Just got a rifle and am looking for info on reloading and where to buy ammo and components. For now I'd like ammo to get some brass. Having a hard time finding any.

Also, is it a waste of time to scope it? Can a mount survive it and if so what scope and mount. I may stick with open but just curious.

Thanks

Oh and I have a CZ safari classic how many rounds does it hold in magazine?

Thanks again

Ammo:

http://www.midwayusa.com/produ...cted-point-box-of-10

http://www.midwayusa.com/produ...dcore-solid-box-of-5

http://www.lohmanarms.com/product_p/na20113122.htm

http://findmeammo.com/ammo/amm...ed-For-Sale-In-Stock

Brass and dies:

http://www.midwayusa.com/produ...lholder-47-505-gibbs

http://www.midwayusa.com/produ...05-gibbs-1-14-thread

http://www.captechintl.com/pro...php?prod=505UF100pcs

It should hold 3. Have fun with your 505 been messing around with that caliber for quite some time.

Ed

Thanks I saw Midway was the best place and A-Square loads it as well. As for the dies to it needs a bushing adapter how is yours setup? I have an RCBS single stage for this

A square is no longer in business.

Norma loads for it in there PH and their solid line, nosler is loading for it, also the new/old Kynoch.

I use a redding ultra mag and a lee press for most of my stuff.

Ed

I wouldn't hesitate to mount a scope on that rifle if that's what you want to do. I've always had good luck with Leupolds on my big bores, the only failure I ever had was a Burris that failed on a .458. My current . 500 A2 wears a 3-9 Leupold in a set of standard CZ rings and works perfectly. Just make sure whatever scope you choose has plenty of eye relief and you'll be fine.

quote:

Originally posted by gunslinger55:
Just got a rifle and am looking for info on reloading and where to buy ammo and components. For now I'd like ammo to get some brass. Having a hard time finding any.

Also, is it a waste of time to scope it? Can a mount survive it and if so what scope and mount. I may stick with open but just curious.

Thanks

gunslinger55: I got my brass from Jamison, (now Captech Intl.), bullets from Woodleigh, (through Midway USA), and loaded ammo from Norma, (also through Midway USA). The Norma factory ammo was so expensive that it actually prompted me to start hand loading. So far, I have only used the 600 grain FMJs and PP SNs. My normal load is 135 grains of H4831SC and a Federal 215 primer.

My rifle is scoped with a Swarovski Z6 1-6x24 EE scope and Joe Smithson mounts. I have had no problems with this set up. Enjoy your .505 Gibbs. Best. Chip.

quote:

Originally posted by CHIPB:
My rifle is scoped with a Swarovski Z6 1-6x24 EE scope... I have had no problems with this set up.

+1

Have the same rifle, Jamison Brass, Woodliegh Bullets. When I first got it it have a Bushnell 3200 Elite I threw on, I have 400 rounds through it and the scope still works. It would not be my choice of scope to take on a safari, but it's held up.

What kind of rings do you guys use?

The standard CZ rings with the main mounting bolts on the ring bottoms torqued to 65 inch-pounds is the strongest possible set-up for a CZ 550 Magnum.

I have used that set-up on the rifle in .505 Gibbs, 500 "Mobogo," 500 A-Square, 12.7x68 Magnum, .458 Lott, etc.
You cannot beat it for strength, even if you want to pay 4-figures for a custom rings&bases set-up of any sort.

The slotted head screws to be replaced are 16mm long.
The replacement metric socket head screws come as either 16mm, 20mm, or 25mm:
Class 12.9 M6-1.0x16mm, 20mm, or 25mm.
You can actually use the longer-than-standard 20mm screws and have more threads engaged inside the ring base. That does not hurt strength.
You only need the 25mm length if you want to add on a QRW lever tapped to fit the screw.
Not necessary.

Here it is with the main mounting bolts replaced by socket-head screws, for that handy QD-QD-Lever functionality:







Above shows that a Leupold 2.5-8X36mm barely fits on a CZ 550 Magnum.

