michael458
AH fanatic
I only recently ran into 458JCE on another thread and learned his 458 JCE is very similar to my 458 B&M Super Short, but I will let him go into more detail on that, while I will concentrate on my own Super Short cartridges and rifles. These are probably something most of you are not aware of, and if so only vaguely.
The entire B&M adventure for me started with a phone call late in 2005. Life long friend of mine rang me up one evening and told me he wanted a 500 S&W on a lever gun! Well, at that time it was just not possible, a M94 action was too small, 1895/1886 action was too big. Not going to happen, and this was way Pre Big Horn Armory, which did indeed do a completely new action some years later, which is superb. While we were speaking on the phone, I happened to notice a cartridge sitting on the shelf, it was a 338 WSM that I had been playing with. I looked at the cartridge, grabbed a empty case, cut it with a hacksaw, then trimmed it up nicely at 1.65 inches, stuffed a .500 caliber bullet in the end of it, and put it in the magazine of a Winchester M70 WSM action, perfect fit, only a bit short. I told him I could not get him a lever gun, but I believed I could get him a bolt gun! And we were off to the races. That night, I was thinking about all the room left in the magazine of the WSM action? What case is similar to a WSM case, but longer? Hmmm....... How about RUM? Next morning I started cutting some RUM brass, 2.25 inches was magic, and it gave a lot more case capacity and fit the magazine of a WSM action perfectly. Now keep in mind, I am not sure I had ever even paid any attention to a WSSM action before, I did not have one that is for sure, I had no interest in those cartridges, or calibers at the time.
Then, I thought about all the available .500 caliber bullets, all made for the 500 S&W handgun, there is no way that those bullets would stand up to the velocity that the 2.25 inch case could produce, so I cut the case length down the middle, between 1.65 and 2.25 at 1.95 and had a reamer made. Now, in hind sight, this was nearly a waste of time, except for a learning curve. I was correct, at 1.95 inches the .500 caliber case was about perfect for the available bullets at the time. But later, when we developed the CEB and North Fork .500s, we went back to the original 2.25 inch case for the WSM actions. I had the first rifle in the spring of 2006, and promptly took it for a test run in South Africa where the 1.95 inch case and the bullets available at the time made for a good show. But also learned if I was really going to be able to use this in the field, I needed serious bullets and embarked upon a great bullet adventure as well. Which lead to the current CEBs and many of the North Forks we see today in .500 caliber. True .500 mind you, not .510.
But that is where some of this started, it was late 2006 when I took delivery from SSK Industries of the first 50 B&M Super Short. I discovered the WSSM action, and now that 1.65 inch WSM case would come to play. I wanted a very small platform, Winchester Control feed WSSM action, with 16.25 inch barrels. This was a neat package at 6.25 lbs and 36 inches OAL. Using the Winchester Ultimate stocks. So now, basically we had a 500 S&W in a tiny little bolt gun. Only using the WSM case. It was quite capable of critters short of the heavies, and in 2007 JD and I worked with DFricke of Lehigh to develop more capable bullets in .500 caliber.
From 2007 to 2012 I had concentrated all my efforts and field work to the larger B&M cartridges and of course bullet tech. I did not leave the super shorts behind, as we developed proper bullets for the larger cartridges I always added to the inventory of the Super Shorts bullets to enhance their effectiveness as well.
It was 2010 before I got around to building the 458 B&M Super Short, and then later 2011 for the 475 B&M Super Short.
These little rifles have to be handled to really understand what they are all about. I can sit here and tell you about them all day long, every detail, load data, pressure data, bullets available, but until you lay hands on one, you really can't understand them and just how handy they are.
In the end, we worked close with Cutting Edge Bullets and North Fork to enhance these cartridges with serious bullets, far more capable than you could imagine because of this.
My Sons loved the Super Short rifles. The oldest, Matthew has a 50 B&M SS and Mark David has one of only two built 475 Super Shorts. The Super Shorts went to the field for the first time in 2012 with Paul Trucolo in Australia for buffalo. My best friend Sam Rose was along as well, and we were on a Family mission to test cartridges, rifles, and new bullets. Sam was using a 500 NE, with the then new 510 CEB Solids and 475 Raptors in .510 caliber. I had Matthew and his 50 Super Short set up with 375 CEB and North Fork Solids, 335 CEB Raptors and 375 North Fork ExCPS (Expanding CPS). Mark David was running 350 CEB Solids and 325 CEB Raptors for his 475 B&M Super Short. Sam, Paul and myself watched as the boys worked over these buffalo with these little guns, and it was impressive, I was impressed, and would have been the most skeptical in the beginning, but that changed quickly after seeing these buffalo react. Sam made the comment that Matthews 50 Super Short was every bit as effective as his 500 NE, and I could not argue that point. Mark David was a bit younger at that point, but he was doing a great job as well.
Two of the 375 gr North Fork Ex CPS found far side in chest cavity. Matthew fired one solid which passed through from an angle.
Mark David with one of his buffalo and the 475 B&M SS......
And the base of a 325 .474 Raptor that passed through to the far side hide........... 350 Solids exited.
And that was the story in Australia over several buffalo taken with the Super Shorts that trip.........
Couple of years after that Mark David grew up some......... he went on a trip with me to Zimbabwe where his little 475 Super Short showed off in a big way............ Using 350 CEB Solids and 325 CEB Raptors.............
