As one of the strong believers in the drilling as a practical hunting weapon, and as one who hunts his combination guns regularly, I thought I would weigh in as well.
If cost is no object, then one of the "American" drillings shooting a .270 or 30-06 is certainly an option. My experience is that the more American the gun, the more expensive it is, and often the "clunkier." A particularly blunt instrument is the Colt/Sauer with beavertail forend and 12x12 tubes. Slap a scope on it, and mount an insert barrell and you have something that starts to feel like a crew-served weapon.
I am also not a fan of rimless rounds in any break-open gun. The various extractor systems have been improved over the years, and you are unlikely to ever have your life in the balance, but I have seen one Commie Sauer jump the rim during extraction, and it took a trip to an experienced smith to get things back in order. You potentially can save a bit of money and have a great rifle round by opting for one of the classic European rimmed cartridges such as the 7x57R, 6.5x57R, or 8x57R. Ammo is readily available over the web, and they'll deliver to your door.
You also need a scope. If you don't want one, then you really don't need a rifle caliber like the ones you have mentioned. With the exception of Sempert and Krieghoff, and the post-war Krieghoff, that almost always means a claw mount (the older Krieghoffs used a proprietary mount). I am unaware of any EAWs which work on a drilling. A couple of people in the country will install claws for around $1200-$1400. If you find an older gun it may already have claw bases (when GI's "liberated" them they tended to overlook the small leather cases elsewhere in the closet which contained the scope). J.J. Perodeau at Champlin Arms will make a set of rings to fit most bases for around $800.
Insert barrels are a neat addition. I have never used anything as hot as a .223. I do have a .22 mag, .22lr, and .22 hornet. The inserts have adjustments which allow them to be shifted to the point of aim of the scope. Site in the regular rifle normally and then adjust the insert barrel to the scope. Thus, within the point blank range of the lighter caliber, both shoot to the same point of aim. Very neat when a fox comes drifting along. Also, by shifting between rifle and shot, one has a set trigger for both rifles. Very, very neat. If you shoot Breneke slugs, you may also find the left barrel shoots remarkably well to the open sights at fifty yards. Most were regulated to a Breneke of one type or the other and one of my guns will throw a right left two inch group at fifty yards with boring consistancy. And no, you neither want nor need rifled choke tubes.
Finally, those who question the accuracy of drillings probably have not shot them very much. Near MOA with the right bullet is the norm. I suspect it has something to do with the rigidness of those supporting shotgun tubes. All the more reason to have a detachable scope to take advantage of the inherent accuracy of those high energy rifle rounds.
Don't turn your back on the sixteen if you find the right gun otherwise. Like the rifle, you can get all the sorts of shells you would fire in that twelve bore delivered to your door. While I agree the 12 is more versatile, the sixteen makes a much more elegant package.
Lastly, Bob Jones is the best person in the country from whom to buy a drilling. The gun will be in perfect operating order, and exactly as described. Look forward to hearing what you get. Waidman's Heil, Joe
Last edited by Joe Taylor; 12/04/06 06:27 PM.
