I have been hunting DG for a few years now and am thinking of getting a double.I live in SA and do not know witch to by,everyone here say a krieghoff in 470 or 500.I am looking for a working rifle not something fancy and not to expensive.

Hi nongwe
Keep your bolt action why do you want a double???

Just kidding!!!When are you and me going to shoot another Hippo?

quote:

Originally posted by nongwe:
I have been hunting DG for a few years now and am thinking of getting a double.I live in SA and do not know witch to by,everyone here say a krieghoff in 470 or 500.I am looking for a working rifle not something fancy and not to expensive.

The K-gun is a good choice if it fits you, it doesn't fit me. I have a couple of Merkel double rifles one a Mod 140E 9.3X74R, and the other a Mod 140-2 Safari 470NE and both are totally problem free, and are bot shooters. The new Merkels are available with selective ejectors, and the K-gun is extractor only. My 470 NE Merkel is an extractor gun, but I don't find that a draw-back. So if you don't need ejectors I would look at both the K-gun, and the Merkel 140-2 to see which fits you best and buy that one. The 470NE or the 500NE chamberings are the only choice worth haveing for DG the rest in the Safari are rimless chamberings in the Merkel, and they are both a little light for the 500NE IMO. The one I would stay away from if you hunt dangerous game is the Blaser S2. It has a design that automaticlly de-cocks the rifle if it is opened for any reason. If you fire one or both barrels on the S2 and need a re-load quickly, when you close the rifle it has been de-cocked, and must be manually re-cocked before you can finish the fight with a lion or buffalo. IMO, that ain't a good feature. The K-gun is not designed the same way, and when fired, re-cocks it's self when it is opened to re-load, big difference!

PS: As Mufunyanwe says keep you bolt rifle as well, to shoot hippo, and crocs,on the water, and use the double for Buffalo and Lion in tight bush. In any event every hunter who lives in Africa needs a double rifle!

What's your price range? I think that will play a HUGE factor in the decision. I dislike the cocking/safety mechanism of the K gun. For about the same price I would look at a Merkel or a Chapuis. If your price range extends to 15-20k that opens up a few more doors for sure.

Brett

Don't forget about the Chapuis rifles either.

Why not take a look at the Chapuis, Heym, K Gun, Searcy and Merkel. These seem to be the 5 companies that most come to mind when you are looking at DR's under $20K.
I chose the Heym because of what I thought were better fit and balance for ME. It may not be for you!
These were my personal observations (470 NE); The Merkel was nose heavy and did not balance well in my hands. The Chapuis has a very fat forearm perhaps due to the spacing of the barrels. I prefer a more slender forearm. I was never able to get my hands on Searcy.
Th K gun felt as good in my hands as the Heym, I just did not care for the cocking mechanism (Personal issue).
Other positive notes on the Heym were intercepting sears, Cocking indicators (each barrel), articulating front trigger and ejectors.
Some of these other mfg have these options and some do not. The down side if any to the Heym is that it is the most expensive of the lot. I am happy with my decision.
Chris does a great job backing the Heym product and he resides in my town.

EZ

which ever rifle that fits you and your wallet at the same time, will be the right rifle.

best

peter

The hippo hunting is problem animals at night on land,thats way i want or need a double.Have 9k

Need any help killing all those hippo's?

quote:

Originally posted by nongwe:
The hippo hunting is problem animals at night on land,thats way i want or need a double.Have 9k

That's plenty of coin to get yourself a Merkel, K-gun or Chapuis. I personally would pick a Merkel w/ejectors in 470 or 500, they seem to fit me better so out of the three pick the one that fits and feels the best for you.

quote:

Originally posted by dirklawyer:

quote:

Originally posted by nongwe:
The hippo hunting is problem animals at night on land,thats way i want or need a double.Have 9k

That's plenty of coin to get yourself a Merkel, K-gun or Chapuis. I personally would pick a Merkel w/ejectors in 470 or 500, they seem to fit me better so out of the three pick the one that fits and feels the best for you.

