifle.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/community/gun...087652_bss470_kc.jsp

It looks AWFUL!

quote:

Originally posted by Naphtali:
Please bear with me. I am not trying to be funny or combative. I own no double-barrelled rifles.

From perusing calibers involved and the costs for moderately priced double rifles, has there been any consideration for something like a modern lever action rifle converted to 510 Kodiak Express? The power level of the cartridge compares favorably (somewhat more powerful) with 470 Nitro Express -- that is, anything routinely acceptable for taking elephant/Cape Buffalo. Reliability for first shot is comparable with a double. Subsequent shots are also comparable. Reliability of mechanism gets another "comparable" evaluation, although stainless steel action may evaluate somewhat better over an owner's lifetime. The missing thing is the mystic of a double, although artists such as Doug Turnbull and Mic McPherson create works of art with underlevers. Is this specific mystic what impels you to own them?

NAPHTALI, Certainly the mystique of shooting, and hunting large dangerous game with a classic double rifle is part of the "FUN" of dangerous game Safari. That also could be said of large bore bolt rifles, designed purposefully for hunting dangerous game in Africa, no question. I would say, however, that the NOSTALGICs involved with folks wanting to use a lever action rifle to hunt dangerous game that it was not designed for is far more likely, than being the only reason people want to use a double rifle, which WAS designed for that use, don't you think? The lever action is popular because of the "COWBOY" in all Americans, IMO!

However, the best reason to utilize a double rifle for dangerous game is because it is the best system for that purpose! The big draw back to the lever, or bolt action is having to work an action to get the next shot off. When parts move, they have a very disturbing habit of getting hung up in some way, and if the works jam, or break, in any way, the rifle suddenly becomes CLUB, instead of a rifle! Not a tool I'd prefer to use on a mad Cape buffalo! The real draw back to the lever action is haveing to use very short cartridges because of the action. This means to get the power needed, one must load them to much higher pressure than the very large cartridges used in doubles, while still haveing very low chamber pressures. The more moveing parts, plus the higher pressures, is a seed bed for malfunction.

The side-by-side double rifle, properly made, and set up, is the most reliable firearm ever invented for use on very nasty animals in a crisis! If the rifle fails to fire, because of a dud round, or a broken part in the lock system, this has absolutely no effect on the other barrel, and you still have a working single shot. That is the reliability factor, that makes a properly made, and set-up S/S double rifle superior to any other rifle ever invented for hunting dangerous game! The other thing is the double rifle or single shot may use a cartridge that is as long and as big as needed with no draw back in length of the rifle's over all length. This allows a rifle to be short, and very well balanced, yet house very large cartridges. Nothing is faster for the second "AIMED SHOT" except a simi-auto, and the simi-auto is not legal in most places where DG is hunted, and is nowhere near as reliable as a double rifle.

Mac, my compliments on a great explaination!

This last season when I was guideing on Water Buffalo I had to back up on a big bull that was heading into Croc infested swamp after the hunter froze up atfer wounding it with a 375 H&H , my 458 Win work supplied rifle went pop instead off the loved roar , which left a 500Gr slug stuck in the barrel ,(how I wished I had a big reliable Double then ) I had to use my hunters rifle to stop the bull , lucky for us he was heading out not in bound !