577/500 No. 2 Express

[Altitude sickness]

You should say a silent prayer for any animal that you will shoot with a CEB Safari Raptor.

“For those about to drop, We salute you”

 

[TheDoubleD]

100s, on top of hundreds....... Since 2011 and before.........

You have shot Cape Buffalo with these CE bullets?

I am concerned about this bullets performance. The shearing the petals, concerns me. Does this really work in Cape buffalo?

But personally, I do not recommend a Raptor for your application, you are just not running enough velocity to take advantage of the devastation that a Raptor can produce. You are better off with a good CEB 400 gr Solid that Posted above....... This will provide the penetration you might need at that low velocity.

This 577/500 No. 2 Express 2-13/16" case has not been modernize. Most of the the gun in this chambering are double rifles. Pressures needs to be kept down these old doubles.

I'm not shooting a double. I am shooting Greener Sporting Martini. And not a converted Greener shotgun either. These Sporting Martini's were available black powder proved. Pay the extra fee and you could order it Nitro proved proved. Same gun, pay the fee and it's nitro proved.

I like the idea of the modern CEB .510 475 grain bullet, but can I push it to 2000 fps and keep pressures under 40,000 lbs?

 

[michael458]

You have shot Cape Buffalo with these CE bullets?

25 or so....... and near 100 or so Asiatic.............

I am concerned about this bullets performance. The shearing the petals, concerns me. Does this really work in Cape buffalo?

Blades. not petals............ Does it work? With Extreme Prejudice...Deadly Wicked, mass trauma inflicted.........

I like the idea of the modern CEB .510 475 grain bullet, but can I push it to 2000 fps and keep pressures under 40,000 lbs?

I have no idea...... I am not in the least familiar with the cartridge........... from the velocity you quote, I have explained several times to you that at those lower velocities I think you are better off with the 400 gr CEB .510 caliber Solid.......... I have stated this many times........ If you want to run Raptors, it helps to have a cartridge that can run a little more velocity. Raptors Like Velocity.

 

[Altitude sickness]

DoubleD, I just killed a bull and cow with a 400 grain raptor. .416 Taylor in June. So more speed than your set up. And not your rifle. But you asked if the bullet is up to Buffalo.

The bull stumbled/fell downhill and was dead in 15 ish feet.

Unfortunately we had such an aggressive hunt, hanging baits, checking baits, sitting baits.

that I didn’t have the luxury of being in camp to do the proper forensics and pictures on the Buffalo carcass.

The bull was in the brush to the left of the red dot. And here is where he died. We turned him 180 for pictures.

he didn’t have time to bellow. Died almost instantly

Be careful of animals behind a target animal. After the blades come off. the rest keeps moving forward as a solid.

One word to describe the Raptor. Devastation

 

[TheDoubleD]

510

25 or so....... and near 100 or so Asiatic.............

Blades. not petals............ Does it work? With Extreme Prejudice...Deadly Wicked, mass trauma inflicted.........

That is what I need to know.

Now it is up to me to find a way, if possible drive the bullets fast enough.


How fast do I need to drive these bullets?

I just found all the data to insert in Quick load.

Quick load predicts 2029 fps muzzle velocity and just under 28,000 psi with 87 grains of Varget for the Cutting edge 475 grain, .502 Safari Raptor.

How much do I trust Quick Load?

 

[michael458]

How fast do I need to drive these bullets?

2000 + muzzle............ and if you are using a single shot or some such, then add a Talon Tip which gives you 125-150 fps at 50 yard impacts...........

 

[TheDoubleD]

Thanks, this is the type of information I am looking for.

Telling me to reach for 2000 fps, thank you fact I am looking at.

Right now I am looking at the following bullets.

1. Cutting Edge. .510 475GR SAFARI RAPTOR-NITRO EXPRESS

2. Hawk .510 440 grain .050 jacket

3. .510 hard cast bullet.

I finally found the Bill Pace article from Gun Digest on his use of the .500 Express. First he used the 3 inch version. Mine is the .577/.500 No. 2 Express, 2-13/16" case. He used everything he had on that buff.

I need to do load development first. Which means I need to get the bullets.

CE's and Hawk on order. Waiting for delivery.

Research to be done on the hard cast bullet. Need some input on that. Suggestions?

 

[TheDoubleD]

BTW. It's not lost on me the that Bill Pace put 10 rounds into the Buffalo before it was finished.

Old double rifle loaded to regulate with old load ballistics.

That is not my goal. I am going for safe loads with 400 plus grain bullet at 2000 fps with this old cartridge.

If not I will be using either the .404 Barnes Jones Express, which is actually .416 BJ, Or I will use my 450/400 3".

 

[TheDoubleD]

Well, I can't believe I spent $200 for 50 bullets. The Cutting Edge bullets came Monday. Less than a week since I ordered.

I will measure them and verify the dimensions with what is in the CB .dat file in Quickload.

I am going to start with Varget because that is what I have.

I have to say, these bullets sure are pretty. Especially with the Talon tip on top.