This has been a very interesting thread. I don't "need" a double but that's never stopped me from wanting one. That may change as I transition into retirement next year depending on where I go & what I start hunting. Earlier this month I had posted a similar question about what forum members would want in a
limited run of Ruger rifles & I got a lot of similar responses.
I predicted in the initial post that coming to a unified consensus would be a challenge & this proved to be true. While I appreciated everyone's responses, there were a lot of suggestions that involved exotic chamberings or wildcats that had no commercial ammo offerings or scarce brass, rounds that were too long for the magazine, requests to resurrect defunct rifle models, etc. In other words, a lot of the wishlist involved suggestions that weren't easily workable given all of the practical constraints that had to be considered. Specifically that a special offering needs to have a certain level of
broad appeal to remain affordable (i.e. a large group of people need to all want the
same rifle).
Based on the feedback I got here, plus other conversations with dealers, salesmen, safari-goers, etc., I am now gravitating towards .375 H&H and .450-400 for the <$10,000 double offering, scrapping therefore the .45-70.
I always appreciate it when a commercial vendor attempts to provide me with unique or useful products. This choice seems like a practical & doable option. The ability to use a widely-available commercial ammo offering as a standard to regulate against would be possible with these chamberings to accommodate people who don't reload.
- I would love to offer a double in .303--heck, I introduced the Uberti Courteney in that caliber!--but I'm afraid the minimum order quantity would make it unfeasible, since it would be a brand-new caliber for them.
Just out of curiosity, what is the minimum order quantity for a project like this? Not having any knowledgeable insight into the decision-making process, it would be interesting to know how high that threshold is (if that is sharable information or currently even defined).
What's the obsession with .303 in a dbl rifle?
Genuinely curious question.
For me personally, I have a nostalgic fondness for the 303 British and own two single-shot falling blocks in that chambering. While I understand that many hunters want a larger DG double, I would love to have a 7x57r, 303 British or 9.3x74r. A smaller rimmed cartridge in a classic chambering has a lot of appeal. The big draw of the 303 British for me is that while companies like Rigby & WR made them many years ago, finding a nice affordable one now would be a bit of a challenge. The Westley Richards in 303 British below was regulated for 215gr soft point bullets (I think going ~2100 fps) instead of the 174gr Kynoch in the picture. Loading up some
Woodleigh 68's today would make for a very classic setup that I would love to go hunting with.
Here's a Rigby in 303 British from the same era. I like it!