Anyone have and advice for reloading a double quickly while under pressure?

Thanks.

Practice! Click on the picture.

Right on! Todd!

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Here's another Larry, but you can only see my back. This one with my 9.3X74R Chapuis with ejectors. Shooting at a Buffalo Charge Simulator here. BTW, neither voice you hear in the video is me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...ap7WaEU&feature=plcp

Larry, I think the first thing is to find where you prefer to carry and reload the 3rd and 4th rounds from. Some like a cartridge carrier on the wrist of forearm, some like putting two rounds in the opening of open backed shooting gloves, etc. Find what works best for you.

For me, I'll put two rounds in the back of the gloves if I think it's going to get really touchy. But to be honest, I've mostly just loaded from the belt. Of note however, my belt has the bullet noses exposed so that they can be thumbed up from the bottom if necessary, not only pulled from the top. On final stalk, I'll push the two rounds on the left end of the belt up so that they are considerably higher, therefore easier to pluck from the belt.

Once you figure out where you want to carry and load from, then practice the movements necessary to do it. I do this with 4 snap caps. Not the little silver ones like Trader Keith sells, but the red ones from Cabelas. I'm sorry but I don't know the name of the brand off the top of my head. The difference being that these red snap caps are shaped like the full sized cartridge. I don't have a set in 500NE as I'm not sure they make it, but for us 500NE shooters, they do make 470NE snap caps which work perfectly for practice in the 500NE.

When I'm home and in the mood to handle my guns, which is most of the time, I'll go through the motions of snapping the two caps, dumping them reloading and snapping the next two repeatedly for 5 or 10 minutes at a time throughout the day. I might put them down for an hour or so, then walk back in the room, pick them up and practice again for another session.

Once this becomes familiar, just head to the range and practice the same. It's also something you should practice often inorder to stay proficient.

The one thing I don't do is place the rounds between the fingers. I see some guys do it and it's OK, but I find it awkward for big bores. It seems as recoil goes up and the diameter of the cartridge goes up, it becomes more difficult to manage them between the fingers as well as control the rifle.

Just some helpful hints based on my practice. Hope it helps you.

As Todd says, Practice, practice and practice.

And before you practice, THINK of the sequence you want to do (hopefully having talked to various people on the different methods (ie where to hold ammo etc).

Then start slowly (probably with already fired cases in the chambers) and go through the motions, then as confidence builds, you will naturally do it faster.

If you fumble, stop, think and go back / slow down.

Eventually, it all becomes muscle memory and you won't have to look at part of the process which IMHO is what you want.


Edit
And the video shows it perfectly !!!
Sequence down pat, doesn't have to look at the gun as he opens and tips out cases .......
Nice one Todd.
.

quote:

Originally posted by 505G:


And before you practice, THINK of the sequence you want to do

Eventually, it all becomes muscle memory and you won't have to look at part of the process which IMHO is what you want.

.

Thats 100%!

Absolutely, figure out where to carry the ammo, then THINK it through, and make it muscle memory.

Todd,

You and I do it virtually the same way.

The only diff is I tend to tip the gun sideways more (with some upwards movement).

Anyway, awesome video and sequence.



You are right about where to carry the ammo, I am like you,
I have 5 - 10 rounds in front or slightly to the side
(so the gun stock doesn't rub on them) and I pick up new rounds
from there.

I have never been a fan of having the rounds in the hands / fingers,
too distracting !!!

.

I concentrate on the first 2 shots and don't worry about #s 3 and 4. I don't hold rounds in my fingers like sometimes recommended either; I do make sure the rounds in my drop down case are loose enough to come out easily.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
I concentrate on the first 2 shots and don't worry about #s 3 and 4.

Well now where is the fun in that!

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
I concentrate on the first 2 shots and don't worry about #s 3 and 4.

Well now where is the fun in that!

LOL


That's all when and good but go shooting / hunting where there is more than one animal or on a cull and see how many you get with 2 shots.

A mob of pigs you stumble across when hunting something else requires a lot more than two shots - real pump and dump situation where having your reloading technique down perfectly like Todd showed so well is what determines how many you get.

Nice video Todd.


First thing I thought when I saw the thread title.

A few years ago I was taking one my kids hunting with a 7mm-08 with a reduced load pushing 120 gr bullets.

I woke up in bed about 0300 with a start, realizing she had used up all the light loads practicing with her the week before. I got up right then and reloaded a few rounds for that morning's hunt.

Talk about reloading under pressure!

Practice is the main key to a rapid re-load of a double rifle or, in fact, any type of rifle.

