To All, and BMG in particular:

During the last six months I have been on the road, working, and punctuating that with a two week Botswana safari. I am back home in Kentucky.

I have the drawing from Dave Manson of the reamer he made for me, for the 510 JAB. I also have the rifle that Kevin Jenkins chambered with that reamer back in my hands.

I find that my chamber reamer is identical to the 500 A-Square (500 A2) except for the shoulder angle and the throat.

510 JAB: 30 degree shoulder and throat is only 0.300 freebore plus the leade tapering off from this of 1 degree and 30 minutes (Throat angle): Dave Manson Reamer (Loon Lake Precision)

500 A2: 35 degree shoulder and 0.400 freebore with 1 degree throat angle: Clymer Reamer

This means that the standard 500 A-Square chamber is all you need to fire any 510 bullet there is.

When I started this project I started with the standard 500 A2 reamer and some 460 Weatherby brass with 750 grain A-Max bullets seated to 4.756" OAL.

I had Kevin chamber the 500 A2 in the Ruger No.1 and then use a separate throating reamer to extend the throat until the A-Max loads would seat freely. It seemed to take an extra .188" of freebore to do that.

I can now surmise that the dummies I gave Kevin from my first crude attempts were not concentric, and the runout caused the need for the longer throat.

Thus I ended up with the "shop mule" with 0.588" freebore on a 500 A2 chamber, and my second rifle had the 0.300 freebore as described above.

The second chamber was cut to target specs for the 700 grain "blacktip" AP milsurp bullet. I have now tried the A-Max loads of 4.756" OAL in this chamber. They seat just touching the lands enough to mark the bullet, but no significant pressure is exerted, and the retracted load has not changed in length when unloaded and remeasured.

I think I have the optimum chamber from my 510 JAB reamer with 0.300" freebore and 1.5 degree throat angle. I also trust the precision reamer work done by Dave Manson, and Kevin has the oil pumping setup for his chamber reaming, good for concentricity tolerances measured in millionths of an inch instead of ten thousandths.

I have been posting from the road, but now I am home. These are the facts. If I mislead anyone on the throat dimensions before, I apologize.

The bottom line is that the standard 500 A2 chamber will do the job, but I prefer my precision chamber by Kevin Jenkins using the Dave Manson reamer.

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Good huntin', shootin', and spear chuckin',
RAB

Ron,

I'm replying on your comment in the other thread about your suggestion of me going with a 510 PH, yeah nice ring. I suppose if I didn't already have 500 Jeffrey brass, and my smith hadn't already planned on getting a 500 Jeffrey reamer, the 510/460 would make more sense. Anyhow, I figure I can buy the $2.25/case 500 AHR, trim em back, and rebate the rim on the lathe for cheaper brass.

I do kinda have a cartridge of my design in the works, that I was thinking I'd call the 454 HRH, or Howell, Ricks and Hail. I have Ken Howells original 416 Howell reamer, and since it has a floating pilot, John can put a 45 pilot in it, cut the body, then go back with a 45 throater reamer, and walla, something that is for all intents and purposes a 450 G&A, but I can be vain, and have the barrel stamped with somethind different.

Still waiting on both guns, hopefully John will catch up on those last minute, need it for the deer season guns, and get back to the important stuff, dinosaur guns!

So any chance you'll be headed back up this way on work? We need to hook up at a time the range is open.

PS, did you follow Fritz' links to the German boar speers?

[This message has been edited by Paul H (edited 10-04-2001).]

454 HRH has a ring to it too. His Royal Highness... or Howell-Ricks-Hail. I really don't like that 454 part though, makes me think it is a handgun. Go with 450 or 458 or 460.

I will be staying in Kentucky for a few months. I will be looking into Alaska assignments after that. I will certainly give you a call when I get a chance.

Deer season is coming up here soon. I have to go practice with my spears, so I will be making myself scarce for a while.

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Good huntin', shootin', and spear chuckin',
RAB

A big thanks for all the information. One quick question though, I will still be able to use 500 A-Square dies correct? The 30% vs 35% shoulder isn't a major issue is it? Thanks again.

Keep us posted, I am anxious to see how well the 510 JAB performs with a Ruger #1 action. I have been contemplating building up a 510/460 and just selling my .50 BMG, I want something more portable than a 35 pound rifle. I have been thinking of using a Ruger #1, a Weatherby, or an Ed Brown action.

Jesse

Ron,

Typo on my part, should have read 458 HRH.

BMG,
I use standard RCBS 500 A2 dies with the seater plug replaced by the spitzer seating plug from a surplus set of 300 H&H or 30-06 dies, any 30 spitzer plug of the same brand as the dies for the 500 A2. This works well with the A-Max tip. I just switch back to the blunt seater plug for blunt bullets. Once you get the brass fire formed, the runout problems are out the window.

I cannot tell any problems with the 30 degree versus 35 degree shoulder. The shoulder is so infinitesimal that it is a nominal measure of no significant difference. You can necksize only and stay off the shoulder if you care to. It will shoot 1/2 MOA at 300 yards with the A-Max.

Mcbain:
It works great. You can put a 28" barrel on a Ruger No. 1 and gain some velocity but have a rifle no longer over all than a 24" barreled boltgun. I will have to get back with some load data later.

PH,
Understood. Thanks for the jokes by email. You ought to put those in the humor section, every one of them!

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Good huntin', shootin', and spear chuckin',
RAB

[This message has been edited by R. A. Berry (edited 10-04-2001).]

