Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Combination Guns and Drillings Thoughts on caliber selection

I've been looking at affordable drillings and see most in 9.3x72R, 8x57JR, 7x65R, 7x57R, 6.5x57R and 5.6x52R. Looking to the future and the possible ellimination of lead core bullets. Do you think we will see Lead free bullets in light .366, .318 and .227?

I'm looking at a drilling to use not to hang on the wall or just haul to the range. My Combo guns are in .224 rounds so I have no worries there.

Mine is a 9.3x74R and that is THE round for combo guns in big game country, IMO. I looked for many years to find this and spent some coin having it customized, but, I have recently seen others in 12-12x9.3-74R for sale here.

I would also love a 20-20x7-65R, but, am now too old and too "poor" to buy what I would like.

My preference for combo cartridges, are the 7x65R, and the 9.3x74R. Took years of looking/saving to find 12ga drillings so chambered, but it was worth it. While 12ga drillings are on the heavy side, their utility is worth it to me, as I've just never been wild about 20's, and 16 ammo can be lacking in variety. As for the rifle rounds, the two listed above are very versatile, and capable of taking literally the entire spectrum of big game, save for pachyderms.

Jeff

For starters, monolithic bullets as they are now are poison for the very thin drilling rifle barrels. Stouter double rifles are ruined by them, also. You wouldn't dare use 9,3X74R ammo and mono-bullets in a Chapuis. Northfork even recommended against it.

If I were to get another drilling right now, I'd get a 16ga/7X65R for several reasons.

I'm older with a bad back, getting worse, so the smaller frame 16ga is a better choice for me, and 7mm bullets are plentiful, in many premium choices, and are relatively inexpensive.

I love 12ga and 9,3X74R, but I just sold mine. It was now too heavy to hunt with where and how I hunt. 8,000-10,000 foot mountains take a toll. 9,3X74R also comes back at me a bit hard anymore, as does 12ga.

I greatly regret selling my Sauer 3000 12ga/30-06 drilling. It wasn't heavy, and ammo is everywhere for it.

A 16/8X57JR or 16/7X57R drilling is not that expensive now, as drillings go that is. Decent scoped ones can be found for $2,000-$2,500.

The Only drilling I would use with mono-metal bullets would be a Blaser. They're tough as Tiger Tanks!