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Double Rifles, Single Shots & Combinations >> Double Rifles
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338X74R
.275 member


Reged: 19/05/04
Posts: 51
Loc: Norway
Caliber for all-round double rifle
      #15017 - 20/05/04 07:06 AM

I am planning the purchase of my first double rifle, and intend to use it for all my hunting. I am thinking of a Krieghoff Classic, and will mount a Zeiss Varipoint 1,5-6x42 on it. Wide field of view at short range and can also be used at long range and in low light.
I would prefer to have the .375 Flanged N.E. as this seems to be a very good all-round calibre, and also suitable for buffalo. However, the scope will bring the weight up to appr. 4,9 kg. (10,8 pounds), which may be a bit heavy for a medium bore ? The 9,3X74R with scope weigh in at 4,3 kg (9,5 pounds.) and the calibre seems to be close in performance (although probably not suitable for buffalo). Any advice from you guys would be much appreciated!


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mickey
.416 member


Reged: 05/01/03
Posts: 4647
Loc: Pend Oreille Valley, Idaho
Re: Caliber for all-round double rifle [Re: 338X74R]
      #15021 - 20/05/04 10:00 AM

First, welcome to Nitro Express. I hope you can find the information you need and enjoy yourself.

You can find the 375 Flanged in a Searcy, I believe, as a new rifle. You may also be able to find a used one but they can be pricey.

The 9.3x74R is a very good all around rifle if Africa is only an occasional trip. The 9.3 will handle Buffalo and anything else other than Elephant, Hippo and Rhino with well placed shots. Just like the .375. It is a great Moose/?
Elk cartridge in the US and should be in Norway as well.

Mine weighs in at 8 lbs or so with a Zeiss 1.75 x 6 Scope and is quite a nice little rifle. I do most of my hunting with it and a 400 3.25 Double.

The 40 caliber Doubles are about 2 lbs more in weight but would be better African Rifles as they carry a bit more punch. You can load them down sometimes to shoot a lighter bullet that would be good for Moose and such but you do not need to.

You can find numerous new and used 9.3 around but most of the 400's will be used.

--------------------
Lovu Zdar
Mick

A Man of Pleasure, Enterprise, Wit and Spirit Rare Books, Big Game Hunting, English Rifles, Fishing, Explosives, Chauvinism, Insensitivity, Public Drunkenness and Sloth, Champion of Lost and Unpopular Causes.

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NE450No2
.375 member


Reged: 10/01/03
Posts: 942
Re: Caliber for all-round double rifle [Re: 338X74R]
      #15030 - 20/05/04 04:48 PM

Welcome to the forum. Either calibre would be a good choice.
I have been hunting with a Chapuis 9,3x74R for a little over 5 years. I have 2 scopes fitted for it, a Leupold 2.5x8 with heavy duplex and recently added a Swarovski 1.75x6 with the illuminated circle dot reticle for my lion and leopard hunt this June. I have used this and my other big bore doubles for almost all of my hunting for 6 years.
The Chapuis only weighs 7 1/4 lbs without the scope. It is on a smaller frame than the Krieghoff. I have taken it on true backback hunts for Bear in Montana. I have been very happy with it. I do consider the 9,3 [and the 375 Flanged or H&H] to be light but useable on Buff. After you use your medium bore double you will probably want a big bore double too.
One thing nice about the Krieghoff is that you can get multible barrels fitted to one frame. A Krieghoff with 2 barrels, one in 9,3x74R the other in 500/416 [both fitted with scope] would be a hard combination to beat. I recently shot a Krieghoff 500/416 and it was very accurate and the recoil was not bad.
Still the Chapuis is a lot lighter and slimmer rifle.
2 Chapuis doubles a 9,3 and a 470 [with an extra set of 12 ga. bbls] would be a very good combo.

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bonanza
.400 member


Reged: 17/05/04
Posts: 2335
Loc: South Carolina
Re: Caliber for all-round double rifle [Re: NE450No2]
      #15035 - 20/05/04 11:28 PM

I recently purchased a new Merkel 140-2. I wrestled with this question and decided on the 375 H&H for the following reasons: Mild recoil, cheap to shoot - $28.00 at(http://www.wholesalehunter.net/outdoor_sports/Federal-Cartridge/Federal-Cartridge-375B-Centerfire-Rifle.html) and is very versitale. If you reload, you can use 70-75 grains of H414 to greatly reduce pressure; and once Barnes comes out with the Triple Shock in .375, the pressure can be reduced even more. My rifle weighs in a 11 pounds, 5 Kg I think. It shoots a nice 7 cm group at 50m dead center and 4 cm high.

--------------------


"Speak Precisely" G. Gordon Liddy.

"Life is absurd, chaotic and we must define its purpose with our actions" Abert Camus

"I''m the dude playing a dude disguised as another dude."

"Yo! Mr. White"

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Rusty
.333 member


Reged: 08/02/03
Posts: 464
Loc: Missouri City, Texas
Re: Caliber for all-round double rifle [Re: 338X74R]
      #15038 - 21/05/04 12:49 AM

I don't own a 9.3 or a 375 Flanged, but I'd vote on the 9.3X74R.
NE540#2 earlier this year used his scoped Chapuis in 9.3X74R to kill a coyote at a lazared and witnessed 271 yards. With both barrels! Not everyone is a good a marksman as NE450#2, but it does demonstrate how versatile these mid caliber doubles can be!

