Having "Fun" At The Range

[8x68]

Thought you guys might get a kick (sorry for the play on words) out of this.

Shooting a BRNO 602 458 Lott offhand for the first time ever. Never owned one before.

Shooting 416 Rigby offhand

I have a video of me shooting the my 450 Rigby offhand but it's a bit embarrassing as I had a major reloading whoopsy! Recoil was a bit more than the 458 Lott.

I shot the Lott off the bench using my Caldwell Leadsled (I have a video of me shooting 3 shots which I have yet to post). I had put 75lbs of lead shot on the 'sled. Caldwell suggests not going any heavier as the unit may not be able to do it's job properly. If heavier weight is used the stock can crack on the rifle.

Picture below was my buffet of "thunder" for the day

Left to right. 450 Rigby, 458 Lott, 404 Jeffery, 416 Rigby, and 375H&H (didn't shoot the 375H&H just put it up because.......well it deserves to be there)

 

[stug]

Looks like fun, but cold.

 

[matt85]

looks like fun!

no offense intended but it looks like your shooting technique could use a little work. that 458 shouldn't push you around that much and your front leg shouldn't be lifting under recoil. try leaning into to the shot a little more.

-matt

 

[8x68]

looks like fun!

no offense intended but it looks like your shooting technique could use a little work. that 458 shouldn't push you around that much and your front leg shouldn't be lifting under recoil. try leaning into to the shot a little more.

-matt

No offense taken. Wasn't sure what to expect. Appreciate the advice . Don't shoot offhand very often at that location as the old farts who run it kinda frown upon it so unfortunately don't get much practice. If I wanted to see how well out local ERT (SWAT) worked I could touch off a few rounds in my backyard. I'm guessing I might not be on Africahunting.com for a while though.
It was a bit difficult to properly shoulder rifle with the heavy coat on. Recoil pad kept getting "hooked" under the shoulder flap on the coat. Wouldn't sit quite right. Not real happy with the Monte Carlo style stock. Get "slapped" in the cheek pretty good when shooting off the bench. Going to switch it to a straight style stock at some point. Trying to decide on whether to put a low power scope on or a Holographic, or Red Dot style sight on it. A bit concerned about eye relief as the old "peepers" ain't what they used to be.

 

[8x68]

Looks like fun, but cold.

It wasn't too bad temperature wise. It was about -1c, but the wind was blowing in and that made it chilly. Not too bad when firing offhand but from the bench one starts to get chilled.

 

[BRICKBURN]

The noise from not having that muzzle outside the enclosure was impressive.

I've been knocked around by a 450 Rigby. One day i'll be big enough to play with the big boys.

 

[AB2506]

The noise from not having that muzzle outside the enclosure was impressive.

I've been knocked around by a 450 Rigby. One day i'll be big enough to play with the big boys.

I've had a couple of back surgeries and won't know until I heal up from the latest (January 16) what sort of recoil I can handle, but I don't particularly like recoil at the best of times. I'm thinking I wouldn't go more than a 375H&H or 404 Jeffery. At an in-flexible 6-1 260lbs, I am a recoil sissy. I don't particularly like the recoil of a 168gr Barnes TTSX @3100 from my Kimber Montana topped with a 2,5-8x36 Leupold. I just don't shoot it as well as my Ruger 25-06.

 

[8x68]

The noise from not having that muzzle outside the enclosure was impressive.

I've been knocked around by a 450 Rigby. One day i'll be big enough to play with the big boys.

Supposedly the muzzle must remain behind the garage door runners. What's funny is that the reason I'm standing where I am is that if I go any further forward the muzzle blast seriously vibrates the garage door. All the empty brass casings that have got caught in the door crevices and door panel rails over time rain down on your head.

 

[matt85]

Not real happy with the Monte Carlo style stock. Get "slapped" in the cheek pretty good when shooting off the bench.

yea that style of style is not for bench shooting. however, ive found those stocks to be quite pleasant for shooting off sticks which is more important for that kind of rifle any way.

