Not a measley so-called 50-140 Sharps 3.25", that Sharps never made.
Might as well call it the 60-240 Sharps 3.5",
and be done with it!

The Ruger No.1 20ga From Purgatory 3.5" did not work out.
It is believed that it can be done instead on a Pedersoli reproduction Sharps 1874.

Anybody ever hear of any 20-Gauge Sharps 1874 shotguns?

Of course this one will be done with a fully-rifled Verney-Carron barrel, acquired from Ed Hubel.
And it will have a big-assed muzzle brake screwed onto the end of a 26" barrel!
That's for 950-grain cast lead bullets and RL-17, in the .615"-grooved tube.
Will use RMC 20-Guage 3.5" brass.
Standard SAAMI shotgun chamber.

Without the muzzle brake, screw-on thread protector installed,
it will fire any 20Ga loads, including sabot-slugs, 2-3/4" to 3.5".

I hope to be able to get my kicks from this, soon.
My first gun was a 20-Gauge single-shot.
It might be my last one too, as long as this one is taking to come together ...
The irony of it all!
And it just keeps getting better!


Rip
.

Now, there's a rifle!
I am curious RIP. Roughly how much RL-17 will you use and what velocity are you looking for? ( Ed helped with a.577NE (24.ga FH)
Thanks, Brian

ps. A muzzle break on that can considered Devine Intervention.

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Canada:
Now, there's a rifle!
I am curious RIP. Roughly how much RL-17 will you use and what velocity are you looking for? ( Ed helped with a.577NE (24.ga FH)
Thanks, Brian

ps. A muzzle break on that can considered Devine Intervention.

Hello Brian,
Thanks for the reply.
I have seen your video with that 577 NE 3" buffalo killer. Good work!
It would be good to compare your experience with loading for your rifle. There is a lot of similarity to my pet.

If I cast my slugs in Lyman #2 alloy, they weigh about 920 grains.
If I allow 4.5" COL with 3.5" brass length:

142.0 grains of RL-17 is a 75% volumetric fill, would require filler (foam wad).

Pressure = 28,351 psi (QuickLOAD)

26" barrel, MV = 1907 fps

I assume 28,000 psi is reasonable for a Sharps 1874, even if unreasonable on my shoulder.
More QuickLOADs:

125.0 grains of RL-17 (66% fill) >>> 1684 fps <<< 20,303 psi
126.0 grains of RL-17 (66% fill) >>> 1698 fps <<< 20,730 psi
129.0 grains of RL-17 (68% fill) >>> 1738 fps <<< 22,006 psi
132.0 grains of RL-17 (69% fill) >>> 1777 fps <<< 23,348 psi
135.0 grains of RL-17 (71% fill) >>> 1816 fps <<< 24,761 psi
138.0 grains of RL-17 (72% fill) >>> 1855 fps <<< 26,247 psi
141.0 grains of RL-17 (74% fill) >>> 1894 fps <<< 27,811 psi
142.0 grains of RL-17 (75% fill) >>> 1907 fps <<< 28,351 psi
144.0 grains of RL-17 (76% fill) >>> 1933 fps <<< 29,457 psi
147.0 grains of RL-17 (77% fill) >>> 2150 fps <<< 31,189 psi
150.0 grains of RL-17 (79% fill) >>> 2009 fps <<< 33,014 psi
153.0 grains of RL-17 (80% fill) >>> 2046 fps <<< 34,932 psi
156.0 grains of RL-17 (82% fill) >>> 2084 fps <<< 36,955 psi
159.0 grains of RL-17 (84% fill) >>> 2120 fps <<< 39,084 psi
162.0 grains of RL-17 (85% fill) >>> 2157 fps <<< 41,324 psi
165.0 grains of RL-17 (87% fill) >>> 2193 fps <<< 43,694 psi

I have not chronographed the above loads.
I do hope to get near 28,000 psi before any of my bones break.
Once upon a time I tried 1400-grainers with 180 grains of RL-17 in the 12GaFH.
I was younger then.
I never want to do that again, except in case of an emergency,
such as a Toyota Technical full of terrorists in range,
or a Honda Civic full of gangbangers.






Donor rifle:





The "interventions" from heaven (or hell):






Rip
.

There are many fun alternatives to shoulder-breaking loads:



Even plinking with 20-gauge round balls.


Rip
.

That will be a wonderful/caliber.

