Single Shot 500 Nitro Express

[Aaron.F]

My brother and I were talking today and wondering how hard would it be to have a 500 Nitro Express made from a cheaper single shot, such as an H&R or Thompson Center. It would just be for fun and possibly be used on woodchucks and maybe a black bear. Any insight into such a project?

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

My brother and I were talking today and wondering how hard would it be to have a 500 Nitro Express made from a cheaper single shot, such as an H&R or Thompson Center. It would just be for fun and possibly be used on woodchucks and maybe a black bear. Any insight into such a project?

@Brian

 

[Sarg]

Yes, I built a .500NE 3 1/4in on a New England (H&R) Rifle action, long story on this & preinternet so info was hard to get then, even load data was impossible to find.

Crazy recoil with full loads, like being in a Train Crash, one shot headaches & numb arm & hand .

 

[93marlin]

Oh, what fun! Headaches and numbness!!

 

[Aaron N]

Yes, I built a .500NE 3 1/4in on a New England (H&R) Rifle action, long story on this & preinternet so info was hard to get then, even load data was impossible to find.

Crazy recoil with full loads, like being in a Train Crash, one shot headaches & numb arm & hand .

View attachment 492758

Might as well fire two, since you can’t feel after the first!

 

[mdwest]

Absolutely can be done without a whole lot of challenge…

I’ve built single shot 45-70, a couple of .44 mags, and a 357 mag carbine on the shotgun receivers…

The rifle receivers are exceptionally strong.. you can build just about anything on them.. as long as you can take the abuse lol…

 

[Berettaco]

I think you’d shoot it once - that’s one more shot than I’d do. Just thinking about that makes me cringe.
I don’t know the exact numbers but I’d guess 80/85 lbs of recoil in a 6lb rifle.

 

[colorado]

157 ft lbs with a 570g bullet at 2150 fps, worse yet recoil velocity is 41 fps . In a 11 lb gun it drops to 85 fps which is less than my 500 Jeffery. But a maiden's kiss.

 

[Sarg]

Those full nitro loads were stupid, it started as a Bigger Subsonic rifle that could also be used as full load smasher (of game not me) candidates were from 50/70 - .50 Alaskan to .500NE - .50/140, should have gone with one of the lesser rounds, the .500NE 3in would of been slightly more clever !

Funny thing I used .470NE blown out straight for cases & shot it in a speed event at the Big Bore shoot with the minimum load to shoot stopper, I think 535gr at around 2000fps, arm & hand were way numb & could handly reload last couple of shots but I beat my time & score for same event using a nice .470NE double rifle, the .500NE was ejector which speed it up a bit !

 

[geoff rath]

... been done, I believe, using a Hiwall type falling block, of the type used for the British 577 Nitros ...

 

[Aaron.F]

The intent would be to build it into a 10-12 pound rifle, via a heavy barrel and filling the stocks with some extra weight. From what I have seen and heard it looks like I need to get my hands on a H&R rifle or a 10/12 gauge receiver.

 

[Luvthunt]

Not the same but my turkey gun was a NEF 31/2” cut down 18” barrel and a Hastings .640 choke. 2 1/2oz #6 copper plated shot. If there ever was a 50 yd turkey gun that was close to it. Weighed 5.2 pounds used it for about 20 years. Yes, it got your attention when you sighted it in each year, never felt it when shooting a turkey.

 

[Brian]

@Brian

Hi Wishful thinker,

With the H&R you need the SB2 frame and the 10, ga has a bigger diameter barrel for bigger cartridges like the .577 cartridges. The new barrel is made by a gunsmith using the "stub barrel" method which employs 6 inches of the old barrel.
My H&R 577NE weighs 12 lbs. using a 26.5" bull barrel. I made a stock with nearly no drop at the comb/stock, best for recoil. ( Not bad to shoot with moderate/average loads.)

My TC Encore is barrelled with 500 -110 winchester (50-110 Winchester necked down to there .500 calibre.) by MGM Barrels. I think that they would do a 500NE also.

Make it weigh 10 lbs or use a muzzle brake. It's easy to router out the forend and fill the space with a mix of lead/epoxy. This adds about a half pound.

The traditional pressures of these old cartridges, as you know, is low so it is no problem for the weak break open rifles if you load wisely. I think that the mid 30,000's is correct, but do your own research, don't follow my guess work on loads. Brian

 

[colorado]

I'd just buy a CZ 550 in 500 Jeffery or 505 Gibbs if it was me

 

[Aaron.F]

Hi Wishful thinker,

With the H&R you need the SB2 frame and the 10, ga has a bigger diameter barrel for bigger cartridges like the .577 cartridges. The new barrel is made by a gunsmith using the "stub barrel" method which employs 6 inches of the old barrel.
My H&R 577NE weighs 12 lbs. using a 26.5" bull barrel. I made a stock with nearly no drop at the comb/stock, best for recoil. ( Not bad to shoot with moderate/average loads.)

My TC Encore is barrelled with 500 -110 winchester (50-110 Winchester necked down to there .500 calibre.) by MGM Barrels. I think that they would do a 500NE also.

Make it weigh 10 lbs or use a muzzle brake. It's easy to router out the forend and fill the space with a mix of lead/epoxy. This adds about a half pound.

The traditional pressures of these old cartridges, as you know, is low so it is no problem for the weak break open rifles if you load wisely. I think that the mid 30,000's is correct, but do your own research, don't follow my guess work on loads. Brian

This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for, thank you.

 

[meigsbucks]

The intent would be to build it into a 10-12 pound rifle, via a heavy barrel and filling the stocks with some extra weight. From what I have seen and heard it looks like I need to get my hands on a H&R rifle or a 10/12 gauge receiver.

Years ago I had a H&R 176 10ga. it weighted around 9# and recoil was brutal. It felt worse than a .458 Lott of the same weight.

 

[Capt_Oscar]

I have a TC Encore in rifle and pistol configuration 500 NE 3". SSK Industries made them

 

[mdwest]

With the H&R you need the SB2 frame

This is paramount.

The sb1 is the shotgun receiver… sb2 is centerfire rifle…

While the sb1 can handle low pressure loads (I’ve built 45-70 and others on sb1 frames)…you really want to go with the sb2… there won’t be anything you can load that you can handle the recoil on that the sb2 can’t handle…

 

[CoElkHunter]

Oh, what fun! Headaches and numbness!!

And the real possibility of a detached retina(s)? No thanks. I would like to see a video of somebody else shooting one though. LOL

 

[Sarg]

And the real possibility of a detached retina(s)? No thanks. I would like to see a video of somebody else shooting one though. LOL

Funny you should say that as my eye sight went down hill very shortly after starting to shoot that rifle !