| fuhrmann |
| (.333 member) |
| 26/04/20 04:47 AM |
A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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I just won my first internet auction at the German egun, here is the result:
Merkel, Suhl, built 1966
a Bockbüchsflinte 7x57R and 12 gauge, 65 cm or 26'' barrels, with a quite modern Zeiss 2.5-10x52 scope in Suhl claw mounts (somewhat bulky but certainly useful for my hunting)
12 gauge shotgun barrels, choked half and full, 71 cm or 28'' long
best of all, a factory stock with length of pull 39 cm, around 15 1/4''
This is exactly what I need!
I couldn`t be more happy.
fuhrmann
| Louis |
| (.375 member) |
| 26/04/20 06:13 AM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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Really nice set of top quality; congratulations on your win and good hunt!
Which area of Switzerland and which game do you hunt?
Louis
| 93x64mm |
| (.416 member) |
| 26/04/20 07:56 AM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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Well done fuhrmann!
Your 'combo' might be plain as you put it, but as long as it brings home the bacon, deer or duck; I don't think you (or us) will mind one iota!
Looks a great piece of kit to me, oh before I forget - please supply your reload information when you can.
The 7x65R is a great old cartridge; hope to see some photos of its exploits soon.
Congratulations once again mate
| Waidmannsheil |
| (.400 member) |
| 26/04/20 09:26 AM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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Very nice combination gun, well done. I also have a Merkel combo in 16G/6.5x65R made in 1961 which I have yet to put into service. They are really nicely made guns, hope you enjoy using it.
Matt.
| fuhrmann |
| (.333 member) |
| 26/04/20 06:16 PM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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Thanks for congratulations!
Louis, I am living in the Basel area, and I hunt closeby in Germany, on a foothill of the Southern Black Forest.
Game are roe deer, wild boar, foxes and the occasional hare. Small game used to be plentiful in years past, but is rare now.
9,3x64, this is the older 7x57R. Yes I am looking forward to developing loads but I will have to patient! The gun needs to be imported into Switzerland first, and then all shooting ranges are closed till godknowswhen...
Cheers fuhrmann
| Louis |
| (.375 member) |
| 26/04/20 08:01 PM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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Thank you, Fuhrmann. Hunting in Schwäbisch country should be nice; I have good memories from the Black Forest region.
Louis
| DarylS |
| (.700 member) |
| 27/04/20 12:16 AM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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Well done. That is a long length of pull.
Glad you are happy. A nice combination of calibres.
| lancaster |
| (.470 member) |
| 27/04/20 05:10 AM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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it looks to be in good shape, nice and useful combination at all
I hope you got it for a good price!
7x57R is a good cartridge - like it.
| fuhrmann |
| (.333 member) |
| 27/04/20 03:45 PM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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I was looking for such a combo for quite some time and the rifle barrel just had to be in 7x57R.
The icing on the cake here is the long stock, seems to be a factory extra, and just the length of pull that I am used to. Seems this gun was waiting for me!
Price was good, too.
fuhrmann
NitroX
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| (.700 member) |
| 28/04/20 03:34 AM |
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Quote:
but I will have to patient! The gun needs to be imported into Switzerland first, and then all shooting ranges are closed till godknowswhen...
Cheers fuhrmann
Congratulations on your new rifle and shotgun.
Tough to get a new rifle or gun and not be able to shoot it.
Now how does one shoot a combination rifle/shotgun with that HUGE scope on it?!
I know, take the scope off with QD mounts when using the shotgun, but ... that is a huge scope the previous owner put on it. No doubt for shooting in low light from a hochsitz, using the gun as a single shot rifle.
7x57R is a great cartridge to use as well if reloaded for, or decent factory loads sourced.
| fuhrmann |
| (.333 member) |
| 28/04/20 05:26 PM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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Quote:
Now how does one shoot a combination rifle/shotgun with that HUGE scope on it?!
I know, take the scope off with QD mounts when using the shotgun, but ... that is a huge scope the previous owner put on it. No doubt for shooting in low light from a hochsitz, using the gun as a single shot rifle.
John,
I´ll have to find out myself!
This is my first combination gun AND my first big scope.
Sure, those scopes come from hunting wild boar in low light, and to German standards this scope is not REALLY huge but an "all-round scope"....
Plenty wild boar where I hunt, so that scope is welcome, and certainly more useful than a 4x32 scope that is often found on rifles from the 1960s.
The shotgun barrel will not be used for tricky wingshooting, but for the occasional fox that strolls along. That should be possible through the scope at the minimum 2.5x setting, though I may have to be mindful of a "Magnum Kiss" on the brow ...
Anyway, I will try it and report in good time.
And of course I will load my own rifle ammo, I expect nice ballistics with the 26´´ rifle barrel.
fuhrmann
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NitroX
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| (.700 member) |
| 28/04/20 07:22 PM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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Had a re-look at the photo and the scope could be bigger.
I've seen bigger ones on combos. It does extend well back. Might be tricky shooting with the shotgun barrel. I've never shot a shotgun with a scope so wouldn't know. I probably will do so, soon. The U/O shotgun set of barrels should be handy for bird shooting and sporting clays.
