Using a double rifle for stalking

Well just to confirm this experiment a friend through SD kindly invited me down to his very very nice bit of ground down in the Borders - woodland and farmland and scrubby gorse running down to a river valley full of wee brown trout.

I took the combination gun with its new insert barrel fitted. I had an early snap shot off hand at a big dog fox that was hiding under a gorse bush. He jumped at the shot and ran never to be seen again. it was a head on shot so probably cleanly missed thinking... very embarrassing.

We then came bumped into a whole colony of badgers. They hadn't a clue we were there and two wee ones just playing like children rolling down the bank - made us laugh.

At the far end of the ground its slopes down to the river with big forestry block opposite. Getting towards last light. Friend keeps hold of the dog tells me to go round the gorse bush and work my way down the hill keeping eye open - often good deer come out of the forestry to graze and feed. Tripped over a badger - it ran over my foot, and there were several other still out - the dog came face to face with one as well. Got to a little tree with a good open view down to the woodland edge about 200 yards away. Sat down thinking should wait out till dark. Out ops a doe followed by a buck Gun on sticks, sitting elbows propped on knees. Will wait till he goes broadside - but he then looks up - keep still. He puts his head - still facing me but line cross hairs on back of neck with bullet going downwards into the chest cavity. Think the bullet into the target, squeeze and rifle goes off by itself - solid thud and he goes straight down. Leave it a few minutes and go down and have a look - bullet straight through point of aim. Don't know the exact distance but getting on for 200 yards. Both of us very pleased.

So yes you can stalk with a double and yes given good sights - mine has a 6x42 Zeiss, you can shoot game as far as you really ought to. I have found over the years with Roe, if you wait for perfect broadside shot you never shoot anything.
 
If you cant hit a deer broadside with a double with a decent optic then something is wrong. Nice shooting.
 
So yes you can stalk with a double and yes given good sights - mine has a 6x42 Zeiss, you can shoot game as far as you really ought to. I have found over the years with Roe, if you wait for perfect broadside shot you never shoot anything.

And there's my answer! Congratulations, you must be very pleased with that! I'm off to see if I can do the same with my drilling in a fortnight...
 
We then came bumped into a whole colony of badgers. They hadn't a clue we were there and two wee ones just playing like children rolling down the bank - made us laugh.


Oh we knowed you were there, ooman, but you didn't seem a threat. Didn't you notice the ikkle red laser dots on your chest ? Our overwatch Mosin M28/70s were trained on you...
 
And the double got used in anger last week. Two fox cubs running along a bank in front of me about 50 yards away - instinctively swung through - just missed the first, second tumbled. No ways would I have done that with a bolt gun.
 
A light and well regulated double rifle might work well for stalking. Many German doubles are fitted with hair triggers on the "first" barrel, just for that purpose. A friend of mine has a beretta express o/u 9,3x74 as the only rifle and he use it for everything.
I use my chapuis o/u 8x57irs mainly for driven hunt, but occasionally I've used it for close-medium range stalking. No problems at all. A Merkel 141 would do just fine I guess, it's lightweight and have adjustable barrels if one puts a scope on.
 
Just reread this thread. Brought back happy memories. Can confirm that nice handling single shots, doubles and combination guns make very effective guns for all sorts of adventures.

And they put a smile on your face, and whilst you may only be sneaking through the woods tracking a Roe buck, secretly its really a big old Buffalo bull that will come crashing out any moment.

Saying that I have had a couple of red and sika stags come crashing out after my hunting partner, who is fluent in Red Stag explained what he intended to do to the Stag’s wives. A double is handy in such occasions
 
Just reread this thread. Brought back happy memories. Can confirm that nice handling single shots, doubles and combination guns make very effective guns for all sorts of adventures.

And they put a smile on your face, and whilst you may only be sneaking through the woods tracking a Roe buck, secretly its really a big old Buffalo bull that will come crashing out any moment.

Saying that I have had a couple of red and sika stags come crashing out after my hunting partner, who is fluent in Red Stag explained what he intended to do to the Stag’s wives. A double is handy in such occasions
I'm very glad you brought this back up, it was a great read and well timed too as I'm thinking on acquiring a double in 9.3x74R!
It'll probably be a Krieghoff classic, as that falls in my budget, and as I've not seen any decent 9.3's for sale or at auction recently.

The nice thing about the Krieghoff is that it comes with a base for swing off scope mounts as standard.

Feel free to post any pictures of your rifles, hunts or targets anyone I'd love the opportunity to drool!
 
I'm very glad you brought this back up, it was a great read and well timed too as I'm thinking on acquiring a double in 9.3x74R!
It'll probably be a Krieghoff classic, as that falls in my budget, and as I've not seen any decent 9.3's for sale or at auction recently.

The nice thing about the Krieghoff is that it comes with a base for swing off scope mounts as standard.

Feel free to post any pictures of your rifles, hunts or targets anyone I'd love the opportunity to drool!
 
No 1 spend half your imaginary money on a good pistol.in case an imaginary bear pops up.;)
A pistol with some hefty punch would be the right weapon to have should a bear pop up from the cover of bush - no time to bring a rifle up - so gotta be a revolver minimum .44mag.
I know this from hunting in Pennsylvania not especially for bear, but walking through undergrowth ya just never know! So the rifle is slung & revolver in hand!
 
A pistol with some hefty punch would be the right weapon to have should a bear pop up from the cover of bush - no time to bring a rifle up - so gotta be a revolver minimum .44mag.
I know this from hunting in Pennsylvania not especially for bear, but walking through undergrowth ya just never know! So the rifle is slung & revolver in hand!
If I was after dangerous game, going into the thick stuff, I would be carrying a double rifle in hand with a cartridge capable of taking the fight out of a big dangerous animal. Rifle would not have a sling - they just get caught.

This is how many many professional African Hunters do it. African Jesse bush and elephant grass are very thick. You want a fast handling rifle that carries the energy to put things down.

470 Nitro Express - a 500 grain bullet @ 5,000 plus ft lbs of Muzzle Energy

44 Magnum - 300 grain bullet @ 1,500 ft lbs ME

243 Win - 100 gn Bullet @ 1,800 ft lbs

Pistols might be handy and are better than nothing, but when your life depends a proper rifle is so so much better.
 
I just bought this...
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No scope mounting option, but otherwise promising. :cool:
Apparently it's good for 500 yards, too.
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Now I just need a set of sufficiently large balls. (I've spoken to you before about sniggering at the back.)
 
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