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DarylS
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Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel
      #384526 - 27/04/24 10:49 AM

140AE?
Asking for a friend.

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Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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mauserand9mm
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: DarylS]
      #384552 - 28/04/24 06:51 PM

Yes, I have a 500NE. What does your friend want to know?

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DarylS
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: mauserand9mm]
      #384562 - 29/04/24 02:59 AM

Happy with it? How does it shoot/regulate and with what load?
tks for the response, mauserand9mm.

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Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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mauserand9mm
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: DarylS]
      #384566 - 29/04/24 11:24 AM

Yes, regulation is spot-on for a number of loads:

(all use Hornady brass and either CCI or Federal magnum primers)

106gn AR2209 570gn Woodleigh (FMJ or RN)
106gn AR2209 430gn Woodleigh RN
103gn AR2209 600gn North Fork (mono)
56gn AR2207 430gn cast with cotton wool filler
34gn Trailboss (full case) 430gn cast (chrono'd at 1,460fps)

This is the North Fork:




The 430gn cast are from a custom Mountain Mold and look like this:





A handy feature of the rifle is that it will consistently fire both barrels automatically, almost simultaneously, if the rear trigger (left barrel) is pulled first but only when using the 570gn or 600gn loads.


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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: mauserand9mm]
      #384573 - 29/04/24 10:59 PM

Quote:



A handy feature of the rifle is that it will consistently fire both barrels automatically, almost simultaneously, if the rear trigger (left barrel) is pulled first but only when using the 570gn or 600gn loads.




I would assume one barrel would be shooting over the target?


Not many people have commented. I think there would be a fair few Merkels owned here. I know of several members owning a Merkel.

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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: NitroX]
      #384574 - 29/04/24 11:13 PM

Daryl,

I don't own one. But have handled a few. Plain Jane base grade, maybe some colour case hardening. .470 NE and .500 NE. Express V open sights. No bases for scope mounts.

The .470 used to go around A$8000 second hand if one was lucky. Prices may have changed. A$8000 was a good price.

Good decent basic big bore double.

If I was in funds and the right one chanced along, i'd buy particularly in .500.

I don't have any loads obviously as not owing one .

Btw what chambering is the Merkel you're looking at?

--------------------
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"


Edited by NitroX (27/05/24 02:09 AM)


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DarylS
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: NitroX]
      #384583 - 30/04/24 01:15 AM

.500. Bob, a friend since 1972, has a Rigby in .450 Exp. or .450/400? I can't remember which.

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Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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mauserand9mm
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: NitroX]
      #384635 - 02/05/24 12:11 PM

Quote:

Quote:



A handy feature of the rifle is that it will consistently fire both barrels automatically, almost simultaneously, if the rear trigger (left barrel) is pulled first but only when using the 570gn or 600gn loads.




I would assume one barrel would be shooting over the target?






Yes - the delay between the two shots is short but you can detect it by ear (as a spectator), and the second shot is missing from the target. I filmed a mate when it doubled on him, but it sounds like a single shot in the video but was definitely 2 to the spectators' ears. He had fat fingers and was missing part of one, so he was able to double it every time even when he pulled the front trigger first. He was still coherent and enthusiastic even after doing this 3 times in a row.


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lancaster
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: mauserand9mm]
      #384636 - 02/05/24 02:57 PM

have the right spirit for shooting double rifles

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93mouse
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: lancaster]
      #384638 - 02/05/24 05:59 PM

I have a Merkel 140 in 9,3x74R - it has a set front trigger and if you want to double it on purose you need to set the front trigger and pull the rear trigger - it will double every time.

I did it on purpose just to see what happens once - no toticable delay between shots just one big "ka-boom" - with my left (I am lefty) middle finger swollen and a sore cheek - distance 3m ~ 10 feet - black circle dia is 3 inches:



BTW - could we compare terminal balistics between such a doubling (just in theory) of 9,3 cal with a single shot from one of 450's (energy, KD effect...)?


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DarylS
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: 93mouse]
      #384646 - 03/05/24 02:14 AM

A 9.3x74 doubling would be 6,956fpe. (286gr. @ 2,340fps)
What's a .450 NE? = maybe 4,700 (480gr. @ 2,100fps)

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Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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93mouse
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: DarylS]
      #384662 - 03/05/24 06:14 PM

Ok - but does it count in reality ?

