While traveling recently, I found a Beretta Express Rifle in 9.3X74R in a small gunshop.
It seemed like a really nice rifle. It is an O/U, but I really like the way it handled.

Given the caliber, I would not use it as a dangerous game rifle. Which double rifles are generally more accurate, SxS or O/U?

Do these rifles regulate well? I would appreciate any thoughts or experiences anyone has.

Thanks!!

I have done a lot of hunting with a 9,3x74R double rifle [SxS], it is a great hunting calibre. I have even taken giraffe cape buff and elephant with it.

As to accuracy, there is not any difference in the accuracy of a quality SXS vs. a quality O/U.

I don't know about the Beretta, but some O/U rifles (like the Tikka/Valmet) have a regulation feature so that the bottom barrel can be adjusted. So, you can regulate the rifle for the load you want, rather than the other way around.
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Texas Blue Devil:
While traveling recently, I found a Beretta Express Rifle in 9.3X74R in a small gunshop.
It seemed like a really nice rifle. It is an O/U, but I really like the way it handled.

Given the caliber, I would not use it as a dangerous game rifle. Which double rifles are generally more accurate, SxS or O/U?

Do these rifles regulate well? I would appreciate any thoughts or experiences anyone has.

Thanks!!

Hello TBD,

A friend of mine had just that rifle, in that same cartridge and it had spare, factory 20 gauge shot barrels to boot. He scoped it with a vintage but cherry Leupold fixed 3x glass in older Talley lever mounts/rings and it shot very accurately, both barrels to the same spot with 286 grain Nosler Partitions (I think 2300-ish FPS).

Later, said 9.3 owner was drifting the rear sight for windage and the solid factory rib fell off. I was working in a gun store one day per week then and there had been a small recall on a specific batch of Beretta shotguns because the vent ribs were falling off (Hmmm). He called Beretta here in the US. They either told him to send it to them and they would farm it out to Briley (choke tube maker) for repair, or else they told him to send it to Briley himself (I have forgotten which now). The elephant dung in the punch bowl was that Beretta said my friend would be charged for the repair! He was so upset by Beretta's attempted theft of his hard earned money that he sent it to JJ Peredou (Sp?) or some similar person for repair and after repair, he sold it ASAP.

I liked the rifle enough that had I not just recently retired at that stage, I would have made him an offer on it. Perredou's re-attachment of the rib would be good enough for me as he had also claw mounted my Merkel SxS .375 and it is perfect. To me, the Beretta's only flaw was that it was a bit too light overall and especially at the muzzel end. I likes me weapons a bit on the muzzel heavy side of things.

Incidently that fellow still hunts with (among other classic and semi-classic rifles and cartridges) a 9.3x74R/286 grain NP but it's in a Ruger #1 and it has a 4x Zeiss in Ruger rings, plus a custom set trigger of some sort installed. He has taken several African critters with his single shot 9.3x74R and wrote an article somewhere in this forum about it, complete with photos, under the pen name of AKJeff.

It's a good read if you would enjoy hearing of his experiences with that cartridge on "normal" size animals. I can say that he is a way above average rifle shot (handgun and shotgun as well) and likely he would bring home the bacon with a pea shooter but just like my cranky self, Jeff tends to "use enough gun" or perhaps a bit more. The 9.3 vs antelope and warthog is at least enough gun. He plans to go back for eland among others next time and likely to take the 9.3 again.

Out.
Ard.

A friend uses a Beretta double rifle and is very happy with it. He gets 2.5 cm groups (+/- 1 inch) at 100 meters with Norma Oryx ammo.

quote:

Originally posted by Texas Blue Devil:
While traveling recently, I found a Beretta Express Rifle in 9.3X74R in a small gunshop.
It seemed like a really nice rifle. It is an O/U, but I really like the way it handled.

Given the caliber, I would not use it as a dangerous game rifle.

I personally would have no qualms in using such a rifle for most DG situations"such as for Lion, Leopard and Buffalo.

I think you will like the Beretta double rifle. I have found over the years that Beretta firearms are quality items, and though I have ne experience with the O/U double rifle by Beretta, I see no reason to think the quality would be any less on it than their other firearms.
I do have a lot of experience with the 9.3X74R cartridge,I did have several double rifle chambered for that round over the years, mostly S/Ss but had a Valmet (pronounced VAL-MAY), and A O/U Winchester Grand Europian.

I own two double rifle today so chambered. One is a model 140E Merkel S/S, and the other is the afore mentioned Winchester. The cartridge are very accurate in both rifles, and I'd have no qualms about shooting Leopard, Lion , or Cape Buffalo with the 9.3X74R cartridge, in fairly open bush, or the cats over bait. For follow-up on either of these animals that are wounded, especially in tight bush, I would rather have something a little larger!

A good double rifle chambered for the 9.3X47R is a fine all-around hunting rifle, for everything from titmouse to Cape Buffalo, but is light for, as I said follow-up on wounded DG, like lion, or Buffalo!

I use one and am very happy with it.
I get groups under 1' at 50 yards, with the RWS 9.3X74 R ammunition.
Buy one if you have the opportunity, Beretta is no longer making the O/U.

A friend of mine has a new 416Rigby in a SXS double express rifle... A very nice rifle to shoot...

Mike

retreever

What brand of double is it?

i have a matched pair of them. one is in 3006 and the other is 9.3x74 with an extra set of 20 ga bbls to fit either action. they are my most accurate doubles.

Tony it is a Beretta only a year old..
correction 416Rigby
Mike