doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com New Double

good morning all, I am new to this forum and would like to ask aquestion which may help me in the near future. I plan on ordering a new H&H double Royal in late March/early April. I have supplied all the requirements I CAN THINK OF to Patrick at Holland, which I have listed below. As a forum can any of you out there think of anything I have missed which is a necessary spec ? Below is current specs

Royal Double Rifle in .375 RIMMED H&H

hand detachable locks

24" barrels

exhibition walnut BUT only as far as wood is still structuraly sound for purpose

iron sights, 50 yds and 100yds but also rear aperture that folds down into rib

Hollands proprietary scope mount

steel grip cap and skeleton butt plate, case hardened as per locks . also inner piece of lock case hardened (forgot the name, think it's bridle), the rest gold plated)

beavertail foregrip, stock to my measurements

sling swivels

fine rose and scroll engraved around edge of locks, for about 1 cm, leaving a plain piece of case hardened steel in the middle, H&H name in banner or other style to be decided, side clips

regulated for above cartridge loaded with Woodleigh 300 grain solids to shoot together, 1" high at 100 yds

checkering around entire hand grip and foreend at 24 LPI, palm swell in pistol grip

motor case to be made in hippo hide by Roland Lane

scope to be decided

anything I have missed, thanks in advance, Mike Bailey

Mike,

I think you would be a lot happier with a leather covered pad than a skeleton butt plate for two reasons. 1) Recoil and 2) less likely to get damaged than the bare stock on a trip to Africa. Scope should be on detachable mounts. You will also want a metal travel case for the airline gorillas to deal with. JMO from a few trips to Africa.

Jim

Thanks Jim,the metal case is already on the list, I usually wear a PACE recoil pad so that softens the recoil a lot and I like "all butt skeleton plates" as recoil pads always look scruffy to me. Scope will be on the H&H detachable mount and will be a 1.5-5 X 24 of a make to be determined though I am leaning towards a Leupld VXIII since I cant tell the optical difference between that and a Schmidt and Bender at 3 times the price !

Mike,

Why did you select .375 flanged? Why not one of the larger nitros; .470, .500, etc? Is this to be a plains game gun?

Phil

I plan to shoot a buffalo with it Phil but other than that it will be an "all around gun" used here in Spain on wild boar, maybe in Australia on a water buff. I am not a big individual, 155lbs ish, I tried a .470 Nitro and while it isn't uncomfortable it span me around about 45 degrees. No way could I get off a quick second shot with one and the 11.5lbs weight is a lot to lug around all day. I chose flanged because I have yet to read of any experienced hunter who had not had problems with belted ammo in double rifles, rgds, Mike

Mike I can't see spending that kind of money on a double rifle and then squabbling over a few bucks for a scope.

Mike,

I agree that there is a jump in recoil from .375 to .416, and another jump from .416 to .470... After I shoot the larger bores, the .375 seems to be mild. Kreighof has a .416/500, that I assume is flanged and based on the .500NE. It seems that smaller bore doubles, with the exception of unique examples, bring a diminished price, upon resale.

Phil

Ref price of scope i have never read of anything but praise for Leupold. I bought a Leica 1.75-5 X 40 ages ago, lovely scope, it is now on a Volquartsen .22 I have but I found out a few years later that Leica had never actually made rifle scopes, Leupold had made them for Leica under license. You are right, it would be utterly daft to stick a cheap scope on a fine double but I cannot see the difference in quality between the two though I will check this in 2 years time when the rifle is ready, rgds, Mike

sorry, ref resale value, agree .470 Nitro fetch a premium but for the last 5 years or so I have been looking to buy assets I can enjoy and use but that don't collapse in value. After I have been 6 feet under for a few months if the kids aren't keen on shooting they can auction the contents of the gun safe and stick some money down on a place of their own. A shroud has no pockets

I'd at least consider the 9.3x74R. I don't know a lot about it, but sounds like a great cartridge.

I might also go with a bit less fancy wood - exhibition grade looks nice but somehow inappropriate to me. I think that probably makes me the odd duck in this flock though.

Last, I think the suggestion and rational behind the leather recoil pad vs skeleton plate was a great point. I'd worry more about gun damage than recoil, but think the suggestion was spot on.

Oh! One more thing. I also would ask about one of those ever so sweet pop up tang sight that fold down flush into the tang when not in use. It would be so nice for longish shots should they be necessary. And if they could do it, and even if they can't, I'd avoid the scope thing like a plague. But that's just me.

Brent