Ed got me started with VV N550. I will try n5400 next. I think my load is 115.5 grains of n550 pushing a hard cast 700 grain bullet at 1,800 fps. Very low pressure. I will load it a little faster for my buffalo hunt next year.

My cast bullet was about 22bhn and worked exactly like a factory solid.
I would sure like to hear how your rifle/bullet works for you, when the time comes. My email address, if you prefer is brian@fastcutcnc.com

PS. I like your mold/ bullet. Perfect meplat and straight ogive.
Galco does nice leather work.

I think think that I will get a muzzle brake too. Probably make a difference. (?)

Lyman #2 should be perfect.
141. grains of RL7 is a lot of powder!!

El Riperoonie...
Por qué no 577 NE case necked to .615"?
That will work on a Ruger uno

What's the best action to use?What about an H&R shotgun?Also where are you getting the brass from?I am looking for a new project,and how this caliber work on large North American game?I must contact to get started..

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Canada:
Lyman #2 should be perfect.
141. grains of RL7 is a lot of powder!!

Brian,

Since you say your bullets are BHN 22, and they sure worked well on cape buffalo at 1800 to 1900 fps,
then I am switching to Linotype!
That has BHN 22.
It also casts beautifully.
My .616/957-gr slug in 30-1 alloy if cast in Linotype will become a .617/900-grainer!
Easier on my shoulder at 1800 to 1900 fps!
I have a custom sizer to size to .616".

I have also just learned to powder-coat bullets.
A big, blood-red-colored hunk of Linotype flying toward the game might "shock" it to death.
War-painted bullets.
See the 5-star .458 WinMag thread.


Rip
.

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
El Riperoonie...
Por qué no 577 NE case necked to .615"?
That will work on a Ruger uno

That little bit of difference in the rim and head size do make a difference.
Let J.D. Jones have his .577 NE necked up to .620.
I am going to be able to shoot all kinds of 20-gauge ammo with no dispensation from the BATFE needed: MORE PRACTICAL


Rip
.

quote:

Originally posted by big will:
What's the best action to use?What about an H&R shotgun?Also where are you getting the brass from?I am looking for a new project,and how this caliber work on large North American game?I must contact to get started..

Hello big will,
This way lies madness. Thanks for the reply.

Brass is RMC, Rocky Mountain Cartridge Co. Any length of "turned-brass" case you want:

http://www.rockymountaincartridge.com/

I have the H&R/NEF 20-gauge 3", fully-rifled, Ultra Slug Hunter (24" barrel, 0.620" groove, 1:28" twist),
same one that Hastings used to make their 20-gauge 3.5".
In fact, I just took the reamer and a tap wrench in hand with some oil,
set the barreled action vertically in a pipe-vise on a work bench in the garage,
stood on a chair beside it,
and hand-reamed this one to 3.5" myself,
very easy:



But after the 12GaFH-3.85" experience,
I kind of lost interest in +900-grain 20-guage slugs.
Until now!
I have shot round ball handloads and factory sabot loads with this one.
But, lacking a muzzle brake installation on this one, I never did the full-power stuff with it.
I will get it threaded to accept same barake as the 60-240 Sharps 3.5".
These things came from NEF with an iron bar for weight in the buttstock bolt installation hole,
but lead or mercury might be better.

The barrels on the TC Encore are good for 3" chambers, but too thin/tapered/light-weight to go to 3.85", me thinks.
A muzzle brake and extra weight might be desirable on one of those too.
26" barrel, .615"-groove, 1:22" or 1:24" (?) twist:



Velocity was about 1400 fps for a 330-grain roundball handload:


















Rip
.

I started casting in the spring of 2016. I didn't know anything about it but some guys on Cast Boolits helped me.
I remember someone said that Linotype is hard but possibly too brittle. (i think some said it would be good.)
The more advance castors suggested that I 'toughen' the led up by mixing some tin and antimony and arsenic. (Yeah arsenic!)

This is the mix they worked out with me.
10 lbs. lyman #2 which I already had.
6 lbs pure lead
1 oz. tin plus copper suphate. (root killer) The copper sulphate enabled the tin to merge with the lead. I will find, in my notes, the exact process that they had me use.
3 lbs of hard lead shot gave me enough antimony and arsenic.

I heat treated the batch at 425f. for half an hour (I'll have to check on that.)
then dumped them into cold water. I checked the hardness with a Lee tool which a very poor instrument.
If you want to try this recipe, I will find my instructions for you.

