I'm working my way toward a big caliber bolt gun that will be the next in size after my Lott. It seems on this forum the Jeffery is held in higher regard than the Gibbs. I would appreciate any advice as to which to choose. Thanks!

I think the biggest problem is the availability of .505 bullets where the Jeff uses .510 bullets that are more standard.
It is easier to get a Gibbs to feed IMO but not by much.
Personally I would buy a CZ 505 Gibbs and then sink a few hundred into it to bring it up to snuff and go hunting. Either way it is dozen for one and 6 for the other.
John

The Jeffery is very difficult to get to feed. If you decide to get a Jeffery, only have one built by the handful of experts in the field (Duane Wiebe, Sterling Davenport, Dennis Olson, Ryan Breeding, Joe Smithson, Reimer Johannsen, Karl Heinz Ritterbusch, Gottfried Prechtl). Otherwise, you could end up with a $10K piece of junk.

LJS,

If was getting a bigger calibre than the 458 Lott and the rifle was to be at the CZ price or similar I would have either the 500 A Square or 550 Magnum.

If it was the big dollar rifle on the big dollar Magnum Mauser I would get the 505 Gibbs. I just think the 505 is the classiest of the big bangers but needs to be in the right rifle.

Mike

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ALF,
Could that really be true

I thought that all "Backyard gun mechanics" lived in Sweden or possibly in Finland.

Husky

LJS,

Do not over look the 510 Wells or the 500 A-Sq. Both are on the big Wby brass, which is cheap and easy to find, compared to the Gibbs and Jeffery brass. Also they use .510 bullets and should be much easier to get to feed.

Hog Killer

quote:

Originally posted by Hog Killer:
LJS,

Do not over look the 510 Wells or the 500 A-Sq. Both are on the big Wby brass, which is cheap and easy to find, compared to the Gibbs and Jeffery brass. Also they use .510 bullets and should be much easier to get to feed.

Hog Killer

Hog killer,
Who wants things that are "cheap and easy to find"

.575 Miller & Greiss rules!!

Husky

having built 3 of these things on enfields, i would not want to try another jeffe, unless i just singlestacked it.

the gibbs to TOO frickin long/huge for what you get. and both are 3 bucks a case, wholesale.


i would be doing some 500 a2 or 510wells.. probably 495 a2, just bacause they fit in "standard" length actions...

brass is 85 cents each...

i shoot LOTS, and brass price eventually comes into the picture, as I like to have at elast 100 pieces laying around... to rotate and increase brass life.


jeffe

A Horneber .505 Gibbs casing is the most beautiful thing ever created by man.

Like what Fritz and Nick said . . .

Gibbs!

Neither one.

.500 A-Square.

I too would suggest you consider the .500 a2. Being a backyard( garage) gunbuilder and having played with both those cartridges, I would second the comment that they are notoriously difficult to get to feed reliably unless a correctly sized mag box is used. I believe the Jeffery/Schuler guns were first built on single stack mags to eliminate this problem. Given what needs to be done to a M98 action to feed a .500 Jeffery and the relative strength of that action, I would be very concerned with the deveolpment of major headspace problems within 100-200 firings. I guess many of those conversions never got used that much. There are no such problems with the .500a2 and probably any decent gunsmith could get one to work.-Rob

Alf,

THe high end American riflemakers on my list know how to make a .500 Jeff feed. However, in the event that I hear of a South African looking for a .500 Jeff, I will refer him to you for contact info on one of the RSA junkyard gunsmiths.

.

ALF- I stand corrected on the Mausers,and trust me understand the mathematics of the necessary magazine box dimensions. However, the amount of metal that must be removed from a M98 to fit a .500 Jeffery is just plain scary. That in conjunction with an action heat treated to withstand the elastic expansion of relatively low pressure rounds with far less bolt thrust than the .500 Jeffery makes this a very sub optimal combo in my mind. Did you ever unscrew a barrel from any of those M98 based Jeffery's and measure the locking surfaces for evidence of set-back? I've seen plenty of this with far less powerfull rounds than the .500 Jeffery.
I'm not dissing those old mausers as they are definately beautifull guns. I just don't think they are appropriate for the .500 Jeffery today.-Rob

LJS,
I've been working my way up the cartridge and recoil ladder lately, starting with a 375HH, then a 416 Rigby, and most recent a 458 Lott.

If I were to "kick it up one more notch" then I would go with the 500A2 also (and then as I understand it, one can "download it" to 505 Gibbs/500 Jeffrey levels)....

** .510 cal bullets for selection and availability,

** Nice belt to insure headspacing on a fat roomy Weatherby cartridge (one that's starting to get a bit straight sided from being necked up),

** It has a reputation for feeding well,

** Appears to do well in a CZ conversion (always a plus to me!)

** Jeffe, Rob and RIP recommend it; how could you improve on that?

BTW, if nostalgia is the issue, then I figure I have that covered with the 375H&H and/or the 416 Rigby.
That, heaven help me, would be my next step up, just my $.02

EKM

Thanks for all the advice guys. I closed the deal on a Johannsen 500 Jeffery so I'm now in the over 50 cliber club.