Jeff
I know you are putting together one of these little monsters since you have my reamerso now you can chamber/headspace the beast and hurry up and take it to the range for a test firing this weekend.

RNS

Neal!!!

MOST EXCELLENT!!!

now i have to drag my groggy body out and set that up...

Bet I have some prelimary reports out by monday

jeffe

Neal, that is great news. Are you able to post the letter?

Good news Neal. That means those hogs are in for a bad time this Nov.
Take good care,
Dave

Jeff
are you done yet
are you done yet
how about now
now
now
now

Let us know what that little beast will do

500 grains
I can scan a copy of all my letters and I will post them at my site www.custombrassandbullets.com and I will post a copy here as well

470
yes I think the hogs will experience an unforgetable venting effect and some may develope a flint

Jeff
are you done yet
are you done yet
how about now
now
now
now

Let us know what that little beast will do

500 grains
I can scan a copy of all my letters and I will post them at my site www.custombrassandbul

Neal,

I was over a Jeffe's yesterday. He showed me how his stock dupilcater works, did not take very long to turn one out. He said it was for one of those big ol' Enfield actions.

Hog Killer

FINALLY- i got to finish this beast and actually light the fires!!!

Quickload can NOT handle big straight rounds. At no point did a load and pressure/vel sync up..

Some prelimary 550 Express data!!

(these loads appreared safe in my particular gun, yours WILL vary. Do NOT take this as loading data. This is for INFORMATIONAL use only)

23" barrel bausa barrel (my custom profile)
Weatherby 416 brass, 2.65"
federal 215s
Single stack mag 3 down, 1 up
vz-24 action
boyds lam JRS stock
f-990 pad
necg front sight
intregal rear island sight (cz take off 1 up, 2 down)
intregal barrel lug under sights
brass cup holding in barrel lug
timney trigger
flag safety
ruger/brownells barrel sling mount

blc2 (pretty dull)
665 gr casts 3.2 oal
93gr 1783 4695 ft-lbs
100gr 1980 5790 ft-lbs

70gr hawks 3.325 oal
96gr 1796 5015 ft-lbs

665 gr casts (3.2 oal)
h335 (much better)
92 gr 2037 6129 ft-lbs
94gr 2120 6638 ft-lbs
96gr 2141 6770 ft-lbs
98gr 2159 6885 ft-lbs
100gr 2184 7045 ft-lbs (YES- round PROVEN)
102gr 2219 7273 ft-lbs
104gr 2234 7371 ft-lbs
106gr 2263 7564 ft-lbs
108gr 2295 7779 ft-lbs
110gr 2321 7957 ft-lbs

that's right, 8000 ft-lbs from a MAUSER vz 24 action

700gr hawks 3.325 oal
h335
102gr 2109 6915 ft-lbs
106gr 2115 6955 ft-lbs
108gr 2144 7147 ft-lbs (MORE than a 577 nitro)
110gr 2169 7314 ft-lbs

700gr hawk, 3.25 oal
105gr 2131 7060 ft-lbs (and i think this is THE load)
110 gr 2193 7477 ft-lbs


Cases stayed "smoked neck" until around 104-105 grains, neck wrinkle didn't go away until 108 gr.

Man, my shoulder is a little tired!!! Accuracy trailed off at the end.. i think that was mostly me being punchy!!

Anyway, the primers all looked VERY reasonable... until the ~105gr loads, I think it was low 40s kpsi. The 110 grain loads, both 3.325 and 3.25 looked about like a normal reloaded 30-06... I think that 105 should be considered THE load. If you want more, go for it, but 7000ft/lbs and a 700gr bullet... SD of .331, gun weight, about 11.5, recoil, about 110 ft-lbs.

and yes, the chrony survived all this!!!

If you are working on an express, 90 grains should be a reasonable starting point.


So, at this point, *I* had about a net 50 yard 10", shooting offhand, with all these loads... when i marked several of them, it seemed to be more like a series of 3-4" groups... at 25 yards, well, it's a bUNCH smaller.

Feeding was "okay" for everything but the last round.. but, hey, i've already taken that mag box out and I am working on V2.. as I can SEE what's wrong with it.

jeffe

Thanks for the progress report! Now we know the .550 Express can do all it has promised.

Love that ball powder. Just think what the
longer 550 Mag will do .And my real
long one.And not even a long barrel.
Great job jeffe.Bauska barrel doing its job,
and mine is fast also...
H335 works great in short cases
or in real long cases with lighter
bullets.Ed.

Jeffeosso,

You must be one tough fellow to put up with that recoil. I drew the line at a 416 Rigby in a Ruger #1. I can't imagine what it would be like to shoot your new toy. My head hurts just thinking about it.

OEH,
the recoil is surprisingly tolerable, at least to 2050... a ruger #1 beats the c*** out of me, too!! Invader's 458 lott in one is a surprising recoil... and my heavy loaded 45/70 handirifle is WORSE.

