577 Nitro Express 3"

I realize this is an old thread, but I wanted to respond to rockhawk's post.

The Ruger No. 1 will handle 577NE forces just fine. The 577 is a low pressure cartridge. The load that I use for cape buffalo, ( it usually kills cape buffalo "dead right there") is about half the pressure of most belted magnum loads that are standard fare for the Ruger No.1

My 577NE single shot is a converted old NEF Handi Rifle 10ga. shotgun. It is not nearly as strong as a Ruger No. 1. and I have had no mechanical problems at all with it.

The recoil is very manageable. Use a 26"to 28" heavy barrel that will get the weight up to 11-12 lbs. and burns all the powder. Lots of 577NE rifles are just 10 lbs. Some like 14 lbs. I find that 12 lbs. is plenty of weight.

It gives a long, slow, manly push that is quite satisfying to shoot. Install a big soft recoil pad, I use the Limbsaver Nitro pad. You can install a straight butt stock to help with the recoil, like I did, but it is not necessary. ( My NEF 577NE single shot recoils straight back with very little muzzle rise.)
Of course, you can install a muzzle brake on a single shot as well, but I don't think it is needed.

You can load a 577NE 700 gr. bullet about 200 fps slower than standard loads and it will knock down cape buffalo like a lightening strike.

You should always use a well designed/constructed solid bullet with a wide flat meplat of about 67% of bullet diameter. Cutting Edge Bullets, NorthFork, Woodleigh hydro, Peregrine Bushmaster and GSC Solids are good to go. In the last decade it has been proven conclusively that these type of flat nose bullets are far superior to round nose bullets for quick kills on cape buffalo, due to their straight, deep penetration and excellent wound channel. If you like an expanding type of bullet in 577NE, I recommend the Raptor model Cutting Edge bullet, 600grains, paired with the Cutting Edge Bullet 650 grain Solid, it really works! The Peregrine BushMaster bullet is an excellent "expanding solid'' bullet.

I have always used N550 powder but am switching to Rel. 17 as it is highly recommended by experts for this cartridge. It has a chemical added to it that takes the sharp peak out of the pressure curve, I am told.

The Ruger No.1 in 577NE is a perfect single shot rifle for 577NE cartridge.
 
Here is a video of a happy guy who has chambered Ruger #1 rifles to several NE cartridges including 577 NE. Enjoy, Brian

 
Here is a video of a happy guy who has chambered Ruger #1 rifles to several NE cartridges including 577 NE. Enjoy, Brian

I love this guy's videos. He's probably a very neat guy to talk to. I admire his shooting all of those rifles in a t-shirt as well. Some of those calibers he is merely hanging onto. He looks like he handles the .450-.400 and the .577 well. Everything else...is lively.
 

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