doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Double Rifles, Paradox Guns & Gauge Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Browning Express Rifle?

I've been thinking about getting a double rifle for awhile. I would need to keep the price reasonable as it is something I would only use every few years. I know there are some cheap guns made in turkey etc but I want to do this 1 time and want a quality gun. I was looking at the Browning because I have a few Superposed shotguns and they are well made and shoot well. It appears the Brownings were only made in 30-06 and 270. I grew up on the Oregon coast hunting deer and elk with my Dad and we always used 30-06 rifles as they were good for elk and adequate although overkill for deer. I would prefer a smaller caliber round as I doubt I'll be hunting elk again but it is what it is. The reason I would only use this gun occasionally is that I now live in Florida and I don�t deer hunt here but return to Oregon every few years to visit family.

My dilemma is that I have done a lot of online searching and can't find any info on how accurate these guns are. Most of the shots we took back then were between 100 and 200 yards as it is mountainous terrain. If these guns aren't up to that then I'm barking up the wrong tree. Any input would be appreciated.

I don't have personal experience with htem but from what I've heard from others....

The barrels were brazed together so they cannot be re-regulated by others. They were brazed in a jig and not really regulated.

Some shot good but many didn't. I wouldn't get one unless I could shoot it before buying it.

Chapuis makes a nice entry level O/U that is accurate in lighter calibers that you might want to look at.

If the bottom line is the cost then the Russian Biakals come in 308 in the O/U and you regulate the rife with a some range time. The triggers usually need work but they shoot quite well after playing with them.

devrep,
in Europe,in the 70s,I also saw them in 9.3x74R.
Mike

When I'm talking about cost, I have seen a few Brownings in the 2500-3500 range which i can live with. The Biakals and similar guns I have seen just don't float my boat. I have heard of regulation problems with the old Winchester Grand European double rifles but had not found anything on the Brownings. Maybe the same issue.

Chapuis makes some of the smaller caliber rifles that are really good. My 9.3X74 is very good with great wood to boot.

9.3x74 is a pretty hefty load for deer.

Not at all! There's no such thing as over-kill! Dead is dead. It doesn't matter if it's a 600 Nitro or a 243.

Besides, there big brown fuzzy critters in the woods around here that tend to need more than a 308.

They do make 30-30's on up.

hey Mike, if I lived where you do I'd want a big gun too!

agree dead is dead but even 30-06 does a lot of damage. I'm talking blacktails. used to have to remove a lot of blood shot meat if the deer was hit in the shoulder.

my preference would be:
.257 Roberts
.243 win
6mm Rem
7x57mm Mauser

my only motivation for using 30-06 is that I have hundreds of rounds my dad loaded plus whats left of a couple of wooden cases of M1 Garand clips my dad got from a national guard friend back in the 60's. They are armor piercing (black tip) and tracer (orange tip). he would pull the bullets and powder and use the brass for reloading.

I also still have my old J9 Mauser and his old 30-06 Remington 742 carbine.

BUT in a double rifle theres a slim slight outside chance that any of those rounds would group to regulation.

The larger slower bullets cause less bloodshot meat than faster smaller diameter ones do.