Hello All,

Well, after playing around with a dozen Double Rifles, and near as many Big-Bore Bolt Rifles, I finally stepped up - into the World of the 600 Nitro Express.

A Verney Carron Custom Shop XA Azur, with lots of Whistles and Bells. If you're going to go for it - you might as well get what you want.

And ........... it finally arrived.

After getting it home, I sat under the reading light with my magnifying glass, and just looked at for an hour. Every time I turned it, I saw some detail that I had missed.

I tried to show all the special features, but the photos don't do it justice - you've got to actually hold it to appreciate the beauty.

I haven't been this excited about a new gun, for nearly 40 years.


To best describe my excitement . . . . . . . . . . its like they say in the commercials, "... If it lasts for more than 4 hours, seek medical attention ..."


Tell me what you think.

Please post this under double rifles, too.
I've said for years that if I was going to buy a new double it would be a VC.
Congratulations on a fine choice of a double rifle. Personally I think you should join us in May for a double rifle shoot in Alaska.
I've taken my .600 Wilkes on four over seas hunts, including plains game along with buffalo, water buffalo, hippo, and a moose here in Alaska (outside of Galena) and the .600 is a great all around cartridge within the range limitations.
Again, congratulations on your magnificent double rifle.
Cal

My word, that is a beautiful rifle!

I'm not into DRs, but that must be up there.

Congratulations. You have great taste.

Remember, to be on the safe side, you shouldn't sleep with your rifle in bed with you.

Hello Cal,

Thanks for the reply.

It was reading your book on the 600 NE, that made me do it.

Thank you for writing it.

Very nice looking rifle.

Very nice, I like the rhino, it is quite photo like. Excuse my ignorance but where is the front stud for a sling or is it designed to use a sling that wraps around the barrels and then attaches to the rear sling eye?

Without a front stud there is nothing to attach a bipod to

Congratulations on your new double.

I had VC build me a very similar 600 myself a couple of years ago.
I went with 26" tubes.
Mine came in at just on 14lb. It will certainly get your attention when you shoot it!!!!!
A word of caution, shoot back trigger first until you get use to the recoil, so you don't double discharge.

Hold onto it real tight as well. You will enjoy.

I've shot a bull ele and tuskless cow with mine.

Hopefully you will take it to Africa too.

cheers

Nick

Beautiful rifle. Congrats on the new acquisition; I'm sure it was worth the wait.

just gorgeous!!!

Gorgeous rifle, just too much caliber for me.

Simply mahvelous.
Excellent test target.
Time between shots 5 seconds?
Can you duplicate that load from Kynoch with your handload?
If you get tired of it, I will take it off your hands, no questions asked.
Yes, that rhino is amazing.

Hello All,

Thanks for all your replies,

quote:

Simply mahvelous.
Excellent test target.
Time between shots 5 seconds?
Can you duplicate that load from Kynoch with your handload?

Hello RIP,

Thanks for the reply.

I fired this target in 3 pairs of shots, 6 shots total. Time between R1 and L1 was about 20 to 30 seconds. That's how long it takes me to look through the spotting scope to see the location of R1, record that location on my note card, then pick-up my 6x binoculars to see the chrograph reading, record the reading, and then pick-up the rifle and take careful aim, and fire L1. I would then record L1 in the same way.

By the time I finished recording L1, and reloading for the next pair, about 2 to 3 minutes would pass. All in all it takes me about 7 minutes to fire and record 6 shots. I then put the rifle in front of a fan to cool, while I walk down range to photograph and measure the group. When the rifle has cooled, I repeat the same procedure for the next load.

I actually tested 3 loads on this initial trip to the range. The other 2 groups were 3-7/8" and 4" for 6 shots each using

Once I'm happy with a load, I'll fire in pairs of about 5 seconds between shots and record only the individual velocities from the chronograph's memory.

Past experience has shown that my groups will improve somewhat when fired in pairs with about 5 seconds between shots. I think much of the improvement is due to the fact that I don't put the rifle down between shots like I do when I'm recording a load during developement.

As far as duplicating factory Kynoch ballistics, I'm sure I can, but I'm not ready to go FULL HOUSE yet. I want to get a feel for the gun first.

