I paged throug the "African Sporting Gazette" magazine last night.

There was an add from Empire rifles.

They promoted their new caliber the .505 Empire pushing a 600gr bullet @ I think it was 2250fps.

Does any one have more info on this cartridge?

it is basicly a 505 version of the 495 A2 for mauser length actions.

My 500 belted rum will do the same thing.


7 mag and 500 MAX x2


http://www.empirerifles.com/505%20Empire.htm
EMPIRE ANNOUNCES THE NEW .505 EMPIRE



Empire Rifles has a well established reputation as a versatile maker with several specialties, one of which is big bore rifles. As Terry Wieland recently pointed out in RifleShooter Magazine (Nov/Dec 2006, p. 40), Empire Rifles makes a significant number of .50 caliber dangerous game rifles in .500 Jeffery. Terry alludes to a new cartridge from Empire Rifles. . .



“If one were setting out today to design the perfect .500 caliber bolt action cartridge, I would vote for a scaled-up .458 Lott based on the .378 Weatherby Case. . . You want a bolt action .500 to match the power of the double-rifle .500 Nitro Express: a 570 grain bullet at 2,100 fps. If a rifle will do that, it’s a winner.â€



Existing .500 cartridges have a couple of drawbacks, some real, some imagined. The drawback of the .505 Gibbs is it’s sheer size, which requires an extra long 3.9†action and a fat .750 diameter bolt. Moreover, many hunters are concerned about the rebated rim on the .500 Jeffery --a concern I do not share. What began as a simple conversation about the .505 Gibbs evolved into the design of the .505 Empire, delivering .505 Gibbs velocities in a package fitting neatly into Empire’s Mauser actions. Excellent bullets are available from several makers, notably Barnes and Woodleigh.




The .505 Empire launches a 600 grain bullet at 2,150 fps for a TKO of 93.06 –slightly ahead of the redoubtable .500 NE



The cartridge design is simple: Weatherby magnum brass, straight taper to .505 Caliber, with a 3.6†COL. Fits in the Empire 98L and 98S actions with their 0.700 diameter bolts. Although the cartridge achieves 2,250 fps with a 600 grain bullet, we load it down to 2,150 fps, generally considered the ideal velocity for a stopping rifle, and within the recommended impact velocity for the Woodleigh bullet. This equals the velocity of the renowned 500 NE (3â€) with 30 more grains of bullet weight.



While the .505 Gibbs was traditionally loaded with 525 grain bullets, the caliber comes into its own with a 600 grain bullet at moderate velocity. Like the .505 Gibbs, the .505 Empire will drive the lighter 525 grain bullets close to 2,400 fps.



The 600 grain bullet at 2,150 fps yields momentum of 129 lbs/ft and a Taylor Knock Out value of 93.06 –values which are significantly higher than the excellent .458 Lott, and in the good company of the .500 Jeffery, the .505 Gibbs, and the .500 NE. I put little stock in kinetic energy, but for those who do this cartridge generates 6,158 lbs. Both hunting ammunition and low velocity (read low recoil) practice loads will be available from Superior Ammunition. I am looking forward to using the .505 Empire on Cape Buffalo next Summer! Please call George on 603.469.3152 to discuss this exciting new cartridge.

I'd be impressed, if I weren't already shooting 650gr bullets at 2400fps out of my 505 Gibbs. I guess I could always load it down that far...

Rich
DRSS
knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

George is a buddy, and the 505 empire acocmplishes a couple things that hadn't been done before. it's not a .510, first off, it is still belted, and there are some guys that like them, and it is able to chunk 600gr bullets easily at 2150, for a mild pressure DGR in a standard length action...

the 500 AR accomplishes the same thing, with .510 bullets, with no belt.

Anyway you go, these are the smallest ways to go to get real performance out of a mild pressure round...

oh, yeah, it works great

I would rather have a 500 AR

Maybeeee,

but, BUT, I am still struggling to see the advantage, lengthwise, in a bolt action of this shorter (case length is 2.9)in a true magnum length action over the Gibbs. I think they have re-invented the .510 Wells/KX with a straight taper in lieu of a small shoulder. It will be interesting to see if the rounds will chamber in a 510 Wells Express.

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

The way I see it the advantage is to have a lighter, cheaper more compact rifle. If those are not requirements than the longer one.

The 500 MAX advantage is cheaper bullets and smithing in a more compact lighter cheaper action but the 500 AR has no belt and easier brass to get/form with 510 bullets

BS! Boomie used the word CHEAP in his post. I doubt that word is in Empire's vocabulary.

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

empire does not have to do your 505 empire...do they?

Rich,
you are right.. if you want a gibbs, you are goign to pay 9450 bucks... and that is the CHEAPEST full custom commerical product you can buy a gibbs on.

buy the EXACT same rifle in a 505 empire, and it's 5585 ...

FOUR THOUSAND usd difference to shoot a "real" gibbs, vs the same case in a standard action.

thanks for raising the price point.

Any more questions? You can't put a 500A2 in a standared length mauser and have it be safe...

oh, yeah...
find a breeding, echols, or webbe for 6k, new, and made to order?
can't be done

I went back and looked some more at the website...

That is a lot of rifle for less than $6K. I think a little different, that and I'm too cheap to buy factory ammunition for anything bigger than a 223.
The cartridge makes sense, especially for a non-reloader. Thanks for pointing that out Jeffe.
Coffee's on if you're in the neighborhood.

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

Agreed; I can get 2600 fps with 600 gr bullets from my 505's

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
I'd be impressed, if I weren't already shooting 650gr bullets at 2400fps out of my 505 Gibbs. I guess I could always load it down that far...

Rich
DRSS
knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...