Verney Carron .500

[kebco]

Congrats Paul. Come see me in Dallas (booth 130/131) I want to hear all about it.
Ken

 

[PaulT]

Congrats Paul. Come see me in Dallas (booth 130/131) I want to hear all about it.
Ken

That'll be much easier this year as our booth is over your side (C470, near the main bar !).

I fully intended on coming over to see you all and thank all of you in person for doing such a magnificent job right from the very start at inquiring stage, fitting then building and finally delivering a superb weapon.

See you in a couple of weeks, best wishes for a safe and enjoyable festive season.

Paul.

 

[spike.t]

have you had a chance to dirty the barrels yet paul?

 

[PaulT]

Will be doing so this coming Sunday, been hard to find the time until now.

Heck, you might here the shots from where you are !

I'm going to be trying to regulate a 475gn C.E.B non-con which is quite different than the 570gn Hornday that the gun was regulated for so I'm not expecting to get out of this easily.

Unfortunately my order of bullets has gone astray so I'll only have one load to trial and only about 20 rounds of that load as I continue to wait for my projectiles to be delivered.

I have been advised of loads to try using R15 but as mentioned just have to wait until the bullets get over here from the U.S.

I'll let you know how Sunday goes !

 

[spike.t]

:thumb:

 

[PaulT]

Well after having the gun for nearly two months I finally got out today and fired some rounds down at the range.

Not having any of my own projectiles, which have gotten miss-layed somewhere between the U.S and Aus, I fired some of a buddy's handloads with the same projectiles that I'll be using in the future to see how a known load will regulate in my gun.

(gun was regulated with Hornady Factories firing the standard 570gn slugs, today i am firing the 475gn C.E.B non-cons loaded with 100gns R15).

The start was very scratchy with my first shot out of the gun blowing away the target stand after hitting one of the upright support.
If no-one at the range knew that I was shooting a big bore up to that point then they certainly did after pieces of steel frame went flying through the air off the 50yds berm !!

It seems that the point of impact for these loads was far right of the regulation target supplied with the gun shot with a projectile weighing 100gns more than the one currently being fired.

I then thought it prudent to remove some of the human/load error and moved the target back to 25yds for the remainder of the session.

The groups produced by each individual barrel were excellent, far better than I expected and better than I even thought capable considering I shot off a tri-pod, standing.

Each barrel printed in and around the inch mark, maybe just slightly over.

Point of impact for the right barrel was about 2.5 - 3" to the right of point of aim and the left barrel was about 1/2" to the right of point of aim so a slight adjustment of sights may be required here.

The most confusing aspect was the velocities recorded.
They varied from between 1955fps all the way through to 2175fps.
I'm begining to suspect perhaps my buddy that loaded these may have got two different loads mixed up as there just can't be that much of a variation in velocity in the same load.
I'm expecting some feedback from him shortly to verify this possibility.

Other than doubts cast on velocity variation an extremely pleasing session showing the true accuracy potential this gun has and reinforcing my views regarding how comfortable a well fitted big bore rifle can be to shoot.
I fired a total of eighteen concentrated rounds in fairly quick succession on a warmishy day wearing an extremely thin shirt with no padding or protection and am feeling no soreness and showing no bruising !

Viva la .500 !!!!!

 

[spike.t]

well you got off to an interesting start!! have you got any of the hornady ammo to see how it does with them?

 

[PaulT]

well you got off to an interesting start!! have you got any of the hornady ammo to see how it does with them?

Yes, I have some factory loads here and they will get shot in the next session.

My intention now is to pull the rest of the handloads I got from my buddy and re-load them with my own "known" loads, take them down and give them a run through the tubes.
I think that somehow my buddy may have mixed up a couple of different loads in this lot explaining the velocity variation.

Otherwise the grouping performed by each barrel was excellent, the fact that it prints slightly right of point of aim is a minimal adjustment to the rear sight and simple to correct.

Overall I'm extremely impressed with the gun.
Handles well, feels good is comfortable to shoot, surprisingly accurate and is about as light as practical for a .500 N.E

I'm now quite keen to continue my learning journey of regulating and putting some good loads together for these incredibly effective 475gn non-con projectiles.