Right now, I am kind of preoccupied. Two days ago, like a fool, I shredded three fingers of my left hand in my table top router. Lost one inch of one finger. I am taking myself pretty seriously right now and don't want to look for my notes for a few day. When I feel better I will happily help all I can.

Notes;
Most the guys on the Cast Boolit forum are real gents and very knowledgable. You might be better off to check with them first. Lino might be perfect. I'm just not sure.
When I started the learning curve I complicated everything and may have ended up with too exotic a mixture/alloy.

I also got some dumb advice like cast bullets are nfg for cape buffalo, etc.
My bullets held their shape and weight as well as NorthFork solids or Cutting Edge Bullets solids. I think that my 700 gr. bullets shed 12 grains through bone and muscle.

Compared to my 375hh with 300 gr. CEB and NF solids the 577ne 700gr. cast really rocked the buffalo. Two of them just hopped/staggered off for 20-30 yds, from a heart shot, then laid down, as I remember.

In my opinion 1800fps was plenty of velocity.
My rifle weighed 13.5 lbs. I made the stock straight as a varmint rifle to reduce the muzzle jump. (Since that hunt I made a new more conventional stock and reduced the overall weight to 12 lbs.)

Big Will, The H&R 10 ga. is recommended by Ed Hubel. It's an SB2 frame. The 12ga and others are the weaker SB1 Frame, I am told.
Did you see the photo of my H&R 10 ga. conversion to 577NE (24 ga. FH) on Ed Hubels "585 HE" post here on Big Bores?

Linotype is brittle. Brittle bullets and hunting; nope. Tough bullets as described above, good for hunting!

Fury01, Thanks for pitching in. My memory is poor this, right now, and my note are not handy. Brian

Your Welcome Brian. Hunting bullets from 10-12 BHN up to your 20 range, if made like you mention are indeed tough and usable on big game. Linotype makes a great bullet all the way to the Big Game Animal but not so much thereafter. It can't be trusted to not break in unpredictable ways and places. I have no trouble with 12 BHN either in the barrel or in the animal as long as the fit and lube is right. That is right about Lyman #2 alloy.
On a separate tack, I had a buddy now deceased who loaded his cast round balls into 12 gauge wads and killed a lot of Whitetail with a rifled barrel, this being 30 years ago now. He had some fellow in PA cut a few grooves in his smooth bore slug barrel and he took it from there. Very accurate and lethal.

Brian,

Yikes! Keep the rest of those fingertips attached.
Thanks for the input on the lead alloy.
Fury01 too.

The brittle Linotype thingie:
I will use Linotype only for target and varmint bullets,
in the .458 WinMag and, of course, the Big Sixty Sharps.

The old third edition of the LYMAN CAST BULLET HANDBOOK is a gem.
First printing 1980, eleventh printing 2002.
Pages 58-60 includes the discussion "Heat Treatment of Wheelweight Alloy."







Book review: Excellent book.

Very credible that the BHN of 9 can be more than tripled, by heat treatment, to BHN over 30.
Seems to require some arsenic in the alloy.

But does that hardness last?
Or does it slump off over time?

I note that Brian is depending on hard shot/magnum shot for arsenic and antimony source?
The rootkiller voodoo is beyond my understanding.
Might be serving as flux too?
IIRC, tin and lead are freely miscible, mix well at any ratio.
No rootkiller help needed with that.

I have previously settled on a recipe for Lyman #2 imitation and found it to be quite good.
.395/410-grainer at 2100 fps smacking into a waterbucket train expanded beautifully, with good weight retention.

My Lyman #2 ("Rippalloy" )
uses just 95/5 (tin/antimony), lead-free, plumber's solder
plus Magnum Shot (hard bird shot) that I assume to be 95/5 lead/antimony for mixing calculations.
I have ignored any arsenic content, but had hoped there was some in there.
Whatever small amount seems to be a good thing.

Regarding the H&R/NEF-ers,
The 12Ga Ultra Slug Hunter has the SB2 action also, like the 10Ga turkey&goose guns.



The 20Ga Ultra Slug Hunter is the SB1, like the lighter-weight 12Ga guns.
I have a 12Ga-3.5" H&R/NEF-er smoothbore with rifle sights and plastic stock all camo finished, weighs 5.0 lbs.
It has the SB1 action. Sometimes size and weight matter.
When I shoot that 5.0# 12Ga-3.5" with factory slug loads of 1.75 oz (766-gr) Foster slug, I feel like this little girl:




Rip
.

