500 Jeffery Club

No disrespect to the 500 Jeff as it is truly an incredible round but my vote was and is for the 505 Gibbs. Everything I shoot with it looks like it's been hit with a bolt of lightning from Zeus and falls to the ground right where it was shot. Just a devastating round with plenty of room in the case to load up or down as the shooter wishes.

HH
 
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.
It is quite simple 375 H& H is the most useful and capible cartridge that a visiting hunter can bring to Africa for a mixed bag safari which includes dg. It is also the biggest cartridge most visiting hunters can handle. Most hunters are from USA where the biggest cartridge most regularly use are 300WM.
460 WM cannot be shot by 99% of hunters....add to that that the platform is a real piss poor one for dg...pushfeed...2 rounds down....muzzle brake on most...horendous recoil...etc.etc...same as 378 WM...the few who claim to be able to shoot this cartridge at full power well I guess they are in a class of their own....which I am not capable of so for my backup work and own dg hunting I will stick to 375 H&H 404 Jeff and 500 Jeff and leave the Wanna be cartridges to the more competent....
 
Courtesy of a member ...
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I guess I am part of the club. I have a .500 Jeffery that has experienced precarious situations and I have seen her do things that show a level of power that has to be seen to believe. I have a Custom CZ 550 that has been customized by Matrix Gunsmithing who took over for AHR with their #2 package that includes three position safety, straightened and filled bolt handle etc. I also added a few other custom touches like an ebony tip, red decelerator pad and a Mauser sight hood. Here is a picture of her in Moz from 2021.
View attachment 503078
I won't tell the whole story here. But the cliff notes of my .500 Jeffery precarious situation involve a completely unexpected buffalo charge from a no chance 5 meters, a point black hip shot from my .500 Jeffery while dodging out of the way and some miraculous shooting from my PH Jaco Strauss. The aftermath picture is below. You can see my .500 Jeffery beneath the buffalo. I might add it was undamaged other than some scratches in the stock.
View attachment 503083
That first buffalo hunt was so exciting we decided we had to hunt another. That hunt demonstrated the unusual effect the ,500 Jeffery can have on a Buffalo. I hit Buffalo #2 perfectly on the shoulder from 25 yards with a .570 grain Woodleigh Solid. At the impact the Buffalo did not even flinch, didn't move, not a sound. It froze for so long that Jaco started to tell me that I had missed and the buffalo was deaf shoot again when the Buffalo fell over as if it was poll axed and immediately gave the death baugh. Both hunting reports can be read here titled "Pain and Redemption in Niassa" Below is the 2nd Buffalo, a very happy hunter and one very special to me .500 Jeffery.
View attachment 503087



Say hello to Jaco for me! The only dangerous thing I did with him was drink at Rum Bullions after an SCI Conference in Reno, that was dangerous enough lol!
 
Excellent read, Thank you.
9lbs is pretty unbearable.
Wayne's build was 2nd hand, anemic & little short in LOP. The original owner had it spec'd for & included 100 loads of 600grn's @ 2100 fps. Whether or not that's an ideal load or unorthodox, they are remarkably accurate. Still One of the finest rifles I've known.

Put 9 Rounds from a kneeling position .. felt the last one. It looked like pooled lividity around the entire shoulder.
 
Did your shoulder look like this? My first time out with my 500 Jeffery wearing a T-Shirt and firing all 30 rounds from the bench. Last 6 rounds were 570g TSX at 2510 fps. I've learned since then :) It's become my favorite rifle.

full
 
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Here I was all happy with my 416 Rem, and then threads like this come along…you guys are killing me. I’m gonna have to stop reading.

@Daniel Cary thanks for clickbait, like there’s not enough of that to go around ;)

@zephyr , yes a 505 thread is just what I need… I am never gonna make it back to Africa.
 
Say hello to Jaco for me! The only dangerous thing I did with him was drink at Rum Bullions after an SCI Conference in Reno, that was dangerous enough lol!
Yes ,Jaco is tops when it comes to evening entertainment! I plan to be back in Moz with Jaco next year. I cannot wait to take another buffalo or two with my .500 Jeffery! I'll tell him hi when I see him at DSC for you.
 
Courtesy of a member ...
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Where would the correct shot placement be on this elephant? Something like this? Or would I be squashed?
EFD531CD-25F1-401B-BC78-A00E6F5A2515.jpeg

In any event I’m no danger of this happening any time soon. Took a screenshot of this long ago :cool:
 
Here I was all happy with my 416 Rem, and then threads like this come along…you guys are killing me. I’m gonna have to stop reading.

@Daniel Cary thanks for clickbait, like there’s not enough of that to go around ;)

@zephyr , yes a 505 thread is just what I need… I am never gonna make it back to Africa.
CZ started it ; .. for an affordable Renaissance
I think this 505 was ready to ship in 2016, I passed on it & they started to become extinct ..
1670022814098.png
 
Fletcher Jamieson , hunter and photographer, sadly died young 1947, may not be known by everyone but was also a fan of the cartridge 500 Jeffery.

1670057007563.png

Above: Fletcher Jamieson sitting at rear, with his .500 Jeffery Rimless, and closer to the camera, his brother Norman.


His rifle
1670057571811.png
 

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Where would the correct shot placement be on this elephant? Something like this? Or would I be squashed?
View attachment 503221
In any event I’m no danger of this happening any time soon. Took a screenshot of this long ago :cool:

That's pretty good placement, I would put it just a bit lower still , as it seems from the pic that you are shooting up. In case you miss the brain (below) the round can still continue to impact the spine.

But that's just me. Might be wrong too. @IvW ?
 

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idjeffp wrote on Jon R15's profile.
Hi Jon,
I saw your post for the .500 NE cases. Are these all brass or are they nickel plated? Hard for me to tell... sorry.
Thanks,
Jeff [redacted]
Boise, ID
[redacted]
African Scenic Safaris is a Sustainable Tour Operator based in Moshi, Tanzania. Established in 2009 as a family business, the company is owned and operated entirely by locals who share the same passion for showing people the amazing country of Tanzania and providing a fantastic personalized service.
FDP wrote on dailordasailor's profile.
1200 for the 375 barrel and accessories?
 
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