Poor Man's 500 J on a Ruger No 1

[krish]

as a basis for a 500J build, a gunsmith/dealer Down Under is advertising a double square bridge Bauska action as suitable for either 505Gibbs, 500Jeff, or larger... True? Not that I could afford it or tolerate the recoil )

 

[ktk120]

I built one in 500 NE about 10 years ago and it was a nice rifle, recoil was kinda harsh but controllable.
I asked about the 500J at the time and the gunsmith gave a look of you gotta be kidding and a lecture on the rebated rim and flanged rims in a double or single shot. I would be interested in seeing how your gunsmith gets it to work and whether the extractor scratches the brass every time you load and eject a round.

@colorado I dated that maiden back in the day she was a 98 lb cowgirl from Arvada. One of the guys on my football team goosed her and found she packed a hell of a right cross. So I would be careful comparing kisses.

If for some reason its not going to work I will fall back on 500NE. Looking at how the extractor works on my 458 it falls well below the brass. When the lever is opening it comes up grabs rim and falls away as its reaching fully open on the lever. The rebated rim on the 450 bushmaster looks like a larger difference from rim to case and Ruger was able to do it so I am hopeful is possible

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Yes enjoy, it's recoil is but a maiden's kiss ...

Maiden's kick in the butt more like.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

You fellas with the 500+ addiction need to keep two things in mind. First: if you are near sighted and/or diabetic, you're looking for serious trouble. Those physical conditions can make you vulnerable to retina tears/detachments even without severe recoil. Second: from about age fifty the vitreous fluid in the eyeball begins to thicken and shrink as part of the aging process. If you have thin retinas like me, the shrinking thick fluid can grab at the retina and tear holes. There are symptoms but most folks (like me) are unaware and blow them off until a torn spot becomes a full blown detachment.

Back in 2004 they thought I would probably lose sight in both eyes. I am neither majorly near sighted nor diabetic. Three major surgeries and at least a half dozen laser repairs on left eye saved it ... sort of. Vision is technically 20/40 (in perfect conditions) but distorted, out of alignment, and much of what I see with that eye my brain doesn't register clearly (hard to describe). The right eye has endured at least four extremely painful laser repairs for torn spots (not to be confused with laser surgery for cataracts which is painless). The problem with that eye is several floaters from retina debris. Nothing can be done about them without risking damage to retina. I haven't had any issues in over ten years. The eye surgeon declares me a walking miracle. About eight years ago he gave me the green light to resume hunting/shooting. "You can do anything you used to." Okay. Looking forward to bull riding again. The look on his face was priceless.

What happened? Apparently, the aging process has limits re eyeballs. At some point the vitreous fluid ceased shrinking. Also, I put away my 870 magnum goose gun and bought an old 31" Browning A5 auto Magnum Twelve. It's probably the heaviest twelve gauge ever made and its long recoil system significantly mitigates recoil. It took years of tweeking before it would shoot trap loads consistently but I'm now fairly competitive, especially for an old guy whose half blind. For big game I shoot a heavy nine pound 30-06 and don't use it at the range any more than what's required to get it sighted in. I'm now building a 404 Jeffery, mostly as an interesting project. I chose that cartridge because it has a reputation for moderate recoil. Hopefully I'll get to poke a couple more buffalo with it. The two already on the wall were killed with a borrowed 375 throwing 250 gr copper bullets. Did a fine job on both animals. Convinced me I don't need to shoot an oversized dangerous game cannon that is a bigger danger to me. I'm a historian with a penchant for the traditional and disdain for modern technocrap, but I also have no desire to be reading with my fingers.

Govern yourselves accordingly. If a retina starts to detach, it is an EMERGENCY situation. By the time I could figure out what was happening to me and get it confirmed at ER and travel to the closest hospital that could do the surgery, the retina detachments had nearly reached the macula where the optic nerve attaches. Once it reached that point it would have been lights out ... literally. So, do you want to be in the wilds of Limpopo when that 500 NE thumper shakes your eye apart? The odds of saving it would not be good.

 

[geoff rath]

View attachment 535613

Thank you, BIG heaps, Krish; I'd read the name "Bauska" somewhere but had no idea of what they are/were. Tempting to buy it for either a 550J or 416Rigby build. I have many of the components for a 416R, just sitting in a safe ... Hmmm, thinking...

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Thank you, BIG heaps, Krish; I'd read the name "Bauska" somewhere but had no idea of what they are/were. Tempting to buy it for either a 550J or 416Rigby build. I have many of the components for a 416R, just sitting in a safe ... Hmmm, thinking...

