DONE...FINALLY. Had it on the shelf doing bits and pieces during the winter while I couldn't get into the shop...and while I was finishing my Marlin levergun switchbarrel project and some other odds and ends.

Barrel is 25.5" with a 2.5" internal muzzle brake...total weight 12.2 lbs with 2 down and one up...very nice to soak up the slap but I need to build a motorized gun carrier or hire someone to cart it around for me.

GunKoted all the metal pieces Dark Earth and spray painted the OEM walnut stock because it had a 12" drop and I had to add a piece of walnut to lengthen it...the added piece didn't match but it does now.

Tried some 475 gr, 535 gr and 590 gr Beartooth cast lead CG's...the 475 gr with AA2520 chrono'ed ~2330fs at ~40KCUP...with at least ~350-400fs more to go. The 535 gr was slightly over 2100fs with AA2520 but didn't chrono any of the 590 gr...a CG came off and wasted the front Beta Chrony screen while I was testing 458 A loads in my Marlin 336.

The throat is long enough to shoot milspec 650 gr BT's at 4.5" and I'm looking for some cheap ones to try out...another reason why I went with my own wildcat rather than the 500 AccRel. Maybe next year I will do a 30-36" barrel and a build a "roofrest" setup just to "bomb" sageratz at 1000 yds.

My 510 MAKATAK is a Rigby case necked to 50 cal and shortened 0.050" at the shoulder,0.500" neck length, 2.85" case length, 3.25" COL in the Ruger Tang M77 originally a 30-06. I opened up the bolt face to handle the Rigby case.

This wildcat would work much better on the present day Ruger CRF action or equal sized receiver tho' and the 500 Accrel would be a better conversion for the Tang Ruger, but I did this to have my own named wildcat.

I also made a coffin box mag extension so I can get 3 down but I'm not quite happy with the look so have a couple more designs to do sometime before winter sets in. No sure why in the world I would need 4 rounds with this size cannon...if three rounds wouldn't do the job, I screwed up and should have used a BIGGER shooter.

I'm happy with it pretty much although a slightly lighter barrel contour would have been a bit better total weight wise.



Luck

Got a picture of a loaded cartridge?

How's the recoil?

Congrats!

I think you meant 3.35 rather than 3.25, though

at 3.35, your loads MIGHT be interchangable with the AccRels

The recoil is substantial with the 590's even with the MB...something between 70 and 100ftlbs depending on the velocity...the ones I started with were ~2000 and felt like the 475's at ~2400fs. Off hand it is more of a big shove...of the bench I want a sissy bag or a lead sled...this old thing can take it standing up but I get real wussy on the bench. The loads are running 100-115 gr of AA2520 depending on the bullet weight.

No...I meant 3.25" COL...that is the length that cycles best in my action with the WFN cast bullets...I haven't tried any RN's yet. This was originally a 30-06 and the mag length max's at 3.35" but won't cycle anything at that length, they hang up. I know your 500 AR is listed as 3.35" max COL but would still need to be shorter to cycle in the Tang mag...Ol' Mr. Bill produced a very nice toy, but I sure wish he would have started with a 3.60" mag length receiver to begin with....

My case also holds ~145 gr H20...actual weight NOT calculated, while the 500 AR is a bit less at ~130 and there is a difference of 0.200" in case length between the two...my neck is .500" long and base to shoulder is 2.350".

I don't think they are interchangable at least by looking at the AR drawing in AmmoGuide...although it might be possible get a 500 AR to fire in my chamber if the bullet was seated out far enough to engage the lands and keep it from moving forward under firing pin strike...it would definitely "fireform" the brass....

I though of just copying your dimensions except for the extra length, then I could have just recut to the 500 AR if I didn't like the way my iteration was working...but I didn't.

All I did was shove the shoulder back 0.050", open the shoulder to 0.575" OD and fireform Rigby cases which shortened them to 2.85"...nothing real fancy. Sent the fireformed cases to CH4D for dies.

No rail work but I did have to install a side plate I cut from a M1 monoclip on the left inside of the OEM mag box to keep the minimum taper rounds from jumping out...the monoclip sides were just the right size, already had a nice lip and had just the right bends and curves to fit perfectly...I just silver soldered it to the bottom edge of the mag box...the rounds feed almost straight in...I also did a slight bit of reshaping/polishing of the feed ramp to get the FN's to feed. I installed a magnum extractor and milled 0.020" off the lip with a 5/8" mill then reground the lip angle to 60° to fit the Rigby rim recess and give the right amount of tension...and to clear extractor slot in the receiver side.

