How big can you take a #1?

[rvpilot76]

I wanna go big, really big. Say 50 cal big. Maybe 505 Gibbs class stuff. I would like a large caliber that's easy on cast. Rifle will be used on dangerous game. I am thinking that base rifle will be stainless #1 in 416 Rigby. By the way, how is the Rigby for cast?

Kevin

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I rebuilt my 22/250 to 500Nitro x 3". The smith had to shave the top of the breechblock to allow feeding a round!:roll:

[rvpilot76]

OK. I'm down to either 500 NE 3" or the 505 Gibbs. I'll be downloading either, so which one will give me better brass life? Any problems that you guys can see by using the rimless Gibbs case over the NE case? This is new territory for me; any help is appreciated.

Kevin

[Nrut]

.600JDJ www.sskindustries.com/rifle.htm (http://www.sskindustries.com/rifle.htm) should get you to where you are going.......:)

[rvpilot76]

.600JDJ www.sskindustries.com/rifle.htm (http://www.sskindustries.com/rifle.htm) should get you to where you are going.......:)

HOLY MOLY! I think if I decided to go above 50 caliber, the 577 is as big as I'd like to go. I need to actually be able to shoot this thing.

Kevin

[AkMike]

You'll be able to touch it off at least once!:D It might take a little more to get the second one down the tube.;)

[rvpilot76]

You'll be able to touch it off at least once!:D It might take a little more to get the second one down the tube.;)

I was just in Anchorage last June. The reason I want a big caliber is that my brother lives in Juneau, and we go over to Admiralty Island for bear hunting. LOTS of brownies over there, and the distances are usually so close that you normally only get one shot. That's why I want it big. 577 seems like a good compromise between the 505 Gibbs and the 600 NE. Has anyone got some experience with the really BIG stuff?

Kevin

[Nrut]

Other .50's to consider are the .50 Alaskan (2.1" case) & a 50-110 (2.4" case).... www.starlinebrass.com (http://www.starlinebrass.com) has brass for both....:)

[rockrat]

I have a #1 in 50-70govt. Fairly stout in and of itself when you load it up. You can go to the 50-90Sharps 2.5", which is just a lengthened version (1.75 vs. 2.5)of the 50-70. That should be all the power you need in a #1. Probably more than your shoulder would ever want. Rimmed case to boot.

[StrawHat]

I second the idea of hte 50 Gov't. (50-70).

While you will have to reload for it, you would need to reload for any of them and I believe the components for the 50-70 will be less expensive.

I load for a couple of 50-70s and enjoy both of them.

Now I only load black powder for my two but the #1 can probably hold more than I would care to shoot.

Besides with a bullet that starts out where many would like to end up expanding, you don't really need to speed them too fast.

[AkMike]

Kevin, I've hunted Adimriality most of my life. Mostly at the bear preserve at Pack Creek. If you're going to build a monster like that for there consider this.
There are so many greenies down there that you'd need a court order to shoot a brownie even with a charge. I always used a 30-06 or a 300 win for the deer hunting in that area w/o any fears of being undersized. IF you are specificly looking for bears then build it. I got my brownie with a 375 Ouch and Ouch.
Now I'm working with a 9.3X74R D/R.

[Frank46]

I have a buddy who likes big boolits in his black powder cartridges. He has a 50-90 or 50-110 built up on a sharps action. Bullets, well he went one better. Took the lyman 457125 and had it scaled up for use in his big fifty. He's shot a few buff and tells me that the bullets go right through and always get his buff. Can't argue with success like that. Frank

[Nobade]

Our shop built a #1 in .577 NE for a customer, and wouldn't do another one. It took a major re-engineering to get it to work, and lots of labor. We lost quite a few thousand dollars on that rifle, but boy is it something! Good looking, and shoots quite well. The owner has used it on several cape buffalo and says it kills them faster than anything he's ever seen. However, if it were me I agree with the above posts - a 50 would be just fine, 50-90 or 50-110 for a rimmed case or even a 500 A Square if you wanted to get modern. Any of those would work quite well in a #1.

