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Have been looking and thinking for a while that a drilling or Cape gun would be a be fun to have. I plan to use it mainly for deer hunting and shoot cast bullets. Knowing nothing about then what tips or info should I know before a I buy!


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Drillings are fairly complicated and expensive to fix so be sure everything is working.

Be sure of the cartridge they take, many just have bore diameters on the bottom of the barrel 8.8mm will more than likely take a 9.3mm bullet and even there groove diameter can run from .358-.366 and there are half dozen or more 9.3 based cartridges.

If the drilling or combo gun has claw bases, getting a set of rings can cost as much as the gun cost you. If you want a scope try to find one with a scope already mounted. Combo guns with grooved barrels are easier to mount a scope with standard rings.

Odd cartridges can drive the price down, C&H has dies for just about any of them. Buffalo Arms has a lot of the oddball brass.

They are addictive

I have two combo guns and one drilling that I use for coyote hunting.

1926 Wilkes drilling 16ga/16ga/6.5x58R Sauer it take .260 diameter butllets so I have to swage .264's down. The 16ga barrels have 2 1/2" chambers, 1oz of NP BB's kills coyotes just fine.
[Linked Image from imagizer.imageshack.com]

BRNO Combo 12ga/5.6x52R(22 Savage Highpower) it takes .227/.228 bullets
[Linked Image from imagizer.imageshack.com]

Bernardelli combo 12ga/5.6x50R Mag, this takes standard .224 bullets
[Linked Image from imagizer.imageshack.com]

I have a P Sauer drilling that I bought for big game hunting but haven't hunted with it, to involved with coyotes to bother with deer.

Last edited by erich; 11/22/20.

After the first shot the rest are just noise.

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Originally Posted by clintsfolly
Have been looking and thinking for a while that a drilling or Cape gun would be a be fun to have. I plan to use it mainly for deer hunting and shoot cast bullets. Knowing nothing about then what tips or info should I know before a I buy!


If you're going to shoot mostly cast bullets consider a more obsolescent rifle round like the 9,3X72R. It'll send out a cast bullet as fast as you'll be sending them with any chambering, and a 9,3X72R lessens the price/value. It's a capable round for deer out to about 150 yards with either jacketed bullets or hard cast. Avoid hammer drillings. While there are many good ones around, you'll find more loose guns. They're older and often built on very light frames.

Don't be afraid of 16 gauge guns with 65 mm chambers. A good tight boxlock gun will shoot 2 3/4" 1oz-1 1/8 oz field loads fine, contrary to the common wisdom. Also, the 8X57 JR (.318 diameter) rifle round is about the most common chambering found in affordable drillings. Ammo is readily available and inexpensive, and it's a capable big game killer.

Erich knows his combo guns, and he's spot on regarding buying a drilling that is already scoped.

Be sure when buying a drilling to do a "shake-test". Take the forend off, close the gun, and hold the grip and shake it. If there is any rattle or even slight movement detected pass on the gun. Look for stock cracks and oil soaked wood around the receiver. Make sure the barrels ring when tapped. A dull sound might be an indication of solder and rib problems. If the gun appears re-blued be sure it has been rust blued, not hot tanked.

These guns are relatively expensive, so be sure of what you're buying. MOST local gun shops have no clue as to what to look for regarding combination guns, but many will try to act like experts. Erich and others here know their away around these fine guns, and they'll be happy to lend their advice.


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What they said. Some very sound advice. Good working order is the secret. There is nothing more expensive than a free dog. A cheap drilling might be a close second.
Norbert Kulp's book on drilling is a good background read. Perusing the German Gun Collectors forum and website can also be helpful. Maybe become a member. They are good and sharing people.
Think about how you hunt and what you hunt. For my hunting, I've settled on midbores with an auxillary insert in one shotgun barrel. One has a 22 mag einstecklauf the other a 5.6 x50R full length. Paired with a 16 guage and a 7 or 8x57, there isn't much that they won't address. The versatility is hard to match. I used to love the 9.3x74, but it's too much for my hunting now. You will need to find the caliber and bore that will match your needs
The drawback is that drilling doctors are few and far between. They are also busy, so repairs take a very long time. Did i mention good working order?
I've come to prefer 1" scopes set low on my guns. The europeans often have scopes set to be shot with your head up. Many European scopes are not 1 inch, so you cant do a simple swap. I don't like, but have learned to accept greener safeties. Both my combos and one of my drillings fit like an old pair of buckskin gloves, they go with me more often. I cringe every time one of them gets strapped onto the back of a fourwheeler.
The smell of Ballistol is as addictive as Hoppes No. 9.
My only regret is that I didn't get one 30 or 40 years earlier!
Bfly


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Thanks for the suggestions and info! Where is a good place to look for the book?


