Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only 505 Gibbs-OUCH!

Well, I'm trying to get the courage to shoot the darn thing. I have to work up a load for the rifle using 525 grain Barnes TSX. I'm trying Reloader 25 to start. Not looking forward to the recoil since it'll be close to 2/3 my body weight! Even with the risk of a cracked stock I'll probably use a lead sled. Any advice???

Advice you say? Yep, SELL the damned thing, and now!

BTDT, got the t-shirt, got no use for a 505 Gibbs.

Actually, leave the lead sled and ANY benchreting out of the equation. Sight in in and shoot it only from a standing position. Wont be near as bad tht way. 1/2 inch groups are not needed here.

Don't use a lead sled just take several Advil and let her rip!

Safariman, speaks the truth. Do NOT sit down with the rifle. Shoot of hand. That what they are for - close range thumpers.

You can be like Mr. Wilson. You got the double cot?

Use a very slow burning powder and buy some lead bullets. Use the slow burning powder to keep velocities down and so recoil. Call Accurate Powder and get their recommendation on XMR-5744 to use with the lead bullets, again to keep velocities down.

Work up to it. You don't need to pack a case full to the brim either. Bring your cleaning gear with you as the downside of using slow burning powders will be the unburned powder in the bore. But this is no real problem as you are getting used to the rifle.

With 37.5 grains of XMR and a 575 grain cast bullet I make around 1000fps. It's fun. With H-1000 I can go from under 1000fps up to about 1150fps. Then use RL-22 and IMR-7828 to take 600 grain bullets up to 1850fps. The recoil doesn't get interesting until around 1800fps. This with a .500 A-Square.

LMAO Mark, Bob257 fill that hull with H-5010, AA-8700 to the base of your seated 525 TSX, or research a powder burn rate chart, and use a VERY slow burning powder, give her a good crimp and blast away.

You'll be fine, I use 145 grs H-4831 SC under a 600 gr Woodleigh in my 505 Gibbs, they chrono 2425 fps, and pack a purty descent boot.

Gunner

+ 1 on the aa5744 loads.

The most serious big-bore shooters I've known (a father/son team of PH's in Africa) had a standing-height benchrest for testing the big ones. You can come pretty close to the same thing with shooting sticks, or shooting off a rest on the hood of a full-sized pickup.

I've done my share of shooting the .505 and .500 NE and you can have 'em. Have also fired a .600 NE and found it much easier, mostly because it weighed a lot more!

I've never fired or even held a .505 Gibbs.

I helped a friend get his Merkel .500 NE ready for Africa. It shot 570 gr. bullets at 2,150 fps, IIRC. The gun is pretty heavy, 10#+, but handles very well for a big gun. I shot it off hand at a 25 yd. target. It was a big push, the barrels coming up around 45*, but no slapping like a hi vel Wby or such. To me, it was more pleasant than a .340 Wby. or a .300 Wby. Different feel. The Wby's slap you, this thing was just a big, fairly serious push.

And I put both bullets about 2" apart on a bullseye at 25 yds., boom, boom, one right behind the other.

Nice rifle. I'd shoot it again if given the opportunity.

At around $10K, I don't need one in my safe. I can think of a lot more useful projects for those funds.

DF

I'll be backing my next round of loads down to around 2150 with the 600 gr Woodleighs, just wanted to run a couple hundred full power loads through it to make sure bedding, cross bolts, and barrel recoil lug were all on the same page and doing there jobs.

600 grain bullets at 2425 fps should be a fine workout for any Walnut stock.

I do not want a split stock and I haven't even been to the Dark Continent on Safari yet, but I fail to see what wont die quick with the 600 gr softs and solid Woodleigh bullets at 2150 fps.

Gunner

Recoil slut!! The ONLIEST way I would EVER consider lighting off another 505 Gibbs is if I had a pissed off Tyrannosaurus Rex in front of me. OTW it'll be a COLD day in Hell.

hey Gunner, could i talk you out of one of those 505 Gibbs rounds in dummy form?

That big 600 gr. slug at 2,150 is pretty close to the .500 NE. In a gun with some weight, it shouldn't be too unpleasant to shoot.

DF

The Brits of Kynoch and Swedes from Norma load the big beast to the performance it was deveopped years before. Remember these were made with big cases to get low pressure in heat and to manage cordite pressure picks. These cartridges were real killers and, more than that, real stoppers.

Except if you want to prove you're stronger than most, want to bruise your shoulder, generate small brain commotion, destroy your shooting ability in developping some flinching i don't see any use going faster than 710m/s a close 2300fps. With 600grs 2150fps would be enough even if you go to Jurassic Park.
During the hunt you never feel the recoil but if you practice a lot with this bruiser and go too far, it's easy to develop flinching, your body remember well the bad treatments and reminds you at the worst moment.

Good shooting and good hunt

Dom

Sight in and do your development from a lead sled. Then do all of your shooting offhand. I shoot 570g TSX's out of my 500 Jeffery at 2300 fps. It's the most fun of any rifle I own to shoot offhand. I will not shoot it from the bench more than once without the lead sled, no point in it.

What chu talkin' bout willis? just grab that thang like ya got a pair and let 'er rip and roar LOL

And Hell Yeah IE, Pm me an address and I'll send one on out to ya, it will be loaded w/a 600 gr. Woodleigh PP soft point.

Gunner

Correct DF, I run the 570's @2160 in my 500 NE, it weighs around 10.75 lbs, and gives ya a purty good little boot, the 505 @11 lbs and a better fitting stock [14.25"LOP] will be cake with the 600's @2150.

Gunner

Thanks guys! I'll let you know how it went assuming I survive! LOL!

Never shot the Gibbs , but a friend had a 505 Barnes, which was the 460Wby case necked UP, and used the 600gr bullets. It weighted 9 1/2 lbs, and had a Fajen stock on it, a design I forget, because I want to remember. It didn't really "kick", just pushed. Would push you clear over onto your back, if you weren't balanced right. This rifle was built on a P17 action. Barrel actually lighter than it needed to be, and probably a better weight would have made the rifle 12 lbs or so..but, didn't jab, just pushed, and pushed, and barrel went up to 90 degrees. If you go to AR, and look for Pappas' write ups on his 600NE DRs, some pictures there of them in full recoil.