Gents:
I'm new here and let me make a few points and comments as to what has been written:
1. In the short video of me and the 4-bore, I'm 6' not 6'3". The recoil was so bad as it was a heavy bullet (2100 grains), a heavy charge of FFg black powder (400+ grains), and the rifle was a light single shot (about 16 pounds). The heaviest recoil I have felt is in my double Hughes at 22 pounds with a 1900-grain conical and 440 grains of FFg GOEX. Rob's single I fired was the heaviest I've ever felt.
2. A comment on heavy doubles and an automatic safety. In my limited experience I have seen far more doubles with an auto safety than a manual safety. It is the same argument as single trigger vs. double trigger. It is either or, no right or wrong, but it is sound wisdom to keep all of one's rifles with the same number of triggers and the same type of safety. In my personal experience, my first several vintage doubles had an auto safety. It became natural to slide the safe button forward as the rifle is being shouldered when hunting. It is habit now. And, when I have a rifle now with a non auto safe, I forget to put the rifle on safe as that has not been ingrained in me. I've had 14 hunts if Africa (and two vacations) and three to Australia and many years in Alaska. Doubles have been used exclusively the past 10 years or more and all with auto safes. My last four international hunts were with my .600 Wilkes and it came with an auto safety in April of 1914. (It makes a damn fine plains game rifle albeit a tad over-powered).
3. For the gent who was disappointed with me downloading my 4-bore, 8-bores, and .600. Nothing personal--all I can do is offer my apology. About 15+ years ago a hairy chested he man who said his .458 was mild, took a shot with my 8-bore Locke with a 1620-grain conical and 400 grains of FFg. The rifle nearly flew out of his hands as he lost his balance. If someone drops the rifle, I can guarantee no one will offer to replace or repair the rifle. After that experience when folks whom I do not know I download the big ones by 10-20% in the bore rifles and 10-15% in the .600.In my bore rifles, I only load a ball and not a heavy conical. That's ok in many folk's opinion. After all, most want to say they shot a 8, 4, or .600, just to say they did it. It is not the quality of the rifle nor it's history. Folks don't care my .500 was Jack Lott's rifle, my .450 no2 spent several decades at White Hunter's Africa Ltd., my .600 was owned by a well-known elephant hunter in the post WWII era, or the history of my .500 Holland Royal whose owner was speared to death by natives in 1907. No, folks just want to shoot a big rifle. If they were interested in quality doubles they would want to shoot a .350, .450-400, etc. So, to allow folks I don't know the experience to shooting the biggest doubles from the vintage years and to protect my investment (they are rather expensive) I download them. That said, many of my friends have shot full house loads with my rifles, but they are men with both experience to handle them correctly and the means and character to repair a damaged rifle. At last year's shoot a gent (who was with us this year) had my .600 double on him with full loads. 320 grains of IMR 4831 and 1800 grains of lead!!! He knows how to shoot and he held on to the rifle and kept his composure!
It was a pleasure to hold this shoot and I do hope others will fly up form the flat lands of the tropical lower 48 states and join us. Alaska has many fine collections and it's an honor to get together once or twice a year to play with our toys and let others do so, too.
Cheers, mates.
Cal
Welcome to AH Cal! From the end of the road (Seward) Looking forward to your contribution here.
)pointed out a nice ruger no1 in the interesting caliber 458 Lott. It looked so lonely in the pictures I decided it needed a new home where it could feel appreciated!
