577 NE double rifles

matt85

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I have always loved large bore doubles, especially in the older/larger calibers. My W.J. Jeffery double in 8-bore 3.25" is easily my most prized possession! But lately I have had this obsession with 577 NE double guns, I can't stop thinking about them!

I lust after a properly built British double in 577 NE! How to find one? What orifice to pull the money from?

The very few of these I have found available have been priced well and truly beyond my ability to ever afford... but I continue to look every day! I'm not exactly sure why I've made this thread... perhaps to complain, perhaps to dream, of course it could also be all the splendid "finished whiskey" I've been drinking (most likely!).

With that pathetic complaining out of the way, please post pictures of your 577 NE doubles for me to drool over!
 
I have always loved large bore doubles, especially in the older/larger calibers. My W.J. Jeffery double in 8-bore 3.25" is easily my most prized possession! But lately I have had this obsession with 577 NE double guns, I can't stop thinking about them!

I lust after a properly built British double in 577 NE! How to find one? What orifice to pull the money from?

The very few of these I have found available have been priced well and truly beyond my ability to ever afford... but I continue to look every day! I'm not exactly sure why I've made this thread... perhaps to complain, perhaps to dream, of course it could also be all the splendid "finished whiskey" I've been drinking (most likely!).

With that pathetic complaining out of the way, please post pictures of your 577 NE doubles for me to drool over!
What’s your budget ? I can get you a Heym Model 88B in .577 Nitro Express.
 
I have an old british double rifle caliber 577 Nitro Express. Nice collectors, but somewhat outdated rifles. You cannot get one cheaply, and nowadays you have not a lot of good opportunities for hunting with. Acquiring something like that requires careful consideration.
 
I have an old british double rifle caliber 577 Nitro Express. Nice collectors, but somewhat outdated rifles. You cannot get one cheaply, and nowadays you have not a lot of good opportunities for hunting with. Acquiring something like that requires careful consideration.
That is why I asked for pictures instead of posting a "WTB ad" :).

I'm like a fat old man going to the beach to watch pretty young things strut around in bikinis. I can't have it and I know it... but I still like to look.
 
I have an old british double rifle caliber 577 Nitro Express. Nice collectors, but somewhat outdated rifles. You cannot get one cheaply, and nowadays you have not a lot of good opportunities for hunting with. Acquiring something like that requires careful consideration.
I will politely disagree with your statement on opportunities to hunt with a 577 .. Anything on your menu out to a comfortable 100yards should be fair game for a 577 and Iron sights
 
My now departed dear friend Paul traveled a similar path, lots of great large caliber bore rifles and paradox guns, then a couple of .577's, an A&N double with a gold duck on the trigger guard and a remarkable Rigby falling block built on a Webley action. I shot the A&N a few times, the recoil was manageable due to the weight of the gun, 14&1/lbs. if I recall correctly. These guns are heavier than I enjoy carrying. Paul ended up settling on .45 cal Nitro doubles in the end. I own his Manton .475#2 today.

IMG_0936.jpeg
 
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Matt at one point I owned a 577 BPE double. Was a great rifle and fun to shoot. Just didn't fit me (LOP to short) so it went down the road to someone it fit well.

I have also looking for a NE double but no joy and settled for a single shot.

Best of luck on your search.
 
I can't imagine taking one on an actual hunt. Perhaps mount it on a gun carriage? Maybe something like Germans used to mount their Maxims. Of course in the Golden Age they typically were issued with a gunbearer.

!4 pounds of rifle, another two to three pounds of ammo and trying to walk down an elephant. It is hard to imagine a less practical firearm on a modern safari.

Gun bearer.jpg


Maxim.jpg
 
Ive said before, but my first love was the straight walled .450ne

But then I started to collect Nitro express ammo, and one day I had picked up a few different calibers from a ammo collector and the .577NE was one of them. I dont what it was, maybe the weight to it? or the dimensions.

The moment I held just the 577 in my hand, it felt differently then any other NE cartridge. I was mesmerized

Ive only had that feeling once before like it, in Zimbabwe while Buffalo hunting and finding a broken off piece of ivory in a tree. the moment its surprisingly heavy for size heft sat in my hands, I went from wanting to someday hunt an elephant, to NEEDING to hunt an elephant to feel that again
 
I have an old british double rifle caliber 577 Nitro Express. Nice collectors, but somewhat outdated rifles. You cannot get one cheaply, and nowadays you have not a lot of good opportunities for hunting with. Acquiring something like that requires careful consideration.
Some time back, I saw a .600 NE for sale. It was a British rifle, roughly 13 lbs, with 26-inch chopper lump barrels, and it was a nice rifle indeed.

