Mac:

Been thinking about a single shot in 9,3X74R. I remember that you mentioned one time about taking a scoped single shot with you to Africa with your open sighted double. Am I remembering correctly? If so, could you tell us a little more about that? What caliber and such and how did it work?

Bought an old Webley falling block action (1904?? patent) when I lived in South Africa in the mid-80s, Dave. Had it made up into a rifle with hand detachable barrels, one in .375 H&H flanged magnum, and the other in .300 H&H flanged. Both barrels could be scoped, using old quick-detachable Warne rings and bases.

Took the rifle on a hunt in Zimbabwe with PH Horst Isselbacher (late Wally Johnson's nephew). The gun, wearing the .375 barrel, took a Cape Buffalo with a single shot that used the 300 gr. Woodleigh soft nose. He walked 50 yards and we found him dead. The buff proved too soft in the boss, so I cut the horns off and silver mounted them to use as drinking horns (they hold 16 oz of beer).

The .300 H&H barrel took a number of antelope including a nice impala. Used, as I recall, a 200 grain partition bullet. Had chosen the calibers so that the rims would be identical to ease my mind on extraction. In fact, the .300 brass would be difficult to extract depending on how hot I loaded it.

NOTE: I had asked one of the trackers to carry my double on the buffalo hunt.

Regards, Tim

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:
Mac:

Been thinking about a single shot in 9,3X74R. I remember that you mentioned one time about taking a scoped single shot with you to Africa with your open sighted double. Am I remembering correctly? If so, could you tell us a little more about that? What caliber and such and how did it work?

Sure Dave!

Actually there were three single shots that were barreled and/or re-chambered for the same cartridge as one of each of three double rifles.

The drill was to work up a regulating load for the double, then adjust the irons, and the scope for that load in the single shot, and it works like a charm.

All the single shots were re-barreled or re-chambered, and scoped Ruger No1s. The one I got a chance to use for it’s intended purpose in Africa was a Ruger No1 re-barreled and chambered for 450/400NE 3” for a scoped rifle to match an Army & Navy 450/400NE double rifle. This one I threaded a shot through a little opening if the bush to take a wildebeest that I couldn’t see the opening well enough to have hit with the double. This was when I was only 50 yrs old with very good vision. The other two were re-chambered from 458Win Mag to 450NE and the other 500/450NE.

The idea was to have a scoped rifle handy without having to have two different types of ammo to deal with. The tracker carried the Ruger UNLOADED, while I carried my double LOADED with a soft in the right barrel, and a solid in the left barrel. If a standing in tight bush shot where a bullet had to be threaded through a small hole in the bush to the vitals I would simply break my double and keep the ammo, and trade rifles with an instant choice of soft or solid as needed. In this case both rifles are legal for dangerous game, and can finish a safari if one or the other goes out of service.

In the case of heavy bush shooting any small twigs that can’t be seen with the naked eye show up fine in the scope. Even the heaviest bullet can be deflected by the smallest twig in most cases. That deflection may cause someone to get hurt on the follow-up to sort out a wounded buffalo, elephant or cat.

The other place where this could be used with is in a blind for cats on bait, especially with an illuminated scope on the single shot. The open sighted double could be used for a shot in good light, and as the light fails the scoped single shot could do the job better and still have the double for a follow-up on the cat with lights if needed. IMO, the best use of the pair is hunting buffalo or elephant in heavy bush. I would love to build another pair of rifles chambered for 450/400NE 3”, with facility to mount a quick detachable scope on both, for hunting black bear and African cats on bait. It would still be well suited to buffalo hunting and the cats in Africa. I have a Ruger No1 that is factory chambered for 7mm Rem Mag with a bull barrel that is 0.750 inch at muzzle that I would like to have re-bored and chambered for 470NE to go with my 470NE double rifle. But I would rather have the 450/400NE pair.

This is not a new thing by any means, or my original idea! In the old days the reasons were different, but the equipment was the same except for the scope on the single shot. In those days one had to carry everything they needed on their backs in many cases. The large heavy double was carried by a tracker, and the “white hunter” carried the iron sighted single shot, making the first shot with it, then switching to the loaded big double for the finish if needed, while the tracker re-loaded the single shot, also if needed.

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Thanks Mac....PM sent.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:
Thanks Mac....PM sent.

Hang in there Dave I'm rooting for you!

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Its a great system, I have a scoped No1 in 450NE as well as a double in the same caliber. I believe I read here not long ago that an individual can NOT bring in 2 rifles of the same caliber (Zim?). Any thoughts?

quote:

Originally posted by JCS271:
Its a great system, I have a scoped No1 in 450NE as well as a double in the same caliber. I believe I read here not long ago that an individual can NOT bring in 2 rifles of the same caliber (Zim?). Any thoughts?