[stubert]

I have the #1 in .458 Lott. It uses .458 bullets, jacketed or cast and can be loaded from 45-70 trapdoor levels to 500 grain solids at over 2100 fps.. No modification required. It will RELIABLY drop anything on earth. brass is cheap bullets are everywere. and it has a great wow factor.

[crossfireoops]

.50-90 is a stout, and capable cartridge......more than adequate.

Kill, or be killed at both ends.....?

I've shot that cartridge from prone, just a bit once....and what a riot watchin' regulation steel pigs go straight back into the berm....with a center hit.

tagged on the outer edges, the things tumbled....wildly.

Nice cartridge....sensible, like.

That .577 thing gives me the willies.

GTC

[crossfireoops]

Stubert........Doggone it, that post of yours just reeks of common sense.

Minimalist,.....all I own are superb .45 Caliber boolit molds...440gr the lightest, and out to the 550 realm.

.45 is REALLY all we need.

GTC

[PPpastordon]

If I were going larger that .45 I would go to the .475 JDJ (.45-70 case blown out straight) or .50 Alaskan. Each one is great with cast and, in a strong action, can bring tears to the eye of many a shooter: Often tears of joy for the heart and tears of pain for the shoulder! This is especially true in a Contender carbine which is very light with all that metal taken from the center of the barrel! It is not strong enough for the full potential of either cartridge, but can still push a lot of boolit weight. Either should be great and meet any desires in velocity (and recoil pain) in an Encore!
However, for me, I will stick with my good old .45-70 in either the Encore or the Contender carbine or rifle. However, I never tread "big bear" areas in Indiana.

[rockrat]

Local show had a #1 converted to 50AK for $700. One of the stainless/laminated jobs. Was a rebore from a 45-70 gun. If I didn't have the 50-70 #1, or the 1895 Marlin I just converted to 50AK,I would jump all over that gun.[smilie=1:

[SharpsShooter]

50-70 or 50-90 would be super, but the 45-70 will do what you want considerably more economically without sacrificing anything in performance. I do however like the idea of a 50-70 on the #1 action if I could not use the 45-70.

SS

[725]

I'm another for the .458. I took a Ruger #1 in .458 WinMag and chambered it to .458 Lott. Wow what a difference. I venture to say you would be very happy with a .458 Lott. Load it down or with black powder to light .45-70 territory or stoke it up to the max. It does it all, and does it well. Accurate and fearsome. To take some of the recoil out of the beast, I inserted a mercury recoil tube in the through bolt and afixed a mega soft recoil pad. Purrs like a kitten now. No really!! Even with full powerhouse loads, it's and easy shooter.

[John Taylor]

I rebarreled a #1 that had already been made into a 577 NE. New barrel was the same caliber only longer. The top of the breach block needs to be cut down some to clear the rim and the edge of the rim can be seen when the breach is closed, seems a little scary to me. I did not test fire this one, did not have the stock with it and was also a little afraid of it. I did by one round @ $34.50 just so I could say I did one in that caliber. I think the best would be to use .50 EX ( 50-110) brass and use a heavier bullet than the 350 grain. With a #1 you could go to around 600.

[wonderwolf]

I know its not really big bore but how is a #1 in 460 weatherby magnum??

I currently have a .458 win mag bolt action just for fun..Looking to build something bigger in the future though.

[rvpilot76]

I know its not really big bore but how is a #1 in 460 weatherby magnum??

I currently have a .458 win mag bolt action just for fun..Looking to build something bigger in the future though.

Ruger makes the #1 in a 458 Lott now. That's what I would choose if I were looking for an upgrade in a factory chambering.

Kevin

[3sixbits]

The cheap and dirty way to go is a 12ga pump with slugs. They work!

[Intel6]

I know its not really big bore but how is a #1 in 460 weatherby magnum??

