500 Jeffery Club

[Forrest Halley]

Remember that time the Australian gentleman ran the .500 Jeff R8 so smooth and fast? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

 

[TOBY458]

@IvW Haven't heard from you in awhile...

 

[jlb1036]

Beautiful rifle! I wish I could add some stories, but I got my brown bear with my 375 Weatherby (which was an exciting close up and personal hunt) Next time I'll take the 500 Jeffery! Rifle picture.

That's an excellent round i will be hunting next august in south africa cape buffalo will be bringing my 375 wby mag and my handloads with 300grs at 2,800 fps excellent energy and velocity for buff and plains game .
My rifles are CZ 550 and Blaser R8 thus i will bring the Blaser safari heavy barrel and magnaported .

 

[Aussie_Hunter]

Remember that time the Australian gentleman ran the .500 Jeff R8 so smooth and fast? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

haha nah I can't remember

 

[VertigoBE]

Can anyone who owns both, make a comparison between the .500 Jeffery, .505 Gibbs and the .500 NE 3" ? As far as ballistics, terminal effect and recoil? Any preference between the bolt actions and the double rifle?

 

[KJE81]

If one for some reason would like a double rifle in .500 Jeffery I saw this Zanardini at Dorleac & Dorleac, a nice looking gun but perhaps the rebated rim would make extraction even harder then a regular rimless caliber in a double rifle.

OXFORD "African Dangerous Game Double Rifle" | DORLEAC & DORLEAC

www.dorleac-dorleac.com

 

[uplander01]

I am a fan of the 500 Jeffery cartridge since the 1960s, but I prefer to call it, as far as I am concerned, 12,7x70 Schüler because of the caliber of my rifle that I had built in the nineties.

View attachment 503082

I have shot quite a few game with it, including several elephants, a game species for that this cartridge was developed, and not for anything else. I only shot one buffalo with it, but this cartridge is oversized for buffalo hunting, and therefore also for other wild species. You can certainly shoot a lot of other game than elephants with it, but who plans something like that should consider looking at a different caliber than trying to master the 500 Jeffery cartridge with reduced loads.

I allow myself this comment because I am constantly exposed to criticism regarding the use of the cartridge 460 WBY-Magnum for hunting big game in Africa, a cartridge that is more suitable for hunting other game species in Africa than elephants as the cartridge 500 Jeffery.

I would have to very respectfully disagree sir.....it's the same "caliber" debate thats been going on for ages.....you don't need a 338 WM for elk,... 416 rem too much gun for bears, etc. I feel if you can practice, master, carry the rifle, and stay in good enough physical condition to shoot it under duress,...punch bigger holes your quarry, what's the harm in it.

On another note, all the Weatherby cartridges IMO were way ahead of their time. I feel the only reason they got a bad wrap is because the Weatherby Rifle platform is just not that great. Had those cartridges said Rigby or Winchester on the head stamp and the rifles they were built for had been on CRF platform the historical story may be very different.

 

[uplander01]

For everyones viewing pleasure, because 1 is none, and 2 is 1. One of the handful of 500J center feed Sterling Davenport Mauser Rifles. Magnificent in every way.

 

[uplander01]

Can anyone who owns both, make a comparison between the .500 Jeffery, .505 Gibbs and the .500 NE 3" ? As far as ballistics, terminal effect and recoil? Any preference between the bolt actions and the double rifle?

Shot all three, doubles behave differently and are heavier IMO so its hard to compare, but the 500J and 505G feel about the same to me. Rifles in the Gibbs are usually a bit heavier and the stroke of the action is a bit longer, a detriment in my decision making. My experience with the Gibbs has only been on Granite Mountain Rifles. If looking at the mathematical aspect they all 3 equal death at what they are pointed at.

 

[AZDAVE]

@VertigoBE I have shot a friend 500NE double a fair bit and it has the least amount of recoil. Very easy to manage 570gr at 2150. I have also shot a ruger #1 in 500 NE and it has the worst recoil of the 4

The 500 shooting a 570 at 2300 and the 505 shooting a 600 at 2300 are very similar. My 505 fits better than the 500 CZ that I used to own, so to me my 505 has a less perceived recoil. Haven't had a chance to hunt with the 505 yet. The 500 I shot a backup shot on a buddies elephant and ruined a jackals day. Both shots and a marked impact on the animal in question.

All three are great rounds

 

[IvW]

Oh the 500 JEFF....truely the best stopping caliber available....it puts anything down....hard..coming or going...my absolute favourite dg caliber. Those who think it is "too big" for buffalo have clearly never had to stop buffalo, liin, hippo or elephant at close range I can assure you. Yes maybe it is a bit much for a visiting hunter but for a profesional it makes a lot of sense especially if elephant is hunted on a regular basis.
Yes it is a 500 and yes many wont be able to master it but if you can there is no finer dg stopping cartridge for the big ones....

 

[VertigoBE]

Oh the 500 JEFF....truely the best stopping caliber available....it puts anything down....hard..coming or going...my absolute favourite dg caliber. Those who think it is "too big" for buffalo have clearly never had to stop buffalo, liin, hippo or elephant at close range I can assure you. Yes maybe it is a bit much for a visiting hunter but for a profesional it makes a lot of sense especially if elephant is hunted on a regular basis.
Yes it is a 500 and yes many wont be able to master it but if you can there is no finer dg stopping cartridge for the big ones....