 

[spike.t]

looks like you got the rifle you dreamed of :beer:

 

[AkMike]

That's a lovely 'bit of kit' and should serve you well for may years to come.

 

[PaulT]

"looks like you got the rifle you dreamed of :beer:"

"That's a lovely 'bit of kit' and should serve you well for may years to come."

Spike & Mike, this is my very first and most likely last double rifle ever.
I've waited a LONG time before I could even remotely afford one and was extremely nervous about the purchase which for me constitutes a major expenditure.
After receiving the rifle and inspecting it for finish, fit and finction I was amazed at the standard of completion even though I had seen, and shot, several V.C's before.
The standard of workmanship is outstanding and nothing short.

Now after having fired the gun with what I've since found out was several differnt loads and have them grouping into an area the size of a hand palm I am staggered that a double would and even could do that.
The potential for accuracy (within the limitations provided by a double) is far greater than I even require from the gun.

What really impresses me, maybe I'm just recoil numb I don't know, but just how pleasant the gun is to shoot.
After all this is still a .500 and yesterday I fired nearly a full box of rounds in a very short space of time with a very light shirt and no padding or protection and suffered no ill effects whatsoever.

I just can't wait to get this thing up to my buffalo camp and take it hunting !

Thanks to both of you for your input.

Paul.

 

[AkMike]

NEVER, But NEVER think that you can go thru life with just 1 doublerifle..
It's an addiction with no treatment known to man.

 

[spike.t]

NEVER, But NEVER think that you can go thru life with just 1 doublerifle..
It's an addiction with no treatment known to man.

when paul said it was most likely going to be his first and only double i was going to say never get addicted like AKmike or you will have a collection, but i thought i would wait and see how long it would take you to answer that line :biggrin2: i know the feeling just love picking a nice one up and playing with it.....:lookaround::biggrin:

 

[Heym 88]

You guys are killing me....My Heym is only a few months away and I can't take anymore of this. I'm so glad his dream came true as lord willing and creek don't rise..mine will too. OH well....back to work..my baby is waiting for me pick her up in a few months. What torture it is.

 

[AkMike]

when paul said it was most likely going to be his first and only double i was going to say never get addicted like AKmike or you will have a collection, but i thought i would wait and see how long it would take you to answer that line :biggrin2: i know the feeling just love picking a nice one up and playing with it.....:lookaround::biggrin:

Then I shouldn't mention the TWO that came in last week?

 

[PaulT]

Hey you guys, this is an addiction I can ill afford.

Don't get me wrong I love em as much as you guys do but my guns have to earn their keep too.

This one was aquired with two very specific purposes in mind.

The first and primary function will be as an asset for my very early season buffalo hunts when we are shooting big bulls in very thick cover at extremely close range.
I get quite a few clients these days who request back-up should the bull being targeted in these conditions does not go down at the first shot, as there is little to no time for a hunter to back-up hs own first shot.
In those circumstances, and where I am requested to do so, I can loose of TWO extremely quick .510 stoppers in thick cover on a moving target.

Also I aquired for that once in a lifetime dreamed of Elephant hunt which I allways wanted to do with a double.

I feel very fortunate and privalidged to have been able to get to the position to even just aquire one and am satisfied with that acheivement.

This will NOT be the start of a collection !

 

[AkMike]

This will NOT be the start of a collection !

LMAO! Famous last words!
The only reason I took that Alex Henry is because some sweet talking bloke from the NT (probably Pauls neighbor)took my first love, so I dropped my demands and took her instead.

 

[spike.t]

Then I shouldn't mention the TWO that came in last week?

you need to go to doubleholics anonymous!! how many now? and paul you will give in and get a smaller one for the pigs i guarantee!! :laughing:

 

[AkMike]

I think a 9.3X74R will surprise him!
I just got done making a set of snap caps for another local guy that just got his first DR. Yup a 9.3X74R.

BTW Spike, I do singles too. here's 2 450 NE's and my duct tape creation! A double rifle falling block!

 

[spike.t]

I think a 9.3X74R will surprise him!
I just got done making a set of snap caps for another local guy that just got his first DR. Yup a 9.3X74R.

:thumb: