Here is a .338 Lopwah with 23" barrel and a backward/reversed Dakota rear sight base:



Those are the most remarkable outward features of the rifle, not much to recommend it as a .338 Lapua Magnum.
It started off as a .416 Rigby factory rifle.

However, this rifle is a slick feeder of .500 Jeffery dummies,
bolt face never seems to ride over the rebated rim,
which fits the .416 Rigby bolt face just fine.
Slick !

I started this project in 2003, when I found a set of British-made (North Devon) dies for the .500 Jeffery, a 3-die set. They are excellent.
Good steel, with not a bit of rust on them.
I found them collecting dust on their blue plastic box, in Rapid City, SD, shop since vanished.
They were oddly fascinating.

10 years later I found a Lee Factory Crimp die, 1-1/4 X 12tpi, though the North Devon dies are the usual 7/8 X 14tpi.
A few years ago I bought 20 pieces of Norma .500 Jeffery brass.
Getting serious!
A "500 Jeffery Match" reamer by Dave Kiff of PT&G followed that. It has a lengthened throat, drawing dated 1/10/2018:



Other than throat, the rest of the 500 Jeffery Match chamber is CIP spec.
My throat is a tight 0.5108" diameter and 0.250" length in parallel-sided freebore.

The CIP throat has zero PSFB, starts at 0.5110" base diameter, 0*47'53" hemi-angle of leade, tapering into bore diameter: Essentially no throat.

I have finally ordered a McGowen barrel.
Their light target straight taper, 1:20" twist (CIP), .510" groove, .500" bore.

Reason to finally do it:
I need a 1:20" twist "500 Whatever" to shoot cast bullets,
whether smokeless or BP.
The reason and the enabler:
I have an action that feeds .500 Jeffery remarkably well,
and sufficient other .500 Jeffery stuff to finally get started.

The stock, found at Boondock Sporting Goods, about 1994, will be reinforced every which way.
The recoil pad is a Pachmayr Triple Magnum,replacement post Y2K:





Possible barrel sights:

Beech front:

or NECG, banded or no-band ramp:



Trapdoor cavalry carbine, ladder goes to 1500 yards:


Buffalo Bill called his .50-70 Govt. "Lucretia Borgia" as both were deadly poison slingers.
By parallel, my .500 Jeffery will be called "Mata Hari" the WWI double agent claimed to be even more deadly than Lucretia Borgia,
according to her French executioners.

I like those sights, especially the rear sight in the bottom photo. Can you tell how I can get one?
That stock is nice too.
I enjoy having a rifle project that I nurse along for a few years.
Brian

Hello Brian Canada,

Scroll down to the bottom of this page link:

https://www.vtigunparts.com/st...also+used+for+Uberti

quote:

Code USA473
Description
Pedersoli Rear Sight Slide Windage (1879 Springfield Trapdoor, to 1500 yds)
Check Stock

Parts is parts.
Nothing wrong with a Pedersoli.

If you want 1500 yards of elevation,
this Wisner "African" won't cut it:

RIP, Thanks, that is a good page/store.
This Wisner African is perfect. I have become a short rang hunter. Brian

Beech front is very interesting. Fine or square. Love that.

quote:

Originally posted by Fury01:
Beech front is very interesting. Fine or square. Love that.

The old guys who had so much depending on their iron sights were not fools.
A slight angle filed onto the rearward face of the gold post might be an improvement.
Putting that on a round barrel of about 0.800" muzzle diameter/.510"-groove might require a banded, low ramp in which to cut a dovetail.

.458 Winchester Magnum Perfection
In maxima potentia parvum spatium.
Id venit et vicit omnis.

Interesting project.

What cast bullet designs and weights are you planning to run in the rifle?

I assume with such a massive case capacity you’re planning something offbeat, like running BP?

JFE,

Good question !

I may end up having to design one to fit the throat,
a la LBT "THROAT SLUG" by Veral Smith if that is still available.
Or get Accurate Molds to make a custom 2-cavity Brass Beauty of my design.