As stated just as important is where the re-load cartridges are carried. This depends on what works best for you, and the WAY you do the re-load!

I am right handed and carry ammo on my belt, but do not make a quick re-load from the belt! I modified a glove for my right hand with no fingers. This glove has two lops across the back of the hand, with the rims up with the right hand on the pistol grip of the rifle. I always load with my left hand and with the second two rounds on the back of my right hand the cartridges are only about five inches from the chambers, and the trigger hand stays on the pistol grip.

The cartridges are plucked from the glove with the rims between the thumb and fore fingers of the left hand side by side, like the picture below in this post and simply dropped in the chambers and the rifle closed as it is brought back up to fire the next two! Done this way I can do four shot on target in 4 seconds or less!

No matter what works best for you, one word applies to make it work best! ……………………………………..PRACTICE!

Mac, I thought that was you in the video, until I saw he didn't take a nap between reloads! :-)

I have never used one of the ammo holders slipped over the stock on any rifle. I wonder how they would work?

It seems that one's trigger hand would be closer to any ammo stored there than anywhere else.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I have never used one of the ammo holders slipped over the stock on any rifle. I wonder how they would work?

Small to medium Double Rifles, maybe, big bores,
ammo gets a bit big for the butt of the stock.

My DR's weigh between 10 and 13lbs, I sure as hell don't want to add any more to them !!!

And on top of that, it can throw the balance of the rifle off by making it butt heavy.

In addition, getting the ammo off them is harder as the gun is a moveable object, your body less so as you press against it when pulling the ammo out.

And yes, I have tried it thinking it might be a good idea !!!
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quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Anyone have and advice for reloading a double quickly while under pressure?

Thanks.

This video has been posted at least once before.

I found videoing my shooting made it easy to see what I was doing wrong. In this case taking my eyes off the target was my number one mistake.

IMO reloading under pressure (ie buffalo, elephant charge) is much different. After my first hunt with my double I realized some shortcomings even though the reloading went OK. I am sure Will remembers my report of pulling the front trigger twice, something that I had never done before practicing.

I started shooting a buffalo target in an area that I could run and move around. Shoot one shot run up 20 feet and shoot again, or reload one barrel while running, or shoot two shots shuffle back and reload. The different scenarios helped me on my next two hunts.

Hope this helps a little.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by 505G:
As Todd says, Practice, practice and practice.

And before you practice, THINK of the sequence you want to do (hopefully having talked to various people on the different methods (ie where to hold ammo etc).

Then start slowly (probably with already fired cases in the chambers) and go through the motions, then as confidence builds, you will naturally do it faster.

If you fumble, stop, think and go back / slow down.

Eventually, it all becomes muscle memory and you won't have to look at part of the process which IMHO is what you want.


+1

I practice with my double just about every week. There is just no substitute for practice. One other thing I do on safari is carry one solid in each and every pocket of my vest and shorts (as well as the ammo I have in my cartridge belt and vest loops). This way if I do get knocked over or have to shoot from some awkward position, I optimize my chances to get access to at least a couple of extra rounds.
Mangwana

I don't have a double but when I practice with my bolt gun it's all about smoothness and deliberateness. Like subsailor inferred. Just like the cars that go around the track without squealing their tires look the slowest but are the fastest, they aren't making mistakes and its the jerky mistakes and the correcting of those mistakes that makes one slow.

Look at videos of Jerry Mikulek (sp) or Todd Jarret reload their guns and you can see how deliberate they are. The aren;t just shoving moonclips or magazines in their guns, it's all about economy of motion.

As mentioned practice makes perfect start slow be deliberate as you progress and you are looking to put some pressure on yourself get a shot timer I believe you can get an (app) for a smart phone A shot timer will tell you how fast between shots and between reloads using a shot timer will make you make mistakes
Good luck have fun

Consistency is the key. Some prefer holding 2 extra rounds vs a belt vs a wrist strap vs a different method. Stick with what ever works best for you. I like a wrist strap because most of our hunting is in cool weather and we are usually wearing a jacket or coat.

Snap caps and policitans on TV you don't like are excellent practice as well.

I shoot right handed. I carry spare ammo on my waist on my right side.
I use a 15 round Murray belt. I put the soft points in the front of the belt and Solids in the back.
I also use a Murray butt stock shell carrier. On a 400 and up double I carry only solids on the stock.

With a double you have to think and learn a new manual of arms.

You have several options when it comes time to reload.

You can shoot two rounds, then load two.

You can shoot one, and reload one.

You can shoot two, and if under duress,[ie do not have time to load two] just load one, and shoot one. Then decide if you have time to reload with two or again with just on.

