What are the ideal rifle weights for these calibers?

500NE
600NE
700NE

This is all dependant on the maker.

500NE- 11.5-12.5#

600NE- 14.5-15.5#

700NE- 17.5# and up

A sporting rifle should weigh no more than 11 pounds: carry it all day and whip it about like a baton.

That means the only functional gun listed is the .500 NE. The other two are "stunt rifles."

A 10.5 to 11 pound .500 NE would seem ideal, IMHO.

However, where men would be men and walk the walk with Mark Sullivan
they might carry one of MS's doubles for him, serving as gunbearer. MS's doubles weigh thusly:

450/400 NE ... 9 pounds
450 No. 2 NE ... 9.75 lbs.
500 NE ... 11 lbs.
577 NE ... 11.5 lbs.
600 NE ... 13.5 lbs.
700 NE ... 16.5 lbs.

opinions aside,

500 ne generally 11-12#
577 13.5 - 15
600 ne 16-19
700 ne 16-21

weights from Searcy's sight
500 11 to 11.5 for the PH


an 11.5# 577 ne would KILL most persons. having shot one at 13# and then again at nearly 15, the weight is your friend.

I kinda get a chuckle out of the expression " you carry them more than you shoot them" ... with the counter expression being... "the ONE shot you take will define the hunt, and if you are being beaten to death under recoil, you will not shoot as well as if the gun weighed another 2#"



jeffe

.500 NE - 11 to 11.5 pounds
.600 NE - 13 to 16 pounds, but brutal both to carry and to shoot
.700 NE - 18 to 20 pounds, but the ideal situation is to neither own nor shoot one of these injurious monsters.

Another way to view this issue is in terms of price per pound. The following price ranges are for entry level through high end.

500 NE - $900 to $7,500 per pound
600 NE - $1800 to $10,000 per pound
700 NE - $2500 to $12,500 per pound

500 N.E.-----40 lbs.
600 N.E.-----65 lbs.
700 N.E.-----150 lbs.

Thats my call and I'm sticking to it...If I ever get the opertunity to shoot any of them again and at my above perscribed weight I request the option to increase those weights up to double the amount listed...

Ray,

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
opinions aside ...
... an 11.5# 577 ne would KILL most persons.
jeffe

Come on Jeffe! MS is just an ordinary man (where men who would be men are concerned) and he shoots a .577 NE that weighs 11.5 pounds. That's what it says in DEATH AND DOUBLE RIFLES.

The pictures of his double rifle collection made the book worthwhile.

I shoot 750 grainers at 2100 fps in my 10.75 pound .500A2/.510 JAB. Without a muzzle brake, it ain't that bad. That is about like .577 NE bullet mass and velocity, is it not?

Maybe I will settle for a compromise on an 11.5 pound .577 NE double? A tad heavy, but packs enough punch to make the sacrifice worthwhile.

Rip,
you KNOW a bolt gun kicks less than a double... at least feels less.. I can shoot the nyati easy, and the 577 about 14.5 is my MAX...

heh, even the 550 express is fine at 11, which matches the 577 in every way, except 10 sheets of paper of bullet diameter.

jeffe

I had a 577 that weighed in at around 14 lbs, and it was hell to carry all day in the heat, but fireing it was not a pleasent activity. It now is, happily in someone else's colection! It did kill like tha hammer of Thor, however!

IMO, the largest practicle chambered rifle, be it bolt, singleshot, or double is the old stand-by 500NE, or it's equivalent. As I've always said, the 600NE,and 700NE doubles are simply show-off toys, and as useless as tits on a boar hog, in the hunting field.

Jeffe,
You got a point there. The double rifles do wiggle their butts more in recoil.

I still want a .577 NE made by Mr. Searcy and weighing 11.5 pounds.
And I shall dream on ...

I'm with Ray on the weight, I shot that beast of Jeffe's and it drop kicked me and I've skinned 5 bears and fought some pretty good men............I'll stick with the 416's and 404, thats about my limit.

