So I finally got my first big bore rifle in this week. Got a sling and a scope set up and I'm wondering if you guys have any tips on shooting the beast. I'm going to fire it without the leupold scope first to make sure it does not end up in my eye. I have experience with many .50 magnum handguns so I'm not recoil shy, but this is my first. 50 call rifle. Thoughts.

Steel, pull it tight to your shoulder, open up your stance, weight on the front foot, and let it rock you back onto your rear leg. Have fun!

PS: I'm looking at 50 cal handguns now, so we're switching places :-)

To add on to Biebs post. Don't shoot it off the bench. Get sticks, or shoot off a standing rest.

For me this is the best style. As steel wrote: weight forward. Me shooting 585 HE.

https://youtu.be/W4iYhHg2izg
https://youtu.be/ythHG-898mY

Shooting from sitting position I don't recommend. At least for the beginning. We did with 585 HE, but with reduced loads.

What is the weight of the rifle and load?
Jiri

What happens when you shoot it off a bench? I bought a sled to sight in the scope. My load is double tap 600 grain solid at I think 2200 feet per second

The same guy.....
http://forums.accuratereloadin...4711043/m/8951015352

You know, gotta use the sled to sight in the 6-24x52 scope for varmint shooting......

I have smaller magnification scopes as well. I'm not married to any one idea.

I think the load I would like to settle with is a 525 grain barnes tsx at around 2,000 feet per second

The .50 handguns are a lot of fun. Shooting a .700 grain cast bullet out of my Smith and Wesson .500 is a test in ones wrist strength.

Nothing wrong with using a sled for sight in.

Sled is fine for sight in provided your stock is bedded properly. The sled concentrates the recoil at the recoil lugs and tang since there is no give in the sled.

For general practice, standing is preferable, IMO. It's how you would be positioned shooting at a dinosaur, or other large critter.

Jeremy

Thanks for the info guys. I will be sure to learn into the rifle

quote:

Originally posted by farbedo:
Sled is fine for sight in provided your stock is bedded properly. The sled concentrates the recoil at the recoil lugs and tang since there is no give in the sled.
Jeremy

While it is true that there is no "give" IN the sled, it is also true that the entire sled "gives". The sled simply adds to the total weight of the rifle, changing the nature of the recoil from a sharp impact to an irresistible push.

I don't put more than 25 lbs in the sled, to allow the rifle to move, sled and all. It still takes up enough recoil to make sighting in comfortable. If you have enough weight so the sled doesn't move, the rifle stock will take the brunt of the recoil forces...not good.

quote:

Originally posted by Jiri:
For me this is the best style. As steel wrote: weight forward. Me shooting 585 HE.

https://youtu.be/W4iYhHg2izg
https://youtu.be/ythHG-898mY

Shooting from sitting position I don't recommend. At least for the beginning. We did with 585 HE, but with reduced loads.

What is the weight of the rifle and load?
Jiri

Two guys I have watched shoot that know how to handle the big bores are Jiri and Gunslinger55.

The weight of the rifle with sling and scope are 12.6 unloaded

take the scope off for awhile
find a 25 or 50 (preferred) yard range

loads should be ~2300

(assuming you are righthanded)


first and foremost - this is a big girl to dance with, she's going to lead -- you've already decided to take the hit, the trick is how well you react

left foot slightly forward, right foot back (as compared to fully open, or "squared off") but, in general, SLIGHTLY left of target ... more on this in handling the recoil

LEFT hand -- yes left --- pull back-ish and down (not down much.. you'll figure this out, really)

right hand, pull backish into shoulder, mostly, and down BUT relax your wrist...

roll your shoulder SLIGHTLY forward, lean SLIGHTLY into the shot, RELAX your elbows, hips, knees, and even ankles....

remember, slightly angled LEFT and right wrist is relaxed...

(protip - right fingers should be "glued" but not held hard, on the grip .. i basically "hook" my thumb to keep my fingers from being recoil smashed)

PRESS the trigger, while holding sight picture -- gun will come MOSTLY back, then up, then right ... with shoulder, hips, and knees relaxed, you and slightly rise up, slightly turn right, and roll with the punches..

here's two videos, NOTICE THE MUZZLE RISE, that Gene and I did circa 100 years ago...

identical rifle and load -- Gene is used to 308/30-06/classic 45/70 loads ... I am a bit more of a recoil sponge

http://weaponsmith.com/mov-550-exp.html

A bloke that use to post a lot on AR, JohnS, has a geat setup.

He had like a leather strap attached to two bags of lead shot, either side of the rifle and the leather strap in the middle had like a hood or wwhatver you would call it that stopped the strap from sliding down and off the butt. John has severl Echols Legend rifles so he knows abiut accuracy and ths setup worked perfectly for him.

I use to use a leather bag of shot that weighed about 15 pounds when it was about 1/2 to 2/3rds full. The rifle would be on the bench rest in the normal way and the butt was into the leather bag where there was no shot. Point of impact was the same as normal. In some ways this was similar in principle to what John S had but what he had was easier to use.