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:


Snap caps and policitans on TV you don't like are excellent practice as well.

I'm liking this option!

Todd and Mike, good form. I do the 25 yard drills as well and then alternate to 50 yards. Lots of fun. Those barrels do heat up quickly, though.

Dutch

Speaking of reloading, PH Capstick wore his ammo on his left side, said he reloaded left-handed, but shot right-handed... how do you do that? CRoss draw the ammo?

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:
Speaking of reloading, PH Capstick wore his ammo on his left side, said he reloaded left-handed, but shot right-handed... how do you do that? Cross draw the ammo?

Use your left hand.


Open the DR with right thumb, left hand pushes the gun up via fore end so cases drop out (or if ejector, they just eject), left hand leaves the gun, removes 2 cases from ammo pouch and with the primer end against the palm, fingers over the top of the case, slide them in.

It works but is harder than Right handed IMHO.

Can do it one by one as well.

The real issue is where you carry the spare ammo, and how easy is it to remove. From Cowboy Action shooting, where you must reload your shotgun on the clock, I have learned that you want the rounds to be situated so you can grab 2 at once, and they must not get stuck in whatever holder you use. I use a belt case, drop down, holds 10 rounds. (But I usually keep 8 in it. As made, they are quite tight and you have to work them in and keep rounds in them to keep them as loose as possible. I load them with 2 rounds in, and skip the center space so you can easily grab 2 rounds at once; ie, they are loaded in pairs. Just like the rifle. If you rely on grabbing and loading one at a time, you will be slow.

quote:

Open the DR with right thumb

He was talking about using a bolt gun, not the double but his 375 H&H.

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:

quote:

Open the DR with right thumb

He was talking about using a bolt gun, not the double but his 375 H&H.

You still use your left hand, it's just not as easy.

Thumbhole cut out on a Mauser is on the left hand side !

BUt stuff the rounds under the scope? Remember, on this era rifle he was using it had the lo-swing scope mount. The scope was eight up or laying on the left side of the action. The thumbhole cutout would have worked well with no scope but how the hell would you quickly load round left-handed into a right handed rifle? Maybe one of you guys who is a left but shoots a righty rifle could elaborate as it would be a similar deal.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
Mac, I thought that was you in the video, until I saw he didn't take a nap between reloads! :-)

He was shooting while I was asleep!

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I have never used one of the ammo holders slipped over the stock on any rifle. I wonder how they would work?

It seems that one's trigger hand would be closer to any ammo stored there than anywhere else.

I have used them on bolt rifles because I load with the right hand for a bolt rifle but they would be too slow for me with a double rifle. As stated above the ammo for big bores is too heavy for a stock slip IMO.

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quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:
BUt stuff the rounds under the scope? Remember, on this era rifle he was using it had the lo-swing scope mount. The scope was eight up or laying on the left side of the action. The thumbhole cutout would have worked well with no scope but how the hell would you quickly load round left-handed into a right handed rifle? Maybe one of you guys who is a left but shoots a righty rifle could elaborate as it would be a similar deal.

Baxter

I know where you are coming from and yes, you are correct, it can be a problem.

I was bought up on top feeding Remchester's
and I don't have low mounts.

I also don't use Tikka's for the same reason, I can't top feed in a hurry (you can but it is a lot slower).


In the past, the choice was kind of Mauser 98, Brno, Winchester, Remington and Weatherby Mk V,
of which maybe the first 2 used for DG.

Now we have a huge range of different guns / gun actions to choose from.

Great thread, thanks for posting Larry, and thanks to those that have contributed some very helpful, practicle advice.

Particularily Todd and Mike, those video sequences are a great example to try and achieve.

I'm new to doubles and am soaking all this stuff up like a sponge.
Just got news mine should be here at the end of my hunting season.

This gives me our Summer to regulate handloads, sight in and practice getting those tubes emptied just like Todd and Mike do on the videos.

The ejectors should help a little too

Nice video! I use belt slips for my rounds.
Practice, practice, practice!
Some one on this forum stated in part "that people don't rise to an occasion, rather they fall back on the lowest basic training". You need to practice!

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:
Speaking of reloading, PH Capstick wore his ammo on his left side, said he reloaded left-handed, but shot right-handed... how do you do that? CRoss draw the ammo?

I'm a lefty, but reload my doubles with the same logic, breaking with my left thumb, snugging the action up against my waist, and plucking two rounds out with my right fingers.

Key is where you keep your spare rounds. I've so far used the folding 8 or 10 round (depending on cartridge size) leather holder, but have bought and plan to try a two-round holder strapped around my left wrist.

Regards