Heym 89b 450NE Gross Box Survived Zim

[Wildwillalaska]

Great report, pictures and interesting that the tumbling bullet made it all the way to the off shoulder of the Buff!

I own a 89B 500 NE that I used on Buff last year and plan on using again in 2026. Great guns!

Thanks for sharing!

The tumbled bullet didn’t make the offside, that was the mushroomed one that penetrated through. The tumbled one was found lodged sideways in a rib (inside ribcage on opposite side…so went through the already shot shoulder..different path..entered ribcage and through vitals but smacked and stuck into the offside inner rib).

 

[Wildwillalaska]

And what’s the future of your Heym 450 ne ?

More of the same, mainly buffalo, and hopefully elephant sometime in 2026 or 2027 and after.

 

[Houston Bill]

Which rigby 500 is it the shikari or rising bite? Isn’t that awesome that the 500 recoil is < 470 you have

Shikari, I only wish I could afford a rising bite, that is my dream rifle. That and a Holland & Holland Royal in 500/450 like Teddy's Big Stick! In the past I tried to buy a couple of rising bites but I get out bid. I have a long length of pull, 15-1/4", and I find a lot of the older rifles both from Rigby and H&H have shorter length of pulls. I found a beautiful H&H Royal from 1917 in 500/465 that was in great condition and I was going to be able to acquire it for a very good price but alas it had a 14-1/2" length of pull and there was no good solution to fix that without detracting from the value of the rifle so I passed.

I also wondered why the 500 recoil felt less and Jerome said it is because better fitting rifle and the fact that the 500 weighed about 1 lb more than my 470. The felt recoil was definitely less to me.

For me the recoil is only an issue when I am practicing. I used lead sled for sighting in my doubles, I follow the instructions and advice from Graeme Wright's 3rd addition of Shooting the British Double. And with the extra adrenaline when shooting at game in the field I do not notice the recoil. So when I practice, generally off sticks and some free hand, I shoot about 10 rounds and then take a break for an hour or more and then shoot another 10. This way I don't develop a flinch.

 

[SStomcat]

Shikari, I only wish I could afford a rising bite, that is my dream rifle. That and a Holland & Holland Royal in 500/450 like Teddy's Big Stick! In the past I tried to buy a couple of rising bites but I get out bid. I have a long length of pull, 15-1/4", and I find a lot of the older rifles both from Rigby and H&H have shorter length of pulls. I found a beautiful H&H Royal from 1917 in 500/465 that was in great condition and I was going to be able to acquire it for a very good price but alas it had a 14-1/2" length of pull and there was no good solution to fix that without detracting from the value of the rifle so I passed.

I also wondered why the 500 recoil felt less and Jerome said it is because better fitting rifle and the fact that the 500 weighed about 1 lb more than my 470. The felt recoil was definitely less to me.

For me the recoil is only an issue when I am practicing. I used lead sled for sighting in my doubles, I follow the instructions and advice from Graeme Wright's 3rd addition of Shooting the British Double. And with the extra adrenaline when shooting at game in the field I do not notice the recoil. So when I practice, generally off sticks and some free hand, I shoot about 10 rounds and then take a break for an hour or more and then shoot another 10. This way I don't develop a flinch.

I hear you and fair play to Gordy’s. I picked up my rifles there and the place is something else.

Have seen the owner’s .416 Rigby double. That rifle bites back in the best possible way fit, finish, engraving and bluing all so perfect. They also had a Purdey in .375 and a Holland & Holland Royal that live in a completely different league — beautiful, precise, and honestly a little humbling to stand next to.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Here are is another reason why I call them
Mac Specials…this is the first two rounds through an otherwise new virgin Heym 450NE. How could I not immediately fall in love with the rifle…and the CEB Raptor handloads. Oh, and this was iron sights before adding the RMR.

Sweet!

 

[Wildwillalaska]

Shikari, I only wish I could afford a rising bite, that is my dream rifle. That and a Holland & Holland Royal in 500/450 like Teddy's Big Stick! In the past I tried to buy a couple of rising bites but I get out bid. I have a long length of pull, 15-1/4", and I find a lot of the older rifles both from Rigby and H&H have shorter length of pulls. I found a beautiful H&H Royal from 1917 in 500/465 that was in great condition and I was going to be able to acquire it for a very good price but alas it had a 14-1/2" length of pull and there was no good solution to fix that without detracting from the value of the rifle so I passed.

I also wondered why the 500 recoil felt less and Jerome said it is because better fitting rifle and the fact that the 500 weighed about 1 lb more than my 470. The felt recoil was definitely less to me.

For me the recoil is only an issue when I am practicing. I used lead sled for sighting in my doubles, I follow the instructions and advice from Graeme Wright's 3rd addition of Shooting the British Double. And with the extra adrenaline when shooting at game in the field I do not notice the recoil. So when I practice, generally off sticks and some free hand, I shoot about 10 rounds and then take a break for an hour or more and then shoot another 10. This way I don't develop a flinch.

Ive heard more than a couple other forum members say they feel the recoil on their 500’s are less than their 470’s, and expect weight has a lot to do with it, especially when someone is shooting same make/model/deminsions rifles in both calibers. I cannot personally say yet, but hope to in the near future.

What I can say is my 470 had the phlebotomist at the local blood bank asking me if I felt safe at home. I had shot a few large bores well more than usual, shooting my Rigby 416 and Breeding 505 Gibbs, while also shooting my 470 trying to developed a load I was happy with. I was trying to skip a day or two between, and was shooting off a bench more than I should. With time issues I shot a few days back to back, and think I developed a hematoma in my shoulder and then must of squished it the following day as I got some significant bruising down my bicep…and I usually do not bruise like at all. So when I flew down to Utah to enjoy a day of shooting with Mac, I rolled in looking like I’d torn something, and more tender than normal. I’m typically more
Recoil immune within reason and never had issues with flinching, but finding the older I get the more I need to find moderation in shooting big bores.

Roll forward to my return from Utah and I went in to donate blood and the lady was like “uh…are you ok, what happened?”

I say I shot my 470 double rifle a few too many times…. She looked up at me like I claimed to have walked into a doorknob and softly asked if I felt safe at home. Lol.