I'm the proud new owner of a Ruger 77 magnum rifle chambered for .505 Gibbs. Not set up with dies etc to load yet, but it came with a box of custom reloads, 10 with the Barnes 600 gr solid and 10 with a Hawk 600 gr SP. I am not familiar with Hawk products but I have run across a glitch that I am not familiar with. The soft points would not chamber, so I checked for length against the lands, and I had to set the bullets very deep to get them to chamber. The Barnes solids are fine as they are undersized up to the cannelure but I have never had to adjust bullets as deep as these Hawks. Do .505s normally have chambers this tight? Bullet problem? Individual rifle qwirk? Ideas?
Appreciate any input,
Regards

Kenai Capt,
Welcome to the forum. I really enjoy hearing from the Alaskans, from my home away from home. Other than Kentucky, I have lived up there in God's country more than anywhere else, over five years altogether.

You are really starting at the top in the way of useful bolt action big bores!

I'll bet you got one of the five special run 505 Gibbs from Great Northern Guns in Anchorage. I was admiring one of those up there last year when Paul H and I stopped in to window shop.

I have seen the chamber specs on the 416 Rigby and it has no freebore. The throat consists only of a leade that is 0.300" long.
The Swift 400 grain bullets, when seated to the cannelure, would not chamber in the 416 Rigby I tried them in, due to this within specs chamber. It makes for an accurate gun however. The 400 grain Swift bullet was the only bullet I couldn't seat where I wanted to in the Rigby.

I suspect that the 505 Gibbs has a throat similar to the Rigby. Maybe the Hawk bullets are the only ones with such an ogive that they will not fit your throat when seated out as far as you would expect.

I suspect that the Hawk bullets have a long shank of full caliber like the Swifts.

Of course you have a clean chamber throat and it does not have some dried up lubricant or debris in it, I assume.

I would want to find a bullet that I could crimp in a monstrous kicker DGR like the 505 Gibbs. Hopefully the Hawk is the only one that won't.

Of course a chamber cast to include the throat would help explain everything. Or get the gunsmith to tell you the measurements from the reamer he used to cut that throat. If it was Great Northern Guns that had it built, then they ought to be able to tell you who the smith was.

Nickudu at www.bigbores.com shoots a 505 Gibbs, and he might have already dealt with this issue.

You could have a smith lengthen the throat a bit, but I am sure you would rather not, if it is just a matter of eliminating one bullet from your loads.

Congratulations on a great 505 Gibbs "For Big Game" as we saw engraved on a Ruger 77 Magnum conversion. Now that is an understatement!

I am hitting the road (again!) for a week and may not have access to a computer, so I really will sit back and wait for this puzzle to be solved. Anybody else got any ideas?

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RAB

Kenai Capt - Welcome Aboard!

In the Reloading Section of this site you will find some of my .505 Gibbs data. I think you should use another good soft, rather than futzing with your chamber.
Barnes will draw down their .510" / 570 grain bullets for you upon request. Woodleigh is now offering a 600 grain soft, I understand. I agree with RAB in choosing to forego the use of one bullet in lieu of any chamber alteration.

[This message has been edited by Nickudu (edited 11-04-2001).]

I use Hawks in .474 and .585 caliber and I have been delighted with them. If you are hunting light game, use Hawks with 0.35" jackets and they will do great. Another advantage is the Hawks cost about 1/2 what Woodleighs cost. However, I have gotten better accuracy with Woodleigh and GS.

Thanks to all for the welcome, I have thoroughly enjoyed these forums and this website since I discovered it 2 weeks ago.
Just returned from the first shoot of the rifle, and what a hoot!!! Not as much recoil as I imagined, but certainly enough to keep one from being asleep at the wheel.
RA, it is indeed one of the AK Monarchs Joe at Great Northern Guns had done.I actually bought it from someone who got it from GNG, but GNGs still has 1 left ( #5) on the rack.
I definitely will not adjust the chamber, as the Barnes solids were fine and shot fine, so will just have to find the right match in bullets. Actually the Hawks shot fine as well, they just looked strange as I had to seat them very deep.They did not feed well either so are out for use as DGR ammo.They are long shank full caliber and short ogive as you suspected RA.
Cliff LaBounty did the rebore per GNG, anyone have any data on him?
Thanks to Nick and 500 grains for replies, I'll put the info into my growing file for reloading as soon as the dies get here. Looking forwarding to corresponding with you all on big bores ( I know, I got confused and posted when I was on the wrong site) and African Hunting.