Here is the throat study:



Here are some possibilities at hand, requiring creative alloying and sizing:




The unlabeled possibility above is from sharpsguy, and I just got the mould in the mail yesterday:



Note that the 500 Jeffery is almost 2 grains of water bigger in gross water capacity than the 500-140 Sharps Straight 3.25":



I will look through the Accurate Molds catalog.
It's like bullet pornography.
Will post here if anything is suitable.
I am avoiding paper-patched in the "Fifties" for now.
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak,
whenever I think of a 500 Jeffery BPCR.

If the .500 Jeffery Match had a .458 WIN-style throat, life would be easier.
Just a throat reamer away.
Hopefully a greater chamber neck diameter will not be needed.
It is tight, perfect as is for .510" jacketed bullets.
Hopefully it will allow chambering of .512" bullet major diameter with a mostly less than .510" diameter nose.

.458 Winchester Magnum Perfection
In maxima potentia parvum spatium.
Id venit et vicit omnis.

The short neck of the 500J and the throating is going to make working with cast challenging.

My 50cal lead slinger project is essentially complete and awaiting testing, thanks to new Covid lockdown restrictions.

I had a 50/90 built on a Ruger No.1. The throating is stock but oddly enough the chamber accepts a Woodleigh 570gr Weldcore when loaded to the cannelure. It sports a light barrel with a 1 in 20” twist. I need to sort out some loads and sight it in. It was designed to be carried and hunted, so it’s fairly light.

quote:

Originally posted by JFE:
The short neck of the 500J and the throating is going to make working with cast challenging.

Fun fun fun.
Any that do not work will find a use in one of these, surely:



My 50cal lead slinger project is essentially complete and awaiting testing, thanks to new Covid lockdown restrictions.

I had a 50/90 built on a Ruger No.1. The throating is stock but oddly enough the chamber accepts a Woodleigh 570gr Weldcore when loaded to the cannelure. It sports a light barrel with a 1 in 20” twist.

Outstanding configuration, congratulations.
Please do share any developments.
Is it a .510"-grooved barrel ?

I need to sort out some loads and sight it in. It was designed to be carried and hunted, so it’s fairly light.

I have Heavy and Medium Target contours by McGowen and consider the No. 6 sporter contour of PAC-NOR,
as made by either McGowen or PAC-NOR, to be ideal for a walkabout fifty-cal rifle, and as light as I would want.
This .500 Jeffery Match has the McGowen Light Target contour on the way,
Similar at the muzzle to the No. 6 sporter, but straight taper from cylindrical knoxform, so a bit heavier,
shooting for about 10 pounds bare.
With a 23"-long No. 6 sporter on a CZ 550 Magnum in factory walnut the .500 Mbogo weighs 9.5 pounds,
9.25 pounds with B&C "Kelvar/Aramid" synthetic stock with bedding block.

A start of gandering at the Accurate Molds catalog,
this is the lightest bullet I find interesting:



Reduce the ogive above the crimping cannelure to .508" -.000/+.002" (maybe .507" -.000/+.002" to allow .001" for PCP coating),
and the driving band diameters to .510" -.000/+.002",
then it might fit well when cast in air-cooled wheel weights, sized to .510", grease-lubed, gas checked.
Fast smokeless might obturate, or does anyone dare shoot gas-checked bullets with BP and grease ?

Cast in hard alloy it might be sizable to .512" with PCP and gas check
With a nose to still fit the throat.

Just cogitating here, open to suggestions.

This is sort of like a .50-140 Sharps 1874 and the .505 Gibbs CZ 550 Magnum had a baby: .500 Jeffery Match Cast Shooter.
No need for an abortion.
It will be great with jacketed and monometal bullets.
Better than a no-throated .500 Jeffery.
And there is always a possibility for corrective surgery on the darling baby:
A throat like on the .458 WIN.
Pro-Life prenatal counseling continues.

You have an impressive number of 50 cal rifle options at your disposal. However, like any true gun nut, you’re always one rifle away from rifle nirvana.

The barrel on mine is a 0.510 groove.

