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Double Rifles, Single Shots & Combinations >> Double Rifles
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dan_oz
.224 member


Reged: 04/09/08
Posts: 28
Loc: Australia
My Baikal
      #113584 - 04/09/08 10:46 PM

Hi, I've been lurking for a while, and noticed a certain amount of interest in Baikal doubles here. Mine isn't the .45/70 which has finally stated to appear - I got sick of waiting for one and bought an O/U in 9.3x74R instead, earlier this year.

First impressions were good. The rifle is undoubtedly plain, but the timber is a good close-grained walnut and the metalwork quite well finished. I was actually pleasantly surprised, and the rifle certainly stands up against mass-produced repeaters in its price class.



What impressed me more was the way the rifle felt in the hands, and how it came up to my shoulder. It was very stiff to open at first, but working it open and closed repeatedly for a few dozen times with lots of lubricant soon fixed that.

After giving it a brief trial at the range I decided to fit a scope: a 4x Leupold, which mounted using steel ringmounts with lever releases so that I can fit and remove it without tools.



I then loaded up a batch of rounds with Woodleigh 286gn RNs and went back to the range. Well, it took 20 rounds and a bit of fiddling with the regulation jackscrew and the scope adjustment, but by the end of it I had 4 rounds in an inch at 50 yards, just above the aiming mark - and I was more than happy.



The only things the rifle still needed were better trigger pulls, and conversion of the safety to non-automatic. I soon had both attended too, and the trigger pulls a nice 4lbs each. A bit more range time (which revealed that a simple change to the Woodleigh 286 gn PP made a surprisingly dramatic difference to regulation) and I was ready to take this one out for a walk.

The opportunity came last month: a trip to the Northern Territory to cull buffalo and pigs. Well, the new Baikal performed flawlessly, accounting for nearly 20 buff and some good pigs. The only limiting factor was that I should have taken more rounds!

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93mouse
.375 member


Reged: 17/08/07
Posts: 733
Loc: Slovenia
Re: My Baikal [Re: dan_oz]
      #113585 - 04/09/08 10:55 PM

Allright dan_oz - good job!

Quote:

Mine isn't the .45/70 which has finally stated to appear - I got sick of waiting for one and bought an O/U in 9.3x74R instead, earlier this year.



IMO - you got a perfect caliber - good choice.

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9.3x57
.450 member


Reged: 22/04/07
Posts: 5504
Loc: United States
Re: My Baikal [Re: 93mouse]
      #113590 - 04/09/08 11:57 PM

VERY nice work, Dan!!!

Great post.

I agree, given the choice between the .45-70 and 9.3x74R it wouldn't be a choice... the 9.3x74R all the way.

And that is the case even tho I am a long-standing .45-70 aficionado and have taken deer, bear and range cattle put-downs with the .45-70.

One comment, too.

I've looked at both the O/U and SXS Baikals and my general impression is that the O/U's are better fitted than the SXS's. Due to manufacturing processes, the fact that the SXS's I saw are more recent guns or something else I just I do not know.

--------------------
What are the Rosary, the Cross or the Crucifix other than tools to help maintain the fortress of our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

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Bramble
.375 member


Reged: 29/07/06
Posts: 950
Loc: England
Re: My Baikal [Re: 9.3x57]
      #113611 - 05/09/08 01:51 AM

Dan

If it is not too much of an imposition, would you be kind enough to post some pictures of the rifle disassembles. Especially the action and barrel lugs next to a ruler for scale. I have an O/U Baiakal shotgun here and I am curious to see if the action is the same.

Regards

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mehulkamdar
.416 member


Reged: 09/01/04
Posts: 3688
Loc: State of Ill-Annoy USA.
Re: My Baikal [Re: dan_oz]
      #113648 - 05/09/08 09:09 AM

Dan,

Very nice gun and lovely buff as well!

Far better to have a gun and be out hunting with it than to wait for something that is not available to turn up. I am sure that the hunts that you took your rifle were well worth it and that waiting would only have caused frustration and sent your BP up.

Welcome to the Nitroexpress Forums and do post often. You won't find a nicer set of shooters and hunters than here.

Good hunting!

--------------------
The Ark was made by amateurs. Experts built the Titanic.

Mehul Kamdar

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tarawa
.333 member


Reged: 21/10/07
Posts: 420
Loc: South Florida
Re: My Baikal [Re: mehulkamdar]
      #113654 - 05/09/08 09:47 AM

It is funny that you mention a jack screw. Both of my 30-06 over and unders have a sleeved screw between the barrels. To change regulation the sleeves must be changed to a larger diameter to spread the barrels (midpoint) or a smaller diameter sleeve that relaxes the flex at midpoint.

--------------------
Life is for Service

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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39279
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: My Baikal [Re: tarawa]
      #113672 - 05/09/08 12:57 PM

Dan as you know as we have discussed this before, your rifle reminds of a Tikka/Valmet a lot. At least from the photos.

I think you made a FINE choice in a 9.3x74R. IMO it will kill water buffalo better than a .45/70 but is also an excellent and versatile round for sambar, pigs, other deer etc.