I could be wrong but I believe that is RSA where you are not allowed to bring in two rifles of the same chambering. Now I don't know if that also applies to traveling through RSA to Zimbabwe, but I believe it is legal in Zimbabwe, and it was legal in Zambia the last time I hunted Buffalo in the Luangwa valley!

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quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:
Mac:

Been thinking about a single shot in 9,3X74R. I remember that you mentioned one time about taking a scoped single shot with you to Africa with your open sighted double. Am I remembering correctly? If so, could you tell us a little more about that? What caliber and such and how did it work?

Dave - at the risk of jumping in uninvited, I actually have a 9.3x74R single shot stalking rifle built by Butch Searcy. It has been a companion to my 470NE and 450/400 double rifles on a couple of safaris, and I have taken a lot of plains game with it up to an including eland. Mine is the rifle in the middle in the photo. I have a Leupold VX-3 1.5-5x32 scope on it, and it will clover leaf 3 shots at 100 yards with a 250 gr Barnes X triple shock bullet.

Admiral,

That is just about the best looking single shot rifle I've seen. You and I were talking about them the other day and since you sent the pictures of it, I haven't been able to stop thinking about one for myself. Just can't swing it right now however.

I'm thinking I'll need one sometime down the road. Oh but in what caliber. Decisions, decisions!!

quote:

Originally posted by subsailor74:

Dave - at the risk of jumping in uninvited, I actually have a 9.3x74R single shot stalking rifle built by Butch Searcy.

SUB, you never have to be invited to comment on any thread here, and I agree with Todd! That is a very nice single shot rifle, and in a very good chambering that unfortunately doesn’t get the respect it deserves in the USA. I have two double rifles chambered for 9.3X74R and they are my favorite doubles for all of North America, and most of the hunting of African game. I would certainly love owning that rifle of your’s! Butch builds some nice rifles for sure!

My reason for using a single shot in Africa is a little different however! I had single shots in many calibers that would play the light rifle for hunting with my double rifles. Some of them were in chamberings that would be legal for everything on license in case my double went south for some reason but this caused me have to deal with two types of ammo.

Having said that I wanted a scoped single shot with good irons as well, but chambered for the same cartridge as my double rifle. In those days the only way to do that was convert a Ruger single shot to make a pair using the same ammo. Most of the time before I built those NE singles I generally used a FN Mauser bolt rifle chambered for 375H&H for my light/back-up rifle.

I’ve always loved single shot rifles, and when Ruger came out with the No1 I started collecting them as they came off the line so have several today and I have no intention in selling any of them, but I wish I had not sold my three pairs of doubles and singles in the same calibers. At least I wish I had kept the 450/400NE J pair!

……………………………………………………………………………………........................................ Merry Christmas and good hunting everyone!

I actually carried 2 rifles of the same caliber (375H&H in both cases). First time was 2 Model 70's,one custom and one from Winchester Custom shop. Thru RSA to Zimbabwe. No questions in RSA at all,just whizzed thru. Second time was with a Custom scoped Model 70 and a Heym double. They stopped me cold in my tracks at RSA. The logic I gave them for the 2 calibers was one for long shots (the Model 70) and the Heym for near shots on Buff. I had to talk for about an hour but they finally gave me a 0NE day permit to stay overnite and transite thru on my return (I was staying overnite going over but straight thru on return. They explained in great detail this was a one time deal and I definitely should NOT do it again. I never did.

quote:

Originally posted by subsailor74:

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:
Mac:

Been thinking about a single shot in 9,3X74R. I remember that you mentioned one time about taking a scoped single shot with you to Africa with your open sighted double. Am I remembering correctly? If so, could you tell us a little more about that? What caliber and such and how did it work?

Dave - at the risk of jumping in uninvited, I actually have a 9.3x74R single shot stalking rifle built by Butch Searcy. It has been a companion to my 470NE and 450/400 double rifles on a couple of safaris, and I have taken a lot of plains game with it up to an including eland. Mine is the rifle in the middle in the photo. I have a Leupold VX-3 1.5-5x32 scope on it, and it will clover leaf 3 shots at 100 yards with a 250 gr Barnes X triple shock bullet.

Sub:

That is a beauty!

What barrel length did you select?

Dave - as I recall, I left the barrel length up to Butch Searcy. It measures 24".

A fellow AR member tipped me off on a Ruger No.1 new in the box in 9,3X74R with some pretty nice wood but the guy wants $1,195 for it and won't budge on the price. What do you think?

Here's the link. It's about 2/3 the way down the page:

http://www.yankeeartifacts.com/Rifles.htm