As I said, I was getting a little punchy near the end, but things kept going well!!

think 10 ga single shot with slugs

jeffe

Jeff
way to go, now that thing is a little monster with big teeth and really sharp claws which will tear appaer thing and laugh about doing it. All of that with a 23" barrel. I think as 470 Mbogo said the hogs are in for it now! I didn't mean to double post I only typed one message and got 1 1/2. I bet you are not going to play any tennis today with that tenderized shoulder

RNS

RNS

Could you educate us why you need a ATF clearance for your 550 Magnum. Is it mandatory because the rifle, components, brass is going to be sold commercially; or is because of some of the 500 laws? Does anyone need this type of clearance from the ATF to take a larger than 500 hunting abroad??

Interested!

Dak

The ATF, considers any breach loading rifle, over 50 cal as a "Destructive Device". Unless you can prove it is/has a sporting purpose. So the 550 Mag. & 550 Exp. must get the "Blessing" of the ATF.

Hog Killer

What are the differences between the 550 Express and the 550 Mag? Just a longer case? Or are they one in the same?

Jeffe, posted the case lenght of the Express @ 2.65". RNS, shows the Mag. has a 3" case lenght, on his web site.

Hog Killer

the magnum is a 3" 460 weatherby necked to .550, the express is a 2.65" case, necked the same. Which, in effect, makes the express have slightly less taper.

the mag holds about 22 more grains of H20 and can throw a 700 gr right at 2400 fps, rather than a measley (right at) 2200 fps.

the express was designed to work in a "standard" magnum action (3.35 nominal), so it fits in a mauser. When at 3.25, a single stack works just great, without extensive and expensive mods. Model 70 and ruger 77 are GREAT candidates

the magnum requires a longer action, one that can handle a (nominal) 3.8" case. The CZ 550 magnum action, starting with a 416 rigby, is an EXCELLENT choice, and should be considered in the arena of a rebarrel!!!

the flanged (in the works) will be a double rifle round designed to take a 700gr to 2050 from a double. by design, it's to be a 15 ton pressure gun, as this calculates to be suitable for a strong/heavy 12 ga shotgun built into a double rifle. Time will tell on this one.

all three match or near match (the flanged is slightly less ME) a 577 nitro. Slightly smaller bore, higher SD and higher MV. The flanged should be a 500 ft-lbs lower than a 577 double round, with lower recoil and higher SD.

jeffe

Well some info on the ATF clearance.

The old school just builds them and says they are for sporting use and the ATF has never cared before.

Since I was dealing with a new caliber I contacted the ATF and they had no problem classifying it as a sporting cartridge so I did the paperwork on them that way any firearm inspected by the ATF is offically classified as chambered for a sporting cartridge designed to be fired in a sporting firearm. That way it just keeps thing on the up and up and reduces any possible problems that might come up. Take the 585 Nyati it according to the ATF has no sporting classification and an ATF agent could potentially ruin someones hunt simply because it is over .510" bore and it is a sporting cartridge but has no paperwork which say so.

As for the gun having paperwork on it as well I have the paperwork on mine and it is only insurance that the ATF suggested might be useful if I ran into a rookie agent who was looking to make a name for himself.

To date only three rifles in the states have proper paperwork on them according to the ATF
#1 a 600 Nitro
#2 a 577 T-rex
Both owners were taking them out of the country and wanted to be safe and mine
#3 550 Magnum

Hog Killer is right
550 Magnumhas a 3.000" case
550 Express has a 2.650" case

Thanks for info RNS. Got a 600 not covered on the list and what a surprise if the customs people checked with the ATF. Will now inquire if anyone is preparing to do the paperwork shuffle. An African hunt could get screwed this way.

Regards, Dak

Is there anywhere I can find information on the 600 OK?

Do a search here on AR.

Great Gun !!!!! and I have contacted Sealey Mattress CO. or was that Pachmayr about a recoil pad for my 458 lott in the #1.

Can't find any info on the 600 OK on AR. I have tried Google as well, but all I get is garbage.

Some of the .600 Overkill threads that I found on AR:

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4711043/m/43210257/r/76210257#76210257

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4711043/m/37010157/p/1

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4711043/m/54110277/r/56110277#56110277

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4711043/m/98810397/r/98810397#98810397

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4711043/m/218103431/r/218103431#218103431

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4711043/m/49210477/r/29310477#29310477

^^Thanks 500grains. Man I sure would like to have a go at shooting that bad boy!

Fusino, just send $5K to Ed Plummer at AHR and he will send you back a .600 OK with all the trimmings.

Hmm it's tempting.

.600 OK rifles from AHR:

I gather the cartridge on the left is the 600 OK. What are the other two? I'm too much of a big bore noob to know them

i am guessing
600OK, 500 jeffe, 510 wells/other 460x500

jeffe

jeffe,

2 out of 3 and one so close that the judges have ruled in your favor!

.600 OK, .500 AHR--really just an improved version of the jeffe, as you know--and .500 A2.

(I only know because Ed has a caption on his website.)

BTW, congrats to RNS on yet another success. One of these days, if the bruises from my .500 A2 ever heal . . .

quote:

Jeffe- that's right, 8000 ft-lbs from a MAUSER vz 24 action

Really amazing! My head hurts. Three of us agreed the other day that 650 grains @ 2050fps (510 Wells reduced load) from a 12 lb rifle was about our limits. Bunch of pussies I guess. (but that was from the bench)

Forrest,
heh (evil chuckle) your turn on the squeshie end of that little beast will come!!!

jeffe

Have a look

jeffe

http://www.weaponsmith.com