Not a lot of work compared to other receivers I've played with but NOT a CRF by any means and no way to make it one with that ejector button sticking out in the way except by installing a rear mounted ejector and doing all the mill work to the bolt and receiver, but possible if you want to do the work or have a CNC setup and NO extraction problems so far...I won't push the velo or pressure that high unless I can find a superman to do the testing.

I guarantee this thing is a monster at the other end...I blew away the small sighting tree stump out at ~130 yds with the first 475 round through the chrono today and kicked up a dust cloud the size of a small car...and the second round was just as bad....I LIKE IT....




Luck

COOL!

Thats a damn nice Wildcat you have there.
I'm glad to see someone else other than me likes to shoot cast.
Have you had any leading of the barrel?
Did you lap the barrel?
I've got to build a big old thumper one of these days. I've got an old Enfield P14 action here on my desk calling Feed Me, Feed Me.
Give us an update when you can.

Cheers, John

I used a McGowen barrel and they are really smooth to begin with...no lapping on my part, and no leading so far without adding any extra lub.

First things first... If you have a magazine length shorter that ~3.45" or so go with Jeffes 500 AR...I'm already finding out that with the Beartooth 475 and 590 at 0.512" and with a crimp groove at 0.500" from nose tip, the 475 hits the lands at ~3.23" and the 590 at ~3.24"...the Cast Perf 535 gr 0.511" hits at 3.28" but I'm still limited to ~3.25 COL because of the feeding limitation of these huge meplate bullets so I can't fully utilize the extra case capacity unless I single load a bore rider or use a jacketed pointy style bullet...or turn down the Beartooth OD to make them bore riders, which I will do to a few just to see what happens...AND I have to trim the case to 2.70" to crimp in the groove so the 500 AR at 2.65" is definitely the best choice for anyone with a Ruger that wants a 50 cal "STOMPER" ... forget "Thumper", he's a puny...

This morning running 3.20" COL, AA2520 full case, 123 gr NET case capacity and crimped, the 475's are chrono'ing ~2550fs-2595fs, the primers are starting to flatten and the bolt is getting a bit stiff but base expansion is ~0.5895"...about half a tenth and the cases are growing only about 0.002" per firing. The dies fit perfectly sizing less than 0.001".

I don't trust my Load from a Disk for much other than beginning loads...the data indicates ~50 KCUP. Online Powley indicates 4320, 4895 and 4064 - 106 gr/2396fs at 43.5 KCUP so I will try a few to see what comes up...AA2520 is just slightly slower. LD lists about 140fs and ~3000 KCUP less which is not unusual.

There are several very good 50 cals out there to pick from...you can't really go wrong whichever one you go with. The Rigby case isn't all that much larger OD than a "standard" belted mag so the bolt face is an easy job.

After what I'm seeing with this toy I'm REALLY thinking about looking around for a 3.60" receiver so I can get full use out of my longer case...or maybe just doing a switch barrel for one of my Savage 375 H&H mag'ed receivers...I already have a bolt head set up for the Rigby case for another project I never got off the ground.

Luck

Well after reading about your 50 and the 550 Express, I dont think I will ever be lacking using a standard length action.
Those big babbies really get it done in less than 3.3 inches.
Hell, I've had this P14 action for 15 years and it needs to get a job...

Cheers, John

Couple more pics..





First pic comparison to 17FB....hahahahahaha

Second pic is the Beartooth 475 gr with the OD turned to 0.498" to ride the bore and seated to 3.42", 2.85" full length case. NET volume is 127 gr H2O.

4064 and Varget at 110-120 gr and the 475 were running 25-2600fs today, 50-52 KCUP supposedly from Load Disk.

I've thought about the 550 Express and the 600 Ok and the various "585"s and I will probably do a 615 Hellboy Express someday to match my 12 GaFH. I would like to figure out a way to do an over 50 cal levergun, but that would be a tough sell I think...I have a few ideas using a trimmed down .582 Weatherby case, but that will have to wait until my lotto ticket decides to work.

