Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Rifle Action!

Now just how much does a big Bruno action go for these days?

The CZ 550 Safari is the same action, but with a more americanized (forward to fire) safety so that is, to my mind, a better way to go if one wants to build a monster rifle i.e. 505 Gibbs, 585 Nyati, etc. If you pay megabucks for an older BRNO, you are going to want to put more money into it for a different safety. Either the BRNO or the CZ can be changed to a LaPour model 70 style safety. The actual older BRNO's seem to be bringing north of a Grand when one can be found.

Or you could throw caution to the wind and find an old Brevex, the gold standard magnum Mauser action. Hope you've got some time, though.

Whatcha gonna build, BTW?

In the way of big actions, Remington Model 30's are still out there. I passed on one for $249 the other day. Factory chambered in 30-06 but drilled and tapped and Tasco'd unfortunately. Not much that can't fit in that action, basically a 1917 Enfield action smoothed up for commercial production. I've got one in 30 Remington, here's how much space is left over in the magazine box:

Safariman, I like the 500 A-Squared caliber and what it has to offer in energy, penetration, power index etc. However, I don't want to have a 12.5 pound rifle to tote around in the heat of Africa.

I always wanted a .50-caliber like a .505-Gibbs but I just don't think it has the numbers those other calibers do. I also toyed around with the idea of the .577 Experss but I don't believe you can put that in a bolt type rifle. Still kicking things around and a 10.75 pound 500 A-Square looks good to me loaded down to 2400fps.

I saw one in a Weatherby Rifle the other say and the price was right! I know I would have to have express sights added to the gun and cut that barrel down to 23 inches, then find a stout laminated hardwood stock for the rifle.

Check out the threads on the 500A2 over on Accurate Reloading. You could buy a 416 Rigby bolt face CZ 550 action from Brownells, a stock from McMillan, and have it barreled by Pac-Nor and you'd likely come in well under 12.5lbs.

TONK,

Might try a CZ in 505 Gibbs and put it on a diet. Could re-chamber it to the newer round, Trim up the stock, shorten the barrel and get rid of the extra lug up on its middle etc.

Having said this though, I Have been carrying and shooting a 12lb 416 Rigby for about 20 years I can say that I want no part of a 10-11 lb 50 cal anything. Didn't even like the 10lb 458 Lott I had for a while. Or the 8lb 458 Win. If you have not shot a lot of big bores, you are welcome to try mine and a buddy's several if you fly out.

Oregon45 might be on to something about the m1917 action. Safariman, arn't you working on a nice m1917 action or was that someone else. I know Tonk likes the model 70 actions and this would be a "shoe in" for him to build on. I've got a factory sporterized m1917, (BSA model D) but will likely never give it up .

Yes, I have a full on custom based on a Remington 1917 action. Such would also be a GREAT way to build a biggie such as TOnks dream gun but he asked about the BRNO so I kept my comments initially to its more modern but mostly identical rendition. Even the scope base dovetails are the same.

My 1917 has only the receiver tube and bolt body left from its original form. Everything else, including the springs in the bolt etc. etc are all custom upgrades. With no RUM or Lapua cartridges yet when I built this I came up with my own Wildcat that I call the 340 Tyrannosaur. It is merely an 8mm RemMag case necked up slightly to eat 338 Diameter slugs. With 7828SSC I am running 225gr TTSX's out the tube at 3100FPS. Kills stuff...

Thanks safariman, I thought that's what I remembered . I love the model 70 CRF actions but am still a little partial to the m1917 when it is done right. I've seen a lot of hack jobs with the m1917 so one has to be careful when choosing that action for a build.

Unless I'm missing something, the 505 would not be a good candidate for a 500 A-square. Kinda tough to add metal the chamber, as the 505 is a bigger case than a 500 A-square. The 505 Gibbs has a 0.640" rim and dia at the base, the 460W that the 500 A-sq is based off of is a 0.603" rim and 0.582" at the base of the case. Also the 505 is a 0.505" barrel vs. 0.510" for the A-square. There might also be some feeding issues due to going to the smaller case.

