.470 prices are no problem in the new "affordable" doubles if you like them, but they're not my cup of tea. With respect to the second-hand English rifles though, I agree - they won't do anything that the others in the .450/.470 group won't except take a bigger bite out of your wallet. Back when I first started shopping, conventional wisdom was that if you actually wanted to shoot your double rifle, it needed to be a .470. This was only because stocks of the then discontinued Kynoch in that caliber were still somewhat available and the prices of .470 rifles reflected such. I ignored that dreary counsel, I didn't want a .470 anyway. The price premium is still there today, but now it is only due to senseless hype. Ammo and components are available for the others and there is no reason to pay extra for a good rifle just because it happens to be a .470.

As to the smaller calibers for ordinary game, they can all be put to good use. The .303 is quite useful in a double and quite a few were built. I prefer the flexibility of the mediums and a number of good ones get overlooked. The .333 Flanged and the grand .360 No. 2 have always been there and can work for DG if need be. The .400/.350, .350 No. 2 and .400/.360 Purdey are all good. All three share the same case which is easily formed from 9.3X74R and bullet selection is excellent. Built on caliber-appropriate frames (which, unfortunately, some were not) these mediums are magic wands. If you haven't used one for the kind of hunting Nitro referred to, you don't know what you're missing. I use a .400/.360 for whitetail, pigs, elk, black bear, etc., and it keeps my freezers full. Gonna smack a pig with it next weekend. See you there, Mac.
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