Smicha6551:

A few thoughts on your question.

I can see your point about .458 ammo being cheaper, but there will be no difference in recoil. When Hornady gets their .470 ammo out (it will be a while) relying mainly on factory ammo in that caliber will become more economically realistic than it's ever been, but don't let economics influence your choice of caliber in a double rifle. Doubles have been the only rifles I've used for many years (I still own bolt actions, but can't remember the last time I shot one of mine), and I love 'em. However, if you're not a handloader, or are not excited about the prospect of becoming one, get a bolt .458 and leave double rifles alone. If factory ammo is part of your consideration in caliber choice for a double rifle, you're headed in the wrong direction.

With respect to the Krieghoff...I have a fair bit of experience with the Big Five in .500/.416, .375 Flanged Magnum, and 7X65R. While not great, quality is good and commensurate with price. In the main, they've shot quite well, with the exception of one that Krieghoff USA agreed to rebarrel due to substandard accuracy. I have a lot of range time with them, and have done load development for four of them. Personally, I agree with Steve. No, I've never hunted with one, nor would I. Further, I won't hunt with someone that's using one, unless I've hunted with them before and am comfortable with their attention to the basic safety procedures that tend to get overridden with that type. The safety is just too antiquated for me to get comfortable with.

With respect to the .458 in the Krieghoff...the Big Five isn't offered with ejectors. If chambered for a flanged shell, that doesn't matter at all. With an ejector double rifle, the empty cases are kicked out of the chambers when the gun is opened; with a non-ejector double rifle, the cases fall out of the chambers when the gun is opened. I own and use DRs with both. With either system, the chambers are cleared by simply opening the gun, and reloading the chambers is the same with both, so there is no difference in speed. Not so with a double rifle chambered for a rimless shell. The spring loaded extractor pawl that snaps into the extractor groove to provide primary extraction provides the same resistance in both directions. The spring tension has to be strong enough so that the pawl won't slip over the case head leaving the empty case in the chamber (the classic extraction failure in a rimless double) and likewise must be dislodged from the extractor groove and ride the case body on the way out. They don't just fall out. If you find a non-ejector rimless double that will clear it's chambers from gravity alone, I would never trust the extraction system. Rimless doubles require ejectors, or you're stuck with picking the empties out with your fingers, and that's crazy.

If you're sold on the Krieghoff, get it in .500/.416 or .470. If you must have a double in .458, forget the K-gun. Heym will still build one in that caliber, and it's an ejector gun. You need to realize that the resale market nicks doubles in .458 pretty hard for a number of good reasons, and most people interested in them see them as a cheap route into a nice double that can be rechambered to one of the .450 Nitros. The prices reflect that. In addition to the reliability of extraction issue (I've had failures to extract with several rimless doubles, including a couple from better makers than Krieghoff) that's why it's far better to go with a flanged chambering to begin with.