Thursday 7 May 2009

I want One - A Not So Occasional Series Pt9

As promised, more  lust. In fact a double helping

Having spent the evening with  CHJ yesterday I'm keener than ever to take that trip to his personal paradise in Italy.
Where we'll go in search of some wild boars; what sound like very big deer that have never seen hunting pressure and take a few casts at the trout that swim in his stream.

Prompted by Tom's comments on the recent post featuring that 'more money than Abramovich' double rifle.  
I've been looking at these, with just a little of that rifle avarice I seem to have developed of late.

The Finn Classic 512 shooting system is the current incarnation of the Valmet 412 (AKA Tikka 512) . 
The guns are made by Marocchi who manufactured the guns under contract for Tikka. 
The shotguns have an excellent reputation for being impervious to bad weather and built to last several lifetimes. Further set of barrels are available either as shotgun and rifle or double rifle. 
There is a review of the 'working mans double rifle' here

Personally I really like the utilitarian titanium coated look, fancy engraving only looks good when it's really really good and even then, while an admirer of the craft, I like tools to look like tools. The idea of a second shot appeals, there are some big boars in them tharr hills and the take down style would be a blessing traveling on Europe's budget airlines. 

I saw a set up in .308 with a swarovski rifle scope pre loved for £1500 a few months ago. It's seller described it as 'the ultimate boar rig'. But then he was selling it wasn't he.

Tom's comments about setting up the barrel alignment on double rifles by soldering and re soldering to get and keep the point of convergence have got me wondering though.....

As did learning that in .308 and 30-06 they don't come with automatic ejectors, (all other calibers do) can you really have a dangerous game rifle without them?

As ever if you have an opinion on the suitability, practicality, design or function of such a gun I'd love to hear it.
Your pal
The Bushwacker.




8 comments:

Albert A Rasch said...

SBW,

Unless you really want to tempt the fates, a 30/06 would not be considered a DGR. When one says DGR, one really means, "something as close to a portable death ray as one can get." Hence the preponderance of 40 to 50 caliber panatella sized cartridges.

Now this goes back to the "pick you fights" comment I made earlier. Can you kill a cape buffalo with a 30/06? Certainly. Can you stop a charge? Unlikely, with the Un in emphasis.

Having said all that, It isn't a bad sort of firearm for the person who is deliberate in their shooting, and likes the idea of carrying something a little different than the rest.

Regards,
Albert
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles.
The Range Reviews: Tactical.
Proud Member of Outdoor Bloggers Summit.

The Suburban Bushwacker said...

Albert

I seriously can't imagine myself hunting in africa, but I cant help thinking a big-ass boar is, well erm dangerous!

The english guys who I read about hunting in Europe (poland and estonia are both popular) all seem to go for .308 and 30-06.

CHJ and I will be hunting on a heavily wooded mountain side - from the pix no line of sight over about 20-30 yards.

The quick second shot is not so much for protection as to stop the blighter getting away!

what do you reckon?
SBW

tom said...

On the "ejector" question, having selective ejectors like Holland and a few others do is nice at the range. Sometimes you just want to pick the rounds from the chambers and drop them in your pocket in the field too. I took a shot on a rocky slope at a not at all charging animal with my friend's rifle once and he said "did you catch the brass?" and I hadn't and he said "you moffie, those cases are 5 bucks a piece over here!" Much crawling about and never found it.

Regarding regulation, o/u designs are much simpler to regulate than traditional side by sides. Not so many weird torque forces happening.

Something a lot of people don't think about but should is that you should find one with the proper length of pull for you, most especially if you're going to shoot at running things that rapidly pop up, like hogs. If you can't get one that's correct then you would be advised to get a slightly long stock and have a smith re-fit the recoil pad after shortening the stock the appropriate amount to where it comes up and to your shoulder rapidly and properly.

As to optics for pigs that aren't motionless, I like red dots of ZERO magnification or something in the 1-4X range with large lenses at both ends. Quicker on target on running things. Express sights work, and some of the London Gun Trade used to make doubles for some people with a shotgun bead instead of full sights for running animal purposes.

Then we're back to the question of what are you going to be mostly using it for, aren't we?

My current pig gun favorite wears a 56mm Zero Magnification red dot with a dot that is 3MOA (aka 3" across at 100 Yards). Most pigs around here pop in and out of the cedar thickets inside 30 yards so the aim is to zap 'em in the heart/lungs. Friend of mine and my dad hunt over feeders and use 6X scopes because they aren't shooting at running things. I don't do that because I get bored hunting that way and either fall asleep or get distracted reading a book and miss animals or if you put me in a blind with somebody I'll eventually talk after the boredom gets to me.

Lots of ways to hunt things. Lots of personality types, body shapes, game animal types. Whole world of compromises.

tom said...

DG story for you:

If you find yourself on top of a zebra with a lion in front of you and an elephant charging up the rear, what should you do?




























Sober up and get off the carousel! The amusement park is closed!

tom said...

You might find this interesting reading, it's biased, but so am I and I seem to have bias overlap with this author more often than not.

Phillip said...

I love that thing... especially the boar on the action! I WANT ONE TOO!

While I will hold off on a double rifle until I can get something from .375 or up, that does sound like a great rifle for most uses short of Africa. And the scatter gun is a welcome bonus.

Chad Love said...

SBW, I can offer up no opinion here as I have zero experience with double rifles, being an impoverished heathen who shoots mainly bolt rifles, but I will say I concur with your opinion on the utilitarian finish of that double. It's supremely cool-looking. Reminds me of the finish on the older Beretta Onyx 686 O/Us, a gun I lusted for mightily in my youth.

Bill Wayne said...

Good luck with the wild boar! If your interest in hunting extends to comic books, then you'll love "The Punisher Shirt," available at the Best Military Surplus Store.

http://bestmilitarysurplus.com/more-then-the-punisher-shirt-what-would-the-punisher-buy-from-a-military-surplus-store/