I have a number of 50 cal moulds. My PB moulds are from 350 to 520gr (Lyman & RCBS) and the GC moulds (Castboolits group buys from NOE and Mihec) are from 500 to 520gr depending on whether I cast them as solids or HP’s. The GC mould nose designs do foul in the throat but I have additional sizers to bring the nose diameter down to fit. I may opt for something a little heavier later but have plenty to get me started.

Also have a couple of .500-caliber and one .505-caliber rifle that are somewhat more useful than teats on a boar hog,
but still falling short of nirvana.

Nose sizing: Great idea !

I can nose size with .510" after initial sizing with .512".
With Lee and CH4D sizers in an Ammo Master press,
a way can surely be found to set the die and stop the ram between nose and body, at a groove location.
Then push the nose-sized bullet back out in reverse.
I have .501", .509", .510", .511" and .512" sizers.
I doubt I will be producing any bore-rider noses with the .501", will try to size down no more than .003".

I may be able to use some other "fifty-cal" mould I already have by that technique.
Thank you very much.

There are several moulds at Accurate Molds that could be used with or without such fiddling, two in particular I like.

The "50 - 100" that must be for the WCF lever action:



550 grains/.510" in WW, it might be close to 535 grains/.512" in hard alloy. Classic Jeffery bullet weight.
Sized to .510" in WW, it could be crimped on the 5th groove (middle one of 9) for COL of 3.420".
Sized to .512" in BHN-25, it could be crimped on second groove for COL of 3.120", for about same throat clearance.
Sizing to .510" halfway down the grooves would allow 3.420" COL with the BHN-25 .512" major diameter,
if feasible.
Powder-coat paint on the bottom of the bullet would be the gas check.

Then, lo and behold, the "Tapered Nose" that might be a perfect throat fit as is at .512" in WW, 650-grains:



My only reservation on that one is that the full-bearing length of the bullet is short in relation to BOL.
COL in the .500 Jeffery Match would be a whopping 3.645".

Worth a try, to my way of cogitating.
At least it is not a boat-tailed plain base, though Accurate Molds has one of those too, .510"/ 625-grainer in WW.
That could be about 600 grains cast in BHN-25 and ... ... never mind.

Here is a study of two bullets for the .505 Gibbs,
first one for the no-throat, CIP .505 Gibbs (.504"-groove/.494"-bore/1:16"-twist),
second one for a custom "long throated" .505 Gibbs.
Similar could be done for the CIP .500 Jeffery versus the .500 Jeffery Match:

I find the Lubesizers with their lack of mechanical advantage have a bit more feel than the loading press mounted sizers. It’s fairly easy to feel when you’ve reached the crimp groove when sizing the nose.

In case you are not aware, NOE make a bushing type sizing tool for nose and body sizing that you may want to investigate.

https://noebulletmolds.com/sit...s/sizing_kits/page/2

JFE,
Another good tip, thanks.
In the Lyman Lubrisizer I have .509" and .512" dies only.
Those do expand the possibilities, by contracting some noses.
Lightly lube the bullets before dropping them in backwards, nose first, and go by feel ?
Well shiver me timbers, have I pirated a refinement of technique from JFE ?
Sizing noses to .509" would allow for any possible spring-back to .510" when using the hard alloy.

Thanks for the tip on the NOE, have neglected that so far, thinking I had it covered with Lee and CH4D base pushers.

NOE has no nose-sizing bushings for fifties, and none I need for the forty-fives,
and their web site is screwy on my end.
I will make do with what I have.

RIP, happy to help.

I’m not sure whether you’re familiar with the Mountain Molds site, where you can customise virtually every aspect of your cast bullet’s design.

At some stage I will order a 570gr 0.512 mould that I will model off a Woodleigh Weldcore, but add a FN and a long GC shank. I’ll also look to set it up for PC use. I have yet to graduate to PC. I got as far as buying some powder.

JFE,

I can certainly help with some pointers on powder-coat painting by the KISS principles,
yes you have helped with this baby.
Accurate Molds will do custom work too,
just has to have a flat meplat no smaller than .180"
and overall length no longer than 1.375",
and will do any caliber I would be interested in.
Brass, aluminum, or ferrous blocks, your choice.

