doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Combination guns for modern varmint hunting .

Over the last year I have become involved with predator hunting in AZ which has the possibility of encountering everything from Ringtails and Kit fox to Cougar and Black bear. Coyotes and Bobcats are the most common encounters. Many of the club members tote a 10 or 12 ga (usually 3.5") loaded with either Dead Coyote or #4 buckshot plus a varmint rifle to their stands. Due to the bear and cougar potential most also wear a substantial sidearm. This seems an ideal sport to bring combination guns back into greater popularity. Aside from the classic German guns, what is available on the market which would combine the heavy gauge shotgun with a .223 or .243 class cartridge? I have looked but haven't found anyone building for this segment of the hunting scene.

I've been doing this for a number of years.

In the 1960's I used a borrowed drilling and it worked well.

In the early 90's went to a Sav. 24 20ga/223 while it worked the ergonomics sucked, if the scope was mounted low enough to use rapidly, it was difficult to cock and use the barrel selector on the hammer.

Since then I picked up a Bernadelli 2000 in 12ga/5.6x50mmR Mag and it is doing great. Fast acquisition and the set trigger is nice for long shots.


This season I've picked up an AA/Marrochi 12ga 3" choke tubed/222Rem.


I also picked up a nice drilling in 16x16x7x57R to use calling big cats out here on the coast.


With all of these it has been easy to mount the scope low and using a low power variable scope close in called coyotes and longer range coyotes that hang up are taken with out having to haul two guns afield.


There a number of combo guns out there, Zoli's, Bernadelli', Merkel's, Finn Classics, Savage 2400, BRNO's and a few more that I can't think of right now. I cruise the auction sites and you can put want ads on your local outdoor sites.

These are not too expensive
IZH-94

12 gauge and 30-06 or 308 or 223

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=345653200

http://frontierfirearms.ca/index.php/izh-94-taiga-baikal-30-06-12ga-combo.html

http://www.baikalcanada.com/rifles_combo_94.htm

Thanks, I forgot about the Biakal. He's a link to the US importer.

https://eaacorp.com/portfolio-item/mp94-series-combo-shotgunrifle/

Bud's usually has a better price on them than even the auction sites, $488-$536

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/37_229/European+American+Armory/

The ideal would be a vierling, but price is steep for coyote.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=346010128

There are a lot of Valmets around. You can pick up many different barrel combinations.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=345317949


The Tikka and Valmet are basically the same.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=345270293

Another possibility is a drilling with a barrel insert, giving you a shotgun and 2 rifle calibers to choose from.


Pete

I would love to have the four options of the German s x s x o x u. If made today not only would it cost an arm and a leg but the instructions would run a hundred pages.

A high end Heym vierling was sold at RIA. I had the opportunity to handle it before the auction. The engraving was great, it handled well. I seriously considered going after it. RIA valued it at $7,000. It sold for $19,000 as I recall. Way out of my league....

Pete

I use a Savage 2400 (made by Valmet) 12 ga. over .222 for just that. The shotgun barrel is bored IM and patterns "Dead Coyote" loads very well for closer/quicker shots. Have the same gun with .308 rifle barrel for piggies.