Morning guys,

I'm considering buying a Zoli over under 30-06 as a deer and black bear rifle. I live in eastern Canada where shots tend to be close and often quick, so a fast handling double seems to make sense.

I'm wondering if anyone has experience with Zoli doubles, and what your opinions of them are? I understand that they are typically good quality firearms.

quote:

Originally posted by Canadaboy:
Morning guys,

I'm considering buying a Zoli over under 30-06 as a deer and black bear rifle. I live in eastern Canada where shots tend to be close and often quick, so a fast handling double seems to make sense.

I'm wondering if anyone has experience with Zoli doubles, and what your opinions of them are? I understand that they are typically good quality firearms.

Canadaboy, I have no personal with Zoli double rifles but if you go to the Alaskan hunting forum you will see a Guide there who uses a Zoli double rife chambered for 450/400NE 3 inch to guide for brown bear, and he loves that rifle. His screen name is 458Win and his real name is Phil Shoemaker and he is bear guide www.grizzlyskinsofalaska.com .

Though I don.t have experience with the rifle you are asking about, I do have quite a lot of experience with double rifles, and IMO a rimless or belted rimless cartridge is not a very good idea in a double rifle. If I were going to get the rifle you are looking at I would get it chambered for 9.3X74R. The 9.3X74R is a rimmed cartridge and is far more reliable than any rimless cartridge in double rifles. The extractor/ejector system for rimless cartridges can be problematic. The 9.3X74R is a better cartridge for your purposes then the 30-06 anyway.
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Yes, Phil is quite fond of his.

No experience.
However, I was very keen on one so I found out as much as I could.

It seems to be quite rugged i.e. reliable.
The feature that you detach the firing mechanism is good as it's easy to maintain.
Switch barrels are available, as well, in a variety of calibers.

I have handled one and it sure was well balanced and pointed nicley.
However - I have handled other O/U doubles, as well, and some have been absolutely atrocius. Don't buy and O/U double before getting it into your hands and, better yet, not until you've fired it.

It appears that as Antonio Zoli sold their drilling at a very fair price it gained some popularity here.
The opinions are split: most are happy but some had plenty of [unspecified] problems. Of these, some were solved smoothly, others not so: it took up to a year to get the gun back from the factory, and some ended up having the gun replaced. OK, as long as they fix it or give you a new gun I wouldn't complain.
Don't know if the quality differences on the doubles is the same. I do doubt that, as the gun is based on the 20 gauge O/U shotgun whose reputation is sterling.

Note also that the Zolis are available in two models, one has two triggers and the other one trigger.

- Lars/Finland

Canadaboy

I agree with Macd37 completely on the subject of the rimless cartridge in a double. I've had three and I'll never have another.

There is hope however! Look at Bwana Coles post about converting his Baikal .30-06 to a ".30-06 rimmed. He reforms 7x65R brass to rimmed 30-06. His gunsmith made the proper cuts to accept the rimmed cases.

I'm thinking of doing the same thing myself. I'm just unsure what rifle to use.

The Zoli should be a great rifle in 06 rimmed.

Check this 9.3X74R out, At $2895 this is a buy!

http://www.gunsamerica.com/967...I_RITMO_9_3X74R.htm#


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