-matt

 

[sandman0921]

8x68,

Enjoyed the videos. I'm not even going to comment on technique as mine is horrendous I'm sure........I haven't been shooting the big guns for long, and I'm still learning

May I ask what the reloading "woopsie" was for the 450 Rigby? If you don't wanna say I understand, but I have a 450 Rigby as well that Wayne Jacobson at AHR built me, and am still learning her likes and dislikes. I want to make sure I don't screw up by doing something stupid.......and since you may have?.....I figure I'll live vicariously through you and learn from your mistakes....or something like that.....


I haven't been brave enough to take it to 450 Dakota or 460 Weatherby levels yet, and doubt I will. I'm shooting a 500 grain Barnes TSX at right around 2300 fps, and I feel like that's fine enough by me. Pretty much spot on with 458 Lott velocities......If something needs more killing than that, I'm not sure I want to hunt it.......


Anyways keep the videos coming. I always enjoy watching other people's pain........

 

[matt85]

I'm shooting a 500 grain Barnes TSX at right around 2300 fps, and I feel like that's fine enough by me. Pretty much spot on with 458 Lott velocities......If something needs more killing than that, I'm not sure I want to hunt it.......

well said, although there is one thing id want to try if i owned either the 450 Rigby or the 458 Lott. Woodleigh makes a 550gr .458" bullet that id want to try at around 2100-2150fps.

i use a 600gr bullet in my 505 Gibbs and greatly prefer it to the lighter 525gr or 570gr bullets.

-matt

 

[sandman0921]

Woodleigh makes a 550gr .458" bullet that id want to try at around 2100-2150fps.

Matt,

North Fork also makes 550 grain semi-spitzer and percussion point bonded bullets, as well as flat point and cup point solids as well. I've been tempted to try those out as well at the indicated velocities you suggested, but while I haven't actually taken anything with the 500 grain Barnes TSX's yet, they shoot so darn well out of this AHR 450 Rigby, I don't want to screw a good thing up........

But the large case capacity of the 450 Rigby especially would accommodate those long 550 grain 0.458 bullets with room to spare, and with the increased SD (0.34 vs. 0.375) you would gain, I bet they would penetrate like a mother....

 

[CAustin]

I like it!

 

[colorado]

Fun, I only use my lead sled when sighting in or doing load development because I know it's put strain on the stock and scope. That being said with 25 lbs on it my 500 Jeffery lifts up in the air so 35 lbs it is. Offhand it's a pussycat (well not really)

 

[8x68]

8x68,

Enjoyed the videos. I'm not even going to comment on technique as mine is horrendous I'm sure........I haven't been shooting the big guns for long, and I'm still learning

May I ask what the reloading "woopsie" was for the 450 Rigby? If you don't wanna say I understand, but I have a 450 Rigby as well that Wayne Jacobson at AHR built me, and am still learning her likes and dislikes. I want to make sure I don't screw up by doing something stupid.......and since you may have?.....I figure I'll live vicariously through you and learn from your mistakes....or something like that.....


I haven't been brave enough to take it to 450 Dakota or 460 Weatherby levels yet, and doubt I will. I'm shooting a 500 grain Barnes TSX at right around 2300 fps, and I feel like that's fine enough by me. Pretty much spot on with 458 Lott velocities......If something needs more killing than that, I'm not sure I want to hunt it.......


Anyways keep the videos coming. I always enjoy watching other people's pain........

The whoopsie; and pay attention everyone, is from putting powder in one case and then going to get a coffee...forgetting that you only loaded one round with powder but seating bullets in both cartridges. Yes I know several violations of reloading safety protocols were neglected....but my coffee needed attention. I will upload the video for training purposes...no laughing I have tender feelings! One must remember that I had already fired several other "cannons" (yes I know @matt85 these are just pop guns) offhand so the shot second attempt is comical. My shoulder was becoming unhappy. Can you see the flaw? It starts with "F". I did fix it on subsequent shoots so I good now...sore...but good!
I didn't know there wasn't any powder in the second round.

Video 1: Shooting 2 rounds from 450 Rigby (or so I thought) offhand with poor shooting stance .