Curiously, he pronounced his name Boski. He was a friend of my dad ... and many other folks. A kind, smiling guy who always had time to talk or listen. Back in '82 my horse rolled on me while hunting in the Great Bear Wilderness. Broke the Herters stock on my Springfield rifle so Dad took me in to Kalispell to Bauska's shop. Les had heard about my near fatal hypothermia episode in '71 and wanted me to tell the story. Then he sold me the stock that's still on my rifle. It's made three trips to Africa and a fourth coming up shortly. I'm not sure who made the stock for him. He said it was a factory second due to small birdseye knot near the bottom of the butt. I also met John Buhmiller from Whitefish who was a premier barrel maker back in those days.

 

[geoff rath]

It's advertised for A,u$1300 as a basis for a 50 cal build of some sort, "my gunsmith has built 500Js on Mauser actions (I think that's what he's planning for himself). A GMA would greatly boost the cost of a build...

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

You fellas with the 500+ addiction need to keep two things in mind. First: if you are near sighted and/or diabetic, you're looking for serious trouble. Those physical conditions can make you vulnerable to retina tears/detachments even without severe recoil. Second: from about age fifty the vitreous fluid in the eyeball begins to thicken and shrink as part of the aging process. If you have thin retinas like me, the shrinking thick fluid can grab at the retina and tear holes. There are symptoms but most folks (like me) are unaware and blow them off until a torn spot becomes a full blown detachment.

Back in 2004 they thought I would probably lose sight in both eyes. I am neither majorly near sighted nor diabetic. Three major surgeries and at least a half dozen laser repairs on left eye saved it ... sort of. Vision is technically 20/40 (in perfect conditions) but distorted, out of alignment, and much of what I see with that eye my brain doesn't register clearly (hard to describe). The right eye has endured at least four extremely painful laser repairs for torn spots (not to be confused with laser surgery for cataracts which is painless). The problem with that eye is several floaters from retina debris. Nothing can be done about them without risking damage to retina. I haven't had any issues in over ten years. The eye surgeon declares me a walking miracle. About eight years ago he gave me the green light to resume hunting/shooting. "You can do anything you used to." Okay. Looking forward to bull riding again. The look on his face was priceless.

What happened? Apparently, the aging process has limits re eyeballs. At some point the vitreous fluid ceased shrinking. Also, I put away my 870 magnum goose gun and bought an old 31" Browning A5 auto Magnum Twelve. It's probably the heaviest twelve gauge ever made and its long recoil system significantly mitigates recoil. It took years of tweeking before it would shoot trap loads consistently but I'm now fairly competitive, especially for an old guy whose half blind. For big game I shoot a heavy nine pound 30-06 and don't use it at the range any more than what's required to get it sighted in. I'm now building a 404 Jeffery, mostly as an interesting project. I chose that cartridge because it has a reputation for moderate recoil. Hopefully I'll get to poke a couple more buffalo with it. The two already on the wall were killed with a borrowed 375 throwing 250 gr copper bullets. Did a fine job on both animals. Convinced me I don't need to shoot an oversized dangerous game cannon that is a bigger danger to me. I'm a historian with a penchant for the traditional and disdain for modern technocrap, but I also have no desire to be reading with my fingers.

Govern yourselves accordingly. If a retina starts to detach, it is an EMERGENCY situation. By the time I could figure out what was happening to me and get it confirmed at ER and travel to the closest hospital that could do the surgery, the retina detachments had nearly reached the macula where the optic nerve attaches. Once it reached that point it would have been lights out ... literally. So, do you want to be in the wilds of Limpopo when that 500 NE thumper shakes your eye apart? The odds of saving it would not be good.

To me it is just not worth it. What for?

 

[AZDAVE]

@krish I have 2 Bauska actioned rifles. a 404 and 505. I really like them and both rifles feed flawlessly. But these actions are getting really hard to find. The granite Mountain are exceptional but pricey!!!

 

[krish]

@krish I have 2 Bauska actioned rifles. a 404 and 505. I really like them and both rifles feed flawlessly. But these actions are getting really hard to find. The granite Mountain are exceptional but pricey!!!

i like mine two 416 Rigbys, one 404j and one 375 h&h. They are all beauriful. One GMA action to be built as 450 Rigby and MRC action for 505 gibbs. Two of the 416’swere built by less himself to his friend in Montana. Very beautiful rifles quite a few years ago. But both passed away. The rifles are unfired and blemish less. Excellent work.
Krish

 

[gballard137]

Who’s your gun smith as I’m looking for a gunsmith to build a 500 J

It's advertised for A,u$1300 as a basis for a 50 cal build of some sort, "my gunsmith has built 500Js on Mauser actions (I think that's what he's planning for himself). A GMA would greatly boost the cost of a build...

 

[geoff rath]

A "young" fella called Rob Blomfield, Sunshine Coast Gunsmithing, Queensland, Australia. I say young, 'cos he's a bit younger than me (75)...Master craftsman

 

[gballard137]

Yes I have heard of him. I’ll give him a ring sometime thanks

 

[geoff rath]

Yes I have heard of him. I’ll give him a ring sometime thanks

My highest recommendation; mention my name, if you wish...