I have never heard of the "root killer" recipe either but nothing surprises me in black art Cast world. The Antimony is the part of the alloy that is hard to "mix" That is why pre-alloyed metals melted in seem to be the best bet. If memory serves, bullets hardened in this manner harden over time and then stay stable.
I have shot 1980's wheel weight heat treated 250 SW bullets through both front shoulders of an elk with a .44 magnum. Just middlin medium loads at that. Recovered the bullet under the hide on the far side and weighed 220'ish grains, again if memory serves.

My last post above was edited for additions.

quote:

Originally posted by Fury01:
I have never heard of the "root killer" recipe either but nothing surprises me in black art Cast world. The Antimony is the part of the alloy that is hard to "mix" That is why pre-alloyed metals melted in seem to be the best bet. If memory serves, bullets hardened in this manner harden over time and then stay stable.
I have shot 1980's wheel weight heat treated 250 SW bullets through both front shoulders of an elk with a .44 magnum. Just middlin medium loads at that. Recovered the bullet under the hide on the far side and weighed 220'ish grains, again if memory serves.

Fury01,

I believe!

I notice you specified 1980s wheelweights. Sure can't use the ones they are making now, eh?

Considering all of this, I think I have confirmed a decision to stick with my homemade version of Lyman #2 alloy: Rippalloy
I think I must have at least a trace of arsenic in there from the Magnum Shot.
And I always drop from mould into water.
Maybe I am getting some hardening from the quench?

I have the Lee hardness tester, which I think is better than the LBT hardness tester I also have.
Testing my Rippalloy has shown a BHN of 21.9,
and testing it in the Iron WaterBoard Buffalo has shown it is not brittle.
MV 2200 fps, impact velocity at 25 yards in 2100-2200 fps range:



Slowing a slug of Rippalloy down to about 1700 to 1800 fps at impact ought to make it behave like Brian's BHN 22, heat-treated alloy.
Should be as good as any FN solid on cape buffalo.
I am probably going to have to keep those 920-grainers below 1900 fps.


I don't think I will need to change a thing.
Here is my final recipe for Rippalloy, only 2 ingredients, makes a 10-pound batch of ingots:

1. 0.5 lbs (8 oz) of lead-free 95/5 solder: 95% tin and 5% antimony.

2. 9.5 lbs of "Lawrence" (brand) "High Antimony Shot" (Magnum Shot): I believe this has 5% antimony, a trace of arsenic, and remainder is lead.

Sure is simple and easy, snip up the solder into the bird shot in the melter. Stir and flux.
Drop from mould into a 5-gallon bucket of cool water.

LBT Blue Lube is good at 2200 fps MV,
but I am wondering about powder-coating the slugs,
like painting them blood-red with Harbor Freight Red.
That involves baking the bullets at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes and letting them cool slowly in room air.
I reckon I am going to have to dig out the Lee hardness tester and check one before and after powder coating.
That would be a 920-grain Rippalloy slug sized to .616" diameter.


Rip
.

RIP,
I'll bet that your Rippalloy recipe is perfect for cape buffalo and much simpler than my witches brew.
1,800-1,900fps would be awesome. The Lawrence hard shot is supposed to have enough arsenic, I'm told.
I will guesstimate that your cartridge will have nearly twice the killing power of my .585cal, 700gr bullet. The weight and diameter will add exponentially to the power. Twice the fun too!

I went for 1,800fps for fear of the recoil but the two seasoned PH's were still very impressed with the killing power. One PH said it was like Mike Tyson. The Blacks named the rifle "Vat Nie Kak Nie".("Doesn't Take Shit".)

The story is published in the 2017 Summer Issue of The African Hunting Gazette. "Never Mind The Bull" by Brian Gallup

Brian,

You hit the sweet spot with that velocity.

1800 fps MV means bullet will impact at less than 1800 fps, unless the rifle's muzzle is touching the buffalo.

Reading about "hunting bullets" in the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook,
it seems that about any of the casting lead alloys will deform and break up on game animals when they get above 1800 fps.
The faster the bullet, the worse the behavior
regardless of BHN or "brittleness."

Shooting cast lead slugs meant to perform as FN solids in the Big Sixty: I need go no faster than 1800 fps MV for best penetration.
Yep, that is like the sweet spot on the bat.

Rip
.

RIP, My meplat is 72% of bullet diameter. With all three cows being shot in the shoulder the bullet stayed inside the animal.

