I was wondering who has had the opertunity to shoot a 600NE. By this I mean the origanal loadings. What weight was the rifle? How did it compare to other heavey rifles? Did it make you take any steps backwards? Would you do it again?

Hog Killer

i have its a real nice well balenced up close cartige.

i have shot the 600 in a heym bolt action and in a farquson rifle

i owen and shoot a 700 nitro double rifle the 600 is close in weight and feel recoil is danm near the same as well. if your thinking of getting a 600 id say go for it.

Hog,

I was the owner of a Heym Express rifle in .600 nitro express for a few months. The pachmyr pad had gone a bit hard and probably should have been replaced. The rifle weighed 14 3/4 pounds. It had EAW scope bases on the double square bridges of the action, but I did not dare put a scope on it.

The rifle balanced well and shot extremely accurately. But then there was the recoil. Even when I held the rifle as tightly as I could, the barrel went up nearly vertical with each shot. The recoil was fast and fairly severe. I needed about 10 minutes between shots to recover and shoot again. Each shot was painful and made me feel nauseous. 3 shots was my maximum for a day. But I think with a new recoil pad and a mercury tube in the butt, the rifle would have been much more shootable. I actually think the recoil might have damaged my inner ear because I started getting sea sick after shooting it.

However, the rifle was also too heavy for me to carry on any kind of serious hunt. I am sure a good PH could find me an elephant close to the car and I could walk over and shoot it with the .600 NE. However, given my physical abilities the rifle was not practical for serious hunting.

So I sold it and spent the money on a hunt.

It sure was a nice rifle though.

I've shot a few rounds through a friend's 600. I thought it was fairly pleasant to shoot. The recoil felt like a huge push, but it didn't knock me back a step. I don't know what the rifle weighs, I'd bet it was in the 17-18lb range. I had trouble holding it on target for more than 30 seconds or so. Not bad to shoot, but way too heavy to carry or to shoulder quickly. I'd love to shoot his rifle more, but he's trying to sell it and wants to conserve his ammo supply.

I have a friend who had one. I shot it one time and that was plenty. It was a Thys that weighed 11 pounds.

I didn't like it.

11 lbs Mickey!
I'm not surprised you did not like it.

Karl.

I also have shot a Heym .600NE! Painfull experience. Same load in my .600OK 165 grs on IMR7828 behind a .900 gr woodleigh is a pussycat! -Rob

Robgunbuilder,

What is the weight difference between the Heym and your OK? Any real difference in thstock design?

Hog Killer

The Heym weighs 14 3/4 lbs and the 600 OK 13.5. The .600 OK has a real efficient muzzel brake on a 26 inch barrel and the Heyn is a 22 incher as I remember. The .600 OK has a stock with little drop and three mercury recoil reducers in the butt. The Heym with that load borders on dangerous!-Rob

Robgunbuilder,

How would you rate the stanard, 900gr/1800fps 600NE load in a 16lb gun. This would be with no brake, or merc tubes? Just heavy recoil pad?

Hog Killer

Oh- I'd think a 1800fps load at 900grs should not be too bad. Now try a 900 gr bullet at 2400fps ( max in the .600OK) thats the most gun I've ever fired by a log!-Rob

Rob,

I'll try that 2400fps load and shoot it all day long, just as soon as you put wheels and a lanyard on it.

Hog Killer

IMO, any 600NE rifle is as useless as tits on a boar hog! That being said, there is nothing wrong with owning one if that is what cranks your motor! In any event, 14 1/2 lbs is too damn light for a 600NE rifle, no matter what recoil pad, and mercury tube you have. In fact, the 18 lb double is too light as well. Sooooooo, to get the thing comfortable to shoot, it becomes to heavy to carry all day. Gain on one end, you loose on the other!

I had a 577NE double that weighed in at 14 lbs, and it was simply not pleasent to shoot, or carry, so I sold it! To my way of thinking, a 11 lb double chambered for 500NE 3" is shootable, yet can be carried all day, and you retinas will still be intact at the end of the hunt! Even the 500NE is too heavy for many folks, and I to prefere a double that is comfortable to carry and shoot that weighs in at around 9 1/2, to 10 1/2 lbs, chambered for anything from 9.3X74R to 500/450, or 470NE. After the 500NE it is my opinion, these things become nothing more than "LOOK AT ME" toys.

It's always fun to push the envelop of shootable rifles. A 600 OK in a proper stock and weight should be shootable. Mine is still on order, but when I get it, will let you know. Should be at least 15 lbs IMHO.

Dak

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:
IMO, any 600NE rifle is as useless as tits on a boar hog! That being said, there is nothing wrong with owning one if that is what cranks your motor! In any event, 14 1/2 lbs is too damn light for a 600NE rifle, no matter what recoil pad, and mercury tube you have. In fact, the 18 lb double is too light as well. Sooooooo, to get the thing comfortable to shoot, it becomes to heavy to carry all day. Gain on one end, you loose on the other!

I had a 577NE double that weighed in at 14 lbs, and it was simply not pleasent to shoot, or carry, so I sold it! To my way of thinking, a 11 lb double chambered for 500NE 3" is shootable, yet can be carried all day, and you retinas will still be intact at the end of the hunt! Even the 500NE is too heavy for many folks, and I to prefere a double that is comfortable to carry and shoot that weighs in at around 9 1/2, to 10 1/2 lbs, chambered for anything from 9.3X74R to 500/450, or 470NE. After the 500NE it is my opinion, these things become nothing more than "LOOK AT ME" toys.

You're being kinda mean to the 'ld .600 and my good buddy the .577.!!!!!
In my younger days I used the .600 on some big stuff. Today, as an over the hill 'ld man I would have to agree with most of what you said. But, by the same token I have seen some impressive knockdowns that I haven't seen with less horsepower. Conversely, I seen when they didn't show any more effect than others of less horsepower.

I think the .500 is a good compromise. However, the feel, balance and quick handling of a good English double in one of the .450s or .470 is hard to beat and we don't want to slight the .475's. They are faster and I ain't as strong as I once was in this life.

I found the approx 16# H&H shootable, but heavy to carry. The approx 14# Jeffrey violent to shoot. Don't know if the 24" barrels played into it. The approx. 13.25# Churchill was light, better to carry, and while a hard kicker, much more comfortable than the Jeffery. I only used 110 gr, cordite equiv. as that is the way they were proofed.

14# in the .577 is about right in my mind, I believe my WR HD droplock was 14 and a few oz. as I remember. It got heavy on long marches in the rain forest, but very effective when the time came. Anything under 13# is way to light in my opinion.