.577 BPE

[tarawa]

Is anyone shooting an old .577 BPE? I am considering purchasing or building one. I have a bunch of empty casings sitting on my desk, just waiting to be loaded and brought back to life!

 

[DUGABOY1]

Well Tarawa this is an old thread to didn't seem to get much attention, but like you the 577BPE interests me no end. The cases are easy to make from the modern 577NE brass, and in black powder form it is usable in almost any type of break-to, or falling / rolling block rifle with a little work.

I have an early Pedersoli double rifle that was 45-70, but is now chambered for 458 RCBS. This rifle doesn't ballance well because the barrels were left so heavy. There is pleanty of barrel meat to bore out to .577, an chamber to 577BPE, or 577 Snider, and make the rifle not only handle better, but be a real blast to hunt with in North America.

LaBounty designed a fixture that allowed him to re-bore double rifle barrels without seperating the barrels. LaBounty has retired but sold the business to a young man who was trained by LaBounty, and he is the owner of the fixture for re-boreing double rifle barrels. The early pedersomis are perfect candidates for re-boreing to larger Black powder, and NFB (Nitro for Black) caretidges.

I have been thinking of doing this for some time, and after reading your post it has me thinking about it again. I think I will contact the guy and give him what I want to do, and see what he thinks. The re-bore and rechambering will likely run about $1000.oo or a little more but will be worth it for the end result. Should be a blast to hunt bear over bait, or moose, and wild boar with!

 

[tarawa]

DUGABOY1,
Sorry for the delay in answering, but I was out of town working. Now you really got my attention. I never thought of reboring my Pedersoli, but it sounds like something that I would like to do. Lets discuss this a little more.

 

[DUGABOY1]

DUGABOY1,
Sorry for the delay in answering, but I was out of town working. Now you really got my attention. I never thought of reboring my Pedersoli, but it sounds like something that I would like to do. Lets discuss this a little more.

Sorry it took so long to get back to you but I simply had lost the contact for the outfit who does this re-boring! The website is
Delta Gun Shop / Clearwater Reboring

Hope that works! The guys boring service is Clearwater Reboring and opperates out of:

Delta Gun Shop
989 Bear Creek Road
Covlille, Wa 99114

Phone No is: (509)684-5855

Been thinking about this for some time now, and I see all kinds of mods that could be done on the Pedersoli cartridge double rifles. Sleeving in lighter barrels for things like 303 Britt, or even 375 flanged, or 405 Win. makes more sense than starting with a rusty old shotgun action. However re-boring to a low pressure 577 cartridge like the 577BPE, or the 577 Snider would not require a change of fore end wood to fit smaller barrels , as the re-bore wouldn't change the outside diameter of the exsisting barrels, and would make a fun big hammer rifle to play with for wild boar, and black bear.

 

[Skyline]

Dugaboy..............I think you have a minor typo there and you meant to have Colville, Washington. Just a few miles east of Kettle Falls?

 

[AkMike]

Something to consider before getting ahead of your self.. The Pedersoli's are supposed to be brazed barrels not soldered so you might be ruining a good rifle when it can't be re regulated for the new cartridge. Be sure to check that out befrore you tear it apart.

 

[DUGABOY1]

Sorry it took so long to get back to you but I simply had lost the contact for the outfit who does this re-boring! The website is
Delta Gun Shop / Clearwater Reboring

Hope that works! The guys boring service is Clearwater Reboring and opperates out of:

Delta Gun Shop
989 Bear Creek Road
Colville, Wa 99114

Phone No is: (509)684-5855

Been thinking about this for some time now, and I see all kinds of mods that could be done on the Pedersoli cartridge double rifles. Sleeving in lighter barrels for things like 303 Britt, or even 375 flanged, or 405 Win. makes more sense than starting with a rusty old shotgun action. However re-boring to a low pressure 577 cartridge like the 577BPE, or the 577 Snider would not require a change of fore end wood to fit smaller barrels , as the re-bore wouldn't change the outside diameter of the exsisting barrels, and would make a fun big hammer rifle to play with for wild boar, and black bear.

correction! Colville
Man I hate that time limit for editing, it makes it hard to go back and make corrections like this one!

 

[DUGABOY1]

Something to consider before getting ahead of your self.. The Pedersoli's are supposed to be brazed barrels not soldered so you might be ruining a good rifle when it can't be re regulated for the new cartridge. Be sure to check that out befrore you tear it apart.