They may be called "Super Shorts", but in the field, they never came up "short" ..............
I will let @458JCE chime in about his cartridge with would be equal to my 458 SS.
The entire B&M adventure for me started with a phone call late in 2005. Life long friend of mine rang me up one evening and told me he wanted a 500 S&W on a lever gun! Well, at that time it was just not possible, a M94 action was too small, 1895/1886 action was too big. Not going to happen, and this was way Pre Big Horn Armory, which did indeed do a completely new action some years later, which is superb. While we were speaking on the phone, I happened to notice a cartridge sitting on the shelf, it was a 338 WSM that I had been playing with. I looked at the cartridge, grabbed a empty case, cut it with a hacksaw, then trimmed it up nicely at 1.65 inches, stuffed a .500 caliber bullet in the end of it, and put it in the magazine of a Winchester M70 WSM action, perfect fit, only a bit short. I told him I could not get him a lever gun, but I believed I could get him a bolt gun! And we were off to the races. That night, I was thinking about all the room left in the magazine of the WSM action? What case is similar to a WSM case, but longer? Hmmm....... How about RUM? Next morning I started cutting some RUM brass, 2.25 inches was magic, and it gave a lot more case capacity and fit the magazine of a WSM action perfectly. Now keep in mind, I am not sure I had ever even paid any attention to a WSSM action before, I did not have one that is for sure, I had no interest in those cartridges, or calibers at the time.
Then, I thought about all the available .500 caliber bullets, all made for the 500 S&W handgun, there is no way that those bullets would stand up to the velocity that the 2.25 inch case could produce, so I cut the case length down the middle, between 1.65 and 2.25 at 1.95 and had a reamer made. Now, in hind sight, this was nearly a waste of time, except for a learning curve. I was correct, at 1.95 inches the .500 caliber case was about perfect for the available bullets at the time. But later, when we developed the CEB and North Fork .500s, we went back to the original 2.25 inch case for the WSM actions. I had the first rifle in the spring of 2006, and promptly took it for a test run in South Africa where the 1.95 inch case and the bullets available at the time made for a good show. But also learned if I was really going to be able to use this in the field, I needed serious bullets and embarked upon a great bullet adventure as well. Which lead to the current CEBs and many of the North Forks we see today in .500 caliber. True .500 mind you, not .510.
But that is where some of this started, it was late 2006 when I took delivery from SSK Industries of the first 50 B&M Super Short. I discovered the WSSM action, and now that 1.65 inch WSM case would come to play. I wanted a very small platform, Winchester Control feed WSSM action, with 16.25 inch barrels. This was a neat package at 6.25 lbs and 36 inches OAL. Using the Winchester Ultimate stocks. So now, basically we had a 500 S&W in a tiny little bolt gun. Only using the WSM case. It was quite capable of critters short of the heavies, and in 2007 JD and I worked with DFricke of Lehigh to develop more capable bullets in .500 caliber.
From 2007 to 2012 I had concentrated all my efforts and field work to the larger B&M cartridges and of course bullet tech. I did not leave the super shorts behind, as we developed proper bullets for the larger cartridges I always added to the inventory of the Super Shorts bullets to enhance their effectiveness as well.
It was 2010 before I got around to building the 458 B&M Super Short, and then later 2011 for the 475 B&M Super Short.
These little rifles have to be handled to really understand what they are all about. I can sit here and tell you about them all day long, every detail, load data, pressure data, bullets available, but until you lay hands on one, you really can't understand them and just how handy they are.
In the end, we worked close with Cutting Edge Bullets and North Fork to enhance these cartridges with serious bullets, far more capable than you could imagine because of this.
My Sons loved the Super Short rifles. The oldest, Matthew has a 50 B&M SS and Mark David has one of only two built 475 Super Shorts. The Super Shorts went to the field for the first time in 2012 with Paul Trucolo in Australia for buffalo. My best friend Sam Rose was along as well, and we were on a Family mission to test cartridges, rifles, and new bullets. Sam was using a 500 NE, with the then new 510 CEB Solids and 475 Raptors in .510 caliber. I had Matthew and his 50 Super Short set up with 375 CEB and North Fork Solids, 335 CEB Raptors and 375 North Fork ExCPS (Expanding CPS). Mark David was running 350 CEB Solids and 325 CEB Raptors for his 475 B&M Super Short. Sam, Paul and myself watched as the boys worked over these buffalo with these little guns, and it was impressive, I was impressed, and would have been the most skeptical in the beginning, but that changed quickly after seeing these buffalo react. Sam made the comment that Matthews 50 Super Short was every bit as effective as his 500 NE, and I could not argue that point. Mark David was a bit younger at that point, but he was doing a great job as well.
Two of the 375 gr North Fork Ex CPS found far side in chest cavity. Matthew fired one solid which passed through from an angle.
Mark David with one of his buffalo and the 475 B&M SS......
And the base of a 325 .474 Raptor that passed through to the far side hide........... 350 Solids exited.
And that was the story in Australia over several buffalo taken with the Super Shorts that trip.........
Couple of years after that Mark David grew up some......... he went on a trip with me to Zimbabwe where his little 475 Super Short showed off in a big way............ Using 350 CEB Solids and 325 CEB Raptors.............
They may be called "Super Shorts", but in the field, they never came up "short" ..............
I will let @458JCE chime in about his cartridge with would be equal to my 458 SS.
