Aaron:

Welcome the the club!

If you can, I would HIGHLY recommend that you try to attend the SCI convention in Reno this up coming January.

A discussion regarding the purchase of a double rifle will always talk about "fit" - or how the gun feels in your hands when you shoulder it. At SCI, all of the big DR makers will be there so you will be able to actually handle and shoulder their guns. Searcy, Merkel, Kreighoff, Heym, Chapuis, H&H, Westley Richards, Purdey, should all be in attendance.

If you can't get to Reno, the Dallas Safari Club is also another option, but it is not as big as SCI.

Also, Accurate Reloading (www.accuratereloading.com) a free site is also another resource for your research. You'll see a lot of the same faces there, but AR has a lot more members. There is also a lot of information on African Safaris there too.

If you ever get to Washington, DC, drop me a note and we'll take out my .500 NE.