Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Double Rifles in Africa?

Mike, thanks for sharing. Awesome photos and trophies! Can you tell us about the rifle you're using that is in the last pic?

Cheers,
Eric

Great to see these double rifle trophies.
Cal

Eric,

It is a Krieghoff double. It has a left hand stock, all blued, has no engraving, and is chambered in 470 Nitro.

Fantastic, Mike. Thank you!

Eric

One, and done!

Thanks for the pics. It is nice to see doubles used as there were used when they were made. I have Jack Lott's .500 Watson Brothers nitro double. I will take it for grizzly in the spring and buffalo in Australia during June, prior to putting the rifle up for sale later in the year.
Cheers, gents, and keep the pics coming.
Cal

Good morning, Cal. Here is John Sharp's 1926 vintage Rigby 470 NE:


And this one, belonging to Dennis Finch-Hatton has a sterling provenance:

THE HON. DENYS FINCH HATTON BIG GAME RIFLE
A CHARLES LANCASTER .450 (3 1/4IN) NITRO EXPRESS BACK-ACTION SIDELOCK EJECTOR DOUBLE RIFLE, serial no. 13315,
25in. replacement nitro chopperlump barrels (by the makers in 1929) with matt sight rib, open sights and ramp-mounted bead foresight (missing protector), barrels engraved 'CHARLES LANCASTER - 99 MOUNT STREET, BERKELEY SQUARE, LONDON', treble-grip stepped action with side-clips, carved fences, automatic safety with gold-inlaid 'SAFE' detail, elongated top-strap, Lancaster patent detachable dipped-edge back-action lockplates, engraved 'patent 64311', Rogers patent cocking levers, best bold scroll engraving, the makers name within a cartouche, retaining traces of original colour-hardening, 15in. well-figured pistolgrip stock with cheekpiece, rose gold escutcheon inscribed 'D.F.H. - NOVEMBER 1928', engraved pistolgrip-cap and chequered steel grip-strap, including 1in. rubber recoil pad, fore-end with grip release catch, weight 11lb.7oz., in its lightweight leather case, the lid initialled 'D. F-H'.
The makers have kindly confirmed that the rifle was completed in 1911, originally in .475 calibre (and subsequently rebarrelled by them to .450 calibre in 1929) for the Hon Denys Finch Hatton

Provenance: Denys Finch Hatton was born in England on April 24th 1887, the son of Henry Stormont Finch Hatton, Earl of Winchelsea and Anne Finch Hatton (nee Coddrington), a daughter of a former Admiral of the British Fleet. Educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford, Denys was a natural sportsman and scholar of the arts. In 1911 the 24 year old Denys bought land in British East Africa as an investment which would give him the freedom to spend his time hunting. He would spend every Autumn and Winter in Africa doing just that. In 1925 he became a professional big game hunter and took numerous wealthy and distinguished clients on safari - including H.R.H. the Duke of Windsor (the then Prince of Wales). His taste for adventure led him to learn to fly, and it was on May 14th 1931 that he died in a fatal plane crash in his Gypsy Moth near what is now the Tsavo National Park, Kenya. He is buried in the Ngong Hills and an obelisk marks his grave to this day. The story of Denys Finch Hatton and his love affair with Karen Blixen (his only known romance) is immortalised by Robert Redford and Meryl Streep in the Academy Award-winning film 'Out Of Africa' (1985).

Here's an interesting article on Stewart Granger's double:

I collect single shots, but a good double is something special. A couple of members here have been kind enough to let me shoot theirs.

I'll have a good double someday. Probably not a .577, though

come on, you handled that 577 like a champ

The rifle was a real privilege to hold and shoot. But one shot made my teeth hurt.

Ken Howell recalled that Elmer Keith had made a similar comment many years ago. Something along the lines of "...a dirty, tooth rattling jar..."

Assuming I reach my goals with the .475 Turnbull, and equal .470 Nitro ballistics in a 9 lb Ruger, it will probably be the hardest kicker I ever own.

Gents:
This is straying from the original post, but the stories of the fearsome recoil of the big nitro doubles is nonsense. It began, I would guess, with gun writers needing to stretch the truth to add a hype factor to attract readers. Here is Elmer Keith in full recoil from Dr. Sutton's .600 Jeffery. Below that is Craig Boddington in full recoil from a .600 or .700 double. For some strange reason, my .600 does not see such muzzle rise and I've shot it hundreds, maybe a thousand, times. If one does not fight the recoil and has a firm hold on the rifle, the muzzles of a .600 rise 8-10 inches. Yes, if one allows the rifle to float skyward it will appear as if one is shooting ducks, but this makes for good press only and nor reality.
Cheers,
Cal

PS. When I was researching my book on the .600 rifles I came up with lots of stories about recoil--dislocated shoulder, spun around 1/2 to a full turn, lifted up off the ground to a back flip, fillings coming loose in the shooter's teeth, nose bleeds, ears bleeding, etc. Just like the stories of buffalo and elephant being lifted off their feet at the bullet's impact. Just hype for the readers. In fact, at a shoot last May a gent had my .600 double on him--320 grains of 4831 and 1800 grains of bullet. He held on to it and the muzzles rose less than in the two photos below.

<shrug> it made my teeth hurt. I don't want one. If you can handle one and enjoy it, more power to ya.

I commented to guys immediately afterward, if an elephant was charging me, and that rifle was laying in front of me, I'd have to think about it...

Was Elmer left handed?

I remember buying my first big bore, a 375 H&H, or at least back then it was a bore. Recoil was not bad.

I stepped up to a 416 Remington. I only shot the rifle 3 or 4 times because it kicked too hard. After deciding to go to Africa I thought it would be a good time to learn to shoot it. Now the recoil of the 416 is mild. I own 458s and 470 and have shoot several of the .500+ calibers and none are that bad.

Rifle fit, proper form, and practice is all it takes. I know some rifles will hammer you pretty hard but for the most part big bore recoil is not that bad.

Mike70560:
This photo of Elmer I've had in my files for decades. It may be a reverse image.
I remember in summer camp as a kid and shooting .22s, and the instructor shot his .30-30. We 7-8 year olds thought it was a cannon. You're correct on form and fit and practice. One can get used to recoil. After 6-7 months of no shooting I begin in the spring with a .400 or .500 bpe and gradually work up to the .600 and 4-bore. Now, I've built a shooting shed with a wood stove and shoot every week in the winter. Should have done this long ago.
Cheers, mate.
Cal

Cal,

Elmer may have been embarrassed to face the camera for that picture.

Cal might keep in mind there is a fair bit of size difference between tex n cal and the guy who had the 577 we are talking about made....pretty sure that 577 did not truly fit Pat, plus dont think you can hurt gunner(owner of the 577).....bullets dont bounce of him but they do just kinda stick to the outsides

he's only a foot or so taller n' me...

My only safari. Only rifle I took was a 9.3X74R.
250 grain swift a-frames.

http://www.cruisersafaris.com/newsletter_2011/jensen.html