I currently have a .458 win mag bolt action just for fun..Looking to build something bigger in the future though.

Speaking of that, I had my #1 in .458 WM rechambered out to .460 WBY and it is a great rifle. This is a cheap way to get into a big caliber.

Neal in AZ

[Boz330]

Excuse me!!!!!! I thought that I was in the Single Shot Forum. I didn't know we had added an S&M Forum.

Bob

[frank505]

After 10 years with a 505 Gibbs, there is nothing whacking something with a 600 grain gas check at 2100. It is a Winchester Enfield four shot magazine and a stock by Bob Stitt.

[wonderwolf]

S&M?


how bad is the 460 wby in the #1?

[waksupi]

Well, I've been watching this thread. I'm tossing the BS flag, for a lot that has been posted.
I build, and shoot DGR's for a living. Most DGR chamberings, you will not enjoy in a #1, #2, #3, or # 56. They are too light.
If a DGR comes in under 10 #, you will have something to hand to your buddy, say, "try this", and then put it away until next time.
If you really like to shoot, and have fun with a rifle, anything over .416 will stretch your fun quotient. Even .416 bore size is extravagant.
You are NOT going out and plink with a ,458 Lott or such, all afternoon, and convince yourself you are having fun. Gayronteed!

[XBT]

You fellers shooting these boomers have my respect.

I shot my son’s #1 in 416 Rigby once, and I believe I’d let a bear eat me before shooting such a thing again.

[wonderwolf]

If a DGR comes in under 10 #, you will have something to hand to your buddy, say, "try this", and then put it away until next time.
If you really like to shoot, and have fun with a rifle, anything over .416 will stretch your fun quotient. Even .416 bore size is extravagant.
You are NOT going out and plink with a ,458 Lott or such, all afternoon, and convince yourself you are having fun. Gayronteed!

Not loaded up to factory load specs I don't think anybody could afford such a afternoon at least to the cost of the brass. It might be one of those guns that if you lived in the area were you had to worry about bears and stuff that you would like a 10# or less rifle in that kind of chambering for them. I'll stick with my 458 win mag for now but I would not hesitate to pick up another #1 to mess around with. I don't honestly know HOW big you could take one but I think anything over 50 Alaskan would be just for show.

I do agree with you in that some things are just fun to haul around just to hand to your buddy and say try this. :coffee:

[PatMarlin]

Lucky me... a close friend bought property with cabins in Alaska last year, and I'm going up with him on a hunting and fishing trip.

I've considered reboring my #1 from 300win mag to 375 H&H, which is the biggest it can be bored. I aslo have a guide gun in 45-70.

Would I be better off leaving the #1 alone for my situation and such an area?

[Bullshop]

Lucky me... a close friend bought property with cabins in Alaska last year, and I'm going up with him on a hunting and fishing trip.

I've considered reboring my #1 from 300win mag to 375 H&H, which is the biggest it can be bored. I aslo have a guide gun in 45-70.

Would I be better off leaving the #1 alone for my situation and such an area?

