Gentlemen: I have been looking at photos of and reading about two bolt action rifles chambered in 500 Jeffery. One is made by Rigby, their African Express rifle and the other is made by Searcy. These rifles start at around $8,500 to $10,000. Any of you out there have a bolt action rifle chambered in 500 Jeffery? I think I am developing a deep desire to get one of these guns. There is no rational way of justifying such an expenditure, other than simply wanting one of the dame things. Any thoughts on these two rifles and on the 500 Jeffery?

I could justify its use on elephant, although I know that either my .378 Wby or .416 Wby would do the job. On the other hand, it is my duty, in fact it is the duty of all of us, to have such guns built to insure their very existance.

Saeed's .577 Tyrannasourous fall's into the same catagory. The world would be much worse off without Saeed's video clips of brave men shooting that gun.

Anyway, what do you fellows have to say about Searcy and Rigby bolt rifles and the 500 Jeffery?

Robert

The 500 Jeff will make and excellent grizz gun, and it certainly will kill moose too.

You do not need to spend $8-10K on a 500 Jeff, as you could get one from www.bigbores.com in a model 98 version for under $3K.

The brass comes very dear at about $4 per case.

CH4D has dies, and Hawk bullets has cheap bullets.

Don't worry about the recoil. It won't be as bad as being in a car accident.

500grains: Thank you for the information...it won't be as bad as a car accident?! Boy, that's good to know!

Robert

rwj,

I too like the 500 Jeffery! One option I found to a completely custom rifle in .500 was the Bowen Classic Arms conversion of a Ruger M77 (about $1200) to .505 Gibbs. The conversion runs about $1300.

JohnTheGreek

John Ricks is building me one on a P-14 enfield. For $8-10k I'd get a double, no reason in the world you can't have a perfectly functional 500 J assembled for $2-3k. Yes, brass is pricey, but for super stomper power, brass is pricey, end of story.

American Hunting Rifles has their version of the Jeffrey, with a longer neck, and full dia rim, brass is more reasonable at $2.25 a pop, and I believe their guns are just over $2k. I have a buddy who has one, and likes it so far.

There is nothing I'd hunt that I couldn't confidently take with a 416, or 458 of some ilk, but thats not the reason one builds a 500! Mine will be long throated to allow the use of mil surp 50 bmg projectiles, and most of my loads will be 450 gr cast projectiles @ 1700-2000 fps.

For those craving a Class IV DGR, the .500 Jeffery is far superior to either the .378 or the .416 Wbys. It throws a greater weight of bullet with much greater frontal area and does so at a reasonable velocity. While the energy of the recoil may be as great as that of the newer cartridges, the recoil velocity is quite a bit slower and therefore more manageable. While it would require a person of rather more personal wealth than I both to own and to feed one, I must commend your acceptance of the duty to keep this find old thunderer in production.

Sarge

Gentlemen: I went over and looked at the Bigbores.com page and they have several different actions available for the 500 Jeffery and the 505 Gibbs...they listed four different actions for their rifles in these chamberings (at a cost between about 3k and 7k). So what are the basic differences between a Mauser action (rifle $3,053), BRNO action ($3,200), Selous action ($4,867), and German Magnum Mauser action ($7,266). I am looking forward to reading what you guys have to say about this.

Robert

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paul,
I need John Ricks e-mail number if you please.

Alf,
That is a real nice gun, You got to quite doing this to me, I covet your gun cabinet...

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

ALF, your rifle is absoluting beautiful!

Robert

Alf if you don't mind disclosing it, who built that rifle particularly the stock work? What type of wood was used?

Thanks,
Mike

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Victory through superior firepower!

I built a .500 Jeff on a Mauser98 - 1909 action with a Lothar Walther barrel. Rebarreling is as cheap and easy as with any other caliber. The problem is the magazine and feeding. You can convert and open the original magazine for two or three rounds and open the rails for feeding. Because the original Mauser zig-zag layer in the magazine doesn�t work with respect to hold the upper round in position, you need one of the following measures for proper feeding:
-clips �la Westley-Richards holding the upper round down in the magazine,
-a spring for pressing the round sideways under the rail, normally provided by the next, underlying round, (Original Schueler design),
-opening the rails only partwise, at the back still too narrow for popping out the cartridge,
-or a totally new detachable magazine.

The latter measures are the only one which will ask for some additional money compared to another conversion of a Mauser.

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Alf,

My 500 AHR doesn't have anywhere near the rail work that Norbert suggests is required either. It also feeds like a dream. It isn't a M98 however it is a CZ550. I would assume that that your stock is Turkish (at least it looks that why). Overall, looks like a very nice field grade rifle.

Todd E

Alf thanks for the info and the other pics! I am amazed at the quality of work and what seems to be low cost involved with these beutiful specimens!

They are both what I consider ideal. Not flashy and shiny, but not boringly plain either. Very nice indeed. I may have to look toward South Africa when the time comes for my first true custom.

Mike

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Victory through superior firepower!

As a thought, the most improtant factor in building a 500 whatever, is picking the right piece of wood...This is no place for Marble Cake, won't cut it....Below 458, one can have color in the butt portion, but no slab sawn wood...Thats where the Marble Cake that is so popular comes from..I call it clown wood

I have two pieces of Turkish for my next big bore projects, I kept these two out of about 1000 blanks that I sold in the last 5 years or so...These and a couple more more were the only ones that I would use...

Stock MUST be quarter sawn with stright lines ( color oK ) running from toe to grip and through the grip, stright or slightly up ward to the forend....Must be cured and properly dried (time dried) and climatized..half turned and dried another 3 months to check for movement...Must be dense and nearly free of pores.

The two I have are hard as woodpecker lips and are near poreless..I believe you could lick them and put a finish on them...They will never, ever move when finished..The are as stable as plastic.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com