Anyway you could post these for me? My 450-400 3 1/4 that JJ tweaked and built the ejectors. He states that regulation at 50 yards is under an inch with good eyes. There iis a bull ele waiting for me in Zim in 2015 to be harvested with this rifle. Keith Thomas of WR built the action, a barrel maker in London that outsources for the major firms built the chopper lump barrels and Nate crafted the stock to my fitted dimensions. A real pleasure to shoot. Thanks, Mike

Very nice indeed.

Wow! Nice Mike!

Thanks, Rusty. Will be putting it through it's paces this weekend. Long time coming. Headed to Zim in 2015.

First rate!

Mike, what a beauty! You have to give us the long version of how this came about, unless there is a previous post I somehow missed!

Am interesting story behind it to be sure. Started with original plan in 2007 with Nate who introduced me to Keith Thomas who was freelancing at the time and later went to work with Westley Richard about the time they moved into their new headquarters. Keith elected to make it a Holland style back-action sidelock screwgrip and would send pics as the work progressed. Started as a forging that he used a chisel and file to form. Keith received a few tips from the older workers at Westley as they had not remembered a screw grip being made after the war. He did an amazing job on this and provided me pictures of a Beesley action he made for a gentleman in England that was mounted on a small piece of wood for a desk ornament (couldn't believe it either).

The barrel maker was in London and I specified chopper-lump construction. He went through two sets of barrels before settling on the third set. First set were too heavy for caliber and would require too much removal. Second set had the left barrel out of alignment. Third set worked.

Nate had Jim Blair engrave in classic rose and scroll and he sent it to Turnbull to colorcase. Nate had me come to Laramie and he flew Paul Smith, an English gentleman he worked with at G&H, out from New Jersey to fit me. The fitting process took about 2 1/2 hours as Paul was really thorough with the try-gun and the results were perfect fit.

Nate had it shooting a about 2 1/2 inches at 50 yards and sent it to me before he could get the ejectors made and about 2 days before my August trip to Zim hoping I could take it with me. Not enough to work it out and get the 4457 form from customs so I took the John Wilkes .475 No. 2 instead.

The end result was the sweetist and most lively handling firearm I've ever owned. It comes in at 10 lbs. 2oz. Now that the ejectors are working and the rifle is printing at an inch or less at 50 yards according to JJ. 14 7/8 lop, 1 3/4 at comb and 2 3/4 at heel. Triggers were checkered and 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 lbs. Barrel sights are 50 yards, 100 yards and 150 yards.

I've put 100 rounds through it before JJ received it and plan on taking it in 2015. Definetly a learning curve for me. Nate has also built my 450 Rigby and my .375 H&H which print moa at 100 yards. Both built on the Enfield (Winchesters) action. Super handling on those two as well. An East meets West effort that really came togehter.

Mike



ji

Mike, you know of course you'll have to bring it to our place in PA for us to look at during the last week in Sept!

Thanks for the invite, Jorge. Retreever graciously invited me and, if I'm back from Estes Park, I will do my best to come and shoot the course. I love a shooting competition.

Dutch

quote:

Originally posted by 505G:
Very nice indeed.

That was exactly my thought!

465H&H