That is good to know that 1800fps is the right speed. Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Canada:
RIP, My meplat is 72% of bullet diameter. With all three cows being shot in the shoulder the bullet stayed inside the animal.

That is good to know that 1800fps is the right speed. Thanks.

THANK YOU, Brian.

With your verification of cast lead slug function at 1800 fps MV,
I won't have to endure anything faster than that with the Big Sixty Sharps.

1800 fps gets you about all that is possible.
Any faster and the lead slug might start to deform enough to make everything go south.
Non-deforming unobtainium alloy tested on three different media, hypothetically:



So you think 72% meplat smacks hard and penetrates straight, but might not penetrate as deeply as a 67% meplat, eh?

Same would apply to the Darwin slug, only more so, with 81% meplat:



Another Brooks' TRU-BORE custom mould:





I mailed this package to Ed Hubel a few years ago:



I think it was a little more slug than he cared for at the time.


Rip
.

RIP, Those Darwin's are awesome. You have done some interestng stuff! (You even have a pet buffalo!)

I forgot to mention that my 577 ne barrel length is 26.5 inch. I am making up a 50-110 switch barrel that will be 22 inches long.

I have appreciated talking to you on this thread while my hand has been healing up. It's taken my mind off my troubles a bit.
You hve been a friend in need!

As you know, "no good deed goes unpunished." So, I an including below a copy of my last cape buffalo hunting story, as published in the Africa Hunting Gazette. I hop you enjoy it. It's mainly true. Brian



South Africa: Year 2016

NEVER MIND THE BULL
For the female of the species is more deadly than the male. Kipling, 1911


By Brian Gallup


I was standing on the target range at Buffalo Land Safaris in the beautiful lowveld, near Kruger Park. My rifle was a .577 NE single shot that I recently built from an old 10 ga. shotgun. The bullets were my own 700-grain hard-cast solids. This was going to be an interesting Cape buffalo hunt.

I had just met my two young professional hunters and I liked them. Kobus was stalky with broad shoulders and huge hands. He was pleasant and looked right at me when he spoke. He proved to be a serious hunter, but he could still laugh about things. Louis was lean and handsome, with a long white scar in his left eyebrow and a natural, wry grin. The grip of a stainless Colt 1911 showed out of an old leather holster on his hip. These guys were the real deal.
Jock was our cameraman, and turned out to be a savvy bushman as well as an excellent videographer.

I must have been nervous because I was talking a lot as we hung a fresh target on a backstop in front of an old termite mound. Louis walked back to the shooting bench, assuming that I would shoot from there, but I stopped at 40 paces and sheepishly opened the shooting sticks that I had brought from Canada.

Nobody said much while the tracker, known as Lieutenant, politely took over the sticks. He was a bright young man, full of life, and he loved setting up those new Vanguard shooting sticks.

Jock placed his camera tripod about five paces to my left, while Lieutenant stood at his official post on the right side of the shooting sticks. Kobus and Louis stood behind me and waited for me to stop talking and shoot.

The sun was going to set directly behind the target in about half an hour. I dropped a .577 cartridge into the chamber and closed the barrel. But when I looked at the target through the scope, all I could see was glaring red sunlight.

“Can’t see a thing!” I said. Kobus came over and stood beside the muzzle to block the sun.

I looked through the scope again, and could just make out the bull’s eye well enough to shoot.

“How’s that?” asked Kobus.

“Perfect!”

Then I realized that there were three men with no hearing protection, standing around the muzzle of my Nitro Express rifle.

“This thing has a real loud...,” I started saying, but didn’t finish. It occurred to me that I was about to tell a seasoned PH that a .577 NE was noisy.

I cocked the hammer, took a breath and squeezed the trigger until it fired. With the recoil and the muzzle blast of 116 grains of slow-burning N550 powder, I didn’t see much at first, just Jock and Lieutenant hopping around holding their ears, and a great cloud of dust rising from the termite mound.

“Bull’s eye!” Louis shouted from behind me. I was relieved.

“It works!” I chuckled to myself.



It was eight the next morning when we left the Land Cruiser and walked another 500 metres further to the east bank of the Klaserie River. Louis said the water was so low with the drought that four resident crocodiles had just disappeared, but the trees along the riparian zone of the river were still green, and the low morning sun shone brightly through them. It was a beautiful place.