AKMike, I'm well aware of the regulation with the newer Pedersolis, however this rifle is no longer a stock Pedersoli, but is only the 133rd one off the line from Trail Guns Armory and it has already been re-chambered and regulated for 458 RCBS years ago, and shoots very well, but the barrels are way too heavy for the 458 diameter, making it very muzzle heavy. They measure 0.819" at muzzle, while my 577NE only measures 0.7954" at muzzle! Contrary to popular belief a brazed barrel set can be re-regulated, but it takes more complex methods, but can be done quite sucessfully.

The rifles would still make better mono-blocks for a sleeve-in with lighter barrels for a better ballance, and better cartridges than the 45-70 than an old shotgun.

 

[AkMike]

I wasn't aware that the older ones were soldered.. Thanks for adding that Mac!
I know that my 9.3X74R Pedersoli is wayy to barrel heavy also. Keep us posted if you bore or mono block it.
Just for shitz and giggles I measured the diameter of my Pedersoli 'club'. .675" I'd always guessed that they used the same tube and just bored it out bigger for the 45-70.

 

[tarawa]

I have to check mine, but I believe it is an older Trails Gun Armory also. It has the browned barrels for sure.

 

[DUGABOY1]

I have to check mine, but I believe it is an older Trails Gun Armory also. It has the browned barrels for sure.

Tarawa, that is why the older ones are BROWNED, because blueing salts would damage the solder, and the rust blue was too expensive. The latter ones are Brazed so they can be dip blued.
All that is needed to see if your double is soldered is a straight pin at the muzzle wedge. If it is soft, and silver collered it is soldered, but if bronze yellow it is brazed.

Both old and new are brazed at the breech like all dovetail, or shoe lump barrel sets. Most forend hangers are also brazed in as well on most double rifles today, but regulation is soldered.

 

[Thomas Rutledge]

I have a new to me Greener .577 Express and am working through getting ammo built.

 

[cal pappas]

In my Manton .577 3" bpe 65 grains of IMR 4198 is a good start and go up from there until a good target is achieved. My Manton is cased with lots of original tools and a good history of the original owner. I sold a Hollis .577 that was a heavier rifle than the present Manton but I liked the case and accsssories.
Cal

 

[Thomas Rutledge]

In my Manton .577 3" bpe 65 grains of IMR 4198 is a good start and go up from there until a good target is achieved. My Manton is cased with lots of original tools and a good history of the original owner. I sold a Hollis .577 that was a heavier rifle than the present Manton but I liked the case and accsssories.
Cal

Any additional info would be helpful. Bullets used etc...
Thanks.

 

[cal pappas]

My former .577 Hollis was regulated for 6 drams or about 165 grains of Curtis and Harvey’s no6 black powder. The bullet used was 650 grains. The above information was not stamped on the action nor barrel flats. I came to believe the cartridge load based on the weight of the rifle and what I was able to get to shoot an accurate group. I used both a cast 650-grain bullet and the Woodelgh 650-grain soft point made for the bpe cartridges. A gent here bought the rifle and took a giraffe with it in Africa not too long ago. It’s nice to see these rifles used where they meant to be used. The new owner used the load that I worked out for the rifle. (If memory serves, it was for 75 grains if IMR 4198 but I may be a bit off as I don’t have my notes with me).



My new Manton weighs a bit over a pound less than the Hollis. Honestly, I’d prefer the Hollis but this Manton has the original case with the owner’s name on the lid. Researching the name I found out a wonderful biography of the gentleman. Included in the case is a nice selection of cleaning and reloading tools, including a mould, neck expander, neck reamer, and decapper. The barrel of the Manton is stamped with the load of 6 drams but the bullet weight the rife was made for was 590 grains. While it shot the 650 grains bullet fine with a slight reduction of powder I have ordered and received a 590 grain mould and in the spring will work with the new mould to get an accurate load. If I was going to hunt with the rifle and wanted to use a jacketed soft point bullet, I would use the heavier Woodleigh 650s with a slightly reduced charge of IMR 4198.



If you are building your own .577 to have black powder ballistics, you are of course free to use whatever bullet, bullet weight, powder, and velocity you wish. You are not held to the standards of an original rifle.



Good luck with whatever you pursue.