My William Evans weighs 12 1/2 lbs and is not bad at all!--the farquharson at 10 lbs will get you if not held right--both 500 nitro.

quote:

I still want a .577 NE made by Mr. Searcy and weighing 11.5 pounds.
And I shall dream on ...

The .577 Butch is building for my pop will be in the 14 to 14.5 lbs class. The 25 inch barrels, Butch said, will help give that howitzer a nice balance.

My 577 Thys weighed 10.5 pounds. Recoil similar to a 600 NE at about 105 ft/lbs. I added 3 pounds and now it is not at all hard to handle but it is a load to carry. I have been considering taking out the weight as it definitely effects the balance which was on the hinge pin.

My 577 2 3/4 Hollis weighs 11 pounds and shoots a 750 grain bullet at 1900. Recoil is much less, more in the line of a 500 NE and not bad at all.

I think a lot of people talk themselves into fearing a big gun. The old Gunwriter Syndrome of "the 375 is a real killer and it takes a man, like me, to shoot it." I have even seen people claim the 348 Winchester would break your shoulder.

Yeah, but I wonder where some of you guys that like that kind of recoil spend Sat. night?

I suspect in some kinky house of ill repute getting the shit whipped out of you while you are chained to the wall naked and Salley Joe and her friends in high heels thrash away!!

Ray,
Sounds like you've spent a lot of time thinking through that particular scenario.


As to the topic at hand, I'm with Gringo, nothing bigger than a 416 for me. Unless someone comes calling with a high-paying job offer as a PH. Then I'll get a Lott.

Ray,
are you trying to give a good workout a bad name again? heh

It's like working out.. sure, 150# seems like a big deal from benching 50... but when you hit 300, 150 was just a childhood memory.

Come on forrest, you can take a ride on the 550 express roller coaster!!!


jeffe

im the only 1 here that has a 700 nitro double rifle and i love mine iv hunted with it in africa and took a beautiful bull elephant with it as far as it being heavy.... yes it is but thats why you should be in shape. if you cant hadle the rifle get something smaller

i love my 700 it shure is enough gun.

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
However, where men would be men and walk the walk with Mark Sullivan
they might carry one of MS's doubles for him, serving as gunbearer. MS's doubles weigh thusly:

450/400 NE ... 9 pounds
450 No. 2 NE ... 9.75 lbs.
500 NE ... 11 lbs.
577 NE ... 11.5 lbs.
600 NE ... 13.5 lbs.
700 NE ... 16.5 lbs.

Rip,
Been thinking about this, and trying to frame sullivan's rifle weight with my experience pulling the trigger...

500 NE at 11#, sure enough,
557 at 11.5 ... 133# of recoil,750 at 2050shot one at 12#... with full house loads... hmmm, you know, the data given "around the world" was barely 1900fps at max loads... starting loads more like 1750... Okay, let's leave that for a second.

600 ne at 13.5 ...139# recoil, 900 at 1950fps this is the weight class of the 577 nitro. BUT, considering that most 577's were far underloaded until 3 years ago, at this point, I would challenge what speed MS has his guns regulated to.

700 ne at 16.5 138# 1000 at 1950... same as above.

What confounds me is that if he can carry a 16.5# 700 all day, why he wouldn't carry a 16.5# 577 with a "Gentle" 91# of recoil?

You see, if the concensus is that a lighter right is easier to carry, and MS is the toughest PH there is, and he DOES tote around a 16.5# rifle, then why would he waste time with anything but the heavest gun he could carry all day, and take LESS recoil for a quicker second shot.

See, it doesn't matter if you are superman (or, in my case, supperman) less recoil means a quicker second shot.


Then again, MS aint a mere mortal, and one should add 2# to his gun weights, from the 577 and up

jeffe

Jeff,

He doesn't carry a 700 NE all day. He said he hunted with it one season and that was it.