A 416 Rigby or 460 Weatherby would be a good starting point for a 500 A-sq.

The big 50's rock your world, I would think twice about building one that is too light, 12# isn't unreasonable for a non-braked rifle.

Tonk,
I have do desire for a 50 cal. but if I did I would get a 500 MDM or a 50 B&M..
Read the last few pages of this thread to see it's performance..
http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4711043/m/2861098911/p/166

The 500 MDM weighs 8 1/2 pounds without a scope..
The 50 B&M somewhat less..
The rifle thread:
http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4711043/m/9111029801/p/26

Please pardon my ignorance of Big Bore Rifles! However, I am a bit confused as to how Michael 458 can get 2600 feet per second out of a 21 inch barrel big bore gun using a 500 grain bullet?

Safariman, I have always been somewhat intrigued by the Weatherby .460-caliber! I know a PH that used one for many years. I do not know if they have the "big claw" extractor on them. Also would like to know if they have the "control fed magazine" like the model 70 Winchester. I am still in class 101 by the way. It would seem to me, that a .460 caliber rifle would have to weigh in at least 10 pounds or better. The recoil must be terrible at 8.5 pounds.......Ouch!

You have seen this?
http://www.b-mriflesandcartridges.com/500-MDM.html

While it is a rather long thread there is a lot to be learned from it: http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4711043/m/2861098911/p/1

I have been following since the being because I am interested in bullet performance even though I will never go to Africa..

The Weatherby actions, while pretty good, are not COntrolled Round Feed, do not have a fixed blade ejector, and are generally not considered prime candidates for dangerous game rifles by those of us who are believers in the features mentioned. Also, the 416 Weatherby is, to my mind and that of many others, TOO much of a good thing. For aa long time I loaded my 416 Rigby to near 416 WBY numbers. No more, MUCH harder to learn to use well and no real gains in what it will do. I feel much the same about the 50's BTW. Fun to show off and play with but calibers of 40-45 are more than enough for any legally huntable anmal on the planet.

Safariman thank you for your words of wisdom! I am going to put a bit of a hold on this Weatherby project for now. I want to find out more about Michael-458 and his 500 caliber in a model 70 Winchester etc.

It things don't pan out, I always have my .458-Lott and the .470-Capstick both in model 70 Winchester. I never knew there were so many calibers, especially newer one's in the .458, .475 and .500 dia. I get a bit lost in the conversation.

I fully inderstand the desire for new toys, have a 'few' myself but you really do have all that you need for the big's. Knowing what you have on tap, I am thinking you would be better served with a Model 70 375 and upgrade it to 375 (Not the overdone 378 version) Weatherby or 375 AI trim or one of the fast 33's for the ultimate Plains game and Elk rifle.

If you want to own something kinda cool in these categories I might sell you my full on custom 416 Rigby or 340 Tyrannosaur. Lots of ammo, dies, etc and the 416 has been featured in African Hunter Magazine, a photo in the latest Barnes reloading manual, as well as a 28 minute DVD on African hunting and you would get a copy of each with the rifle.

http://www.hunting-rifles.com/Rifles/Dangerous%20Game/danger_game1.htm for .500 A-Square and some other big boomers on CZ action with 3-Pos safety, and maybe, the deeper mag.

They show a model on a Granite Mountain action, too.

Safariman, I have 2 of those .375H&H's! One I did have rechambered some 20 years ago into the .375-Weatherby. I really like that caliber, until I stated shooting the .416-Rem.
and I then gave the one .375 rechambered to Wby to my son. I also have him a .338 Win mag too.

I did some hard looking this morning and I do have my .416-Rem and .470-Capstick to hunt Africa with next time around. I supppose I got a little carried away with the idea of having a bigger boomer but who knows, I may go the route of the big Ruger Action and come away with a .500 A-2 down the road. I have over 300 new cases for the Capstick and 50 that have been fired once. There seems to be sooooo many new calibers in the bigger bores lately!