Cal

 

[Thomas Rutledge]

My former .577 Hollis was regulated for 6 drams or about 165 grains of Curtis and Harvey’s no6 black powder. The bullet used was 650 grains. The above information was not stamped on the action nor barrel flats. I came to believe the cartridge load based on the weight of the rifle and what I was able to get to shoot an accurate group. I used both a cast 650-grain bullet and the Woodelgh 650-grain soft point made for the bpe cartridges. A gent here bought the rifle and took a giraffe with it in Africa not too long ago. It’s nice to see these rifles used where they meant to be used. The new owner used the load that I worked out for the rifle. (If memory serves, it was for 75 grains if IMR 4198 but I may be a bit off as I don’t have my notes with me).



My new Manton weighs a bit over a pound less than the Hollis. Honestly, I’d prefer the Hollis but this Manton has the original case with the owner’s name on the lid. Researching the name I found out a wonderful biography of the gentleman. Included in the case is a nice selection of cleaning and reloading tools, including a mould, neck expander, neck reamer, and decapper. The barrel of the Manton is stamped with the load of 6 drams but the bullet weight the rife was made for was 590 grains. While it shot the 650 grains bullet fine with a slight reduction of powder I have ordered and received a 590 grain mould and in the spring will work with the new mould to get an accurate load. If I was going to hunt with the rifle and wanted to use a jacketed soft point bullet, I would use the heavier Woodleigh 650s with a slightly reduced charge of IMR 4198.



If you are building your own .577 to have black powder ballistics, you are of course free to use whatever bullet, bullet weight, powder, and velocity you wish. You are not held to the standards of an original rifle.



Good luck with whatever you pursue.

Cal

Thanks Cal, My goal is to go lighter with a load that will regulate. I want to respect the age of the rifle and acknowledge at 12lbs it’s light.

Thanks, Tom

 

[Thomas Rutledge]

My former .577 Hollis was regulated for 6 drams or about 165 grains of Curtis and Harvey’s no6 black powder. The bullet used was 650 grains. The above information was not stamped on the action nor barrel flats. I came to believe the cartridge load based on the weight of the rifle and what I was able to get to shoot an accurate group. I used both a cast 650-grain bullet and the Woodelgh 650-grain soft point made for the bpe cartridges. A gent here bought the rifle and took a giraffe with it in Africa not too long ago. It’s nice to see these rifles used where they meant to be used. The new owner used the load that I worked out for the rifle. (If memory serves, it was for 75 grains if IMR 4198 but I may be a bit off as I don’t have my notes with me).



My new Manton weighs a bit over a pound less than the Hollis. Honestly, I’d prefer the Hollis but this Manton has the original case with the owner’s name on the lid. Researching the name I found out a wonderful biography of the gentleman. Included in the case is a nice selection of cleaning and reloading tools, including a mould, neck expander, neck reamer, and decapper. The barrel of the Manton is stamped with the load of 6 drams but the bullet weight the rife was made for was 590 grains. While it shot the 650 grains bullet fine with a slight reduction of powder I have ordered and received a 590 grain mould and in the spring will work with the new mould to get an accurate load. If I was going to hunt with the rifle and wanted to use a jacketed soft point bullet, I would use the heavier Woodleigh 650s with a slightly reduced charge of IMR 4198.



If you are building your own .577 to have black powder ballistics, you are of course free to use whatever bullet, bullet weight, powder, and velocity you wish. You are not held to the standards of an original rifle.



Good luck with whatever you pursue.

Cal

Cal, This is on my other thread but I will repeat it here. My rifle did regulate. The load was a 650 woodliegh with 76g of 4198. My rifle is 10.5 lbs. I arranged concierge service with Lonnie at Superior. It was a great experience all around.

Thanks,

Tom

 

[cal pappas]

Wonderful and congratulations on a positive experience. The next step is to bring your .577 to the Alaska double shoot May 4!
Csl

 

[Thomas Rutledge]

Wonderful and congratulations on a positive experience. The next step is to bring your .577 to the Alaska double shoot May 4!
Csl

Cal, Please tell me how I can find out the details of this event?

Thanks, Tom

 

[cal pappas]

Tom:
I will advertise the shoot at the new year.
Basically, email me at <pappas@mtaonline.net>
I set it up with the help from the local double guys; first Saturday every May.
2019 will be on May 4 at the Birchwood range east of Anchorage.
We shoot 10-12, feed all lunch, and shoot 1 on until our shoulders are sore.
Expect around 50 doubles. We all get to shoot each other's rifles. We don't charge for ammo. No competition, just a fun get together.
With enough notice I may be able to assist with transportation and a place to stay to avoid hotel and car rental charges for our visitors.
We have had gents from the Lower 48 and a few overseas visitors.
All are welcome.
Cal