Your Woodleigh imitation in lead alloy sounds like something I could get done there.
I prefer it to Mountain Moulds.
Big catalog at Accurate Molds for reference.
Your design will go into the catalog after it is made there.
And WOW are they quick on an order that is already in the catalog !

Size the front band on this one to fit the throat of the .500 Jeffery Match:



Like the 550-grainer, this 625-grainer could be used in lots of other "fifties."
550-625-gr nominal would fit into my lineup, filling the gap between the 450-500-grainers and the 650-760-grainers, nominally speaking.
Still leaves two smaller gaps,
500-550-gr and 625-650-gr,
on the way to nirvana.

This "Gun for Dinosaur" is getting seriouser and seriouser.
The barrel arrived from McGowen today,
and so did the last 50-count SHOOTER PACK of Norma --PRECISION CARTRIDGE CASES-- that MidwayUSA had in stock.
What a coincidence.
Mata Hari is in pieces to be assembled at the Hilltop Gun Shop and Spa for Wayard Rifles,
sort of like the Bride of Frankenstein.
Parts is parts, started with a set of North Devon dies 17 years ago.

I wonder if a powder-coat-painted, hardcast bullet like this could possibly shoot accurately in the .500 Jeffery Match:



That's another cataloged mould at Accurate Molds: #51-625S
I been holding back on this idea, fearing ridicule.

Mata Hari ain't gonna fit into the skinny forearm of the custom walnut stock. Sigh.
Above is a McMillan stock that has been used in the past for the McGowen #7 Medium Target contour on a .510/460 WBY.
It is shown above with a McGowen #6 Light Target contour (.408-caliber, 25" length).
It will handle the job.
McGowen, McMillan & McGee.

Brockman too:

As you were. Mata Hari refuses to wear anything but walnut,
and the 10.4 Spiridon Moor refuses to give up the fiberglass.
A re-purposed CZ-USA factory "Phat American" walnut stock will handle the situation.



It already has pillars and dual cross bolts.
It will additionally get a rod in the grip and a cross bolt behind the barrel recoil lug.
It will be fine as frog hair then.

OK, both fiberglass and walnut, just in case.
And two bullets that ought to be useful for potting most game:



The mailman brought that mould 8 days after it was ordered at the ACCURATE MOLDS web site.

That "535-grainer" is the classic weight for a .500 Jeffery,
comes from the Accurate Molds 51-550T.
It is 1.082" long, as cast.
The first band below the ogive is 0.508" diameter,
then a groove/cannelure,
then the second band is 0.511", as cast,
same diameter all the way down to the base band which is 0.512" as cast.
It has been sized to .510" for demo of band sizes.
That bullet could be loaded and fired in a "no-throat" standard CIP .500 Jeffery, as cast, with no sizing and grease-groove lubing.
Mighty short COL that way, but it would work.
It might be loaded about 0.25" longer COL in the .500 Jeffery Match,
with its little bit of parallel-sided free-bore.

The "620-grainer" is from the Accurate Molds 51-625W. BOL is 1.315" before GC, 1.345" after a Hornady -50-cal GC is applied.
The 3 big drive bands above the GC are all .514" diameter as cast.
It will need some sizing to work.
No problemo: Size the first band to .510", after first sizing all the other bearing surfaces to .512".

The "650-grainer" was left as cast, no sizing.
Plain base, BOL 1.340".
The first band below the ogive is 0.512",
but the plain base diameter is 0.516".
Maybe it will be fired as a greaser in the .512"-grooved Sharps replicas, dip lubed with a pan of melted lube.
Could get a .514" sizer or shoot without sizing.
It is from Saeco #583 and looks kind of crude compared to the Accurate Molds moulds.
I wonder if Saeco does that on purpose with the #583 to make it look "rustic" for cowboy re-enactors with "Big Fifties." ?
It casts uniformly after the mould gets hot.
More than 90% of them are inside of +/- 2 grains with a 647-grain average.
+/- 0.3% ain't bad.

