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Okay, so I decided to end my personal debate on this matter and took the Merkel 141 in 30-06 out to the range Sunday to see how it would work at 100 and 200 yds. Since this rifle (and the Blaser S2 I since sold off) both allow for 'user' adjustments at the muzzles, I started off at 100. The rounds were perfectly placed with the left bbl slightly above the right. (This is the factory setting that this one had come set up for, at shorter ranges there is a slight spread, but still quite acceptable, minute of deer at least.) Moving out to 150, the bbls crossed and at 200, the crossing was quite apparent. Two boxes of ammo later, and tweaking one 'click' at a time (and carefully noting the original position) brought the crossing issue and accuracy under control at 200. Then back to the original setting (letting the barrels cool off while I shot something else and return to 'cold' and I was back to where I wanted to be at 100.

Now will this work with a more 'traditional' NE or DR cartridge? The 30-06 is a faster, flatter shooting round than most DR chamberings so I don't know. However, I still find my bolts damn near as fast, using a Sig 970HR that I picked up a few years ago in the same caliber as a test subject. I found that with this rifle, and its very slick bolt action, I was not that far off in my second round at 200 as I was with the Merkel. I then tried my personal favorite 'fast bolt' or kinda, a Hammerli-built Swiss K-31 civilian target in 7.5X55, no slouch in the ballistic race and an action faster than greased lightning with its straight pull bolt. Virtually no difference in speed of second shot.

As I said before, horses for courses. I am a bug on straight pull bot actions, and besides the Swiss Schmidt Rubins my son collects and I get the chance to pay for from time to time (nice of the old geezer, eh?) my Blaser LSR2 in multiple calibers, Browning Acera in 30-06, and my Heym 3000 are virtually as fast to cycle as a DR with more ease of staying on target for the follow up rounds at longer ranges because of the stock design -- to say nothing of the additional rounds in the magazine.

So, yes, you can shot that DR at more than 100yds, but I still prefer a bolt action at anything over 100. Dave

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Time Wounds All Heels

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