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The common conception of the Double Rifle is the big bore, dangerous game stoppers, the 600 Nitros, the 500s, the 470 and pretty much anything from the 450-400 3" on up. At the same time, the DR in the medium or smaller calibers tend to get overlooked despite the fact that they are very useful as African rifles for thin skinned and 'fill the meat pot' guns, used quite a bit for bore in Europe and more frequently wild pig and elk rifles at shorter ranges here in the US. Prices for these rifles have not increased as dramatically as those of the big honkers, and the sheer pleasure of shooting them is too often ignored in general and even here at this site.

I had the chance to add to my collection of doubles the other day by finding a LNIB factory-cased Perugini-Visini Victoria Model M in 7.65R with a claw-mounted 1.5-5 Leupold scope for a very, very reasonable price, far less than a new purchase. The 7.65R is a ballistic twin of the 280 Remington, flat shooting, quite reasonable to purchase in a factory load (S&B loads it, as do others) and in this 10lb 10oz double (with scope) an absolute joy to shoot. Recoil is virtually nil. My experience with rifles like this is that they are usually perfectly regulated to shot at 100yds and a second round can be wacked out quickly and on target without the recover time needed for a heavier load.

I have several vintage DRs in smaller calibers that I find far more fun to shoot than my bigger honkers such as my 500 or my 476. I have a W&S built in the 20s in a 250-3000 that is just like shooting a 22, and not much more expensive to take out and bang away with. It would make a marvelous hunting rifle for light game and as it is about the size and weight of a 28 gauge, something that would be no burden at all to carry in a day long trek.

It is also my understanding based on some reading and discussion with other in England that the British makers built far more medium caliber doubles than the large bores we normally hear so much about. When first introduced as a black powder round, and then converted to Nitro, the 303 seems to have been one of the favorites of all chamberings beginning just before the turn of the last century and continuing into the 20s and 30s. I have a 1900 built Purdey hammerless snap action in a 303 that is just as much fun to shoot as my Webley 250-3000. Of course, and as I was pleased to find out, it cost me far less than the same rifle would have been in a dangerous game load. However, I venture to say that this rifle saw far more use than its brethern in the larger calibers despite the more substantial interest in those guns today.

There are a number of reasonably priced and lighter doubles being built today which can and should be bought by double fans. Chapuis offers its smaller doubles in 30-06 and like-sized metric loads as does Merkel in its small framed (built on 28ga frames) 141s.

Just some random thoughts here, but I would like to hear from others who own and use these medium to small caliber doubles to see if their experiences mirror mine.

Dave

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Time Wounds All Heels

Edited by dnovo (08/06/07 11:06 PM)

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