Hammer guns I do like. I don’t shoot regularly with one, but if I found one that fits at the right price I would have one. On dangerous game you don’t have one up the spout and three or four down. You have two shots which you had better make count.

Whether you cock both hammers at once, or one at a time is down to you and how well the gun is built. Any gun the doubles on recoil should have the attention of a good gunsmith.

The effort involved in cocking the hammers is really no more than sliding a safety - especially the decocker style on many German guns. It needs to me second nature to you. There is the matter of potential click as the hammer is cocked. Either choose a gun with stalking safeties, but these need disengaging before firing, learn to operate the trigger as hammer is cocked to avoid the click, or cock as you mount the gun and fire.

As always first shot is the one that counts. Then make the second count.

As to the reload. It depends on the type of action. Under levers such as the Jones rotary are very strong but you have manually open, reload close barrels and then shut it. Its a little slow and awkward.

But the more modern snap action that snaps closed as the barrels close is much quicker. Various types - sidelevers and trigger guard push forward or rotating all work. The ones over the trigger guard can viscous on the fingers.

With the more conventional top lever, many will not open if the right hammer is cocked. Probably best to fire right barrel first so you can have an easy reload if you don’t get an immediate opportunity for a second shot.

Most hammer guns are non ejectors. Matters not with brass rifle cases. Open the gun and tip it to the side and cases fall out. In go two more and close.

If a hammer gun is your gun, you know it and it is part of you, then shoot it. But if you are not familiar with the type of gun and multiple shots in a hurry - well you are possibly on the way to a Darwin Award. But this applies just as much to hammerless doubles and bolt actions alike.