During the Great Trek, this was a traditional hunting area for the Voortrekkers. They would have been carrying single-shot big bores and may have faced the last of the legendary Cape Lions right here. Some folks believe that not all the Cape Lions were killed off by the pioneers in the 1850s as reported in the history books. Oral history holds that a few of these magnificent beasts, with their jet-black manes, came north as far as the Klaserie River area and lived here in relative peace for at least another century. 
The last remaining specimen was an old male that the locals called “Grootpoot”.  He, or his huge footprint, was seen near the Klaserie River area in the early 1980s. 

This was good country!


We were looking for old Cape buffalo cows in an area that had become too dry to support them. For over a year the country had been in a bad drought and many animals were dying. I guess we were culling, but we never looked at it that way. I had hunted Cape buffalo bulls before, but never cows. Kobus reminded me to not underestimate cows.

“They can be very protective and aggressive.” he said.

We walked across the river, hardly getting our boots wet. Kobus and Louis gave me the palm-down hand sign to stay low while they glassed across a plain and into the bush on the far side. After a minute they nodded to each other and grinned at me, before leading us straight west across about 300 metres of open flat land that was scattered with a few acacia trees.

There was no grass at all on the dry ground and our boots raised enough dust for us to read the wind. Louis, Kobus and Lieutenant watched the far bush line as we went. I was pretty excited!
It was noisy going when we got into the thick sickle bush trees. This tree is considered an invasive weed and has sharp, five-centimetre, thorns that can puncture a tire. I later learned how Louis got that scar in his eyebrow chasing a poacher through this stuff. (The poacher got a hiding for it, too.)

We worked our way around and under thorn branches for a while. Suddenly, Louis and Lieutenant froze in mid-step. Louis gave Kobus a hand signal, and Kobus handed it off to me, but I didn’t understand it. I just kept close.

Louis and the tracker moved about 30 metres to the north where they disappeared into a trench-like ravine. Kobus quickly followed down the steep bank and then turned to help me slide in. We were now in a dry flood channel almost four metres deep and about six metres wide at the top. We could use it to sneak further west. The bottom of the trench was all loose stones and I tried to be quiet, but through my electric ear muffs I sounded like a gravel crusher.

After about 100 metres we stopped and Louis peered over the edge of the south bank for a moment. He was grinning.

“There is a small herd at about 150 metres. They are slowly moving away,” Louis indicated. “I don’t think they know we‘re here.” Kobus checked the wind and the two whispered something; it took all my strength not to ask a dumb question.

“We will wait for the wind to change,” Kobus whispered.

Louis found an easier place for me to climb out of the trench, and when the wind was right we went over the parapet and into more patches of sickle bush. Kobus thoughtfully pointed out a shallow cow track to show me that the herd was still moving slowly. He often did that kind of thing, and it meant a lot.

In about half an hour we came to a wide open area. On the far side, we saw the buffalo. The herd that we were following must have joined another small herd; they had stopped traveling and were just milling around in the shade.

With a gentle breeze beginning to swirl, getting close would be unlikely, no matter what direction we approached from.

So, with Lieutenant in front, and the breeze in our face, we just started marching straight towards the herd in single file across the open ground. We kept going and the herd kept holding. It was just a matter of luck now. This was my first stalk on Cape buffalo in two years, and every step was a thriller.

At about 80 metres from the herd, Kobus brought me forward to walk with the tracker. I took a couple of deep breaths and it made Louis smile. Finally, at close to 50 metres the cows noticed us, and Lieutenant quickly set up the shooting sticks and held them steady for me.

Two bulls were curious and stepped toward us for another look, but the cows were moving out. My scope was turned down to 3x power, so I could see most of the herd through it.

Quickly, Kobus pointed out a tall, old cow quartering towards me. I cocked the hammer, put the crosshairs on the spot that looked like a straight line to her heart, and squeezed off the shot.

It looked good, but I wasn’t sure. The herd scattered and the old cow hobbled off into the bush, unable to put any weight on her right front leg. Kobus had his .458 Belgium Browning ready. He had to remind me to reload. We waited a couple of minutes. Both Kobus and Louis were looking through their binoculars.


I was getting a little anxious and whispered, “What do you think?”

“She’s down.” Kobus whispered back.

We followed the jagged spoor of the wounded buffalo for about 30 metres, and there she was, under a thorn tree taking her final breath.
I thanked Louis, Kobus and Lieutenant.

Kobus and Lieutenant quietly said, “Good shot sir,” when we shook hands. I appreciated their reserved style; respectful to me and respectful to the animal.
Louis had a smoke lit. He took a drag and said, “Knap gedaan.”
I didn’t understand.
“It’s something we say when someone does a good job. “Knap gedaan,” he repeated. “It’s Afrikaans for ‘well done’.”

