I am curious why the 470 Capstick enjoys such a limited following yet the 458 Lott seems to be thriving. I realize the Lott uses less expensive bullets but the Capstick seems like a very practical bigger hammer that is easily built.

two reasons, factory ammo, factory guns

Red

What he said. Also, better and longer endorsements and practical application.

Plus larger selection of 458 caliber bullets.

Both use 500 grainers; so energy striking target
should be the same 25 yards and closer; where they
ought to be used. Remember these 470s, 483s, 489s,
etc. were all diameters brought out when the 450's
got outlawed by the Brits a hundred years ago; so
they are just after thoughts till you talk about
the .510" diameter bullets. Now if you took a Cap-
stick to 535 or more grains maybe it would draw
more interest.

I built a 470 capstick on the 3 inch basic case with a Rem mod. 720 action..It was an awesome buffalo gun and an elephant killer for sure..I can't think of a better hammer. Those buff just shake like dog pooping a peach seed when that big bullet hits them..Its better than the 458 IMO but I am a big believer in bullet cross section and it doesn't take much to make a difference in stopping power, but that cross section/knockdown is argueable to some, so make up your own minds on that one..I did many years ago....

The downside IMO is recoil, I do not enjoy shooting calibers larger than a 404 or 416 Rem.

Mr. Atkinson, have you ever had a Big Bore rifle with a Mag Na Port proceedure done to the gun?

I myself was thinking of doing so with my rifle barrel, so as to ease the recoil and still keep the nice looks of the barrel, instead of a can for a muzzle brake on the end.

Blue Dog,
Yes I have had a magnaport or one of the other recoil brakes on several guns including a 460 wby and a 505 Gibbs IMP..

The fact is IMO, and recoil is subjective to each of us, is that the reducers do not work well on the real big bores..

Brakes however, are great on the calibers up to and including the 416 Rem and its ilk..Noise is a problem with some, but I'm already deaf from shooting big bores over the years without breaks so I have built in hearing protection, ask any who has engaged in conversation with me, they get a lot of "whats". All big bores are loud, all big bores will definatly effect your hearing without protection..

I refuse to wear hearing protection while hunting dangerous game, because you almost always hear them before you see them. I prefer hearing damage to instant gory death! The worst is when someone else cracks one off beside you, but its OK when the animal is coming to do you harm..

All I can say is take your pick, some folks swear by them and other hate them. I handle it by shooting the 40 calibers and don't use brakes. Its a trade off anyway you cut it.

Blue Dog,
I forgot to add the most important function of a brake on the big bores IMO.

That being install brakes so they screw off and on and also have a thread protector that screws off and on and appears to be just part of the barrel. You will always be using ear protection at the range.

The ones I have used screwed in under the barrel band front sight as did the protector and looked like the muzzle..

Use the brake when sighting in, working up loads, and practicing if you like..it makes life much more enjoyable. Then when you hunt don't use the brake..In fact over time you will use the brake less and less until you quit using it as it will no longer be needed, a good way to learn to handle recoil.

BTW, contrary to popular belief, none of my guns changed impact with or without the brake..

I have, however, seen some guns that do, but I have seen guns that change with quick detachable scopes and others that don't, and many other such contrary problems occur in world of gundome...You just have to test every little thing before you trod off to the four corners of the earth...

The bottom line is the brake is a viable tool when one approaches the subject with an open mind.

Thank you ever so much Ray for your your information. They often say, "you can not teach an old dog new tricks" Most old dogs I know, already know all those tricks"