Double rifle or shotgun on a drilling???

[EDELWEISS]

Help me guys, Ive been droooling over drillings for awhile, ever since I stumbled onto a tid bit about the Luftwaffe drilling when researching WW2.  Im in the very begining stages of planning a purchase; but still dont know what I want.  Ive handled but never shot a couple of older guns.

In my ignorance I just discoverd drillings that are available in double rifles with a single shotgun barrel.  Im primarily an east cost hunter with fantasies of dangerous game.  Ive have experience with Black Bear over bait and Wild Boar with a handgun; but honestly whatever I get will spend too few hours hunting Whitetail and Rabbits.

Im intriqued by the Merkle 97K double 9.3x74R over 12ga.  The 9.3 makes it a truely world wide gun capable of just about anything.  I know its over powered for most of what I'm likely to hunt; but it does give me options for Moose and Elk.

Blaser makes a double rifle drilling with the shotgun on top.  does that have any advantages over the more traditional design?

SOOOOO after all that, "What do you think of double rife drillings?" and "Would you make some cartridge suggestions?"

[dougk]

I looked at the drillings very seriously but could not find one available that fit what I wanted.  I did notice a big difference in weight between the 16ga vs 12ga. 

As to you question concerning caliber I would ask where are you planning to use the gun a majority of the time?  I am in the USA so I prefer mainstream USA calibers.  Another option to think about is to use an insert to add an additional caliber, .22 lr for example. 

Drilling man as a Krieghoff 12x12/30-06 which would probably do most of what you are looking for and could possibly be the nicest drilling out there.  You should look at this thread for pics and an interesting discussion on caliber.  http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/smf/index.php/topic,81252.0.html

[EDELWEISS]

Thanks I hadnt thought about the shotgun size.  If given a choice Id most likely pick 12 over 16, just for availibility; but 20 seems interesting; especially if I could find a gun with a small action.

My real question, was in reference to the guns with two RIFLE barrels and ONE shotgunbarrel configurations.  Im told this isnt traditional; but it seems practical for most of my hunting.==Im wondering what you think about this version.......

Regarding the calibers, truely 30-06 and 12ga would be the most practical here in the "Peoples Rebublik of Maryland"; but I still dream of bigger and perhaps meaner game.  The barrel inserts are interesting.  Are they regulated if ordered with the gun,  or can they be adjusted if purchased later?

As I said Im new to Drillings.  This is a big purchase for me, it comes with a HEAVY Wife Tax.  So I dont want to make a mistake Ill regret in either department.

Thanks

[Drilling Man]

  There IS a weight penality for a 12 guage over a 20 or 16 ga...  The 16's and 20's are on one frame size, and the 12 is on a bigger frame.  Also the 12 ga. guns "feel" much bigger too...

  As for drilling or double rifle drilling?  That's a hard one, but for me gun weight has always been very important to me.  I've never seen a double rifle drilling that wasn't "heavy"...  I think it's just a fact of life, they are heavy with all that steel in them!  They also are "expensive" as there's a lot more to makeing a double rifle drilling...  As in lots more man hours in them.

  Why not get a regular drilling, and then have some insert bbls fit to the right shot bbl.??  Krieghoff makes them in rim fire and also center fire...  They add weight, but at least you can take them out when you don't need them.  And yes, they are sighted in to the sights and "can" be resighted, but you may not beable to do ithis?  It's not as easy as sighting in a scope....

  I have no problem at all hunting with a single shot rifle, so i also don't have any problem at all useing my drilling for 99% of my hunting.  It's chambered in 8x57jrs and i've had no problem with it working just fine on moose and blk. bear...

  DM

[dougk]

The other option is a Valmet 412.  With this system you can purchase barrels to fit your needs.  The gun is no longer made but if you look at the post "DougK dont look at this" Dirlling has placed some very nice pictures of a Valmet in 30-06/30-06.  If I had not gotten the Baikal/Spartan/Remington IZH94/SPR94 first with all the chokes and I was looking at a drilling or combo over again I would go with that system.  The barrels are available in just about any combination you need 12/12, 12/30-06, 30-06/30-06, 12/222, 12/9.3x74, 308/308, etc...  I do not know if there is a rifled shotgun barrel, a rifled choke can be purchased for the Baikal/Spartan.

The Valmet might be the way to go, especially give the wife tax.  If that tax is high then look at the Spartan Spr94 plus there are coming out with a double (SxS)  rifle in 30-06/30-06 or 45-70/45-70.

Doug

[Drilling Man]

If that tax is high then look at the Spartan Spr94 plus there are coming out with a double (SxS)  rifle in 30-06/30-06 or 45-70/45-70.

  Doug,

  From what i'm hearing, the doubles won't be hare anytime soon, if forever!  I got that from a dealer who sold a couple single shot guns, and Rem. bought them back!  Paying retail to get them, even though customers paid less that that.  One guy made 200 bucks on the deal.....  I have no idea why they did that though...

  My dealer says there won't be any S&S doubles.... 

  Robert

[dougk]

I contacted Remington and they are stating the following:

"Based on  current production schedules, which are subject to change without notice, we show approx. late 4th quarter of 2006."

Doug

[Drilling Man]

  Doug,

  Hopefully, "your" post will be right and mine will be wrong!

  DM

[Tom H.]

EW, another option is a cape gun.  I have one that is regulated perfectly for both the shotgun and rifle bores so it might as well be a DR.
I have a drilling as well and although I'm glad that I have it, I can only say that as a shotgun it is pretty good and as a rifle it is pretty good but neither is great. Fairly comfortable 7# to carry in 7x57R.
It could be better with a set of claw mounts but they aren't there and probably aren't worth putting on.

A relatively cheap cape gun that I have patterns Brenekes into 1.5 at 50yds right under the sight and the rifle shoots to the bead at 100.
I just picked up a hammer cape and that has an integral tang sight which is a nice touch.
I would probably take either out before I took the drilling.

Had a BRNO combo with QD mounts that regulated perfectly ( I regulated it)
Shot a boar on the run once and put the two rounds through the same hole from coming and going angles.  Gun was too clunky and off it went.

The drilling paterns shot where you want it but forget about slugs.
Others might do better but I don't know.

The Kreigoff DR drilling is great mechanically, but IMO it looks like a pig.
24" barrels which are way too short for a shotgun  ( no swing) and that third tube is a 20 ga.
Although the 9.3x74R is nice, what are you supposed to do with the 20?

My feeling is that if you want a drilling it is because you want one.  Love my drilling, makes things seem that much more nostalgic, but I have to be on my toes with the Greener safety.  If there was one that was actually regulated for slugs that would be excellent.  I refuse to take the reamer to mine. 

I understand the desire for a DG rifle, but you don't want to buy a beautiful rifle that might be too limited in scope, especially in the case of a drilling, DR or otherwise.

BTW - the only limitation with 16ga is that it won't carry buckshot larger than 1 unless you load it. That's if you have the need for buck.

Enough rambling.

Good luck with your purchase.

Tom
 

[Drilling Man]

The drilling paterns shot where you want it but forget about slugs.
Others might do better but I don't know.

  My Krieghoff drilling shoots slugs fairly good, and many others do too.  With most drillings it was an option to have the bbls. regulated for slugs.

  I "rarely" shoot slugs, for big game i have the rifle bbl. and over the years it's served me well...  I have never fired a buckshot in this gun, and i don't even have a use for buckshot, so i don't even carry it.

  DM

[AkMike1]

I'd love to have a 9.3X9.3 DR with a 12 / 16ga below.I use a rifle much more than a shotgun so I'm sure the DR would get more of a work out.