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Originally Posted by Blackfly1

The smell of Ballistol is as addictive as Hoppes No. 9.
My only regret is that I didn't get one 30 or 40 years earlier!
Bfly


LOL...

Old German saying:

Too zoon old, und too late schmardt. wink


Hunt with Class and Classics

Religion: A founder of The Church of Spray and Pray

Acquit v. t. To render a judgment in a murder case in San Francisco... EQUAL, adj. As bad as something else. Ambrose Bierce “The Devil's Dictionary”







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Getting old happened quicker than I expected, getting schmart, well, i guess that's going to take a while.
Last time i checked, the German Gun Collectors had copies. It might still be available on Amazon, as well. It's title is "The Drilling"
Bfly


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Originally Posted by Blackfly1
Getting old happened quicker than I expected, getting schmart, well, i guess that's going to take a while.
Last time i checked, the German Gun Collectors had copies. It might still be available on Amazon, as well. It's title is "The Drilling"
Bfly


It's a good book on the subject. The computer translation is sometimes a bit humorous. It's like a computer translating German for "hydraulic ram" to "water sheep" in English.


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Religion: A founder of The Church of Spray and Pray

Acquit v. t. To render a judgment in a murder case in San Francisco... EQUAL, adj. As bad as something else. Ambrose Bierce “The Devil's Dictionary”







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My favorite is German for nurse "Krankenschwester" literal translation "Sick Sister"


After the first shot the rest are just noise.

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Guess I don’t understand how to register at GGCF. Been trying for a hrs.


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Here is a link to the forums
http://www.germanguns.com/vb5/forum/new-members-post-here/general-discussion

There is a link there "register" in blue. Follow that link.
If things don't go well, try posting a request in the 'new members post Here' and ask for help. There isn't somebody there twenty-four seven, so help might be a day away, but someone will get back to you.
The other way would be to send a request for help to
inquiriesgermanguns.com
The website is a bit clunky, but it's all volunteer and a little contribution money from members and a few small companies, so budgets are not extravagant.
Bfly


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They come in all sorts: Dural/Ergal actions, brass/bell metal actions and steel. You want to make sure it is in sound mechanical order and soft solder between barrels is in good shape. The biggest drawback in old ones the rifled barrel caliber can be for some baron custom job for which ammunition and reloading components are not available. The claw mounts with standard rings (usually 26mm") instead of rail and front ring soldered to scope are preferred because you can upgrade the optic instead of relying on old one. You do want easy to remove scope system to make the gun truly versatile. Scope off for bird and bunny season on for large game season. For an American holy grail would be 20-20/.30-30 Winchester, but one might have to settle for 16-16/7x57R, 7x65R, 8x57JRS, 9,3X72R or 9,3x74r, (preferred over x72R), 12-12/......Good luck Comrade.

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As a Reloader for over 45 yrs I understand the hardships of odd brass and dies as a bullet caster I probably can make a bullet that will be hunting quality. I have heard that the claw rings may cost as much as some rifles to buy and have fit. As for rifle caliber I am leaning towards 9.3 or 30cal as I already cast for them. But will not pass on a good deal for something else.


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Have had two gunsmiths make claw bases out of Talley steel bases, so you can use whatever steel Talley rings desired for 1" and 30mm modern scopes. The last time I had this done it cost $300, and I mounted 1-4x Leupold 1" scope, which for my purposes works great for a general purpose drilling, as you can wingshoot with the scope on 1x if some bird gets up while hunting big game. That drilling is a very accurate Sauer 16x16/6.5x57.

The other combo gun we had similarly converted was my wife's 16/9x72R. Works great with a 1.5-5x Leupold. Luckily, the "9mm" rifle barrel has typical .35-caliber dimensions.

Or you can be particular about which scope comes with the rifle in the first place--though you might not be able to be as picky. My last purchase was an aluminum-action Sauer 16x16/7x57R that came with a1.5-6x Hensoldt in very good condition.


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Originally Posted by Mule Deer
My last purchase was an aluminum-action Sauer 16x16/7x57R that came with a1.5-6x Hensoldt in very good condition.


Modern 16 gauge
Great rifle round
The perfect drilling scope
25.6" barrels
Set trigger for precision shooting
Nimble Dural gun

It should be MINE, dammitt!


grin


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Originally Posted by Mule Deer
My last purchase was an aluminum-action Sauer 16x16/7x57R that came with a1.5-6x Hensoldt in very good condition.


That combo is very nice due to its light weight. That is why I suggested 20-20/.30-30 for which one may run out of time waiting. I would avoid something like 12-12/9,3x74R because that is going to be pretty hefty piece. The x72R while dated can be found in more handy package.


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