Almost 20 years ago my friend said he wanted the ultimate big 5 rifle on a short action. I told him my friend that was a guide in africa and an animal control officer in Kruger said that 375s were great but he really liked 416s.

I stopped by my friends shop a few months later and he said you gotta check this out. He had a short action M70 rifle built in 416-300wsm. He said what do think? I then had to break it to him that on a big 5 rifle great feeding and functioning were paramount and that he should make sure it functions well.

He said it fed like crap and got mad at me for not telling him that earlier. I said I thought that need would be obvious and I didn't realise he was so serious about the short action elephant gun.

We ended up making a custom single stack mag box that center fed and worked it over and had it feeding really well. Twenty years later the guys never been to Africa. All the drama and tinkering for nothing but I'm sure it's not the first project developed around a pipe dream.

Bb

Last edited by Burleyboy; 09/27/19.