I have just bought a heym 500 NE double rifle and would like some advice on loads to practice with. JPK gave good advice on schedule for practice but I need light loads and source of bullets to reload. It will be shooting more than just a few gophers this summer if all goes well. Small target, big gun but very good practice non the less.
Need to be competent with it by August 2011 for our trip to Africa.

Zig

440gn Woodleigh.

I'll leave the powder to others based in the US.

Zig,

My Merkel .500 NE loves 550-grain Huntington cast bullets with 42 grains of AA5744 powder and Fed215 primers. It regulates right on at 50 yards. Also shoots same point of impact at 50 yards as 570-grain jacketed Woodleighs with 103 grains of IMR4831. Try it... you'll like it.
LLR

Zig,
450 grain Woodies, 80 grains of R-15 with full foam wad, velocities 1980fps should shoot same POI with your 570 grain loads if your using R-15, half foam wad, with velocities of 2080-2125fps. Maybe Larry B. will pipe in, just set him up with some of these reloads in his Heym 500.

Dirk is right. A new load I got from him on the 450 grain softs shoots incredibly well and has virtually no recoil. Gives me the ability to have my 500 for serious work yet play with it with the recoil of a 450/400 or so.

Thanks Dirk for the load.

Larry

Thank you gentlemen for the loads, my rifle is going to be at customs next week. Martini & Hagn will be doing some fine touches to make this unit my "own" personal rifle and let the shooting begin. I am also waiting for the Hornady loads but hopefully they can produce sooner than noted. I need there dies and bases too.