At the skinning house the men found my hard-cast .577 bullet. They were quite interested in its size and shape. The nose was just flattened a bit after smashing the cow’s shoulder, going through the bottom of the heart and stopping in a rib on the far side.

“Knap gedaan,” I said to myself.

On the third morning the sky was covered in low grey clouds and it smelt like rain. Beautiful rain! One shower and the land would be transformed.

We drove out past the main camp, waving at the staff and pointing to the sky. They waved their hats back at us.
Kobus and Louis had a new area in mind. We drove slowly northwest from the river into higher bench land until we came to a power line running north and south. It was a good place to stop and glass for buffalo. Jock did some videoing.

Kobus said, “Mr Gallup, I must tell you about this power line.”

He explained that we were standing at one of the few remaining reminders of a very tragic time in Mozambique’s history. In the mid-seventies the Cohora Bassa Power Dam was completed in northern Mozambique. Most of the electricity went to Johannesburg via this very power line which crossed through the northern end of the Kruger National Park.
During the civil war in Mozambique in the eighties, thousands of people became refugees. They would set out on foot to follow this power line to safety and hope of better times.

The tragic story goes that the Kruger Park lions got many of them before they ever got to South Africa. Sometimes rangers would go out and shoot a few lions, but it didn’t make much difference - there were lots of lions and lots of refugees.
“Hard times,” Kobus said.
After a long pause, “Now we shall go find some buffalo.”

We walked northeast from there. I could see the line of green trees along the river in the distance, when we came across some fresh spoor. I only knew it was fresh because Kobus and Louis said so. “Lots of cows,” they said, and we followed the tracks north for about a kilometre. It was good walking. We passed two giraffes browsing in the sweet thorn trees and lots of blue wildebeest looking for grass. They were really thin.

“They look like bicycles.” I whispered to Jock. He wasn’t amused and pointed to vultures feeding on a fresh carcass.
That’s when we saw Louis stop in a crouch beside two thorn bushes. Jock quickly set his big camera on his shoulder and adjusted the viewfinder.

I opened and closed the barrel quietly to make sure there was a round in the chamber. My scope was set at 2x power. I was good to go!

Louis peered around the edge of the thorn bushes, then sank lower before turning to us. No grin this time, just a couple of low hand signals to Kobus and Lieutenant before he pointed to a spot on the ground about two metres beyond the edge of the thorn bush.

Kobus signalled me forward, while Lieutenant took two more steps out into the open and gently set up the sticks. I could see some buffalo now. Louis was whispering into my electronic earmuffs. He was so close it was mostly static.

“There is a small herd right on the other side of these bushes, maybe 30 metres. When you get to the sticks you will see three cows and a young, wild-eyed bull standing in front of that tree.”
He pointed to the top of an acacia tree that we could see over the bush. It looked closer than 30 metres to me!

“Take the big cow in the middle that’s standing sideways. Never mind the bull!”
For some reason I was fiercely calm this time and ready for anything. I did as Louis said. There stood the three cows and the young bull on the edge of a small mixed herd. The bull was close and looking at me with his head up and his eyeballs rolled forward, like they do sometimes before they charge.

I strained to ignore him and put the crosshairs in the right spot on the middle cow as she swung her head and turned half a step towards me. The .577NE bellowed and shoved me back, but I saw everything this time and it was in slow motion!

Her shoulder muscles rippled with the impact of the 700-grain cast bullet at 1,800 fps, and she jerked up her right leg. I didn’t have to ask anyone about this shot. I reloaded as the herd scattered. The mean-looking young bull must have had enough because he was gone. We moved forward without waiting, and found the cow on the ground not far from where I hit her. Kobus asked me to finish her with a spine shot. I was wound up pretty tight, and the .577NE felt more like a .30-06.

In less than half an hour the skinners came roaring up on a two-wheel-drive bakkie. They jumped off both sides of the box as soon as it stopped and went straight over to the buffalo.

Being our second buffalo, their curiosity about the big .577 bullet was gaining momentum. All of them were talking at once as they crowded around the huge bullet hole in the cow’s shoulder. Some of them poked a finger or a thumb in it. I showed them a cartridge. They were fascinated, rolling it over in their fingers for a moment, then looking up at me with a kindred grin.