If I were to go to Alaska I wouldnt exactly feel helpless with that #1 300mag in my hands. There were a number of years that my rifle supported me through a large part of the year and I used mostly a single shot B-78 Browning. In trained hands a single shot can be very fast reloading. I once called in a group of coyotes and killed 5 with the Browning in a frenzied moment. If you were to find your self in a sticky spot a cool head is way more important than caliber. Even with the largest of stopping calibers a gut shot may still get you eaten. Hold center and hit the spine or brain and you got the job of stopping done. After that you can finish it at a bit less frantic pace.
We had a fella here last year, a newby from the states at fort greely. He was out for a walk about and blindly stumbled onto where the D.O.T. had dumped some road kill moose. Said he heard something in the bushes and stopped for a peak. The alders parted and out flew a brown rocket. He had a semi auto 30/06 and in great haste he fired away three of his four life savers without effect. The bear hit him hard but he managed to hold on to his last chance. It chewed him a bit and slapped him around a bit and finaly he managed to poke the muzzle into the bear and with his final shot broke its spine. He was rather beat up but got it done with the 30/06. Its not too tough to hit a 1" spot from 15 feet but when that 1" spot has 600 lbs. of screaming death just behind it it gets a little tougher. We never realy know if we have what it takes until we have been there. Thats why people pay big bucks to go to Africa, to find out. Living and working in Alaska as long as I have and with the work I did as a timber faller I have found myself on the spot a few times. Most of those times were settled by BOO, my old Marlin 45/70. Always seemed like BOO knew just what to do. One time was with a 5" Ruger Redhawk. Funny that until that day I always told folks they would never use a 44 mag in double action mode. On this ocasion I put the first shot single action through the bears head comming straight at me at about 10 feet. It went up and over backwards and as it rolled down the steep hill I fired three more shots in double action. Just following the front sight and bang, bang, bang as if it were in slow motion.
The way my Dad taught me was to put a bottle on a long string and hang it from a tree. He would then let it swing in a long ark and have me shoot it with his 22. You practice that with your #1 300 for a bit till you can hit that bottle without fail from close range and you will be on your way. When you have the confidence to place that bullet right where you want it on a moving target at close range the only thing you will still need to know is do you have the nerve.
Hold Center!
BIC/BS

[PatMarlin]

Thanks Daniel, but I think I'd have a lot more confidence with my boo. .:mrgreen:

I was thinking for hunting long range Caribou or something in open areas the 300 Win would be good. I have the 454 Casull and 45 Colt side arms, and certainly would set the number one down if I had time.

I like your dads swing trick. I'm gonna do that.

I think the only way I would feel comfortable in any brush or woods situation would be with my trusty Marlin... :shock:

[725]

waksupi, Just, respectfully, want to add my two cents. I don't like painful recoil. My buddy and I got a .375 ouch & ouch and a Ruger #1 .458 Win Mag, respectively. His was no fun to shoot and it took "forever" to zero a new scope. My .458 took exactly 16 rounds to zero just right and I put it away vowing never to fire it again until I was about to draw blood. #17 took a fine black bear, and I put it away. Along the way I learned of the utility of the Lott chamber and thought that in as much as it would still fire the Win Mag, why not. I chambered it and then I went further and installed a mercury recoil dampening tube inside the rear stock, in the through bolt hole. I shortened the stock to fit me (13 1/2 length of pull) and installed a soft recoil pad. If I could afford to shoot this 'ol boy Lott all day, I could, with no ill effect. It has been stunning how much felt recoil has been taken up with this technique. My friend's Sako has a hollow "plastic" stock, and to install a tube in his I set the stock up in a vise (pointing straight down) fitted a pvc plumbing pipe the right size for the tube in the stock - closed end in the foremost pvc with duck tape - and filled it up with arcu-glass. Topped it off, if you will, so the recoil pad fit back on perfectly, and now he can shoot with or without the mercury recoil dampener afixed. He just has to remove the pad if he wants to take it out. (He never does) Both shoot without any discomfort. These are Africa guns and it is important to limit that mind blowing experience of excessive recoil to speed us both toward smooth, controlled, follow up shots. This is just one of those "You got to try it to believe" deals. Regards,
725

[Bullshop]

Pat
A wise choice to go with B00. I took my Boo to the Brooks range loaded with 500gn paper patch and had no trouble at all taking caribou out to 200 yards. It was a fairly stout load pushing 1700 fps.
If ya find yourself in the interior and ya dont come stay with us for a bit I will be disappointed.
BIC/BS

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Now that all the "doom & gloom" and "naysayers" have posted, were you thinking about a suitable single shot rifle in a true thumper caliber?? One a bit different, but with several weights and designs in jacketed and a couple of choices in cast...my (drum roll please) 550 Gibbs in a newly minted Wickliffe 76 action. Think 725gr cast bullet at 2200fps, 800gr jacketed at 2100(est). Brass is available, Hornady is making dies (I do have a set) and LBT is about to start on my 725gr cast bullet mould. A gentleman in Yuma has the brass and several jacketed bullet weights available. Bauska and PacNor make barrels.

