As I posted about three weeks ago I bought barely a used Marcel Thys side lock in 458wm with the idea that I'd rechamber and reconfigure ejectors to 450NE 31/4" (or rather JJ would do it) and had JJ Perrideu take a look. He sugested leaving it a 458wm and shooting it alot to see how things went.

I've now shot about 60 rounds through it. I shot it when I first got it and then was out of town for a couple of weeks and finally broke free to shoot today. The gun remains "new stiff".

I'm beginning to get used to the recoil but am still not ready to shoot from the bench. 24 rounds today and I was only really wary of the first. And I'm still relearning with older eyes how to shoot open sights, something I've hardly done at all in four or five years and haven't done in volume in many more than that. The gun needs a larger front bead for sure though.

My groups are getting smaller both offhand and off of sticks. Not good enough to tell if a particular load regulates or not but good enough to see how things are likely to play out. It seems that Federal factory ammo will end up the most suitable factory load and will probably shoot well in this gun. As a bonus the rifle doesn't shoot the 350gr Federals too badly either; crossing at 50yds by several inches but good on elevation and totally predictable, but that might have something to do with the reduced percieved recoil.

The front trigger definitely needs to be lightened; as I squeeze the sights wander right and down and I have little trigger control and have to work at dragging the front sight back to where I want to shoot. The back trigger is perfect. I'd shoot rear trigger first but for the fact that I shoot double trigger shotguns so much and so rarely rear first that I'm afraid I'd screw up under pressure so the trigger needs to be lightened.

Ejection remains flawless and I'm confident that it will remain so, at least on the range. On the other hand I can't just drop rounds in the chamber and close the gun. One or the other of the rounds' belts need to be pushed beyond the blade extractor more times than not or the gun won't close. This doesn't take much and I'm sure I can become accustomed to it but its slower than just drop and close and drop and close is what I'm accustomed too for my tens of thousands of shotgun rounds. In addition about once every twenty round or so pushing gently just won't do it and rather than force anything a slight twist of the cartridge sends it properly beyond the belt. This is slow and cumbersome.

As I've mentioned previosly the gun is right handed but I'm a lefty. I continue to be suprised that the gun comes up so well when mounted quickly. I shot a dozen rounds as quick mount then quick rights then lefts as fast as recoil would allow followed by paced but quick reloads and right then left...3x4 shot strings. At 25yds seven shots were under six inches and nine were under eight inches with three lower. Except for the trhree all were roughly centered on POA. I hope to have this performance at 50yds well before my Oct date. I also need to roughen up the leather covered pad since it wants to wander on my shoulder, generally downward.

Given time constraints I'll probably leave the gun 458wm until I return from my Zimbabwe trip in Oct; assuming, as I suspect, that the Federal ammo will shoot well. Unless the loading issue somehow disapears the gun will probably end up a 450NE 31/4".

I want the gun here so I can shoot and shoot and...rather than have the gun with JJ being converted. On the other hand JJ promised a quick turn around even if reregulation were required which he thinks is a fifty/fifty proposition.

All thought and comments or advise encouraged, welcome and appreciated. Any help or sugestions for this newcomer welcome. Also a question about the standard I should be shooting for for quick strings.

Thanks

JPK
PS finally remembered to bring home my good 35mm SLR from my parents home in FLA when we visited so will try to get some decent photos going soon.