Could not pass this up new for 800.00.

Its actually a nice rifle. 300 rounds through it so far.
Seems to be pretty accurate too.

That's excellent at 50 yards! Truly excellent!

other than the horrible triggers, its a fun gun to shoot.... ive got the 30-06 also....

Congrats - looks like you have a keeper!

Thank you Gentlemen.

It is great fun!

It is so tight even after 300 rounds it is difficult to open.

It closes like a vault. It has about a hundred rounds of high velocity loads through it, 400 grains at 2100 FPS. The rifle had no problem with it BUT, I had a vertical dispersion of up to 1 foot at 50 yards.
I attribute this to a general regulation at the factory with factory loads such as the Remington 300's at 1800 fps.
Keeping the 325's in the 1800-1900 range pulled the groups together and it was just a matter of standard load development, I used the right barrel. I was fortunate that the left barrel had no more than a +/- 25 fps variation of that load.
Then it was just a matter if fine tuning the regulation.
I would love a 06. May pick one up if I could find one.

This is what pleased me when I saw it.
25 yards, 2 lefts and rights before I drifted the rear sight.
The orange target is 1 in.

Now you just need a nice piece of wood.

Already thought of that

This rifle is actually put together pretty good.

It is strong, its proven that, dependable and accurate.
Granted it does not have the beauty of a fine double but
it does the job well.
I would have no problem facing a pissed bear with it.

I'm thinking a new custom front sight. And a fine bead blasted bluing.

I have stored wood from a 100 year old walnut tree that fell on my property.
Already sat outside for three years drying and cut into two fireplace mantels,
6 gun stocks and a pile of planks.
I think this rifle may get some of that wood....

[QUOTE]Originally posted by WJM:
I thought these guns were rated for a lower pressure than 400 @ 2,100 fps would imply. I have a lot of 400 @ 1,900 and 2,000 ammo for a 45-70 Siamese Mauser. I was afraid to get the Russian 45-70, thinking about the danger of putting that ammo in a gun that would not handle it. I also have a lot of factory 325 @ 2,050 that would recoil less. Does anyone know the practical limit. Of cource, Remington would say Only SAAMI

Baikals are rated for 2200 bar; 14.7 psi per bar equals 32000 psi. I know that Baikals are very strong actions; I have three now. The 30-06 will take any max 06 load without problems, of course the back thrust area is less than a 45-70. I load mine with 48 grains of 3031, with a 400 grain bullet is about 1800 fps, and less than 28000 psi. A 400 grainer at 2100 fps will be above that; so I think you are basically shooting proof loads. Proving that the Baikal is very strong; I would back off a bit though, and they have to kick in that light rifle.

Yes, they are strong.
But, like my original desire, to turn it into a 450 Nitro, the real limiting factor was not the action strength ( I am not condoning going above the 30,000 level) it was the original regulation.
Individually each barrel will group good with heavy loads.
But only the loads within standard factory limits such as 300 grains at 1800-1900 or 400 at 1400-1500 seem to bring the barrels together.
I'm happy with that. Falls right into the old .450 black powder express.
That load was the bees knees for its time.

quote:

I have stored wood from a 100 year old walnut tree that fell on my property.Already sat outside for three years drying and cut into two fireplace mantels,6 gun stocks and a pile of planks.I think this rifle may get some of that wood....

Colt,
If you have that nice wood and do not plan to do the work yourself, I can put you in touch with the man that did the wood for my new double, which has palm swell and cheekpiece:

That's kind of you.
But I hope to get the stock duplicated about 80-90 percent and do all the work myself except for checkering.

I have one that will group the left barrel into 1.5" at 100 yards and the right barrel into 2" at 100 yards but the right barrel shoots 16" higher than the right. The collar around the right barrel has a huge gap around it.

congratulations on your rifle looks like a keeper. I have one in 30-06 that I'll never sell!

quote:

Originally posted by Colt Commander:
Yes, they are strong.
But, like my original desire, to turn it into a 450 Nitro, the real limiting factor was not the action strength ( I am not condoning going above the 30,000 level) it was the original regulation.

I don't think that you'd be able to re-chamber the 45-70 rifle into a 450 NE. The 450 has a thinner rim than the 45-70.
Next, On these Biakals you regulate it with the jack screw. Not the factory.

quote:

I don't think that you'd be able to re-chamber the 45-70 rifle into a 450 NE. The 450 has a thinner rim than the 45-70. Next, On these Biakals you regulate it with the jack screw. Not the factory.

I agree.
I should have clarified. Many, like myself were boosting the velocities to high.
This caused extreme spreads in vertical dispersion. keeping the velocities closer to factory specs. pulls the groups together.

have seen one reamed to use 45-120 3 1/4" Jamison Brass ("Sharps")-- essentially the same rim as a 45-70 and approximating a 450NE--

Some day with the inevitability of more advanced technology, Some company is going to find a way to make low cost doubles.

Computer controlled machinery, a few thousand calculations, lasers shooting and welding.

Then we will have something like Marlin announcing their new double for sale.

"Any caliber you want! Steel or Stainless! Gauranteed to shoot into 2 inches at 100 yards!!! On sale now! only 999.99. (Extra barrel sets 250.00 each) 50.00 mail in rebate.

Not long ago I could have picked up a Stainless Savage Alaskan in .375 Ruger for under 400.00 new.
I have a Hog Hunter in .338 WM. Basically the same gun.
Reliable and very accurate.
What I'm saying is, who would of thought you could buy a new decent quality dangerous game class rifle for four bills ten years ago?

Its coming.

I can just see me now. Picture of the Buck I took with a stainless .600 Nitro.

I have thought one of these would be a great bear gun for following the hounds.

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
I have one that will group the left barrel into 1.5" at 100 yards and the right barrel into 2" at 100 yards but the right barrel shoots 16" higher than the right. The collar around the right barrel has a huge gap around it.

To get the barrels to shoot in the same plane you may have to twist them with a vise and a big wrench. Remove the pins from the barrel collar on the left barrel first. The reason there is a gap on the right barrel collar is so the right barrel can move in and out as you adjust the regulating screw under the rib.

In my reading about the 221 some have used the technique of twisting the barrel.
I have also noticed that after this is done some claim that the rifle will no longer hold its
regulation after firing.

I would suggest trying to move up and down in velocities with a particular bullet weight to
see if the impact points come together first.
As I have noticed with mine ,the factory loads pulled the groups together. My handload using
a bullet weight and velocity similar to Remington factory specs. turned out to be very satisfactory.

As I stated earlier, when I tried pushing a 400 grain JSP at 2000 FPS+ my groups opened up.

Yeah but, if the barrels are shooting a foot apart then there isn't any regulation to hold. You can also put a shim between the right barrel and the collar but that may not give you enough movement to correct one that is badly out of whack.