Ma'payn has done enough to/for me for a couple days so I'm going fish'n', then squirrl'n' and heal up.

Luck

Nice lookin gun. Seeing your quad brought back memories. I had a 454 like that once.

Thanks...not quite sure about the "Moss green" color yet...it's a little too "bright" almost...I will tone it down a bit or tone up the barrel/receiver...definitely not for everyone's taste.

I really like my 454...bought it new a year after it was discontinued at a very nice discount. I have a snow blade, pullaround mower, spike harrow etc., for it...it will push foot deep snow off my 300 ft circular/straight drive like a knife through soft butter...all I have to do is stay ahead of the build up when it is snowing hard.

It also is excellent for hauling cut wood from woods to truck, and hauling my butt all over the hills and valeys. I don't abuse it...~35 mph is about the fastest I've had it. With "lockers" at both ends it gets real squirrely on pavement or hard roads much over 35.

Best thing about it is it's a drive in fit inside my Nissan Hard body truck bed...all the other ATV's of similar or larger engine size were WAY to wide with standard tires and WAY to heavy to boot.

So far the 590 BT with the nose turned to 0.498"(575gr actual wt) down to the cannelure and a 3.45" COL are working very well single loaded...2200fs/6200ME and ~60ftlbs slap with the MB...not to bad at all. That's about 600ftlbs LESS than the 535 gr at 3.28"/2400/6800ME. Really proves the fact that velocity increases slap at both ends much quicker than bullet weight.

I definitely have NO NEED for a cannon this size with bullets over 500 gr, but it's a "KICK" to shoot and the craters it leaves are amazing to look at.

Luck

FOOBAR-Thats quite a scope for a Big Bore. Hows your eyelids doing? Sooner or later!-Rob

Rob, You sound like a man that has seen more than a few scope bites. My wife and I have matching pairs.

Foobar, Ya the green is a little bright but if you do the metal in dark earth it might look pretty good.
Are you having any feeding issues with the big flat nosed bullets?

Cheers, John

I just grabbed an extra scope and hung it on...with as much space as I could get for full picture at 3x...so far it hasn't been anywhere close off hand but off the bench that might be another story.

The MB is keeping the recoil level down and the recoil is more of a big push rather than a punch or at least that's what it feel like to me, but it definitely rolls me back even when leaning into it.

I think it will end up sporting a nice Leupold 1-4, tho'.

You're definitely right about "scope-eye" and you know the old saw..."you either have it or you're gonna get it".

So far the only scope that "almost" got me was with my 45-120 and a 720 gr load. The recoil level or velocity caused the forend to sheared off the NEF...damned thing was only held on by 4-1/8" spot welds.

The scope knocked off my shooting glasses when the barrel rotated back and my thumb smacked my nose and I was spouting blood all over my bench, rifle, reloads, spotting scope and my dog. The whole thing had me looking for BIG hammer. Makes me miss the old days when I could take my redazz out on a Cat dozer or other big hunk of steel.

The metal work IS Dark Earth...and YES, those big flatpoints are giving me all kinds of heck. The 590 is the worst so I just turned the OD down to 0.498" and set it up to single load at 3.40-45" COL. Rounds that fit the magazine feeding from the right side ride up and clear over to the left side of the receiver and hit the barrel shoulder/face and hang up.


The 475 and 535 work passable at 3.25-26", they feed almost straight in but still drag on the ramp even tho it is polished bright and shiny.

This is by no means a DGR receiver to begin with and the project wasn't any more than to build a 50 cal I could shoot standard sized bullets AND milspec BMG and long 600-800 gr target stuff. I started with cast bullets first just to see and because they are CHEAPER. HAHAHAHAHAHAH

I have some Woodleigh RN and PP's coming that should solve the "hangup".

My 220 Swift and 6mm-284 barrels arrived so the "cannon" is back on the shelf while I work up some squirrel loads. I've got a few more Cerakote colors coming from Brownells that should help with the paint scheme.

Hey...that color blends in right smartly here in Oregon...out in the woods anyway. I think it might look like something to eat over there in the Dark Continent...just like a tasty Iguana lizard...

Luck

Well hell,
Between my monitor trying to die and me being about half color blind, the barrel could have been pink and I wouldn't have thought nothing of it.
Feeding drives me crazy.
You can have a Saiga 12 shoot full auto with out the first jam with a shotgun shell but its a pain to get even a 50% metplat bullet to feed in a bolt action.