So does a Leupold Ultralight 2.5X which will be the most rugged scope you will find:



Above is 500 "Mobogo" #2, with some home-made QD levers playfully built into the standard CZ rings, with Leupold 2.5X.
Carrying the QD-QD-Lever in your pocket is a better method.
Rings below that are some medium Warne QD-lever rings, vertically split and with smaller main mounting screws that won't take torquing to 65 inch-pounds without stripping. Also they are 30mm rings on a heavier scope.
Not as strong a set-up as the 1"-tubed 2.5x&CZ rings for several reasons.

Here is 500 "Mobogo" #1 with a Leupold 1.5-5X20mm scope in standard CZ 1"-rings:



The only negative about the standard CZ 1" rings is that they cannot be had any lower in height. But they work fine for me as they are.

The lowest possible height could be attained with the discontinued Warne "Low" QD-Lever rings, here shown, with Leupold 2.5X:



... but any scope with an ocular bell bigger than the wee Leupold 2.5X could not be used with those low rings,
because the bolt handle hit the ocular bell on any larger scope, preventing working of the action.
Warne discontinued them.

I have broken Talley rings on a CZ 550 Magnum.
Standard CZ 550 Magnum rings are stronger.
Here is a "Talley Crash" scarfed off the internet, mine broke like this too:



I also have another set of QD-Lever Talley CZ 550 Magnum rings on which I stripped out the main mounting bolt threads.
Flimsy when compared to CZ-made standard CZ rings.

Here is a visual comparison of standard CZ rings to the medium-height Talley QD-Lever rings,
both with Leupold scopes,
either 2.5-8X36mm or 1.75-6x36mmER, both very similar 1"-tubed scopes:





By all means do mount a scope. No worries except "Weatherby Eye Brow."
The only worry is making sure the wrist of the rifle (if wood) is not poorly grained.
My CZ .505 Gibbs walnut has held up, properly glass-bedded, cross-bolted, with pillars, but a gentle 404 Jeffery did not.
You can get a CZ Kevlar stock for free from CZ-USA if your stock breaks at the wrist, I did.
Broken stock at top of picture below is from the 404 Jeffery. Rifle below that is the .505 Gibbs:

RIP

that was a very informative post with all of the pictures assembled together.

I only have a few quibbles and much appreciation for the post.

First, its Mbogo. Even if it is your own wildcat you probably want to spell the Swahili/Bantu word like the languages themselves. Americans already have a bad reputation vis-a-vis other language groups without adding unnecessarily.

Second--more important, I appreciate the CZ mount over the 'permanent Warne' because it can come off and be replaced fully dismantling the mounts. The Warne requires separating the halves and removing the scope from the mounts.
this is a real plus for the CZ.

Third--as you mentioned--the CZ rings are high. I wish that they would drop 0.1" or even 0.15". We've currently got the Warne's on two 416Rigbys but I wish that they did not require full disassembly in order to switch out a scope.

Fourth--the Nikon Monarch 2-8 fits on the CZ. Just barely, but it fits, and we've used it on three different CZ 416Rigbys. I mention this Nikon for several reasons: a. it has a real 2.0 power on the low side which is better than the 2.5-2.65 Leupold, b. its 8.0 is great for the 200-300+ yard range, c. the minimum eye-relief is 4.0, d. the Nikon is apparently more rugged than the Leupold. (This latter assertion is not based on my own observation, having been personally pleased with both Leupold and Nikon over the years, but on Michael458's experiences shooting thousands of bigbore rounds.)

However, on a 505 and presumably on a rifle with loads that are not designed to shoot over 150-200 yards, a scope with a heavy post would be justified.

quote:

Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
First, its Mbogo. Even if it is your own wildcat you probably want to spell the Swahili/Bantu word like the languages themselves. Americans already have a bad reputation vis-a-vis other language groups without adding unnecessarily.

