Takedown Rifles

When first considering take-down rifles, my thought was, Why? To me, the concept just seemed a way to introduce a possible lack of precision into a rifle. As is usually the case, when something is viewed without experience, initial attitudes are wrong. My first two experiences with takedowns proved that.

- Mike Venturino

On my single trip to Africa long ago, a takedown Winchester Model 1886 .33 Winchester was part of my rifle battery. It was in two pieces when I brought it out in the hunting camp. The guides, trackers, skinners and perhaps even the cook watched closely as I showed them the two pieces. Then it was assembled, and I demonstrated how it was loaded and functioned. This resulted in chattering in at least four different languages. The Winchester had been perfectly zeroed at home, and after assembly in South Africa, test firing showed it still was.

The .33 was only used on a gray duiker, and there was no surprise that it was flattened at about 50 yards. The surprise was that in both camps in which I hunted, the owners offered to trade me some of my costs for that Winchester levergun.