Great accuracy from your rifle. My Tikka does similar. While this sort of barrel setup has other problems and don't look as good as a traditional set of barrels they do seem to have great accuracy potential.

Ladies and Gentlemen of NE,

Dan also culled buffalo at the same property as I did 3 or so years ago with an U/O double rifle in 9.3x74R. The perfect place for one, hey?! When I read a culling story of Dan's, I wanted to do it again!

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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bwananelson
.400 member


Reged: 08/10/07
Posts: 1195
Loc: DELTONA FLORIDA
Re: My Baikal [Re: NitroX]
      #113685 - 05/09/08 03:32 PM

what make are those mounts looks like they work great .do you have any movement backwards with recoil

--------------------
THERE ARE NO DO OVERS IN LIFE DONT LET A CHANCE AT A DREAM SLIP AWAY.

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dan_oz
.224 member


Reged: 04/09/08
Posts: 28
Loc: Australia
Re: My Baikal [Re: NitroX]
      #113687 - 05/09/08 03:45 PM

Thank you all for the welcome. Yes, I am happy with my choice, and the calibre. It does everything I expected of it and the rifle performs well.

Bramble
I'll try to take some photos of the lockup tonight, but I understand it is in fact the IZH-27 shotgun action. In fact according to my owner's manual and the Baikal website you can (in theory at least) order this rifle with supplementary barrel sets, either O/U shotgun or combination (BBF). As I understand it though they need to be factory fitted, unlike my Brno ZH series or the Tikkas.

Tarawa
Yes it is a jackscrew, which has a detent arrangement so that you can count the number of clicks of adjustment. It definitely works.

It sits within the same bracket as the front sling swivel, but between the barrels of course, and you have to take the fore-end off to make adjustments. I'll try to take a photo or two tonight.

NitroX
Thanks mate. Yes it does shoot well - better than I'd expected. They are actually test fired for accuracy at the factory, and there's a test certificate in the owner's manual signed by the tester, but that only attests to the rifle meeting the factory standard of not more than 100mm at 100m (about 3.5moa) and doesn't include the test target. Mine does a good deal better than that.

If I get a chance before it gets too warm I think that rifle's next outing will be down south after sambar.


Dan

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dan_oz
.224 member


Reged: 04/09/08
Posts: 28
Loc: Australia
Re: My Baikal [Re: bwananelson]
      #113688 - 05/09/08 03:50 PM

Bwananelson

The mounts are steel ringmounts, 3/8" size, by Lynx. I got the local agent to replace the Allen screws with lever screws to make them hand-detachable.

They don't seem to move. The dovetail doesn't run all the way through the front of the rail, so there's a stop there to butt the front ring against.

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dan_oz
.224 member


Reged: 04/09/08
Posts: 28
Loc: Australia
Re: My Baikal [Re: dan_oz]
      #113698 - 05/09/08 10:15 PM

Bramble

Here's the breech,in close-up as promised. I hope that helps (and please ignore the grease).


Tarawa

This is the jackscrew set up. As you can see it has a knurled surface to allow it to be turned by hand, or you can slip a pin or Allen key into the holes to assist you to turn it.



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Bramble
.375 member


Reged: 29/07/06
Posts: 950
Loc: England
Re: My Baikal [Re: dan_oz]
      #113725 - 06/09/08 08:22 AM

Thank you for taking the time to do that Dan. I will go into the cupboard in the morning.

Regards

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tarawa
.333 member


Reged: 21/10/07
Posts: 420
Loc: South Florida
Re: My Baikal [Re: Bramble]
      #113780 - 06/09/08 11:57 PM

Dan,
Thanks for the great pictures of the jackscrew arrangement. For those of us that bought the (Pre-Remington)EAA version of the 30-06, we are stuck with a system that uses an assortment of spacer tubes to spread the barrels between two flat surfaces. Not user friendly and extra spacers not included! Apparantly the spacer that came with the gun is what the Russians regulated the gun with. Of course, the actual load used is a little sketchy.
Of course this is the $279.00US version.
The jackscrew method seems to be a better adjustment method.

--------------------
Life is for Service

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dan_oz
.224 member


Reged: 04/09/08
Posts: 28
Loc: Australia
Re: My Baikal [Re: tarawa]
      #113782 - 07/09/08 12:36 AM

Tarawa

That spacer tube setup sounds pretty poor. Being able to regulate the rifle to suit whatever load you want to use is one of the big advantages of the design. If you look at the Baikal website the jackscrew adjustment is a feature on the IZH-94s (and on the SxS as well). It sounds like EAA may have specified a second-rate system to cut costs for the US market which, if true, would be a crying shame.

Edited by dan_oz (07/09/08 12:40 AM)

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tarawa
.333 member


Reged: 21/10/07
Posts: 420
Loc: South Florida
Re: My Baikal [Re: dan_oz]
      #113837 - 07/09/08 11:58 AM

Dan,
It looks that way to me. I am sure it can be modified to work like yours though. I have two to play with.

--------------------
Life is for Service

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