Cheers, John

Hahahahahaha...you're right there...I expected the "Dark" earth color to be slightly lighter than Krylon "Espresso", more like Herseys "milk chocolate" than the color of "Desert Sand". The color of the liquid in the can was about right, but it lightened up several shades when it was cooked.

I have the same problem getting WFN's to work in my Marlins...Most jacketed work perfectly and some hard cast work passably but most lead just jam up. I've found so far that it is more of the shape of the rest of the bullet behind the meplate that causes the problems.

A truncated cone shape seems to slide much better than a rounded shape, and also the transition point shape/diameter just above the cannelure and the nose to cannelure length play a role.

The the 475 and the "bore riders" I turned from the 590 both have a long nose to cannelure length ~0.500-0.530" while the 535 is ~0.400" and has a very short bearing surface of ~0.125" fron cannelure to the taper transition point.

I'm going to turn off that bearing surface...turn it into a truncated cone from cannelure to original meplate dia and see how that works. That shouldn't take off more than ~5 gr of bullet weight.

I have some 500 gr RN's that fed fairly well at ~2.64" in my 458 A Marlin, but RN's are not all that good in tubefeed shooters... supposedly... so I turned off the noses starting at ~ 0.225" OD just slightly larger than the primer OD and continued slicing until the meplate was ~0.300" OD but at that OD I had to seat the bullet another 0.030" deep so the very small lip wouldn't catch...on one end or the other.

The load was well into the "that hurts me" velocity in the 9.5# shooter...at least according to some accounts I've read online. The recoil was stout but I shot about 30 rounds working out the details and didn't feel the need to go lay down.

One problem with Marlin leverguns is clearing the magtube AND not hanging up on the barrel "hood"...lead is so soft(even the "hardened" stuff) it just seems to love dragging on ANY metal surface, polished or not.

And...have a Marlin in any position other than "normal shooting position", square and plumb and it can and probably will, hang up...I can't see the argument that the Marlin Levergun is a DGR rifle...even though it has taken all the big 5 game animals...but it's not MY decision or concern what shooter YOU use.(unless I'm in close proximity)

Now my Browning BLR 450 Marlin will work in any position you can put it in almost, and it doesn't matter the meplat OD as it feeds from the center of the mag...it even fed dummies I seated the bullet butt first!!! I really like my BLR but wish there were 5-6 rnd mags available although if I can't do it with 3 I need to take a look at "MY" parameters...or get a bigger shooter.

I have "play toys" and "working toys"...only the "working toys" go into the woods with me and only after they get the "Makatak seal of approval" and I can trust them not to go mucking about when things get a bit "up close and personal"...the rest stay on the bench or go "road" hunting for sage ratz.

Luck

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY AMERICANS!!!!!!

FWIW...While my 220 Swift project barrel bore is soaking in Wipe-out, I got the 510 Makatak reduced to pieces and parts...AGAIN...

I also reshaped the noses on 5 - 525 gr Cast Performance bullets...to basically a truncated cone....AND

Made a negative(rounded downwards)aluminum follower...now the rounds feed straight in for sure and I still have two down capacity. The reshaped OEM 416 Ruger follower was causing all the ruckus. I will also start work on the one additional round extension box bottom metal.

Original shape on left, reshaped on right, 3.25" COL to cannelure...this was the bullet I used as the basis to start the project off. It will feed OK out to ~3.32" as the nose is clear of the magazine at the "ready to feed" position now.


I got my happy back.

Luck

Good on Ya...

I know old Mountain Molds could wipe out a mould for that pretty quick then I think you might have the gear to do your own for that matter.
You wouldn't happen to have a pick of the two followers would you?
I'd like to see the two compared to each other.
Cant wait to see the bottom metal.

Cheers, John

I made the "rounded" follower to fit a Savage "375H&H" box actually.

When I was starting this project I thought about using two receivers...the Ruger Tang and the Savage "375H&H"...so I was doing double duty on the parts making until I could make a decision.

I had to do a slight amount of shortening and width reduction to get it to work in the Ruger. I also thought the 416 Ruger follower would work because the case taper was very close, but the raised portion caused all the ruckus.

