Double rifles are the best stoppers ever invented, but they are not limited to that purpose! I would say the double rifles chambered for 375H&H flanged, and under, are the most versatile double rifles ever made. I too, would suspect, that doubles chambered for 9.3X74R and smaller, have been made twenty times more than the very large bore doubles.

It is that we only see the big boys, for the most part, because the folks who use the smaller doubles rarely get in films, and in magazine articles. People in the USA, are not awash with experience with double rifles,of any kind, and the ones who are, are usually only intrested in the large bore stoppers. In Europe, double rifles are used by lots of people in the hunting fields, for things like deer, stagg, Boar and bear.

I would say my favorite chambering in a hunting double rifle for North America, is either a 375 flanged, or 9.3X74R, but the 8mm, 7mm, and the like are fine as well. The reason I like the 9.3, and 375 flanged chamberings is, because they are also very usefull in Africa, as well!

A perfect pair would be a 9.3X74R,with a illum scope, in QD mounts, and one of the 450 bores like a 450NE 3 1/4" to handle everything in the world. If you will have only one then my pick would be a 450/400NE 3" for everything.

I have a pair that I set up for a trip to Africa, which is a pair of Merkels,one chambered for 9.3X74R, and the other chambered for 470NE! However, I have small doubles and they are my daily shooters for the most part!