Yesterday we took the new 500 out for a test run. After working up some backbone I fired it. It was not as bad with recoil as I thought, we fired about 40 rounds through it, even shooting off a bench rest. (that was not fun but still ok. The rifle after sighting in will shoot(outside of bullet holes) just under an inch, holes touching. I would like to thank everyone for the help and advice. This is going to be one fun gun....Dan P.

Congratulations on your new rifle. Remember that with reduced loads it can do anything you want it to do, that is what is so cool about large-bore rifles, they are so flexible.

A well designed stock on a bolt action can take almost all of the pain out of heavy recoil, so you must have a good stock.

Overall, I think that the recoil of the big bores is exaggerated in guns that are 11 pounds and heavier. However, I have no doubt that the light ones are terrors.

I shot my 500 jeffe at 9.5 .... and full house loads.... katy bar the door.

try 535 grains of lead GCs with a good dose of rl 15 or surplus powders...

jeffe