--------------------
Rusty
We band of brothers!
DRSS

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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39883
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: Caliber for all-round double rifle [Re: 338X74R]
      #15039 - 21/05/04 04:01 AM

Just my personal preference but I would get either a .500/.416 or a .400 NE of some description. Or a .375 Flanged.

The 9.3mm doesn't cut it as it will not be legal on buffalo and larger game in many African countries and provinces. May do the job, but at least officially will not be legal.

400 gr for the big stuff and 300 gr for the smaller stuff.


--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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bonanza
.400 member


Reged: 17/05/04
Posts: 2335
Loc: South Carolina
Re: Caliber for all-round double rifle [Re: NitroX]
      #15041 - 21/05/04 05:40 AM

I wish the new 400 H&H was available when I bought my gun. Sounds like a real winner.

--------------------


"Speak Precisely" G. Gordon Liddy.

"Life is absurd, chaotic and we must define its purpose with our actions" Abert Camus

"I''m the dude playing a dude disguised as another dude."

"Yo! Mr. White"

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338X74R
.275 member


Reged: 19/05/04
Posts: 51
Loc: Norway
Re: Caliber for all-round double rifle [Re: NE450No2]
      #15050 - 21/05/04 05:07 PM

Thanks to all of you for nice responses!
I have handled but yet not shot the Chapuis. Very nice gun, but since it is so light weight maybe it requires a light scope to maintain its balance? The scope I have in mind is heavy at 18,5 Oz (525 gram).
Good idea to have the chance to fit extra barrels. Maybe a .375 with an extra barrel of 470 or 500 later if the double barrel bug hits me real hard. Do you think the gun will be as well balanced with the extra big-bore barrel attached, as a separate gun in the same calibre would be?

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mickey
.416 member


Reged: 05/01/03
Posts: 4647
Loc: Pend Oreille Valley, Idaho
Re: Caliber for all-round double rifle [Re: 338X74R]
      #15055 - 22/05/04 12:27 AM

I think that any Double rifle that has an action big enough for a 500NE is too big for a .375FE. The balance of one or the other would have to suffer.

For an extreme example I have a friend, yes it it possible, who had a 600 Nitro. He had a set of 375FE barrels built for it. Because of the weight of all the extra steel needed for the width of the firing pins the 375 actually weighed more than the 600NE. I have to admit though that the 375 was a pussycat to shoot.

--------------------
Lovu Zdar
Mick

A Man of Pleasure, Enterprise, Wit and Spirit Rare Books, Big Game Hunting, English Rifles, Fishing, Explosives, Chauvinism, Insensitivity, Public Drunkenness and Sloth, Champion of Lost and Unpopular Causes.

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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39883
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: Caliber for all-round double rifle [Re: mickey]
      #68138 - 27/12/06 11:54 PM

BTTT. Christmas thread "spinner".

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grandveneur
.400 member


Reged: 21/09/08
Posts: 1356
Loc: France / Germany
Re: Caliber for all-round double rifle [Re: 338X74R]
      #379930 - 09/10/23 11:13 PM

Quote:

I am planning the purchase of my first double rifle, and intend to use it for all my hunting. I am thinking of a Krieghoff Classic, and will mount a Zeiss Varipoint 1,5-6x42 on it. Wide field of view at short range and can also be used at long range and in low light.
I would prefer to have the .375 Flanged N.E. as this seems to be a very good all-round calibre, and also suitable for buffalo. However, the scope will bring the weight up to appr. 4,9 kg. (10,8 pounds), which may be a bit heavy for a medium bore ? The 9,3X74R with scope weigh in at 4,3 kg (9,5 pounds.) and the calibre seems to be close in performance (although probably not suitable for buffalo). Any advice from you guys would be much appreciated!




That's also a very good question, whereby you have to define what is meant by all-round DR.

Anyone who wants to hunt big game in Africa should think about something bigger than caliber 375, and anyone who thinks about elephants should think about something even bigger. A DR caliber 450 or 470 Nitro Express seem to me to be the best all-round double rifle.

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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39883
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: Caliber for all-round double rifle [Re: grandveneur]
      #379946 - 10/10/23 10:12 PM

I would say an elephant specialised or perfectly suited for elephant double rifle, is not an "all round" double rifle. It's at the upper end of the range.

Surea .577 is the ideal elephant rifle, or a .500, but it's hard to say a .450 or .470 is allround.

But as you say it depends on definition. For me, it's for everything from warthog, duiker, impala,to eland, buffalo, elephant, so a compromise. Capable of some accuracy and distance,but also capable of being used up to elephant. But not specialised for elephants. A difféent answer showing variation of opinions. Thanks.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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93x64mm
.416 member


Reged: 07/12/11
Posts: 4200
Loc: Nth QLD Australia
Re: Caliber for all-round double rifle [Re: NitroX]
      #379952 - 10/10/23 10:54 PM

For me there is only one calibre for 'all round use' - that being the 450/400 NE.
Yes she's an old cartridge, might not have as much punch as a lot of newer cartridges, but she's done it all before from antelope right up to Elephants, using the right projectiles no less!
With bonded projectiles like Woodleigh's this makes it an even better proposition, true no genuine stopper, but this old Savana Queen can still do it all even after 125 years of service.
Just my 2c's worth!

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