The rifle was leaning up against a tree, and that was considered out of bounds. So I picked it up, checked it for empty in front of them, and handed it to a big, serious-looking guy they called Africa. They were pretty impressed with the 14 pound single shot. Each man would cradle it reverently for a moment, then pass it to the man beside him. It was the holy grail of smoke-poles, and they were holding it in their hands! Their talking never stopped, except for a good laugh here and there.

I asked Louis if he thought I’d ever see my rifle again. He grinned, but he kept listening to the skinners.

“They’ve named your rifle! Africa did; he gave it a sort of tribal name,” said Louis.
They all went quiet at some signal, and Louis became the official spokesman.

“They named it…Vat Nie Kak Nie,” Louis said with some amazement.

“What does it mean?” I asked.

“Well, it’s a…it’s a sort of compliment - in Afrikaans.” Louis was searching for the words.
“It means, uh…uh…’Doesn’t Take Crap’. Yes: Vat Nie Kak Nie - Doesn’t Take Crap!” he said louder.

All the skinners, who were pretending they didn’t speak English, burst into laughter. Then we all did. What a morning!

It never did rain that day. In fact, it wouldn’t rain for another month, and I wouldn’t be there to see it. I left that amazing place two days later.
It was a wonderful hunt. The country, the animals, the people… everything.
I’m going back to the lowveld as soon as I can.

Brian,

Thanks for adding some socially redeeming value to this thread.
I pick up the The African Hunting Gazette
at a local B&N sometimes, don't subscribe, but I missed that one.
So I was hoping to find that story somehow.
It is a good one.
Look out Ruark and Capstick, the competition has arrived!


50-110 Winchester?
Are you choosing your barrel twist and groove for modern jacketed bullets and smokeless powders,
or are you going the nostalgic route?


Rip
.

RIP, Thanks for you kind comment. I really enjoyed writing it. ( summer issue 2017)

50-110 Win.
Modern/smokeless.
450 CEB Solid at 1,900-2,000 fps.
400 CEB Raptor at 2,100+ fps
Will use VV N530
Bullets are .500 (like 500 S&W not .510.) Chamber is long to seat the bullet out a bit. Ed was very helpful on sorting this out with me.
I will keep you posted but my gunsmith, who measures to the tens of thousands has no concept of time, so it will be a while.

I may be doing a story on bullets and buffalo. Also, a story on three generations of hunters in Africa for 2018. (My grandson will be 9 yrs. I have made him a racey little single shot 30-30.)
My wife suggested I do a story on "stalking the dangerous table top router."

Excellent.
I have a .500 S&W Handirifle, and a .500/.338 Lapua Magnum aka 12.7x68mm Magnum, Winchester M70.

I found the 1:12" twist to be excellent with CEB .500-caliber bullets.

I am pretty heavily into 50-70 Govt with both .512" and .510"-grooved barrels,
and one old Trapdoor shooter with .515"-3-groove barrel.
I have a 50-90 Sharps Pedersoli (.512" groove), and several other modern .510 calibers.
So I feel compelled to skip right on up to Big Sixty.
That is a long term project too,
about to get out of purgatory soon.
Fingers crossed.


Rip
.

RIP, Yes I was going to go with the 50-90 but chose the 50-110 as I have lots of brass. I think it will kill buffalo the same as, or better than a 458 WM.
Have you killed anything big and nasty with your 500 S&W? I have not fired mine yet.

Nope, no .500 S&W kills with either the Handirifle or the S&W Model 500 revolver, 6.5", just like Dirty Harry's 44 Mag barrel length,
when it wasn't 8-3/8" length.
That thing changed from scene to scene.
But it was more often a 6.5-inch.
I did kill a deer once with a Freedom Arms .454 Casull, 7-1/2".
I was not in my pajamas, and neither was the deer.
Does that count?


Rip
.

I never noticed that about Dirty Harry's pistol. Good eye RIP!

Groucho: "I'm not crazy about reality but it's the only place to get a
good meal."

Yes, Groucho Marx's old elephant joke.

Nix the powder-coating of slugs for cape buffalo, for now.
The process seems to knock off 2 units of BHN on my Linoype and 10-1 alloy.
Do not know about your alloy or Rippalloy.
Probably same.
I wonder what happens if you bake the powder coat for a full half hour at only 400 degrees F,
and then throw the bullets from the oven into a bucket of water?
Probably bad idea.
No need.
Buffalo-killing slugs: Old-fashioned lube and a non-brittle alloy of 22 BHN.


Rip
.