NOTE: I DISCOVERED AN ERROR IN THE TARGET I POSTED ON DOUBLE RIFLES, AND I CORRECTED IT. THE TARGET WAS SHOT WITH 900g CAST BULLETS, NOT 900g WOODLEIGH'S.

That is the best looking new DR I have see pictures of (except for the H&H & Purdey doubles)

I just love the way the old fashioned scroll work is done - it looks 3D in those photos. I love the minor details in the fore end fittings that seem to be engrave to scale - smaller scrolls for the smaller metal pieces.

Congratulations on a grand and wonderful piece of art!

Buckstics. Absolutely gorgeous! The rhino is perfect. I love my .577 VC with a buffalo but the quality of you rhino is outstanding. Just was in London and popped in to H&H and they had a bespoke .577 for final stock fitting available. £175k but I d say yours in looks is equivalent. Their 50yds group was about 1.5 " group for four shot by Steve Cranston... I presume off a front hand rest on a bench as shown in there magazine photos.

Happy hunting with a beaut!

Lovely .... Enjoy

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
Very nice, I like the rhino, it is quite photo like.

Hello eagle27.

Thanks for the reply.

Its interesting you mention photo like. I actually thought it might me some kind of photo-etch process, but its not. Its an actual engraving. I'm sure the engraver also works for the French Mint
to engrave the printing plates used for printing paper money. What remarkable detail!

And, as I said earlier, I spend a lot of time looking with a magifying glass and discovering new things about my rifle that I hadn't seen before.

Well, here's one. The close-up of the Rhino looks very good, but when you look through a magnifying glass you can see where the engraver signed his artwork. Straight right of the Rhino's horn,
just off the edge of the engraving, he engraved his name.

That rhino engraving looks like a picture from a distance - amazing work!

buckstix,

Wow again on the engraving.
Artist name "Gontol" or "Gantel" or what permutation of spelling am I seeing sideways there?

I understand what you are doing with the "noregulating" loads, music lessons, but that baby won't sing until you get to the "regulating" loads.

The factory test target is a new thing for me as I have never seen a double rifle target with only 2 shots plus the time interval between shots specified, 5 seconds,
seems to me,
but my French was only one year, eighth grade, after that I switched to Latin for 9th and 10th grade, then college Russian.

As you were.

Barrel heating with a right and a left 900-grainer 5 seconds apart ala Kynoch (that's French lingo I think) must make the baby sing exquisitely.

I am sure R2 and L2 would be fine too, but I might settle for just R1 and L1 five seconds apart and call it good, if I had to do the shooting.

Thanks buckstix, it surely is a very nice double and another feature I really like is the rolled edges to the trigger guard, something I have not seen before (in photos). Although I imparted a little humor to my question, I am interested to know why there is a rear sling stud installed but seemingly nothing up front for a sling attachment. I have seen videos of the odd PH carrying a double with a sling so presume it is not all that uncommon.
Birdhunters often use slings on their SxS shotguns with the sling attached up front by a loop around the barrels in front of the forearm.

Is this the intention for your VC if you wished to sling carry?

Hello eagle27,

Thanks for the reply.

I thought you were joking.

Ah ha it was there all the time

You can be justifiably proud of that gun, the case is an exquisite work of art on its own, best wishes for a great future with that beauty.

Hello eagle27,

Thanks for your reply.

I was surprised to find that this rifle also came with a set of "imported" quick detachable sling swivels.

.......... Uncle Mike's.

Imported if you live in France.

quote:

the .600 is a great all around cartridge within the range limitations.Again, congratulations on your magnificent double rifle.

Dam would make a great PD gun with in its range limitations.

First time I heard that a 600 14 plus pound rifle as great all around gun.

Looks a heck of a rifle

Hello p dog shooter.

Thanks for the reply.

I agree, and I just might try it. I shot a few with my 460 wby mag once. It was awesome.

quote:

Originally posted by buckstix:
Hello p dog shooter.

Thanks for the reply.

I agree, and I just might try it. I shot a few with my 460 wby mag once. It was awesome.