RAB,

What are the specifics on the Ruger #1? (stock, barrel maker and contour, scope mounts, muzzle brake) Also if you don't mind me asking, what has the price of the project come to? Have you had a chance to shoot for accuracy past 300 yards?

Thanks,

Jesse

[This message has been edited by Mcbain (edited 10-05-2001).]

Mcbain,
The barrel is a McGowen stainless that has six inches of straight shank beyond the threads. A steel picatinny rail made by the gunsmith is mounted on this portion of the barrel, with 4 of the 8X40 screws and JB Weld. The finish on the barrel is matte stainless, bead blasted.

Barrel length is 27" without brake, and 29" overall with brake screwed on. Kevin Jenkins (aka Gun Tailor) of Murfreesboro, TN made the brake. A Weatherby Accubrake copy works well, or you could use a tank-style brake.

Barrel twist is 1 in 10". Faster twist than the 1 in 15" of the BMG, because you might only get 2300 fps max with this rig versus the 2700 fps of a 33" barreled BMG, for example, using 750 grain bullets.

After that long shank of 1.200 or 1.250" diameter (can't remember which) it has a straight taper to 1.000" at the muzzle.

It weighs 13.5 to 14 pounds, depending on which scope is used.

I use either three or four rings to hold the scope on, depending on which scope. Any high quality rings that fit the Weaver slots on the rail will work, from Badger to standard Weaver, or Leupold QRW's.

The standard walnut stock and forearm have held up well, with bedding/fitting to the new barrel. A laminate will replace it if it ever cracks.

I have used a Sightron 4X-16X Mildot scope to shoot at 945 yards. Holding 5 mils high, I hit the paper consistently, in a two foot square, shooting off a bipod, sitting in a cow pasture, when the wind wasn't blowing.

The load was 110 grains of IMR 4350 and velocity 2150 fps. The BC of that 750 grain A-Max is something greater than 1.000.

Start with the 416 Rigby Ruger No. 1 and no action work is needed. Just a rebarrel job, brake, and scope mount, and fit the forearm if your barrel is fatter than the original.

Price is cost of barrel plus 600 bucks, a couple of years ago. You supply the rifle and get a 416 Rigby barrel back, with sights still on it. You could stick that on a CZ 550 action and have a heck of a rifle in 416 Rigby with a 23" rethreaded and rechambered takeoff barrel put to good use.

Some of the elitists might look down their noses at my ballistic machines, but they are a lot of fun.

Kevin Jenkins can be reached at www.guntailor.com if you want it from the horse's mouth.

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Good huntin', shootin', and spear chuckin',
RAB

[This message has been edited by R. A. Berry (edited 10-05-2001).]

P.S. Another bit about the tight throated 510 JAB, on the BRNO action. I estimate that 4.725" col gets me off the lands by 5 to 10 thousandths, with the 750 grain Hornady A-Max. This is by the "color the bullet with a Sharpie and try it" method. Good enough. My Ruger No. 1 has enough throat to fire anything, and then some. So does the standard 500 A-Square, as long as the loads with the long bullets have good concentricity. A 1 in 10" twist and a heavy barrel is recommended.

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Good huntin', shootin', and spear chuckin',
RAB

Ron,

What do you think of a 510/505 improved on the #1? Since you don't have the pesky problem of magazene length on the #1, you could use that honkin case.

RAB,

If possible, would you mind posting a picture.

Jesse

PH,
That would be a great idea if the 408 Chey-Tac brass ever becomes readily available, for necking back up to 510 instead of 505. The brass quality of the 460 Wby by Norma would be hard to beat, however. Also, I don't need any more horse power than I can get from the 510 JAB, or 500 A-Square (I just don't like that A-Square name engraved on my rifles.).

Mcbain,
I will get around to it, along with some loading data and results from both rifles. That might be an idea Saeed could post on the Reloading Pages along with Mitch's 500 A2 data. There are no secrets to the 50 Peacekeeper. It is just another 500 A2, which was the 510 Wells, which was the 50 Buhmiller, or whatever before that.

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Good huntin', shootin', and spear chuckin',
RAB

R.A. Berry: What will be water capacity of 510/408 Chey-Tac ? I can not imagine recoil of #1 with this beast

Jiri,
I would not seriously consider it, since the 510/460 Wby is so perfect as a hunting or target rifle.

If I want more than that, then I select the Barrett Model 99 in 50 BMG: 25 lbs. with a 33" barrel and a 10X Swarovski Christmas tree reticle scope set for 500 to 2000 meter plinking. This is not a sporting weapon, however, unless your sport is simply target shooting.

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Good huntin', shootin', and spear chuckin',
RAB

Now RAB,
I did lug my .50 BMG (Serbu = 28lbs loaded) up a tree last year when I was deer hunting down in AL. I only had one deer in the scope at 110yds but the only part showing was the back 1/2 as the front 1/2 was blocked by a LARGE tree (big & old Magnolia). The only reason I didn't pull the trigger was because of the camp rules. One of the rules was that if you shoot at a deer and
a) Miss
b) Wound & loose it
You had to wear a dress that night for dinner (the guy had two 'plus' sized dresses hanging up). Let me tell you something, when there is the threat of wearing a dress at night in the state of AL, you tend to pass up 'iffy' shots. ;-)
I also brought it to NE for deer, but didn't see any in the fields I was hunting. Some day I'll get one with the BMG.

O.K. BMG,
So you want to do some stunt shooting. Nothing wrong with that. I put that in the same class as me shooting deer with a 223, I will confess to that too. Now, spear hunting hogs I consider to be excellent sport.

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Good huntin', shootin', and spear chuckin',
RAB