What to expect weight wise for .500 NE or larger double?

[PAUL_MAUSER]

It seems most of the descriptions rather it be for the Rigby Rising Bite or H&H Royal Double say weight depends on caliber. For anyone who has one of these in the larger calibers like .500 NE or .600 NE what does your weigh?

 

[ftrovato]

Heym will build you a 500 NE for as little as 10 1/2 lbs. Mine is 11+ and still a handful with full charges. I'd suggest go heavier for how often you're going to actually carry it hunting. You dont want to become afraid of it at the range. That won't translate well when technique needs to be spot on when your facing dangerous game. Just my 2 cents...

 

[PAUL_MAUSER]

Heym will build you a 500 NE for as little as 10 1/2 lbs. Mine is 11+ and still a handful with full charges. I'd suggest go heavier for how often you're going to actually carry it hunting. You dont want to become afraid of it at the range. That won't translate well when technique needs to be spot on when your facing dangerous game. Just my 2 cents...

I agree wholeheartedly. I would actually prefer more weight myself as well. I thought I had read somewhere that the Rising Bite in .600 NE was 16lbs? I may be mistaken though.

 

[ftrovato]

I agree wholeheartedly. I would actually prefer more weight myself as well. I thought I had read somewhere that the Rising Bite in .600 NE was 16lbs? I may be mistaken though.

I dont know if that is the case....and I won't be finding out. 11+ lbs is more than enough to carry.

And an Africa carry over your shoulder gets tiring. Get a good sling. You can take the sling off in 30 seconds when its go time if you don't want it getting in the way.

 

[Green Chile]

I have owned 500 nitros above 11 and below 11 pounds. I know that I greatly prefer that 11 to 11.5 lb 500. Taking 1 pound off has a noticeable effect and I'm not particularly shy on recoil.

 

[grand veneur]

I agree wholeheartedly. I would actually prefer more weight myself as well. I thought I had read somewhere that the Rising Bite in .600 NE was 16lbs? I may be mistaken though.

You are not wrong,

...both of my old big bore double rifles caliber 577 Nitro Express and 600 Nitro Express weigh around 15-1/2 lbs and are also top-heavy because of the weight distributed across the barrels. All of this makes such rifles not very handy, whether it is to get them quickly to the shoulder or to reload them. They are obsolete types of rifles that are no longer really suitable for hunting in Africa nowadays. Unfortunately, lighter rifles of such calibers would have even stronger recoils. The double rifles caliber 500 Nitro Express seem to be lighter and are therefore certainly a good compromise.

 

[Rare Breed]

It seems most of the descriptions rather it be for the Rigby Rising Bite or H&H Royal Double say weight depends on caliber. For anyone who has one of these in the larger calibers like .500 NE or .600 NE what does your weigh?

I have had two 500 NE. They both weighed just under 12 pounds

 

[Hunting Hitman]

My 470 NE Heym weighs 11.5 pounds
My 577 NE Heym weighs 13.5 pounds

HH

 

[Pondoro]

.500NE 11lbs
.577NE 13lbs
.600NE 13-16lbs

 

[frog stealer]

My Heym b in 5 weights 13 pounds unloaded.

 

[franzfmdavis]

I was educated by the distinguished @rookhawk that a .500 NE should weigh 12lbs. Im sure he can explain further should he decide to comment.

 

[Red Leg]

It is why, back when these rifles were actually needed, they were issued with a gun bearer.

 

[frog stealer]

I believe the British formula is 1kg/1000 ft-lbs.

 

[rookhawk]

It is why, back when these rifles were actually needed, they were issued with a gun bearer.

Definitely a trade off. As you know the original kynoch loads were far more pleasant than anything loaded at a factory today. Then the rifles were also about a pound or two heavier. 577 = 13-13.5, 470 = 10.75-11.25.

The net-net is our forefathers weren’t taking the recoil we are “enjoying” today.

But absolutely yes, they are tiring to carry.

The polar opposite was the 9.3x62 Mauser with a steel butt plate. Those buggers weighed a mere 7.25lbs and the recoil was horrific, but you could carry them all day like nothing at all.

A man has to decide whether his recoil tolerance exceeds his carrying weight tolerance.

 

[Tanks]

My Heym .500 is a tad over 11 lbs.

My Rigby will be 5-5.1kg with the .500 barrel and 4.6kg with the .450/400 barrel.

 

[sgt_zim]

Definitely a trade off. As you know the original kynoch loads were far more pleasant than anything loaded at a factory today. Then the rifles were also about a pound or two heavier. 577 = 13-13.5, 470 = 10.75-11.25.

The net-net is our forefathers weren’t taking the recoil we are “enjoying” today.

But absolutely yes, they are tiring to carry.

The polar opposite was the 9.3x62 Mauser with a steel butt plate. Those buggers weighed a mere 7.25lbs and the recoil was horrific, but you could carry them all day like nothing at all.

A man has to decide whether his recoil tolerance exceeds his carrying weight tolerance.

God's teeth! My 9.3 comes in at a skosh over 9.5 lbs. I wouldn't say it's unpleasant to shoot at all, but it ain't a pussycat, either.

 

[grand veneur]

The weight of the rifles is surely one of the reasons for a gun bearer. Nevertheless, you have to shoot with your double rifle and all this heavy and above all top-heavy rifles are difficult to get on the shoulder quickly and also if necessary to re-chambering cartridges quickly. If the actions are strongly built, such as the PHV-1 action of my double rifle caliber 577 Nitro Express, it is even more difficult to opening the rifle. Sure, you have two shots ready, but if you add everything up like the repeated target acquisition after the first shot and the reloading if necessary, you are much better served in all cases with a lighter double rifle,... or a bolt action rifle. However, light big bore double rifles have the disadvantage of stronger recoil with also negative consequences.

If you take into account all the advantages and disadvantages of big bore double rifles and have had some practice with the handling of such rifles in comparison with big bore bolt action rifles, one comes to the conclusion that such rifles should not exceed 12 lbs to 13 lbs in weight with a barrel length of a maximum of 26" and should have an ejector. Something like that definitely limits the choice of the cartridges and rather exclude in particular the biggest of them. This brings us back to the various cartridges between caliber 458 and 510, and in particular the two cartridges that seem very practical to me nowadays for double rifle hunters in Africa, the 470 Nitro Express or for those who want something more power, the 500 Nitro Express.

 

[rookhawk]

My Heym .500 is a tad over 11 lbs.

My Rigby will be 5-5.1kg with the .500 barrel and 4.6kg with the .450/400 barrel.

The rigby sounds a smidge light to me in 500, but absolutely perfect if you put an rmr on it. I'd want a 500NE to weigh 11.25 to 12lbs approximately, all kitted out and loaded. (Naked, yours will be 11 to 11.25, sling/ammo/sight will eat up the remainder)

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Stock fit aids greatly in recoil mitigation, even if the rifle is a little light (but not too much, of course)

So 11 LB is good for a .500 Nitro Express

13 LB is good for a .577 Nitro Express

14 LB is good for a .600 Nitro Express

 

[rookhawk]

Stock fit aids greatly in recoil mitigation, even if the rifle is a little light (but not too much, of course)

So 11 LB is good for a .500 Nitro Express

13 LB is good for a .577 Nitro Express

14 LB is good for a .600 Nitro Express

And 26lbs is correct for a 4-bore. <gulp>

10.75-11.25lbs is typically the Standard for 470NE.

450-400s are much lighter, like 404Js and 375HH/Flanged. 10.25lbs is pretty ideal. Or 9ish pounds on a bolt gun before an optic is added.