And it's pronounced "Em-bogo", not "Mo-bogo".

Proper name is "500 Mbogo 3-Inch" and pronounced as:

five hundred em-bo'-go

aka "500 of 2008" or 50-08 or "fifty ought eight."
Thanks.

"Mobogo" is a joke, spawned by the fact that it came from necking up Dave Estergaard's 470 Mbogo.
It is an exact neck-up from .475 to .510, except also grown a wee bit longer to 3.000" max brass length.
Hence, "more Mbogo" or "mo' Mbogo" contracted to Mo'bogo or "Mobogo."

From now on if I want to get funny I will call it the "500 Mo'Mbogo."

Guys, getting your superciliousness in a wad over my joking use of "Mobogo" ... that is priceless ...


I better provide some redeeming social value:

416Tanzan,
I agree the Nikon scopes are great. Good to hear the 2-8X Monarch fits on a CZ 550 Magnum.
So does a 1-4X African or Monarch.
I have been buying those since learning how tough they are from michael458's research, which was informed by you, eh?

My load development with the .505 Gibbs is limited to H4831 Extreme "Long Cut" powder.
I tried 120.0 to 140.0 grains with the
special 558-grain S&H FN solid, and Jamison (now Captech) brass, and F215 or GM215M primers.

137.5 grains of H4831 was best, most accurate, averaging 2238 fps.
140.0 grains gave 2307 fps, less accurate,
in the factory CZ .505 Gibbs.
These loads probably maxed out in the low to mid 40K psi range.
Substituting traditional 525-grainers would be lower pressure and possibly more accurate.
Have fun with 600-grainers at top speed.
I never got around to that, as I got side-tracked by the 500 Mo'Mbogo.

RIP that was awesome. Thanks. I picked up a custom shop job with nice wood so I will shoot it till it breaks. Got the synthetic on my 458 Lott it is a nice stock. I have several scopes and 2 CZ's I can swap them around. I like the CZ's as much as my M70's I think.

So factory rings with high strength cap screws is the way to go and field removable with wrench in pocket?

Cool

gunslinger55,
Thanks.
Yes, that Quick-Detachable-QD-Lever in your pocket, with standard CZ-made rings is the way to go.
You can find the metric socket-head screws at any hardware or automotive parts store with decent stock.
The hex-key or Allen-wrench used is a 5mm size.

Either a Nikon or Leupold scope with 1" tube will do well.
Get one of each and see if either ever fails.

I never got to 600-grainers at +2500 fps, with the .505 Gibbs, some have ...

That speed would be quite punishing. But nice to know it is possible just for giggles!

I bought a bunch of Norma 540 solids on what I found to be a cheap price of $10 a round. Now I have something to work with.....LOL

A mere 2300 FPS

quote:

Originally posted by gunslinger55:
That speed would be quite punishing. But nice to know it is possible just for giggles!

The buffalo won't be laughing!

Any owner of a 505 has a cavern of capacity that can produce up to 9000 ftlbs of energy in a modern, strong bolt action. That works out to a 600 grain bullet approaching 2600 fps. Let the good times roll!

PS: When I decided to build a "500", I decided on a 7000 ftlb platform. The 505 and the Jeffrey and the A2 will all achieve that in their sleep. So will the little 500AccRel Nyati.

My 505 Gibbs is based on a Granite mountain arms action, and has a 2.5 leupold compact in Smithson QD rings. I find this scope really good on this rifle. I have probably fired around 1000 rounds through it now and have experienced no problems. I use 130gn AR2209 (H4350) with the 600gn Woodleigh, Bertram brass and Fed 215 primers. This gives 2270fps. I recently found out that my bore is actually 0.507, so you will need to reduce that charge by up to 10 grains to start in the same vicinity of 2200 fps. In my view that would leave you with too much airspace in the case. I personally don't like to go below 128 gn. You would probably be better off with AR2213SC, (H4831SC) and use the loads given in the a previous post.