 

[matt85]

least you made the correct call to wait after the dud in case of a hang fire . hang fires are a real possibility with big guns and can easily be caused by not filling the case enough and not using a filler material. if there is enough of a gap between the primer and the powder you will get a hang fire.

as for the flinch... ive seen much worse. we all flinch from time to time and its nothing to worry about. to avoid flinching you need to focus on your target and your aim rather then the recoil (its tough, I know). if it makes you feel any better, I missed a 80 yard shot on a warthog last May due to a flinch with a little 416 RM. I felt stupid but I got over it and learned from my mistake.

-matt

 

[sandman0921]

8x68,

No laughing on my part. It's easy to do sometimes. Even though I have been reloading for quiet some time now, I always try and remind myself that one screw up can be potentially disastrous. Like Matt said, at least you had the foresight to wait a few seconds to make sure there wasn't a hang fire. I've had a few no-fires, but fortunately no hang fires as of yet.....I did have one squib load before, on a 257 Weatherby Magnum of all things, but fortunately I wasn't having to drive a stuck bullet out of the barrel. There was enough push behind the bullet to get it out of the barrel, but I was sweating it for sure....I still don't know what happened with that one?

I guess if your reload long enough you'll see "stuff" happen. Thanks for coming clean.....It was a good reinforcement of what can happen....and demonstrated the foresight and knowledge to wait to make sure everything was OK before you opened the bolt...

As far as flinches go, I'm surprised it wasn't worse. After punishing yourself with all of those big bores during one session, I would bet mine would be worse.......

 

[colorado]

I hurt myself pretty badly the first time I took my 500 Jeffery to the range to do load development. Shot 24 rounds in 3 shot groups from the bench starting at 2000 fps with a 570g bullet ending up at 2510 fps, no lead sled, no PAST recoil pad, just a T-shirt. I had an epic bruise (i'm really stubborn), so didn't shoot the rifle for 2 months to avoid having a flinch. No flinch, I love the rifle, but I treat it with more respect now. Settled in at 2300 fps with a 570 g bullet, due to the reduced recoil. All loads shot within .5 MOA.

Don't do this!

 

[sandman0921]

Colorado,


Geesshh man! You aren't kidding about a "bruise". I'm sure that big 500 Jeffrey makes my 450 Rigby look like a kitten in comparison.....Like Dirty Harry once said, "A man's got to know his limitations..." Myself, I think I'll draw the line at the 450 Rigby. I'll let you and Matt have all the fun with the >500 guns.

I'm sure like you did, when it comes to big guns, I learned a long time ago to put my ego aside and use all the help I can get when doing "bench work" (load development and sighting-in). Now I use a lead sled and PAST pad and I make no apologies about it. I got banged up pretty bad from a light, stock Mossberg 835 shooting full house 12 ga., 3.5 in. magnum turkey loads several years ago, and kind-of got scared of the gun which had never happened to me before. I really thought I'd lost a filling after the first time I shot it. Stupid me, I kept going in trying to "pattern" the shotgun. After 20 or so full house loads, I was dreading every trigger pull.....I won't let that happen again, especially in lieu of a gun you need to perform in a hairy situation like a big bore DG rifle.

Shooting off hand and off sticks is not a problem, and of course in a field situation, you really don't notice the recoil, but you're right about quickly developing a flinch if you don't take precautions...

I've got some pretty hard-kicking rifles, but that Mossberg 835 was the worse gun I've ever felt as far as recoil, hands down...no-comparison.

 

[8x68]

I hurt myself pretty badly the first time I took my 500 Jeffery to the range to do load development. Shot 24 rounds in 3 shot groups from the bench starting at 2000 fps with a 570g bullet ending up at 2510 fps, no lead sled, no PAST recoil pad, just a T-shirt. I had an epic bruise (i'm really stubborn), so didn't shoot the rifle for 2 months to avoid having a flinch. No flinch, I love the rifle, but I treat it with more respect now. Settled in at 2300 fps with a 570 g bullet, due to the reduced recoil. All loads shot within .5 MOA.

Don't do this!

It's like my wife said "there's being stubborn and then there's being a blockhead"
I suffer from bloodclots so I would be in "a spot of bother" if I looked like that