Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa 505 Gibbs

I think this is interesting.

Good history,

i looked at a 505 a few years back, heavy it was.

Powerful it is. "Yoda"

In my safe, it is not…😁

Interesting video. Thanks for sharing.

Since Cordite, the oversized ctg. case really isn't needed. I built a .404J on a M-70 .300 RUM action, which helped accommodate the larger round. Had to adjust the bolt face for the larger rim. It worked OK but I eventually traded it.

It wouldn't do anything my bud's M-70 .416 Rem wouldn't do and that round doesn't need a larger action, just a std. 3.6" magnum action.

Good bud, hunting in Zim, killed a nice buff with his Ruger Safari Magnum, .416 Rigby. His PH carried a beat up push feed M-70 in .416 Rem. He thought the RSM was too heavy, figured he'd carry his gun a lot more than he shot it. And, the .416 Rem is pretty close to the .416 Rigby, a buff would never know the difference.

So, if I was going to get or build another big gun, it would be one using a std. mag case, not a .404 or Rigby.

Just me. My big gun is currently a .375 H&H SS Classic M-70, wearing a 1.5-6x42 Victory. It'll do anything I want to do; not planning a Safari. Plan to kill a WT this Fall with it, using a 235 gr. bullet. Why? Just cause I've not killed anything with it. Why not?

DF

Hell of a round with rich history, took 600gr Woodleigh solids to 2500 fps, mucho recoil, now shoot both 600 gr Woodleigh softs and solids as well as 570gr Barnes banded flat nosed solids Riflecrank drew down to 505" at 2150-2200 fps, very shootable, wouldn't hesitate any dangerous game situation worldwide.

Will not expose the Fire contributor who actually shot out a .416 Rigby, had the worn out barrel re-bored to .505 Gibbs.

Those who have shot a big boomer enough to trash the barrel, probably just a short list. Would have to be a hoss of a dude to pull that off.

Do we know such a guy?

Not saying.

DF

Bobbale, thank you for posting the very interesting article about the history of the .505 Gibbs.

When I was a kid reading all the outdoor magazines, plus Hemingway, Ruark, Paige, etc, I wanted to go to Africa someday and kill the big game animals there. Even back then, the .505 Gibbs often figured in an African hunting story. I never got to Africa but the rifles used there and the stories posted here are still fascinating.

Good luck.

L.W.

Funny stuff DF, Yes, we can lay that blame on the gunwriters, i poured over those mags back in the day like a forensic surgeon, thought I'd need at least 2K offhand/off sticks rounds fired before my first Safari!

BTW, that EX-416 Rigby, now 505 Gibbs is one of but two rifles i have that wear whisker burns on the buttstock, the other is a mighty 50-90 Sharps ; ]

Which whacks you harder, the full house .505 Gibbs or the big 50-90? They both way more that I'd want to shoot. My Africa hunting bud gets me to sight in his .416 Rem. It's not that bad. I kid him about being a wuss.... But when a buff is standing there. he'll drill'em. And if he doesn't fall, drill'em again. He says it doesn't kick when he's hunting.

I know you a hoss, so a little recoil isn't a big deal. There were rumors floating around that the Gibbs was your truck gun....

DF

I once fired a 505 Gibbs 17 times while making sure the sights were good. After 17 rounds I felt a little light headed.

I bet.

A standing bench like Elmer advocated, sure helps.

DF

Df, you use the 235 Speers in your 375 h&h? What powder?

Of course RL-15 is the classic and it does work well.

I’ve got Hot Core 235’s, also. I’m currently working with 748, have an old can. Waters load data indicate it’s very accurate with 235’s. So I’ll have to report.

There evidently are a wide range of med burn rate powders that will work. The old .375 is pretty easy to load for, IME.

DF

I never had much luck with the 235 grain Speer in my .375 H&H. The only light .375 H&H bullet that worked for me was the old 240 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, which are not made any more.

I had good groups with the 235 gr Cutting Edge Raptor.

That one is expensive, but a good bullet.

Will have to see how the ones I have loaded will group.

DF

I use the 250 grain North Fork in the .375 RUM, I don't remember the group size, but it's good enough for elk, oryx etc...

Hey DF old bud, the mighty 505 boots much harder than either of the other two, the 50-90 has the whisker burns from simply the sheer number of times fired but also keeping your face welded to the stock on follow through with eye burned dead into that front sight, very different disciplines here.

Agreed, i have never felt ANY recoil firing at game, 22 Hornet to 8 Bore, we must go to a different place ; ]

JWP, now you know how i felt, jacked my back up good once, Doc gave me some sort of 10 day high dose hellbender packet of prednisone, one afternoon out of the blue some sort of extremely aggressive rage began to build in my head, i thought WTF, called wife and asked her to spend the night at another place we have, called old bud and had him go to the liquor store for a bottle of bourbon and cigars, I DID NOT WANT TO GO TO TOWN!

Grabbed my 505 Gibbs and 577 Nitro double, filled my jeans pockets with ammunition, got a big fresh pinch of cope and went out back and went to work wearing only a t shirt, fired both until exhausted, i will tell you they'll kick the meanness straight out of a man, it was unreal, felt like i got hit by a Mack truck, bloody trigger finger and all, by the time bud showed up with the smoke and drink i didnt want either, kicked down like a young pup that just got his nuts cut, i wanted a chocolate milkshake!

Wow!

Need to keep you and steroids apart, y'all don't mix....

Would love to have had video of that episode...

Ha!

DF

No kidding Sir, i thought i was having an aneurysm or stroke, or simply dying, knew i had to get this handled or die trying, damn sure not go to town and have some dimwit flip me off, i believe in some cases we are charged to protect the stupid from themselves, and this was definitely one of those cases, funny on the ice cream too, i was looking for some cool comfort man, and i dont even eat candy ; ]

Reckon it's a good thing you don't have close neighbors....

DF