This is going to be an interesting thread, because I suspect that there will be several sets of perfectly valid answers
Building on
Red Leg's answer - because we agree on a lot of things here - let me also open other perspectives...
1. Sighting in a double rifle (avg of left and right barrel, or first shot perfect and second shot only as an approximate back-up)
My answer is: it depends on which double and which animal.
One example would be an accurate Blaser S2 scoped .500/.416 NE that has the capability of being a truly quasi universal double, capable of both 200 yard Kudu and 20 yard Elephant. I would sight the scope on this rifle exactly as
Red Leg recommends: spot on with the right barrel.
Another example would be a .470 or .500 NE specialized in close quarter DG hunting, using either iron sights or compact red dot, according to your eyesight.
The target will be typically an Elephant brain shot or a Buffalo, Elephant, Hippo on land, Lion, etc. body shot.
A Botswana genes large bodied bull elephant offers a frontal brain shot target approximately 6" high x 9" wide. The target is a bit smaller for an East Africa genes smaller bodied bull, or for a cow (approximately 5” x 8”). For this hunt, I personally sight my .470 for both barrels to be in the target, centered together, at 50 yards:
View attachment 437668
3 lefts and 3 rights from my Krieghoff .470 NE (Norma PH 500g Woodleigh solids) at 50 yards on an elephant frontal brain shot target.
This sighting will also be perfect for any body shot on anything from 0 to 75 yards.
2. Loading (soft or solid as first shot, or never mix them, depending on species)
Elephant: solids only, in case a brain shot is offered, although I believe that a TSX would do just as well as a solid for a body shot.
Buffalo, Hippo, etc.: in the old days they used solids only, when solids occasionally broke down or riveted; then starting in the 1970's - 1980's they started using soft first with solid second, when softs became tougher and could penetrate well, and to avoid hitting a second Buff in a herd with a broadside solid; and now more and more people use only softs with super premium softs (TSX, AFrame, etc.) that keep together as well as the old solids did, and penetrate darn near as well on quartering follow up shots.
View attachment 437671
500 gr TSX fired from a .458 Lott. Modern monometal bullets defy old classifications. I would call this an expanding solid... With it, I see no real need for follow-up solids on Buff etc.
Cats are different. Sure a TSX will do great on Lion lengthwise to stop a charge, but chances are that on a first, broadside chest shot it will just punch in and out without encountering enough resistance to expand. This is where an AFrame may be objectively better, and where the old Nosler Partition still retains an edge, especially on soft (and comparatively small) Leopard if the .375 is mandated as a legal minimum).
This being said, the PH with whom I will be hunting lion in August 2022 swears by the TSX, so I guess that it probably works well enough...
3. Moving (both during the beginning of the stalk, when many miles need to be done, so african carry, sling or other, and in the final part of the stalk)
Amen!
The African carry made sense when the gun bearer carried the rifle that way, walking
ahead of the hunter. All the hunter had to do was reach forward to grab the rifle. African carry on one's own shoulder is simply misunderstood nostalgia (including by many PH). I personally refuse to be followed by someone carrying a loaded and cocked rifle pointing at my back. Period. And I extend the same courtesy to the person walking ahead of me
I use a DETACHABLE sling, on my left shoulder (I am a right hand shooter).
Red Leg goes muzzle down. I personally prefer muzzle up (I can control it underbrush with my left end), but it is the same concept, and it is likely the fastest carry to get the rifle in action.
View attachment 437673
In my judgement, this is by far the best way to carry a rifle for the long haul... A non-slip sling keeps it securely on the shoulder; it does not matter if the rifle is 9, 10, or 11 lbs. all of which is light on a shoulder; one can control/protect the muzzle while moving in dense bush; the hands are free for glassing; etc. etc.
View attachment 437674
It only takes seconds to remove the detachable sling and slap it around one's neck in a rush (or hand it to a tracker if close by) if the follow up gets into dense bush where a sling at port arm can be a nuisance.
4. Shooting (on sticks and off-hand, first front trigger, then back or vice-versa, or depending on the load) The bear hug position being very well explained in the thread on developing a flinch.
Amen again!
Without wishing to offend anyone, shooting the rear trigger first is simply non sensical. Truth be told, this is a "solution" addressing the wrong problem. If people get a rapid unintended second discharge because they are drumming the triggers under recoil, they need to learn to handle the rifle properly to not drum the triggers. A tighter grip resolves this issue.
Note: trigger drumming is the cause for the vast majority of rifles so-called "double-discharge" which in most cases are not a rifle issue but a shooter issue, at least with well-made reliable rifles (cheapos being excluded from a serious discussion)...
As to position, a DG double is not .22 LR. It must be held tightly to deliver accuracy; to control recoil; and to deliver a rapid second shot.
drive.google.com
Shooting the .470 NE off the sticks. It is amazing how little recoil and muzzle jump there actually is with a big double when handled properly, i.e. tightly. This produces great accuracy; prevents trigger drumming; and favors a rapid second shot.
5. Reloading (transferring rifle from strong to weak hand and loading with strong hand, or leaving in strong hand and loading with weak hand. Also when? on the move or stopping, reloading and then running faster to catch up the PH. Best position of the cartridge pouch?)
We do it the same ... but different ... and both are OK.
I too "
open the action with the strong (in my case right) hand."
Red Leg then holds the rifle in his right hand by the stock wrist while he reloads with his left hand.
I then hold the rifle in my left hand by the forearms while I reload with my right hand.
In my case, this is because my Krieghoff .470 does not have ejectors, so I point the barrels up while flicking them to the side to send the empties flying.
If my rifle had ejectors, I would probably do it the way
Red Leg does, because for ejectors to work reliably the barrels need to be tilted down rather than up (otherwise the empties may slide out of reach of the ejectors before they are released).
6. Other best practices? Snap caps & dry firing okay or not?
Amen yet again!
