Hunting calibers (prefer 6.5mm)

[MS9x56]

My first post here. I wish I had paid closer attention to the drillings when I served in Germany in the 70's. I am a medium bore aficionado and a sucker for the old classics. If I were able to have any 3 barrels in a drilling I would choose the 16 bore for small game, next to it the 9.3x74R for big game and underneath them the original 6.5x 53 R for vermin. I enjoy hunting with over 100 year old classics and reloading for them. Looking forward to learning all I can from you knowledgeable enthusiests.

[mike ford]

MS9x56,
It looks like we were in Germany at about the same time, where were you stationed? I spent a 3 year tour in Wuerzburg, skipped 2 years, then another 6 years in Wuerzburg ( as a DA Civilian). During the second tour, I developed a close friendship with a German gunsmith and spent a lot of time in his shop. My statement about Bockdrillings came from a discussion with him. If you have a traditional gun with 2 ( or more) rifle caliber barrels soldered together, you are stuck with the same ammo it was regulated with. If you change the loads, you may or may not have useable POI for all barrels at the same time. You may not want to change but loads are sometimes changed by the manufacturer, or you may move and only be able to find a different brand. Then to get everything shooting together, you would have to have it re-regulated. The answer would be having the ability to adjust the POI of the small caliber barrel( such as Blazer, etc) or have a normal drilling with an einstecklauf ( EL)( insert barrel) in the right hand shot barrel, to be able to use the set trigger. One of my other gunsmith friends( Zimmerman) was just starting to market the first full length ELs, and in full power calibers, adjustable at the muzzle. I'm sure they could make a 6.5x53R, but 6.5x57R was a standard caliber. Common drillings are limited as to maximum caliber they recommended for the EL. As I recall, the limit was 6.5x57R. If you chose a 16 ga- 9.3x74R drilling and had a 6.5x57R EL installed, it seems your goal would be met. Plus you would have 2 shot barrels, if you wanted, or the ability to have a regular( short) EL in either 22 Mag or LR. A full length EL would cost around $1,000( pre Covid), but a Bockdrilling might cost that much more anyway.
Mike

[MS9x56]

Mike I served at Siegelsbach near Heilbronn. We used to shoot rifle matches in Wuersburg but shot skeet and trap in Stuttgart rod and gun. Brought home a Valmet over under I still hunt small game with.

[mike ford]

MS9x56,
During my second tour, my Headquarters was in Stuttgart and I went there several times. I went to the R&G Club, but never shot there. Makes me "home sick".
Mike

[oskar]

Boy this post brings back some memories. It's been eight years since I posted in this thread and a lot of coyotes have gone to the big prairie in the sky. The 6.5x58R is still my goto for coyotes in the thicker stuff. I quit using the 257 bullet for fear of blow-by eroding an irreplaceable barrel and now size .264 Speer TNT's to .260, still shoots great along with an ounce of NP BB's is deadly on coyotes at 40 and under. mF8Jow.jpg



My 5.6x50R Mag has done yeoman work on coyotes out to 300 yards with 52gr Speers VGUJSc.jpg




I found 55gr .228 bullets and shoot a combo gun in 5.6x52R(22 Sav HP) again another great coyote rig. xGZlAI.jpg





If building a new drilling for coyote it would be a 16ga/16ga/5.6x50R Mag. The 16ga handles BB sized shot better than the 20ga and still keeps the rig svelte.

I already have a great drilling for medium game in my 16ga/16ga/7x57R that is insanely accurate. It handles 173's nicely and I have a number of boxes of Brenneke slugs if I ever needed to take on anything big and tough.

I was at a clays shoot and a rancher said the coyotes were harassing his calve and told me to take them out if I could. I only had three 16ga 1oz loads of NP BB's that I found on the dash and this was the only 16ga in the truck, no ammo for the 9.3x72R barrel but I did call this big old guy into 44 yards and did him in. It was right at the limit for the shotgun barrels and he did run a few yards but not bad for a 115 yr old drilling. C3gith.jpg

[mike ford]

Oskar,
As always, you are hell on ole Wiley coyote, with any of your guns.
Mike

[oskar]

The trick to killing coyotes with whatever is to get them close. Last season I decided to try and take one with the bow, in 4 outing I called five into 25 yards all on public land, missed two. then my season was put on hold until the end of Feb do to health problems.. This year I'm going to do it.

[mike ford]

Oskar,
Good luck. You can move to pistols after the bow, or maybe along with the bow.
Mike

[oskar]

Te pistol is on the list but I kind of did that 40 yrs ago taking a couple called fox with my S&W Model 13. I do talk about taking one or two with the Little Glock but it is near the bottom of the list.

This is my next coyote killer after the bow, the oldest gun I own. A 150 yr old English 10ga upland shotgun,, quite light at a hair under 8# shorter barrels and straight gripped. I have some 1 1/8 oz NP BB black powder loads for it.
de8oL5.jpg

[mike ford]

Great, be sure to show us the photos.
Mike