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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Muzzleloaders & Blackpowder
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CowboyCS
.333 member


Reged: 05/10/07
Posts: 386
Loc: Kansas u.S.A.
500 African Express Rifle
      #229058 - 20/04/13 10:03 AM

I am including the links under each pic because Photobucket seems to be having major issues lately with pics showing on forums but the direct links seem to work all the time.

This is a project I've been working on for a couple years now, I don't get a lot of time to play with my own ideas since I am backlogged with customers orders. A few hours here and there every so often and I finally finished it up this week and managed to get it out to my pasture, I mean my Range to work on some load development.

The idea I had for this was to build a bullet gun that would be hard hitting enough for big African Plains game and maybe even Cape Buffalo. The bullet idea is nothing new, it's just a variation of a Whitworth style bullet were the rifling and bullet are a matched set. I ordered the barrel blank with a 1:24 twist and a couple extra inches longer than I needed so that I could make a rifling/swaging die.

The specs:
Action is a E. Wesson Style Boxlock(casting by Pete Allan)
Barrel .500" bore, .512" Groove, 1:24" twist, 28" long Octagon to tapered round(with wedding band transition)
Stock English Walnut
All Iron Furniture
NECG Multi-leaf Rear Sight on a Quarterrib
Silver Caterpillar Front Sight on Ramp
Weight 10 pounds and a few ounces
Leaf and Vine Engraving on the action and trigger guard
Oil Finished wood
Patina'ed rust blued metal finish

Left Side

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/...es/IMG_0002.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/...es/IMG_0005.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/...es/IMG_0036.jpg
Right Side

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/...es/IMG_0016.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/...es/IMG_0018.jpg
Quarterib and Rear Sight

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/...es/IMG_0010.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/...es/IMG_0038.jpg
Front Sight

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/...es/IMG_0013.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/...es/IMG_0040.jpg
Butt Plate

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/...es/IMG_0014.jpg
Engraving

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/...es/IMG_0008.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/...es/IMG_0023.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/...es/IMG_0026.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/...es/IMG_0028.jpg
Rifling/Swaging Die

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/...es/IMG_0047.jpg

And the best target of the day:
6 shots

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/...es/IMG_0049.jpg
500gr bullet
150grs FFFg Goex
#11 CCI cap
ten string average of 1532FPS

I tried a bunch of other bullets and loads also:

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/...es/IMG_0044.jpg
From left to right
.458-500 Woodleigh
.515-450 wheel weight cast, lubed and pre-rifled
.515-500 wheel weight cast, lubed and pre-rifled
.452-230 cast speer
.452-185 Remington JHP
.458-500 wheel weight cast
With the .452 and .458 I used Hornady Sabots.

Running the 150gr FFFg loads with .452" 185JHP's I was getting 2074FPS and still holding under 2" groups. Not the best accuracy but certainly minute of whitetail and 2000+ FPS with that bullet should be devastating on small and medium game.

I wish I could have got the Woodleighs up to the 1700fps minimum that is recommend but it just won't quite do it.

It should make a very versatile rifle for Africa or anywhere else for that matter.

After I am done experimenting with various bullets and powders I will probably put this one up for sale and build myself another one with a few slight changes.

Colin

--------------------
The Bill of Rights- Void were prohibited by law
Stolzer & Son's Gunsmithing

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DarylSModerator
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26489
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: 500 African Express Rifle [Re: CowboyCS]
      #229104 - 21/04/13 08:51 AM

I once had a McGowen .50 barrel with those numbers (.500/.512 and 24" twist).

I put it on a rolling block rifle chambered for the .50 Alaskan and it was VERY accurate with RCBS 550gr. in 50/50 pure/WW alloy. I used both quite heavy smokeless and black powder loads, but nothing over 85gr. due to case capacity.

500gr. with 150gr. 3F? sounds really snappy/hot.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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Birdhunter50
.375 member


Reged: 03/06/07
Posts: 815
Loc: Iowa,U.S.A.
Re: 500 African Express Rifle [Re: CowboyCS]
      #229238 - 23/04/13 08:28 AM

Colin,
I like your rifle alot, it shows your talents off very well and I am impressed with the targets you have shot with it. I have a couple of questions about your front sight set up. Is the front sight dovetailed into the front sight base? What brand of front sight is this one and what size is the slot for it. I have been wanting to find a sight setup like this one, it looks very solid and I think it would be pretty shock proof. Bob

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CowboyCS
.333 member


Reged: 05/10/07
Posts: 386
Loc: Kansas u.S.A.
Re: 500 African Express Rifle [Re: Birdhunter50]
      #229250 - 23/04/13 08:59 PM

Thank You for the compliments.

The brand is Stolzer and Son's...haha, seriously I made all of the Iron furniture on this rifle except the rear sight.

The front sight is not dovetailed into the base it is just a slot cut, the screw holds it in place.
The slot is 1/4" wide.
It wouldn't be that difficult to make this base and sight with a dovetail instead of straight sided, I just never saw the need to since the screw locks everything in place.

Colin

--------------------
The Bill of Rights- Void were prohibited by law
Stolzer & Son's Gunsmithing

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