Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Required rifles for Loony status.

Well, here's a kind of rifle that is pretty loony--a Sauer drilling with two 16-gauge barrels over a 7x57R rifle barrel.

The 7x57R is the rimmed version of the legendary 7x57 Mauser, and while you can order ammo it's easier to handload, since all you need is standard 7x57 dies, some brass and a different shellholder. The scope is a 1.5-6x Zeiss with a slim-posted German No. 1 reticle, which means you can turn it down to 1.5x and still wingshoot birds if you happen to flush one while hunting big game. (If you're hunting birds, it's a little easier to take off the quick-detachable scope, and if a deer stands up in the pheasant cover, shoot it with the open sights.)

This one's a little lighter than many drillings, 7-1/2 pounds with scope, and 6 pounds 5 ounces with the scope removed.