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mauserand9mm
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: 93mouse]
      #384664 - 03/05/24 07:45 PM

Quote:

I have a Merkel 140 in 9,3x74R - it has a set front trigger and if you want to double it on purose you need to set the front trigger and pull the rear trigger - it will double every time.






Even though I don't have a set trigger, there is a difference between front and rear triggers. The front trigger is lighter than the rear (the manual says to pull the front one first for "regulation" purposes), and is articulated to hinge forward in case it hits your finger when the rear trigger is pulled.

I've played around with the rifle unloaded and the front trigger will "fire" that barrel if the trigger is pushed forward (as part of its articulation) and then allowed to snap back under spring pressure. I'm sure a heavier front trigger would fix the doubling issue, or maybe even locking the articulation in place? Not enough time at the moment to fiddle around with it and happy to abide by its rules of front trigger first.


By the way, I'm sure I've mentioned this earlier on this forum somewhere, there is a recoil operated interceptor on the left hand barrel / rear trigger sear lever (?) that blocks the sear lever from moving during recoil of the RH barrel - it's a pity that this wasn't fitted also to the other side.

The sear levers are the two bits extending up to the top right of photo (you can see most of the left hand lever and just the tip of the right hand lever):



The interceptor is the shiny hammer looking thing, and it's spring just below it, in front of it and secured by the screw behind it:


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carpediem4570
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: mauserand9mm]
      #384973 - 26/05/24 01:15 PM

I have a Merkel 141 ae in 9.3x74 R, scoped with a Leupold 1.5-5x20 on qd mounts. Gun is sighted in at one hundred yards using Speer 270 grain bullets. I use it for hunting whitetails here in Canada. Great rifle. All of my shots are under 50 yards but would not be afraid to shoot out to 150 yards without compensation.

Like I said, great double rifle.

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DarylS
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: carpediem4570]
      #384979 - 27/05/24 01:19 AM

Tks.

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Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: DarylS]
      #384980 - 27/05/24 02:10 AM

Daryl ask Curl.

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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
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: NitroX]
      #384985 - 27/05/24 05:55 AM

I have a Merkel 140AE in 450/400, built in 2011 purchased in 2021.
It has taken myself loading & a good friend shooting for me a while to sort out.
Been a lot of head scratching along the way - but fun really.
We tried AR2209, AR2213SC, AR2217 & lastly Reloader 15.
All with Woodleigh .410" 400gn softs, Federal 215 primers & Hornady Brass used in all tests.
Factory loads chronographed 1937fps so well under the 2050fps supposed regulation velocity.
My son has shot these touching at 25m, factory group at 50m was one over the other approx 45mm apart.
Powders varied the loads dramatically AR2209 strung Vertically, AR2213 Horizontally, AR2217 gave a more consistent round group at 90gn - still not good enough yet.
Tried R15, had to have a 20mm foam filler on top of 66gn, this made an even more consistent 4 shot group, velocity about 2010fps - fast enough for me!
Nothing like a H&H, but good enough to still be a Savana queen any time game pops its head up!
The real surprise was a CBE cast projectile, this LOVED 87gn AR2217!
Hard cast about F-H pencil test, fitted with gas checks ened up 384gn or so, for about the same speed as the Woodies, these touched at 50m.
Yes we've tried the LHS barrel first & it didn't double!
Lesson to learn, hook the finger well over the trigger so it doesn't slip off & tap the other under recoil - otherwise it will!
Have had a lot of fun, including a BGR competition last year, all I can say, get one if the chance presents!


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mauserand9mm
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: 93x64mm]
      #384987 - 27/05/24 11:26 AM

Quote:


Yes we've tried the LHS barrel first & it didn't double!




I think it's a recoil thing. My 500NE will automatically double with 570gn loads and LHS barrel first, but never with 450gn loads while doing same.

LHS barrel is rear trigger, so doubling can't be blamed on finger slipping to the trigger behind it.


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93x64mm
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Re: Does Anyone Here Shoot or Have Experience with Merkel [Re: mauserand9mm]
      #384990 - 27/05/24 04:40 PM

I have seen a 500 double in competition, the gent in question hadn't fired it before, still did extremely well considering the 'shock' he got!
The barrels pointed more like a 577 going off!
He just repositioned his finger a little more onto the trigger on the next lot of targets, never did double so again after that!


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