I shot a couple with my 416T just because I could a 300gr at over 2600fps barely has enough power for those big MT PDs the 600 would be just about right.

Well done. Stunning gun!!!

Hello dogcat.

Thank you for the reply.

As I pointed out on the other post, one of the features that I really like about my rifle is the Palm Swell on the grip of the stock.

This feature helps in reducing recoil. The Palm Swell fills your hand when you firmly grip the rifle, and actually pushes your hand during recoil. This adds the weight of your hand, your wrist, your forearm, and even part of your upper arm, to the weight of the rifle during recoil. And as we know, added weight reduces recoil.

quote:

Originally posted by buckstix:
Hello eagle27,

Thanks for your reply.

I was surprised to find that this rifle also came with a set of "imported" quick detachable sling swivels.

.......... Uncle Mike's.

Imported if you live in France.

They are the best fittings. German made Rechnagels

quote:

Originally posted by cal pappas:
I've said for years that if I was going to buy a new double it would be a VC. ..... Again, congratulations on your magnificent double rifle.
Cal

When you buy a book from Cal Pappas, be careful what he writes in it. ..... His prediction might come true ..... and lead to the purchase of a new rifle.

Yep, love the palm swell grip, just like an old Sako or a CZ Kevlar stock by B&C. Suits me fine!

Do not send the 600 NE back to VC to have the White Rhino changed to a Black Rhino.
The wide-lipped one is bigger and more handsome than the pointy-lipped little beast.
Big and handsome, just like your 600 NE.

Hello RIP,

Thanks for the reply.

I didn't understand how a few people instantly identified my engraved Rhino as a "White" Rhino, instead of a "Black" Rhino.

I had to go to Wikipedia ro find out. Now that I know the difference, its obvious.

The White Rhinoceros or Square-lipped rhinoceros is one of the five species of rhinoceros that still exist. It has a wide mouth used for grazing and is the most social of all rhino species.

Mass: 5,100 lbs (Male)
Lifespan: 40 – 50 years
Height: 5.6 – 6.1 ft. (Male, At Shoulder)

The Black Rhinoceros or Hook-lipped Rhinoceros, is a species of rhinoceros, native to the eastern and central areas of Africa including Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Angola.

Mass: 1,800 – 3,100 lbs (Adult)
Lifespan: 35 – 50 years
Height: 4.3 – 5.9 ft. (Adult, At Shoulder)

And yes, the White Rhino is just like my 600 NE. "Big", "Heavyweight", and "Social".

Hello All,

Here is an update for those that would like some loading data for the 600 NE.

Since I had not yet fired my 600 NE with full-house Factory loads, I went to the range this morning to find out what it would do.

Holy Crap! ! ! ... The recoil surprized me! ! !

I typically shoot my double rifles on our 50-yard range from a standing position using a special bench I put together that has padded arm rests. In this case I shot on our 25 yard range with a make-shift set-up. I think that accounts for the slight shift to the "left" on the targets.

My VC barrels are 7/8" apart at the muzzle, so it looks like there is slight convergence at 25 yards, but I'm very much satisfied with the results - regulation being "right-on" at this range.

My reduced handload, which were very pleasant to shoot, resulted in nearly identical grouping at this range.

Simply beautiful!!!

So, with factory loads, at 100 yards, both barrels will shoot into one hole on the target.
I could live with that.

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
So, with factory loads, at 100 yards, both barrels will shoot into one hole on the target.
I could live with that.

Hello RIP,

Thanks for the reply.

Don't I wish?

My old eyes can't see well enough to aim at 100 yds with iron sights.

lovley bit of kit mate, well done

Hello All,

Here is another update for those that would like some "reduced" loading data for the 600 NE.

Up until now I've not tried any of my reduced loads at 100 yds.

Well, today I did. I'm pretty happy with the results. I'm ready for Wisconsin hunting.

Unfortunately I only have about 50 of these "early" Barnes bullets left. The 900g Woodleighs haven't done as well - yet.

I'll be continuing to test them hoping to find what load they like. My 900g cast bullets grouped 5-3/8" at 100 yds, also quite acceptable.