When I handled it and put it to my shoulder to aim, I heard my inner voice say, “Dude, you need to carry this thing all day, every day, in the bush… think about it.”

The answer was obvious.

Of course, you can always have a gun bearer. But to me, this is about passion and nostalgia. There is simply something special about hunting buffalo, elephant, or hippo with one of these classic rifles. That experience is worth more than practicality alone.
 
I will politely disagree with your statement on opportunities to hunt with a 577 .. Anything on your menu out to a comfortable 100yards should be fair game for a 577 and Iron sights
100 yards ? Its a little too far without a optic or even a red dot to accurately place a shot where it needs to be placed on DG specially. A ill placed shot no matter how big the caliber is of little consequence invariably leading to a wild goose chase.
 
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I have always loved large bore doubles, especially in the older/larger calibers. My W.J. Jeffery double in 8-bore 3.25" is easily my most prized possession! But lately I have had this obsession with 577 NE double guns, I can't stop thinking about them!

I lust after a properly built British double in 577 NE! How to find one? What orifice to pull the money from?

The very few of these I have found available have been priced well and truly beyond my ability to ever afford... but I continue to look every day! I'm not exactly sure why I've made this thread... perhaps to complain, perhaps to dream, of course it could also be all the splendid "finished whiskey" I've been drinking (most likely!).

With that pathetic complaining out of the way, please post pictures of your 577 NE doubles for me to drool over!
I have some friends who love their Heym .577 NE doubles and they hunt with them proficiently. I am also enamored by the .577s and .600s!

My .470 was also just a pipe dream, until it happened! Keep the search on and the dream alive my friend!
 
I will politely disagree with your statement on opportunities to hunt with a 577 .. Anything on your menu out to a comfortable 100yards should be fair game for a 577 and Iron sights

I'd be willing to shoot out to around 75 yards with my 8-bore. Then again, I haven't actually tried shooting 100 yards with that gun yet. But you are completely correct! It could actually make a fun challenge to do an entire PG hunt with a 577 NE. Every animal would be a close stalk with a high chance of failure.
 
100 yards ? Its a little too far without a optic or even a red dot to accurately place a shot where it needs to be placed on DG specially. A ill placed shot no matter how big the caliber is of little consequence invariably leading to a wild goose chase.
Iron Sights and 100yards... the last African animal I shot beyond 50yards with Iron sights was a Wildebeest at a paced 100yards with my 450NE ...
Believe me a Wildebeest at 100yards is a whole lot bigger than an 8" pie plate you can see muscle, bone and hair
 
THE Fat Lady......
Mines the 2 3/4 version on a converted Greener shotgun Empire action. A well known double in Australia from previous owners hunting and the hunting I've done with it. Its no slouch with the Woodleigh 650 RNSP projectiles at around d 1750 fps. Regulates well and despite the short barrels ,22"balances and handles well. Comes in at around 10.5lbs.
Reloading proposition so Ive stuck with the original loads from previous owner, only change has been the unavailability of 2206 powder so replaced with 2206H. With no changes to regulation. Despite being a intimidating round to look at its nice to shoot
Ive done a bit of hunting. with it from pigs to water buff scrubbers and sambar. Here's a few pics.
Previous owner's Pic (Marraki)


Under recoil, second shot buff. 650 woodleigh


scrubber

650gr RNSP from boar breaking from his bed in long grass, 2m.

boar

recovered 650 RNSP, designed for light nitro velocities


8feet running, Awesome!

nice scrubber

recovered 650 RNSP two variations and FMJ

sambar spike

 

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Projectiles available for the 577 2 3/4 light nitro
Woodleigh has a choice of three conventional style in 650gr FMJ W04A, and two velocity ratings RNSP, 1700-2000fps W05A and 1800-2100fps W03A
The W05A 650 are perfect in the fat lady and mushroom to twice the diameter, with good penetration.

Bertram does 650 SP and also makes 3" brass for 577 which can be shortened to 2 3/4/
break down of 577 2 3/4 light nitro load 2 x 3/8 saddle felt wads

red skin scrubber

seating 650 RNSP

scrubber

Hydro's .585 750 gr would like to turn these down to similar size as RNSP and see how they would go?
 

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