I got a call from Butch yesterday. He had just regulated my Classic .450/.400 3" and afterwards blued it. It was in his hands as he spoke and he was putting the forearm back on getting ready for a final right and left to make sure the bluing didn't change the regulation (which can happen, but is rare).

It has his mounting system where Talley rings are QD with a Leupold 2.5x scope. He told me that it regulated just fine with irons and the scope.

Tonight, it will be in the hands of FedEx and arrive in mine in the morning and I'll add some pictures!

Reckon that I'm excited?

I am envious. My double won't be ready for a while.

Judge,



Congratulations!

(Is there an emoticon for ENVY )

Outstanding!

This is going to be a long day! Can't wait to see pictures.

Ernest,
Congrats, I still remember the feeling! It's a shame that your not attending the DRSS Brady hunt, I for one would have loved to fondle your new love! Happy hunting my friend!

quote:

It's a shame that your not attending the DRSS Brady hunt, I for one would have loved to fondle your new love!

Guess that means you'll just have to fondle your own.....same old, same old

judge,
first the 9.3 & now the 400,man you are having fun ,what length are the barrels?
like Doc said I wish you were coming to Brady!

Ernest:

Try not to drop it.
-----------------------------------------------
"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

Congratulations, Ernest!

Ernest get your butt down here for the DRSS hunt! Bring that classic, and I'll break it in for you!

congrats on your new searcy!!!!!!!!!!! ...

Good to hear Ernest, sorry I couldn't make it up to Butch's in the last couple of months to take some pictures for you.

Congratulations! I have handled and shot several of Butches classic rifles. They shoot as good as they look. In my opinion the classic compares with rifles that are twice the price.

Lets see.... A scoped 9,3x74R Chapuis double.....
and a scoped 450/400.....

That is a PERFECT PAIR.

It'll look better than you can imagine ..... a REAL classic.

No pictures yet? You get us all worked up and just leave us hanging!

Tracking from FedEx has it arriving before 4:30 tomorrow... but you'll be a bit surprised by the pictures!

quote:

but you'll be a bit surprised by the pictures!

I wonder if it has been rebored?

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
I wonder if it has been rebored?

Breech is 450, muzzle is 400. The first ever SxS squeeze bore.

Keith

congrats to you......cant wait to see the pictures!!!!

Earnest,

Where are the pictures?

But this is a .470 with an extended tang?

dang that's a good looking rifle!!!!

Just what I thought, it was rebored.

Earnest, nice looking rifle. Looking forward to the range report.

Exqusite rifle Judge! What is your intended target for blooding?

Ernest,

She sure is purdy!

Why don't you ship it to the 4K ranch in Brady and we'll break her in for you next weekend?

Here's what happened. BTW, this message is endorsed by the Future Dead African Elephants Union, I guess for giving them 500 grains at 2150 f.p.s. of respect, regardless of what Papa Pondoro, Will or Tony say.... or me, in the past, for that matter?

A couple of years ago, on a trip to the Selous buffalo hunting, I got amongst lots of buffalo, lots of times. I had taken two rifles with iron sights. A .450/400 Westley Richards with express sights and a .405 Winchester model 1895 with a great old Lyman model 21 peep.

I tend to be an perfectionist when I'm shooting game. I want to know exactly where the bullet will impact. Not just in the heart/lung area, but on which hair. At least on Buff past spitting distance, I found that my eyes were too old to find that hair with irons.

Later that year, I went elephant hunting with a .470 Nitro Express double and realized that within 20 yards, express sights were the only way to go. If I can get a "luggie" there, I can see to kill, to put it coarsely.

So... I figured out that I needed both. A Jack-of-two-trades. A double for buffalo that had a scope to pick out the hair I wanted at 60 yards and was still elephant capable with the QD scope removed. A Searcy Classic .450/.400 seemed to be the answer... so I ordered one.

And then, I became adulterous. I found a Merkel 141E, 9.3x74 double that weighed less than a good and fluffy biscuit and had almost the same muzzle energy as a .450/.400... and was regulated both with a scope and irons. I began to sleep with the little beauty since my normal squeeze, Paris was going to jail... or in and out of jail.

Hey, I had a Searcy coming in .450/.400... what was I going to do but have the same rifle, twice, although one on steroids.

It was coming in a day as I wrote above... and then Butch called and asked if I was sure I wanted the rifle I ordered and which he was putting in a box ... or since he knew I really, really like hunting elephants.. would I like a .470, built to the same specs... but with a long tang and a few other add-ons... with no scope (which is tits on a boar hog on a 25 yard rifle anyway)...

I said yes, and I got the .470 today. I didn't immediately bond. I had to go get the little Merkel 141E and reconfirm that it would do just fine for my regular shoot-em-up rifle.... but that damn powerful and good-looking .470 that doesn't allow elephants to ask questions looked pretty good, too. Maybe I was becoming a Morman?

I made my decision and the .470 stayed home today.. no longer on approval, but a new family member.. home forever or until death do us part.... and the little Merkel was not jealous a bit. She just moved over in the bed and made room for the new big dog... but did I tell you about the Whitworth .458 I got last week that I'm putting a three-position safety on and which didn't cost but $600.00? Life is full of decisions.

For the virgin bloodletting trip, I'm going to Tanzania in September for buffalo. I'll take the 9.3x74 and the Searcy... probably screw up stalks again because I can't see and kill the snot out of a buff or two with the illegal 9.3.. who knows? Elephant in Zim in March and Botswana for elephant and Santa Claus in December of 2008 exclusively with the new Searcy, though.

Awesome looking rifle, Ernest. Now get you butt over to the DRSS hunt next week in Brady Texas.

I wish my good friends would cut Butch some slack, so I can get my rifle, he keeps putting me back on the list, one of the bad things about friendship, he knows I won't hurt him when he does such vial deeds! but I suppose it's worth his friendship which I cherish, Maybe!!