Bonanza,

This thread picks up from your comment on my thread about my newly acquired .280 NE.

Yes, yes, yes get a small bore double rifle. You will love it. Whether it is a Merkel or something else is just your choice. Traditional calibers you might consider include 7x57R, 7x65R, 8x57JRS, and 9x57R. I mention these metrics because I have found small bores to be far more common in continental rifles than in Brits. Contrary to what is often passed off as gospel in these threads, you can also do fine with a rimless such as .30-06 in a well made rifle. Keep it clean and it will extract or eject like a charm.

Along that line, I will now offer my darkest, most secret, and dirtiest confession of this evening. One of my most useful and well liked double rifles is chambered in none other than .300 WINCHESTER MAGNUM. Now I've said it, and it is here for the world to see. That rifle shoots four shots - 2 rights and 2 lefts into 1 1/4" at 100 yards with boring regularity. It is scoped with a QD 1.5-5 Pentax. The last deer I killed was shot with it across a harvested corn field at a measured 265 yards. One shot in the heart. It's regulated for 220 grain round nose bullets - perfect for elk. I use the Hornadys. Load and shoot it for peanuts. It's not shot off the face, either. And hey, if you don't think it will eject, try standing just behind me to my right when I open it. It has never failed to extract or eject ever. It's no beauty queen; fairly typical Ferlach, made by Joseph Winkler. But man, is it a user.

My 9x57R Francotte is the sleekest and sexiest small bore double rifle I have laid eyes on. It's smaller than most 28 gauge shotguns. It weighs a whopping 7 lbs. 6 oz. A beautiful SLE in classic British style.

Unlike many 9mm's it has .358 grooves. I shoot Hornady 250 RN .35 caliber bullets. The brass is easily formed from .444 Marlin, or you can neck up 8x57R. It costs snilch to shoot and is fun as can be. Light as it is, it can be a thumper.

In summary, you can usually find a small bore DR in a caliber that's easy to feed and costs very little to shoot. Who wouldn't want one?

If I were to get a small bore Merkel I think it would be an 8x57JRS. That's a great caliber. I think it is far more versatile than a 7mm. Make sure it will accept a 0.063" thick rim, and then you can use .444 brass. Of course, 8x57R is easy to get now, not like 20 years ago.

A 7x57R will take a 0.063" rim, and you can always use .444. That's what I did with an Austrian 7x57R double I had many moons ago.

So, yes get a small bore. You're not hunting elephants in South Carolina. Big bores are fun as heck, but they aren't the end of the line.

Go for it!
Curl