Big Bore Shoot - Phoenix

[PHOENIX PHIL]

If anyone on AH is from or will be in the Phoenix area next Saturday, the Phx chapter of SCI is hosting a big bore shoot. Starting with .375H&H on up to .577 Nitro Express with lots in between.

I'll be there. If you need more information, shoot me a PM with your email address and I'll forward the email with the information to you. This shoot will by the way fortunately be at an indoor air conditioned facility.

 

[James.Grage]

Phil

What does your shoot consist of...

maybe in the future i could drive over...

What range do you do this at...Ben Avery...Peoria...

are there any makers letting you try out different brand of doubles rifles?

The reason i ask is i was thinking of going to the dallas big bore shoots just to try out the different makers rifles...

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

James,

All of the info that I have can be seen here: Safari Club International-Phoenix Chapter

It doesn't look to me like there are going to be any manufacturers there. I will try to give the RSVP person a call tomorrow and will ask. If you decide to come over and need a place to stay, let me know.

What part of New Mexico are you in?

 

[Jaco Zeeman]

It is exciting to see that fellow "Big Borers" up in arms... so to speak. I am a member of BASA (Big Bore Association of Southern Africa) and we love our shoots. I would like to know what your shoots entails and would love to share what we are doing over here in South Africa. See our website: Big Bore Association of South Africa

Our shoots consist of 4 or 5 ranges where 3-5 shots are fired at each range. We have static ranges, moving (towards and side ways), and medium range, static targets. Shots from 5 to about 75 meters are taken and verything is done against a stop watch. Most of the time either you move or the target move! Life size full or partial body targets are used of dangerous game. Real life simulations are created and you get an adrenalin rush on a shooting range! Contact me if you would like to find out more. jazeeman@absamail.co.za

Please share your experiences.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

A big bore shooter is born.....

Well I attended the shoot today. The Phoenix chapter of SCI put on a good event. Granite Mountain Arms were there with there fine selection of custom guns. While they were quite careful about handling these expensive weapons I was not made to feel like I was walking on eggshells either. This was really a lot of fun and was a great way to take a few shots with various calibers and learn what I liked and what I really liked as well as one I didn't.

So here's my thoughts from a first timer firing rounds above .375H&H. By the way all of the guns were fired standing up inside what is really a pistol range.

416 Rigby: The first caliber I shot. Recoil was substantially higher than my .375 but not uncomfortably so and the weight of the rifle definitely helped with this. With my arm to leg proportions being somewhat similar to that of a Tyrannosaurus Rex (i.e. short arms) I tend to hold my left (non-shooting) hand further back than most people. This combined with the weight of the rifle made it feel very forward weighted. Still I hit a bit below the bullseye but the gent from Granite Mountain said that's exactly where I should have hit due to where the gun was sighted in for 100 yards.

404 Jeffery : sesstopleman frequently comments how he likes this caliber and I now know why. The gun that I fired was actually the personal rifle of the gent who was with me when I fired the 416 Rigby. He mentioned that the rifle was lighter yet I should find the recoil less than the 416. He was right. I loved how that gun felt and with my shorter arms it felt more balanced. The recoil felt it a bit more than my .375, but really not enough to get excited about and muzzle jump was a bit less. I really loved this rifle.

450-400-3 1/4: This was my first opportunity ever in firing a double rifle. The gun itself felt very nice, solid weight but nice handling. Open sights on this rifle, but found lining them up a bit difficult in the low light of the indoor range. Recoil felt pretty similar to the 416 Rigby, nothing to be bothered by.

I had intended to shoot a 458 Lott, but unfortunately while it was on the list of calibers to be at the shoot it was not available. So having shot these three and not being bothered by any, I was feeling pretty spry. Adding to this false sense of invincibility was my 13 year old egging me on to try something bigger.

Okay why not? Let's try the .505 Gibbs!

I am proud to say I have shot one and will recount this story I'm sure many times the rest of my life. I will however never so much as pick up a rifle in this caliber much less load and shoot one. This was simply in my opinion the silliest thing I've ever done in shooting. It's not so much that my shoulder hurt though it did some. It's more the feeling that I was just hit by a truck. If I remember correctly the gent said I had just fired a 535gr bullet. Crazy!

My takeaway from this is that these big bores should not be taken lightly, but they're not to be feared either. Of the various .400's I shot, none of them from a felt recoil point of view bothered me near as much as the .300RUM I once owned.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

It is exciting to see that fellow "Big Borers" up in arms... so to speak. I am a member of BASA (Big Bore Association of Southern Africa) and we love our shoots. I would like to know what your shoots entails and would love to share what we are doing over here in South Africa. See our website: Big Bore Association of South Africa

Our shoots consist of 4 or 5 ranges where 3-5 shots are fired at each range. We have static ranges, moving (towards and side ways), and medium range, static targets. Shots from 5 to about 75 meters are taken and verything is done against a stop watch. Most of the time either you move or the target move! Life size full or partial body targets are used of dangerous game. Real life simulations are created and you get an adrenalin rush on a shooting range! Contact me if you would like to find out more. jazeeman@absamail.co.za

Please share your experiences.

Jaco, this shoot was just a chance to get introduced to the big bores. It served that purpose well, but did not involve simulated hunting situations. There is a shoot coming up put on by a local rod and gun club. It's summer here right now the Sonoran desert and as such nobody wants to be outside for very long. The shoot that is coming up in October will be something similar to what your club puts on. This will be in October and if I can, I will attend it. If I do, I'll be sure to write up a thread on it.

 

[enysse]

Well I think your learned your lesson! (lol) 505 Gibbs!

The 404 Jeffery will be haunting you in your dreams .

I would not want to be hunting plains game with a 416 Rigby. Big Five only.

 

[sestoppelman]

Sounds like fun to me! And the .404 rules! Its one of those rounds that despite its popularity amongst professional hunters and game wardens in Africa over the years, has been largely forgotten until fairly recently, in general terms. Its now enjoying a bit of a resurgence in popularity. I wish there were more choices in factory rifles to choose from as while I do like my CZ, other choices would be welcome.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Well I think your learned your lesson! (lol) 505 Gibbs!

The 404 Jeffery will be haunting you in your dreams .

I would not want to be hunting plains game with a 416 Rigby. Big Five only.

Oh it's all good now, my kidneys stopped oscillating this afternoon.

I don't think I'd make the 416 Rigby or Remington my PG rifle, but in a pinch and inside of 100 yards perhaps even 200 and well the shot would be made.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Sounds like fun to me! And the .404 rules! Its one of those rounds that despite its popularity amongst professional hunters and game wardens in Africa over the years, has been largely forgotten until fairly recently, in general terms. Its now enjoying a bit of a resurgence in popularity. I wish there were more choices in factory rifles to choose from as while I do like my CZ, other choices would be welcome.

I hear you Scott. It may come down to $1100 for a M70 in .416 Remington or somewhere in the neighborhood of $2500 for the CZ in .404 Jeff. I don't know that there was enough difference to pay twice as much especially as happy as I am with my Winchester. We'll see, maybe CZ will start chambering the American Safari in .404J, I think it would be a big seller.

 

[Jaco Zeeman]

Hi Phil. Looking forward to the write up. We've got a shortened version of our BASA shoot in two weeks, I'll make sute to post something as well.