Two words. . . shoulder pad. I wear one when I’m shooting my big guns at the range. Makes it a lot more pleasant and allows you to shoot more and work on your technique.

This same guy seems to be trolling. At least he’s not using a varmint scope this time

Thanks. Post deleted.

If you google "rapid fire 505 Gibbs youtube", you will get to see me practicing 2 shots in 10 seconds 5 times. It will give you some idea. I started with a 1.5 x 5 Leupold, but it cut me badly. I ended up with a compact 2x fixed power Leupold, and that has been a great scope for this rifle. Don't bother shooting it off the bench, even with a lead sled, it is a complete waste of time and ammo. Your point of impact is so affected by your body movement prior to the bullet exiting the muzzle, that if you set it up from anything other than a standing rest it will never shoot where you want. Keep your loads to between 2200 fps and 2300 fps for best results. I have shot the 525 gn at 2500fps, but those big slugs over expand at that speed, and you lose valuable penetration Solids go through anything at 2200fps, so you don't need any more speed. The advice you have been given above on stance is pretty good, just make sure you grip the pistol grip tightly. If you don't it can twist out of your grip and bash you in the face.

I shot off a standing bench until I was confident on point of impact.

Don't go to the range thinking you are going to fire 20 rounds. Your body will tell you when you have had enough.

Other than that, hold on and have fun!

Can’t wait to see what steels next 505 post is. At least he gave up the varmint scope angle. Always entertaining

I have given up on using the sled, completely.

I use a bag of shot between my shoulder and the stock when shooting many high power big bore loads.

For just sighting in, I use a double PAST shoulder pads.

Works great.

And we do not use varmint scope for large bore rifles.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
Steel, pull it tight to your shoulder, open up your stance, weight on the front foot, and let it rock you back onto your rear leg. Have fun!

PS: I'm looking at 50 cal handguns now, so we're switching places :-)

And hold on tight....

quote:

Originally posted by farbedo:
Sled is fine for sight in provided your stock is bedded properly. The sled concentrates the recoil at the recoil lugs and tang since there is no give in the sled.

For general practice, standing is preferable, IMO. It's how you would be positioned shooting at a dinosaur, or other large critter.

Jeremy

I've used a sled for sight in for four or five years now. My first episode without left me with a lovely bruise (too stubborn to quit shooting until all of my load development was done). Someone here recommended putting some additional closed cell foam in the butt holder to reduce stress on the scope and stock. I took his advice. I shoot a 500 Jeffery, 570g TSX at 2300 fps. It's fun as hell to shoot offhand or kneeling with a sling, off the bench I only use the sled.

Id highly recommend you not put any lead in your sled, it will sure as hell bust a stock, I broke a doubles 450-400 then a light weight skinny 9.5x62 ( 375x62 wildcat ) I claim fame to that one, but alas didn't add my donor to it!! but it duplicated the same load that I use in my 375 H&H..I have not had a problem since I quit the lead bags, and strap the forend loosely so it doesn bounce off the rest..I also placed a sponge (out of a box of Barnes X bullets) in the butt slot to protect the rifle and the hunter, it really helps.

So what scope are you putting on the rifle, steel? Sorry if it's been mentioned in this thread - perhaps I'm going blind.

Whatever it is, there's a good chance a lead sled will wreck that, too, according to one AR member who says the abrupt cessation recoil inertia is not the force most scope makers have been trying to combat. An old reticle-movement scope like the single-turret Nickel I cut up might stand it for a while but anything with a three-ounce, articulated erector tube will be in great danger.

As to shooting position, may I suggest placing your thumb on or near the tang rather than sticking out over the left side of the grip. I fired a 458 Lott once with my thumb in the latter position and it almost took my nose off.

I long ago quit using a scope on the guns larger than the 458 Lott, one thing if you shoot a lot, it will sooner or later trash about any scope..Also if you under pressure hold the gun in a less that perfect position it willhammer the living shit our of your forehead, leave a half moon scar that most dedicated big bore shooter consider a wound of honor!

Now add to that the 505 was never ment to be shot at game pase 100 or perhaps a 150 yards and no scope is needed, a peep or receiver sight is best, faster and has saved many a flinch habit..

quote:

Originally posted by xausa:

quote:

Originally posted by farbedo:
Sled is fine for sight in provided your stock is bedded properly. The sled concentrates the recoil at the recoil lugs and tang since there is no give in the sled.
Jeremy

While it is true that there is no "give" IN the sled, it is also true that the entire sled "gives". The sled simply adds to the total weight of the rifle, changing the nature of the recoil from a sharp impact to an irresistible push.

My lead sled catches air when I shoot the 500 Jeffery. Plenty of give there lol. This is what happens when you shoot too many rounds off of a bench without any padding (hottest loads were a 570g TSX at 2510 fps). I know a lot of you have seen this before .. I am smarter now.

Oh and I bought my lead sled the week after this shooting range episode lol.