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Sabattiboy

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I am a Sabatti DR 500 NE owner and it has taught me that a rifle of this caliber should weigh a lot more then 9.3 lbs. Currently adjusted to 10.3 with a recoil reducer.
From reading various postings I have acquired much useful information and thought I should join as some of my DR experience might be of use to others.
Don't forget to enjoy life.
Sabattiboy
 
Hello and welcome!
 
Welcome to AH Sabattiboy!
 
Giday Sabattiboy and welcome to the A H forums
 
Welcome to AH!
 
Sabattiboy, welcome to the AH forum! Although I do not own a DR, I am looking forward to your experiences with one. Just wondering what all you have used one on? When you have a chance, please share some pictures and a report on one of your safaris.
 
Sabittiboy , DO YOU THINK??? My 416 Rigby weighs 11.5 lbs. Some guys enjoy being knocked around and battered I don't. First off welcome to AH. Please tell us a little more about yourself as a hunter. things like what have you hunted in the past, what other caliber rifles do you own, do you reload. Where do you live?
 
Phoenix, AZ is where I reside. I haven't hunted in years but still drool at the thought of drilling 3 to 5 feral hogs at once with the 500 NE.
There is nothing like the classic feel of a DR and, as is common to males want the biggest and baddest. MY FLAWED ASSUMPTION being that if someone made a 500 NE DR it would be sufficiently designed. The Sabatti price was my only option of owning outside of dreaming.
Less then 20 rounds later the stock was broke and the action tangs moving. It sat for a couple years until someone posted contact info for Ken Owen a DR master. He saved my rifle and re regulated it for a load he recommended.
My intention was to develop reduced power cast lead loads so I could enjoy this rifle like I expected. A friend asked what if I didn't like it as much as I thought? I confidently replied it would be 1/2 worn out by then. Then the stock broke etc.
I reload so took an unorthodox approach to this one.
Hornady green sabot with a 240gr cast lead 44 mag bullet in 44 caliber. 25gr of 5744 add 75gr of cornmeal and the sabot. 1250 fps and is like shooting a 4-10 shotgun. POI about a foot high at 25 yards.
I discovered Montana Bullet Co and ordered a 455gr gas checked bullet. My goal was 45-70 performance. This development was interrupted by the stock problem. I discovered the Linebaugh pistol uses a 0.510 barrel and that opened my options from Montana bullet a lot. I ordered 400, 460 and 530 grain bullets all gas checked. After slugging the bore determined to order 0.513 diameter sized bullets. This offered a couple of problems. The chamber only allowed about 0.100 of full diameter out of the case so had to seat those below the crimp. My Hornady seating die is not designed to deal with the over diameter bullets very well so use the press frame to shove them in the case. Per Ken Owen I stopped using cornmeal as he said it could harden from sitting in the case. Poly pillow filler was his suggestion. The sabot loads above need the cornmeal to sit on as a stop.
The 400gr bullet are being pushed with AA 2015 at 1650 fps. The 530gr bullet is running with 93gr of RL-15. The 460gr bullet started with 2015 but switched to IMR 4198 and is running over 1900 fps. It is not regulating as I want so is still under development. Each as a measure of poly filler from 2.5 to 4.5 grains as needed to fill the gap between powder and bullet. The 530gr bullet is running between 2225 and 2250 fps and seems to do as well as the 570gr DGS or DGX on target. It is equal in recoil as well. The regulated load is 81 to 82 grains of 3031. It and the 530gr get Federal 215 primers.
I need to add that I used Sharps 50-140 and 45-120 load data to get a basic start with the cast lead.
A friend saw that I was having a lot of fun so threw out loading some sub sonic rounds. The 400gr bullet with 26gr of 5744 and poly filler gave a right bbl high of 1060 fps and were 5/8 spread at 10 yards. For close range hunting all the cast lead loads would be useful. The subsonic give 979 ft lb of energy and almost no recoil. The 530gr at 2225 fps give 5,825 ft lbs of energy which is on par with the 570gr DG bullets but are not constructed for that kind of application. I am certain they would handle North American came and a fair number of lessor African game.
This is a lot of info and represents a lot of fun.
 
Shootest43
I didn't think to bring my scales to Cabela's and weigh the rifle.
Some of my commentary is tied to making my assumption mistakes known.
 
Understood Sabattiboy, and I'm sorry you had troubles with the rifle initially. But it sounds like you've got it up and running now. Hog hunting is a "hoot," although I've never tried it with a double rifle.
 
Welcome to AH! Love double rifles!
 
Welcome to AH. Enjoy the forum, it's very addicting.
 
Welcome to AH ! With fair warning. Have a pic ready, it your hunt is anything less than the normal!
 
Welcome to AH!
 
Ridgewalker,
Although I check from time to time hoping to find a rogue cape Buffalo or tusk less elephant in my backyard the only thing we have to play with out here in Phoenix is the occasional big bore rifle match at my club. The Sabatti stock was broke when I attended one so had to use my home built wildcat 375 KATN Mag. The fun part of the match is the charging cape buffalo that is to receive two shots in a circle on the forehead if the shooter is not to be relegated to the killed column of their score card. The Sabatti is now ready when they next hold a match. I'm just not sure if I should use the 570gr DGS to make sure they penetrate the heavy cardboard. :)
 
Welcome to AH! What part of Phoenix do you call home? I'm in Chandler.
 

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