I've thought of aquiring a .470 double rifle for a good few years and always something comes up (like another trip to Zimbabwe for a hunt). On my first buffalo hunt in 2000, had a great experience and hit it off with my PH extreamly well. This november will be my third time out with him. Asked what He recomended as to large caliber doubles and based on his experience he recomended the Chapuis as solid, accurate and very tough and trouble free. Over the years, I've settled on the Chapuis or the Heym. Also looked at the Kreigoff and the Merkel. This week there was a new Chapuis in the Cabelas gun library in Richfield, WI. Price as just under 10 K. Looked it over and went home for some internet research. Cabelas had 6 or 7 at stores around the country at 12K including the web price on the one at Richfield. Well, I thought a bit and took some snapcaps and a tape measure back to the store and and really looked it over, 23 and a half inch barrels, great triggers and solid ejection. The gun seemed to fit very well at 14 and a half for the pull over a Pachmayer decelerater pad. Surprised the attendent when I said I'd take it. At check out the girl behind the counter asked if I'd like to put the purchase on my Cabelas' card! I told her I did not think it would fit on the store card and when she saw the price, she was a bit surprised. Ordered dies, shellholder, Jammison brass and hornady DGX softs. Have plenty of powder and primers. Also two boxes of hornady factory ammo. The bullets and the factory ammo arrived on friday so I thought I'd celebrate the fourth with my .416 Kimber Rigby and the Chapuis .470. This rifle is going to be great fun. The hornday ammo shot a 50 meters just about the same as the regulation load of Federal woodleigh softs. Only fired six shots one at a time from each barrel ( did not want to double it on the first time out) The first impression of the Cahpuis is it comes right up, holds steady, the triggers are very good and the felt recoil is less that my .416 Rigby. Have on hand IMR and H 4831 and RL-15. ordered the Kynoch wads from Trader Keiths and will start reloading when the componets come in. As Rick said to Louie,"This could be the beginning of beautiful friendship!" I am a happy camper as I post this!!

Congratulations on your Chapuis 470.

I have a 9,3x74R Chapuis I have been using for several years. It has been an excellent rifle.

I have shot a few other Chapuis's in 470.

All of them were very accurate and easy to develop loads for.

Welcome, to the DRSS! Congratulations! I know you will enjoy her! Have a great hunt!

That's a great price for a great DG DR. Congratulations. Rick can you some post some pics for us we need to see some eye candy.

The Chapuis is a very good double. I had a 470 Chapuis for a while.

For the money, it is hard to beat.

Thank's for the responce guy's! I can not post pictures as I do not have a digital camera. The pictuers can be seen on the Cabelas gun library site under fine rifles and the Richfield WI. store. It is a very nice looking rifle with very good wood. Will get out on the range again this week and hopefully, my reloading order will get here this week as I want to get some reloads for it and shoot it a bunch.

Noe may I welcome you to the DRSS and all the best with the rifle...

Mike

I remember well holding my first double rifle in my hands. It is a moment to be cherished. Enjoy that rifle!

So right,& then there's no going back

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Originally posted by surestrike:
I remember well holding my first double rifle in my hands. It is a moment to be cherished. Enjoy that rifle!

Kynoch wads came today. I still have a good supply of Federal 215's and also lots of Win mag primers. All I need now is the die set and shellholder. (Already have a Forster Large case trimmer on the bench) Hopefully, I'll be working up some starting loads later this week! Some friends and I are getting together next monday for some big bore range time. That should be fun.

Got to the range this afternoon. Dies and shell holder arrived in Fridays post. Loaded up 20 rds of the Jaminsen brass. Using the hornady 500gr DGX softs, started at 85 grs of RL 15 with the foam wad. 6 rounds each at 85, 86 and 87 grs. Last two cases with 102 grs of IMR 4831.(trying to save my H4831 for the 416 Rigby and the november hunt) On the bench at 50 meters, 85 grs shot low, right and about 6 inches apart. 86grs came up a bit, still right and maybe 5 inches apart. 87grs a bit higher not as much to the left and about 3 to 3&half inches apart. ( Hornady factory is 6 o'clock, inch to the right just under the bull) Only have a little amount of this lot left over from working up a 416 Rem. so I'll have to get into a new lot number and start again. Really wanted to shoot the rifle with first handloads. Finished shooting off hand at 25 meters as I started to get a bit tired off the bench. Last two of 87grs went a bit right and under the front sight with a spread of 3&half inches. Two rds of IMR 4831 with 102grs, right cut the edge of the bull at two o'clock, left barrel center but 6 inches high. Barrels getting hot and did not grip the barrels with the same pressure on the left shot. I think I'll use a light deer skin glove on my left hand the next time out. I'll up tyhe charge of IMR 4831 to 104 or 105 grs and start the new lot of RL 15 at 87grs and see what it does the next time out. It really is fun!

the investment in a chronograph will be a wise one and help you dial in on what is going on while working up loads. Sounds like you are well on your way to double rifle addiction hell! Soon you will be drinking whiskey, smoking cigars, and talking about all the bone heads who think double rifles are outdated and not accurate enough to hunt with past 25 yards!

Thanks Roscoe. Did not use the chronograph this scession because they were just start loads and I did not expect them to regulate. Will use it on the next scession with the little heavier charges. This time was really just to shoot the rifle and start getting used to it BTW, I really love 16 year old Scotch and Feuente Reserva cigars! Punch are very good and so are Torano Exodus 1959. Do you have an opinion on a previous post concerning the softer construction of the new Hornady bullets with respect to the Woodleigh? Wounder if I'll end up a bit higher on charges as my rifle was regulated with the Federal factory ammo and 500gr Woodleigh softs.

I have notdone any shooting with the Hornady bullets yet so I can't help much. However in my experience with the 470 lot to lot powder variations will have more of an impact on accuracy than bullet construction. Some solids may shoot different than sifts but for the most part the 470 has been easy to load for in all my rifles. Use the chrony! It will tell you a lot about where you need to be!

Well, the monday evening outing at the range went very well! Did all shooting off the sticks at 50 yards. The Kimber .416 Rigby shot a bit right and low after sighting in from the bench previuosly. Brought the scope setting left and up and was shooting tight into the 3" circle on the 6" orange spot. The Chapuis .470 with Hornady 500gr soft factory ammo shot very well off the sticks. With a tight bead in the vee it shot low same as off the bench. When I held a full bead it shot to point of aim. Still a bit to the right. Rear sight looks just a bit right from the factory regulation. Maybe the two fellows who shot the factory targets had a slightly diffrent facial structure then me. My hunting partner also shot on for elevation and just a bit right. I'll drift the sight left a bit and see how it centers up. We ended up on one of the broadside buffalo targets from Safari Press and just pounded the shots into the K zone. (really neat to see three .416 Rigby's on the line, partners wife was shooting her .375 H&H and another buddy had his .416 Rigby CZ). I think the double shoots better off the sticks than the bench. Maybe my position or the difference in the way the rifle can recoil? Those buffalo targets work nicely, Up the front leg about a third of the way up and you get the top of the heart/lungs or a bit higher and the leg bone is busted and catch the forward end of the lungs. If you pull of a bit back you can hole the liver. The internals are shown on the back of the target. Have to get more of these targets. They are fun and educational! Guns and brass are cleaned and will try to get out again next week with the chronograph and see what the velocities are running at.

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The Chapuis is a very good double

Botswana PH like this Doubles.
IMO its a Cheap Rifle. Not only the price...

Seloushunter