The two "boxes" are mag extensions I made to add one and two extra rounds. They are both fully functional and work but they are esthetically displeasing to my eye...and they don't "feel" quite right carrying.

I thought about doing a "pregnant" stock similar to CZ or the other custom "pregnant stock, by adding a piece of wood matching the stock contours and deep enough for one-two extra down, but started on the AL metal pieces first and never got back to the wood.

Whatever way I do it, aluminum or wood, it will end up a "blind box". Part of the esthetic displeasure was the shaping around the screw holes, or maybe the color, or.... I basically copied the shape of a standard Ruger floor plate...totally not right...the black one down didn't seem too bad visually, but the brown two down just jarred me....I'm also not sure how I will treat the center screw, one way or another I need access to it.

Part of the problem is my manual tabletop BenchMaster mill and it taking so long to chew up a solid piece of AL. I have a couple of designs that basically do a semi-circlular, more rounded with no "notch" cutouts the full width and taper of the stock which would make a very pleasing shape to hold and would blend in if colored the same as the stock. Probably won't get to that until early fall.

I've used Mountain Moulds design program to do several 45 and 50 cal slugs, but I've never cast anything but sinkers...and hardly used cast bullets except in 38/44/45 wadcutter practice ammo and a few 45-XXX loads and these 50 cal. Just never go into cast until now.

Now that the feeding issue is solved I will probably only use the Cast Perf 525gr and Woodleighs in this rifle and the long pointy stuff if I do a ~32" barrel Savage barrel.

Started putting together the 6mm-284 last night and wouldn't you know it...the Tubbs .369" thick recoil lug ID is about 0.002" too small. Blame it on the chrome coating. Well, that's not hard to solve. Hahahahahah

This has been a "trip" in more ways than one.

Luck

Well, I like the black one and your right the brown one looks a little too tactical for a hunting rifle.
But, I have always gone by the old saying "pretty is as pretty does" so if it works, I'd use it.

Your having entirely too much fun

Cheers, John

Yeah...but I'n not certain of the correct spelling of "fun"...hahahahahaha

At least I got the drawings for the Rem SA bedding block for the XP-100 and the "new" extension box done, some of the pieces and parts collected and 2 cords of next years firewood piled up in front of the wood shed to stuff inside out of the weather...so I guess I'm having fun after all.

I't probably a good thing I haven't figured out a way to hang a 20 rounder out the bottom...yet.

Luck

Well here's a question for ya.
I was looking over at the Savage Arms site and saw the 338 Lapua long range hunter. Now its got a 5 round single stack mag that will not win any contests for looks but I'm sure it works.
The question is:
If it were rebarreled to a 50 Lapua wildcat would the Accustock stand any chance of handling the recoil?

I'm thinking its going to need a little help.

Cheers, John

I think it would as long as you did a bit of reinforcing...no problem with the HS stock, but not sure about the "Tactical" one... One thing certain, the synthetic Accustocks are he** for strong although a bit flexible.

You could also just calculate what the recoil level would be with the 50 cal bullet against the 338 bullet...basically you're talking about double the bullet weight at close to the same velocity so the recoil level would at least double.

I've been looking at that one ever since it first came out. Savage DID do a bit of reinforcment of the bolt lugs and barrel/receiver for the Lapue model.

I once mentioned rechambering/using the Lapua case in a belted mag Savage Receiver and keeping the pressure below belted mag "normals" on one of the long range/Savage forums but that turned into a total brawl...everyone seemed to forget I said "keep the pressure below belted mags" and they went nutz because the pressure of the 338 Lapua is a few thou above a 338 WM.

Basically I was talking about gaining the extra case volume for an increase in velocity WITHOUT an increase in pressure...nobody fully reads or listens.

The Lapua case has thicker walls at the bottom end compared with the Hornady brass, which means it will handle slightly more pressure...I don't know about the other brands wall thickness wise...

You're basically talking about a "short" Rigby based wildcat...there is about 20 gr less H2O case volume in the Lapua case...very close to the 500 AR...but would be a very simple straight forward neck up to 50 cal and reducing the taper of the case by increasing the shoulder diameter a bit to get a slightly larger shoulder radius. An excellent wildcat.

I think it would be a VERY good idea...no mucking about with the magazine at all... basically just screwing on a chambered 50 cal barrel and go shooting.

Luck