A PH I spoke with recently, who carries a 500 jeffery, said that he'd rather shoot all day his 500 jeffery, than a .470 NE. That it is, despite the big caliber quite, quite nice to shoot. And his reloads were going at 2400 feet/s, so definitely not using underpowered loads.

Would you agree with that?

 

[IvW]

A PH I spoke with recently, who carries a 500 jeffery, said that he'd rather shoot all day his 500 jeffery, than a .470 NE. That it is, despite the big caliber quite, quite nice to shoot. And his reloads were going at 2400 feet/s, so definitely not using underpowered loads.

Would you agree with that?

Yes....
A properly built and balanced 500 Jeff is a pleasure. The results at the front end are just devestating....
But I will say it again it is not a caliber that all can handle but if you can there is nothing that comes close....
Yes it has recoil but that is mitigated by a properly balanced and fitting rifle. The recoil is also not sharp such as from the Wannaby calibers in big bore....
It is truely a magnificent DG caliber...

 

[Beck]

That's gotta be a couple grand worth of AMMO

 

[IvW]

That's gotta be a couple grand worth of AMMO

Ammo is the cheapest part of any safari if you are the hunter or the person that has to keep everybody safe.....I am happy to pay the premium....

 

[uplander01]

Recoil is mathematic, a good recoil calculator can illustrate the ft/lb recoil impulse based on load data and weight of the rifle. Of course that doesn't take into account the stock design and fit. I have had the opposite experience that you have mentioned above, (but) my double 470 weighs 11.5 lbs, my 500J (both of them weigh 10.25). The recoil in ft/lb of the 470 is in the low 60's, the recoil ft/lb of the 500J is around the low 90's depending on the load. Thats a big difference in what you're going to feel. All this taken into consideration, the GMA 500j in the first pic I posted is easier to shoot than the SD. I attribute that to stock design. The GMA has a big pad print and straight comb design, the SD has a lot more drop at the heel in a more traditional design and a smaller pad print..

 

[grand veneur]

I would have to very respectfully disagree sir.....it's the same "caliber" debate thats been going on for ages.....you don't need a 338 WM for elk,... 416 rem too much gun for bears, etc. I feel if you can practice, master, carry the rifle, and stay in good enough physical condition to shoot it under duress,...punch bigger holes your quarry, what's the harm in it.

On another note, all the Weatherby cartridges IMO were way ahead of their time. I feel the only reason they got a bad wrap is because the Weatherby Rifle platform is just not that great. Had those cartridges said Rigby or Winchester on the head stamp and the rifles they were built for had been on CRF platform the historical story may be very different.

I don't need to be convinced about the use of bigger bores, I belong to the hunters that prefers larger calibers for hunting. I am also a Fan of Weatherby cartridges, especially the cartridge 460 WBY-Magnum. I try often enough to defend this cartridge on various forums.

There are enough hunters but who are of the opinion that the cartridge 375 H&H Magnum for example is THE universal caliber and that you don't need anything else, even professionals on this forum who claim that, but next time praise cartridges like the 500 Jeffery for their good working. I cannot always understand that, and what was written above would rather be addressed to all these.

Nevertheless, there is a reasonable upper limit for each game species in terms of caliber, and that was what I meant when I wrote that I think that the cartridge 500 Jeffery ist oversized for hunting buffaloes. That doesn't mean that you cannot hunt buffaloes or other DG with this cartridge.

 

[IvW]

The upper limit is determined by the user not the caliber....or should be...

 

[IvW]

Recoil is mathematic, a good recoil calculator can illustrate the ft/lb recoil impulse based on load data and weight of the rifle. Of course that doesn't take into account the stock design and fit. I have had the opposite experience that you have mentioned above, (but) my double 470 weighs 11.5 lbs, my 500J (both of them weigh 10.25). The recoil in ft/lb of the 470 is in the low 60's, the recoil ft/lb of the 500J is around the low 90's depending on the load. Thats a big difference in what you're going to feel. All this taken into consideration, the GMA 500j in the first pic I posted is easier to shoot than the SD. I attribute that to stock design. The GMA has a big pad print and straight comb design, the SD has a lot more drop at the heel in a more traditional design and a smaller pad print..

Irrespective of fit etc. 10.25 lbs is too light for a 500 Jeff with normal loads

 

[krish]

I don't need to be convinced about the use of bigger bores, I belong to the hunters that prefers larger calibers for hunting. I am also a Fan of Weatherby cartridges, especially the cartridge 460 WBY-Magnum. I try often enough to defend this cartridge on various forums.

There are enough hunters but who are of the opinion that the cartridge 375 H&H Magnum for example is THE universal caliber and that you don't need anything else, even professionals on this forum who claim that, but next time praise cartridges like the 500 Jeffery for their good working. I cannot always understand that, and what was written above would rather be addressed to all these.

Nevertheless, there is a reasonable upper limit for each game species in terms of caliber, and that was what I meant when I wrote that I think that the cartridge 500 Jeffery ist oversized for hunting buffaloes. That doesn't mean that you cannot hunt buffaloes or other DG with this cartridge.

I consider 450 Rigby,460 wby, 505 gibbs, and 500j as charge stopers.
Yes a 340wby will kill a buffalo 9 out of 10 times.
I am quoting this from Art Alphine Any shot you want.
Krish.