RIP, what a wonderful project. Can't wait for you to get your lady fully up and shooting.
I had not heard North Devon Firearms Services mentioned in many years. I used to buy .577-450 brass from Jim Goodwin. He was one of those old-school gentlemen who would send you your order (all the way from England!) and accept payment only upon satisfied receipt. I believe he hoped to retire to the American Southwest, but I lost track of him and do not know if he is still with us.
As to .50 molds, I have used the Lees, and currently have a Lee-made Lodgewood 345-grain .515 carbine mold, but it is bundled for sale with the "pipsqueak" .56-50 Spencer I have in the classifieds. My only other current mold in this caliber is the Buffalo Arms .510 600-grain Creedmoor that I intend to shoot in my Swede roller in .50-70, with Green Mountain 1:24 twist barrel. Not sure what diameter this will drop in range scrap vs. 20:1 as I have yet to cast a single bullet with it.

Thanks for the reply, Bill.
I bet your 600-grain Creedmoor is "just right" in a 1:24" twist 50-70 BPCR.
I have a .50-70 with 1:24" twist and it works with the 680-gr Hoch as long as I get it up to 1300 fps with smokeless powder.
Pretty sure my new "535-grainer" will also do nicely at BP-velocity in the .50-70 with .510" groove, 1:24" twist.

You like dogs ?
Me too.
This 17.5 y.o. (122.5 dog years) chubby Min Pin will attack any bigger dog she sees,
as long as I have her on a leash and hold her back:

RIP, you have a wonderful friend there. They are so loyal and it hurts like original sin when they go on ahead of us. Hope you have many more moons with her.

RIP, I should have asked what smokeless powder you are using in your .50-70 to get that big Hoch to 1300. I intend to focus on using Swiss and Old Eynsford black, but I'll bet XMP 5744 would do a nice turn on the smokeless side.

Bill,

40.0 grains of H322 with the 680-grain Hoch
(30:1 alloy, dip-lubed with 50:50 beeswax & olive oil, sized to .512" for the .510"-groove)
gave 1303 fps MV.
Starline brass, 1.750" brass max length.
CCI BR-2 primer, 2.540" COL, 72*F.
That was a 93% LR/fill.
With a quarter-inch thick slice of "half-inch" foam caulk-backer rod as filler, St.dev. for 5 shots was only 4 fps.
That rivals compressed BP for uniformity.
Accuracy was good, as predicted for that bullet and MV and twist.
28" barrel, 1:24" twist.

35.0 grains H4198 was an 84% LR/fill (use filler) >>> 1275 fps

30.0 grains of Lil'Gun was a 65% LR/fill (use more filler) >>> 1371 fps

29.0 grains of AA-5744/XMP-5744 was a 70% LR/fill, no filler used >>> 1179 fps,
might be better with a lighter bullet.

One surely cannot do 1300 fps with 70.0 grains of compressed FFg and the 680-gr Hoch.
It would be subsonic.

Now that the .458 Winchester Magnum has taught me how to load cast bullets,
for my smokeless Rolling Block replica,
the .50-70 Little Bighorn
(0.200" parallel-sided free-bore length, .512" PSFB diameter, 1*30'00" leade hemi-angle, custom-throated but otherwise standard .50-70 Govt.):

I would use AA-2495 45.0 grains for about 100% LR/fill, at 2.685" COL.
That would give about 1400 fps MV and about 20,000 psi with the 680-grainer,
either grease-lubed or powder-coat-painted depending on the whim of the day.

RIP, gracias for sharing all these data!
My rolling block is on a Swedish receiver that underwent re-heat treating for conversion to the 8X58R at the turn of the last century.
Bill

I have an antique 1871 Rolling Block action and a 23"-long, 10" twist take-off barrel in .510 caliber.
The knoxform has plenty of cylinder to set-back shorten
from .510/.460 WBY to .50-70 Little Bighorn.
If I don't use it for a 10" twist .500 Jeffery to go with the 20" twist,
it would make a heckuvva ".50-70 Government Whisperer/Whistle-Blower,"
using the same reamer as the Little Bighorn.

Already threaded for a muzzle brake (50-70 Whistle-Blower) or silencer (50-70 Whisperer),
or cut some new threads on both ends of the barrel as needed.