For that price range I totally agree. The K gun probably has the best feel of the three, but I HATE the cocking/safe devise.

Brett

Go down to the powder keg and see what Luckus has on the rack. That will go a long way towards making your choice. Any of those mention would be fine. Last time I was there He had a Evens .470 boxlock cased that had just come back from the maker after being refurbished..

Could have had that one for $14,000 but that was 14 years ago. I could have doubled my money by now but I thought it was a little high at the time.

Live and learn.

quote:

Originally posted by peterdk:
which ever rifle that fits you and your wallet at the same time, will be the right rifle.

best

peter

+1

Well said and absolutely true

nongwe, this probably won't help you, because its on an internet site, in the states, but it does include some ammo, etc.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Aucti....aspx?Item=157376643

Mad Dog

Biggest thing with the K-gun mechanism--

(having had one for 15 years)-

Cock on the lift to the shoulder,

like taking a Quail gun off safety on the way up

You have a distinct mechanical disadvantage once shouldered.

My 500NE broke in very nicely after the first month of use, never had an issue cocking it after that-- really was not difficult --just adaptation.



As per Chris and Hyem-- I second that recommendation (if you were the USA)

Thanks for all the info.Having problem finding prises on searcy 500, merkel.500 and in 470.

Nongwe:

If you haven't done so, I would try to find a Merkel and/or K-gun in .500 NE to shoot before you buy. I know some guys like them but for me, at 10.5 pounds, they are really light for caliber and kick like a mule. The .470 would probably be a little better but my choice would be a K-gun in .500/.416. At 10.5 pounds, the weight is just right for the caliber and the .500/.416 is a gun that will give you bolt rifle performance in a double. Just my two cents.

nongwe,

I studied, agonized, fretted and vacillated for months before finally settling on a K Big Five Classic in 450-400X3. Now 3 months later and some 150 rounds thru it I'm happy I got it. My shooting pard got its twin in 470 NE at the same time and he truly loves it.

While all the other doubles mentioned are very good I'm sure, do yourself a favor and check out the K gun. You'll be glad you did.

quote:

Go down to the powder keg and see what Luckus has on the rack.

Lukas currently has 2 Blaser S2's (375 & 470) in the shop, I spent an hour in there yesterday talking guns Its always great to spend some time there when I'm in town.

My vote goes to Merkel or Heym as those are the ones I've shot (470).

HendrikNZ:

I also have a Blaser S2 in .470 and I really, really like it. I don't agree with Mac about the safety. It's easy to learn how to use it and with a little practice, it becomes second nature. If I was buying a .500 NE, I would take a serious look at the S2 because they are heavier than the Merkel and Krieghoff and I prefer a heavier gun in a .500. The only caveat to a Blaser is that they do not handle as well as a Merkel or a K-gun. Blasers have fairly heavy barrels and they offset the barrel weight by putting a weight in the stock. They balance correctly but handling suffers. One good thing about a Blaser is that if you have a .470 and want to move up to a .500, you can simply order a set of .500 barrels. The will fit right on the reciever with no extra work and the same fore arm will work for both guns.

One other point about the S2 .470. It will not regulate with Federal or Hornady ammo. The are regulated at the factory with WR ammo and a .500 grain Woodleigh. The WR .470 ammo must run slower than the Federal and Hornady stuff as my gun regulated at 2,000-2050 fps which I think is about right in the "Kynoch window." Handloading is a must but I think handloading is a must with any double. Unlike the Merkel or K-gun, an S2 can easily be "reregulated" if you want it regulated with something other than WR ammo but I just saw no need to do so. Most vintage guns regulate at around 2000 fps and the .470 has been killing everything on the planet for more than 100 years.

eezridr: Heym, not Merkel had the nose heavy effect on me! Double Rifles are like cowboy boots, it depends on the brand and personal fit.