I am heading to Montana for the Quigley Rifle Match early tuesday morning, so catch me tomorrow or in a week.

Rich
DRSS

[PatMarlin]

Pat
A wise choice to go with B00. I took my Boo to the Brooks range loaded with 500gn paper patch and had no trouble at all taking caribou out to 200 yards. It was a fairly stout load pushing 1700 fps.
If ya find yourself in the interior and ya dont come stay with us for a bit I will be disappointed.
BIC/BS

I'm going to find out just where their place is. Somewhere out by Anchorage. They also have a parcel on a lake, and want to build a house on it.

We're thinking about towing my Woodmizer sawmill up there.

[wonderwolf]

The way my Dad taught me was to put a bottle on a long string and hang it from a tree. He would then let it swing in a long ark and have me shoot it with his 22. You practice that with your #1 300 for a bit till you can hit that bottle without fail from close range and you will be on your way. When you have the confidence to place that bullet right where you want it on a moving target at close range the only thing you will still need to know is do you have the nerve.
Hold Center!
BIC/BS

I like that..I think I'll try it sometime out at our place

[Intel6]

S&M?


how bad is the 460 wby in the #1?

It is not that bad but I am 6"4" 230LBs.

When I was working up a full power load I shot 14 in a row and I felt it later.

I mainly shoot a 500gr Lead GC with 20 grs of Unique for a 45-70 type load.

Neal in AZ

[Dead Calm]

In an old copy of Handloader on the front page is a Ruger #1 in .700 Nitro Express!! Art

[wtpacker]

I have a Ruger #1 in .458 WM. I asked Hamilton Bowen about rechambering to .450 on the .500 Nitro case. He wouldn't do it... seems like in some instances, the holes for the recoil pins in the quarter-rib were drilled pretty deep. That would result in only about .030" of chamber wall under the pins with the big .500 case. I have since had the rifle re-chambered in .458 Lott... that's more than enough for whatever I might be hunting.
My son has a Ruger M77 in .458 Lott and also a 9.3 x 74R double... loves them both.

[kdmcustom]

How big can a #1 go????

How about a .610 GNR??? Gary Reeder is making a .610 GNR Ruger # 1 in his own wildcat cartridge. It's the 577 snider expanded to .620. It's one awesome rifle!!!!

[axman]

I had a #1 a few years back in 460 g&a #2 improved which boils down to 50-140 sharps necked to 45 cal. it was a rechambered 458wm= 600gr barnes at 2500+.very heavy recoil.

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

I have recently done the Boolet loadwork for a friend's 505 Gibbs. What a production... I borrowed my brother's 650gr RFN mould for his 50-90 Sharps and cast up a bunch out of 20:1. Turned the base down to take Hornady 50 caliber gaschecks, like .464" on the lathe and then learned what tapered pin reamers are for. Seated the GC's and sized/lubed the slugs on my buddy's .511" die. Then ran them upside thru the die we made from .512" down to .5055". The slugs weigh 630gr ready to load, and I got velocities up to 2278fps that were decent to shoot off the bench. Like 1.25" for four shots at 50 yds benchresting the 11.5lb rifle.
It was fun enough to get the current project going, a 550 Gibbs. Don't ask why.

Rich
DRSS

[45nut]

It was fun enough to get the current project going, a 550 Gibbs. Don't ask why.

Rich
DRSS

Why ? [smilie=1:




No,,just kiddin' ya. I know why already. "Cuz"

I started my 500A2 quest with 2 fired cases someone sent me.... That was all the reason I needed. Big Enfield action,pac nor 1-14 bbl, Bell & Carlson stock,timney trigger, 500 bucks for brass and dies, smithin' dues' and the biggest damn smiles this side of a Solothurn 20mm anti-tank gun.
Yeah, I know why.......................