When things go bad

Rusty
We Band of Brothers!
DRSS, NRA & SCI Life Member
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11 July 2017, 18:19

Woodmnctry

Dang!!! --- I would like to hear the rest of the story.

11 July 2017, 18:25

MJines

Some discussion of the same clip.

12 July 2017, 11:20

Barry Groulx

All actions jam!

12 July 2017, 17:48

MacD37

quote:
Originally posted by Barry Groulx:
All actions jam!

The above is absolutely true! However that was not a "JAM" but a high pressure load that made the action almost impossible to open, shown clearly in the film!
With a High pressure round, it makes no difference what type of action it is in, it locks the action closed. Sometimes it takes a hammer to get the bolt handle to be lifted and it happens often with high power loads in very hot climates.
It is clear to me this was an ammo problem, nothing more! However it is good the that the shot put the lion off the PH!

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12 July 2017, 23:32

376 steyr

Yes, not a jam but a severe high pressure problem. Possibly from bad hand loading. That ph was very lucky to survive as the lion could very easily have bitten him in the neck instead of the shoulder. Biting hard like it did and shaking would surely have been quickly fatal. Was this a captive bred animal?

13 July 2017, 00:21

brair

I'm just curious what should the PH do with the rifle that let him down in a time of great need.Check it with all factory ammo and verify that it was an out of spec ammunition problem that caused the malfunction?Have a trusted gunsmith check everything over carefully and only trust it if he declares it sound?Replace the current rifle and do exhaustive testing of the new one with different cartridges,especially verifying that it functions at the highest ambient temperatures that could be encountered?

I am paraphrasing but I believe it was Ross Seyfried who said 'A dangerous game rifle HAS to go bang every time the trigger is pulled.Anything less is unacceptable!'

13 July 2017, 00:51

MacD37

quote:
Originally posted by brair:
I'm just curious what should the PH do with the rifle that let him down in a time of great need.Check it with all factory ammo and verify that it was an out of spec ammunition problem that caused the malfunction?Have a trusted gunsmith check everything over carefully and only trust it if he declares it sound?Replace the current rifle and do exhaustive testing of the new one with different cartridges,especially verifying that it functions at the highest ambient temperatures that could be encountered?

I am paraphrasing but I believe it was Ross Seyfried who said 'A dangerous game rifle HAS to go bang every time the trigger is pulled.Anything less is unacceptable!'

The first thing he needs to do is have a qualified gun smith check the rifle out to make sure the hot load didn't do any damage to the rifle. Secondly, as you suggest, he should try a few brands of factory ammo in the rifle and check the fired brass to make sure the chamber was not bulged.

The rifle is a Ruger express rifle and if no damage was done it should be fine. These rifles are well made and strong, but like any other rifle it has its limits. If the load was a hand load that caused this "LOCK-UP" he needs to check his loading very carefully in future. I may be wrong, but that round may have been a prior client's left over hand-load, if so he needs to pull the bullets from the rest of the ammo if he has any and re-weigh the powder charge, and try to identify the powder, but that powder should be placed outside a burned, then use the bullets, and brass to load some good ammo with the correct powder charge and powder type!

This could possibly have let the lion kill the other PH, and destroyed the rifle and injured it's owner at the same time!

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13 July 2017, 01:44

JCS271

quote:
Originally posted by MacD37:
The rifle is a Ruger express rifle

I think it was actually a Ruger Alaskan model. Twenty inch stainless barrel, rubber Hogue stock. No longer made, was chambered in .375R and .416R. Great rifle!

13 July 2017, 01:58

Heym 450/400

If I made a list of rifles/ammo to hunt DG with, Ruger and Hornady would be a right below a poachers gaspipe muzzleloader loaded with rocks.

There...now it's stirred!

13 July 2017, 02:12

JCS271

quote:
Originally posted by Heym 450/400:
If I made a list of rifles/ammo to hunt DG with, Ruger and Hornady would be a right below a poachers gaspipe muzzleloader loaded with rocks.

There...now it's stirred!

I think you may have spent to much time in the sun. Just close your eyes, take a deep breath and step away from the keyboard.

13 July 2017, 04:35

MacD37

quote:
Originally posted by JCS271:
quote:
Originally posted by MacD37:
The rifle is a Ruger express rifle

I think it was actually a Ruger Alaskan model. Twenty inch stainless barrel, rubber Hogue stock. No longer made, was chambered in .375R and .416R. Great rifle!

Correction! Thanks

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13 July 2017, 04:44

MacD37

quote:
Originally posted by MacD37:
quote:
Originally posted by Heym 450/400:
If I made a list of rifles/ammo to hunt DG with, Ruger and Hornady would be a right below a poachers gaspipe muzzleloader loaded with rocks.

There...now it's stirred!

You do have a sense of humor that is a fact!

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20 July 2017, 03:39

376 steyr

I once had a custom rifle maker tell me that he sometimes encountered sticky bolt lifts with Hornady ammo. He thinks they load their ammo a bit hot.

20 July 2017, 04:43

jorge

quote:
If I made a list of rifles/ammo to hunt DG with, Ruger and Hornady would be a right below a poachers gaspipe muzzleloader loaded with rocks.

And A remington 700

20 July 2017, 05:01

Heym 450/400

quote:
Originally posted by jorge:
quote:
If I made a list of rifles/ammo to hunt DG with, Ruger and Hornady would be a right below a poachers gaspipe muzzleloader loaded with rocks.

And A remington 700

One of the best DG rifles I own is a Remington KS Safari 416 Rem Mag...I believe the 700 is far superior to most Mauser's and it's clones. How did that "massive claw extractor" do pulling out that round on the video clip? Ruger should stick to wheel guns...and don't get me started on Kimber/Winchester.