One does need good shotguns. We brag a lot and think a lot about our big game hunts and safaris, but the good old duck hunt, rabbit hunt, pheasants etc is so much fun at home. The bread and butter shooting and hunting fun keep us going in between the bragging hunts. Even clays, I don't do clays so much it becomes common so the clays shoots with my club (gentlemans club) and others are special occasions.
| fuhrmann |
| (.333 member) |
| 28/04/20 07:57 PM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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Yes, it doesn´t look too bad, but remember that both the barrels and the stock are quite long.
Scope position looks good to me, remember that German scopes have quite short eye relief (around 3´´). Maybe tricky with fullpower 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 ounce shotshells...
And scope mounts for a break-action rifle need to be quite forward, so it looks a bit odd.
The nice thing about the whole combo is that I can travel with one handy guncase, but am ready for almost every kind of hunting.
fuhrmann
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NitroX
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| (.700 member) |
| 29/04/20 12:00 AM |
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Quote:
The nice thing about the whole combo is that I can travel with one handy guncase, but am ready for almost every kind of hunting.
Very true. I like rifles which pack into a takedown sized case. travelling, in hotels, airports, very few people know what it is.
My Tikka/Valmet with U/O 12g barrels, 12 g / .223 set, 12 g /7x65R set and double barrels in .30-06 and 9.3x74R does the same ! No big bore choice though!
I have been using that 12 g U/O more recently and enjoying it.
I think I need to shoot the .223 this week. See if I have a scope which can be used and mounts? Or put the 9.3mm scope on it to try it out. A 1-5x scope with a very different reticle.
The Tikka is also a very plain gun.
My idea travelling setup would be a modern Side by Side double rifle in say .375 Flanged and a second barrel set of 7x57R and maybe a third in 20 gauge, but preferably 12 gauge barrels as well. Hunt anything, anywhere in the world. Fit in a case in the bottom of my well worn wheeled duffel bag.
Dreams.
Enjoy that Merkel, and hope to see it in future hunting photos.
| fuhrmann |
| (.333 member) |
| 29/04/20 02:19 AM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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The "ideal travelling setup" can be overdone, actually!
Look here
http://www.germanhuntingguns.com/archives/archive-simson-co/
and scroll down to
"Bengt Berg´s Fantastic Set of Simson Guns"
Your Tikka set is quite impressive, too!
I am not planning to travel that far, happy with 2 modest barrel pairs.
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NitroX
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| (.700 member) |
| 29/04/20 02:54 PM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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Quote:
The "ideal travelling setup" can be overdone, actually!
Look here
http://www.germanhuntingguns.com/archives/archive-simson-co/
and scroll down to
"Bengt Berg´s Fantastic Set of Simson Guns"
Wow, some really nice and interesting rifles and what a great total set of rifles and choices. Still have to read most of the article and articles.
(the page is a bit annoying how it flicks around on my screen so being a bit difficult to read - might be my laptop at the moment? - but thanks for posting, a good link to explore)
| 93x64mm |
| (.416 member) |
| 29/04/20 10:26 PM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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Quote:
The "ideal travelling setup" can be overdone, actually!
Look here
http://www.germanhuntingguns.com/archives/archive-simson-co/
and scroll down to
"Bengt Berg´s Fantastic Set of Simson Guns"
Your Tikka set is quite impressive, too!
I am not planning to travel that far, happy with 2 modest barrel pairs.
Wow those Simpson's are BLOODY beeaautiful!!!!
| DarylS |
| (.700 member) |
| 30/04/20 03:24 AM |
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[quote
Wow those Simpson's are BLOODY beeaautiful!!!!
agreed!
| fuhrmann |
| (.333 member) |
| 29/10/20 08:09 PM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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So, here are first results with the 1966 Merkel Bockbüchsflinte:
I started with a 20 box of GECO 165 grain 7x57R.
Sighted in the rifle, noted that yes, she shoots well.
Till now I used this ammo to shoot two roedeer, a doe and a fawn.
All fine.
Now into reloading, here is a target shot at 100m with 140 grain Nosler Partitions,
actually these are leftovers from my fathers reloading bench, purchased sometimes in the 1970s
That historic combination works nicely.
fuhrmann
| 93x64mm |
| (.416 member) |
| 29/10/20 10:29 PM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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Wow that is fantastic shooting Fuhrmann!
Noting wrong with that load.
| lancaster |
| (.470 member) |
| 30/10/20 05:35 AM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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everything you want
| Ripp |
| (.577 member) |
| 30/10/20 08:08 AM |
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Quote:
everything you want
Within reason..
Congratulations.. great job on that..
You will have years of enjoyment from that win..
| Louis |
| (.375 member) |
| 31/10/20 04:34 AM |
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Excellent shooting results, Fuhrmann; I wish you now good hunting with your combination rifle.
Louis
| fuhrmann |
| (.333 member) |
| 31/10/20 08:20 AM |
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Re: A 1960s Merkel combo - plain but practical
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In the meantime I´ve shot a similar group as confirmation. I am not shooting cloverleafs so easily with any of my bolt action rifles.
I certainly did not expect this from a thin barrel with a shotgun tube soldered on top of it.
So this Merkel might be the most accurate rifle I have?
Maybe, but maybe I should give my other rifles the same attention to barrel cooling after each shot?
Anyway, yes, basically and within reason this combo is all the gun I need.
Regarding "want": yes, there is more in this combo than I ever imagined to want, but there always are some new ideas...
fuhrmann