In Bound From Tampa

[Mort Hill]

Great fun my friend. You are definitely enjoying your well deserved down time!

 

[M McDindi]

Meanwhile, I look forward to learning what sort of rifles and other equipment you prefer in Namibian hunting, as well as what adventures you care to share with us here.

Best regards,
Velo Dog

Love to tell and hear good "stories". I've found the best ones and the ones I tell, generally happen around the briaa after a dram or two of Scotch! I even don't mind when my friends tell them on me as surely I've done some less than bright things!!

Here's one on me. A few years ago, I got into the single shot rifles. I love the H&R's and have a pretty good collection now of them and several each in 45/70, 450Marlin, 308W , each with ejectors and extractors etc. The wonderful thing about having a wife who is "into it" is I get to, make that have to, buy a least two of everything! Anyway....

So, a few years ago, we're in Namibia hunting with my friend Jan. We're on a neighboring farm called Orpheus hunting blue w/b and I've got one of my H&R in 450Marlin. 425gr wide flat nose hard cast with g/c and SUPPOSED to be loaded to about 2150fps.

We spot a good old bull and spend the next 45+min stalking and belly crawling to within 40m. I LOVE HUNTING and get the most enjoyment in the challenge of getting close. The bull has no idea we're there. We're both on our bellies as flat to the sandy ground as we can be trying to hide behind a small pile of pencil sized twigs. I ssssslllllllooooowwwwllllyyy cock the hammer, aim, squeeze the trigger and it's a friggin squib load!!!! We actually SEE the bullet hit the beasty in the shoulder and bounce off and the beasty looks a the ground at the bullet and walks off!!! Jan and I just lay there laughing till we nearly pissed ourselves.

 

[Velo Dog]

Love to tell and hear good "stories". I've found the best ones and the ones I tell, generally happen around the briaa after a dram or two of Scotch! I even don't mind when my friends tell them on me as surely I've done some less than bright things!!

Here's one on me. A few years ago, I got into the single shot rifles. I love the H&R's and have a pretty good collection now of them and several each in 45/70, 450Marlin, 308W , each with ejectors and extractors etc. The wonderful thing about having a wife who is "into it" is I get to, make that have to, buy a least two of everything! Anyway....

So, a few years ago, we're in Namibia hunting with my friend Jan. We're on a neighboring farm called Orpheus hunting blue w/b and I've got one of my H&R in 450Marlin. 425gr wide flat nose hard cast with g/c and SUPPOSED to be loaded to about 2150fps.

We spot a good old bull and spend the next 45+min stalking and belly crawling to within 40m. I LOVE HUNTING and get the most enjoyment in the challenge of getting close. The bull has no idea we're there. We're both on our bellies as flat to the sandy ground as we can be trying to hide behind a small pile of pencil sized twigs. I ssssslllllllooooowwwwllllyyy cock the hammer, aim, squeeze the trigger and it's a friggin squib load!!!! We actually SEE the bullet hit the beasty in the shoulder and bounce off and the beasty looks a the ground at the bullet and walks off!!! Jan and I just lay there laughing till we nearly pissed ourselves.

Hi again M McDindi,

Yes, the squib vs the guldang wilderbeast story indeed is a good one.
Now and then all humans make errors.
Certainly, I’m as guilty as any and truth be told, probably more than most.
At least those of us who can laugh at our own errors are not as likely to get ulcers.

The Siamese Mauser in .45-70 seems like a very fine rifle for Africa thorn forest / jess/ riverine jungle conditions, etc.
About 15 years ago, I sold a .303 British Mauser sporter, built on a Siamese action.
It was too heavy.
The barrel was massive and I thought about having it turned down thinner but, I just sold it instead, as I needed money for another hunting trip.

I cruise GunsAmerica.com quite often.
Not many years ago, I was sorely tempted by a .45-70 Siamese Mauser there for sale.
It had been done up in the style of a Pre-War sporting Mauser, such as many of the British makers had produced in those classic old days of African tent camp Safaris and etc.
However, I already owned one each, .416 Rigby and .458 Lott caliber repeaters (both Gunsmith built for me on CZ 550 Magnum actions) plus, a double rifle in .458 Winchester caliber (Heym 88B).
So, as much as I wanted that .45-70 (for eland, waterbuck, zebra and such), I passed on it.

Your wife is a real keeper.
More than one of my hunting pals have married the wrong women, in that their women seem to think meat magically appears in grocery stores.
And, they forbid their husbands to display critters in the house.
This is husband abuse IMO.
Their wives do not like me much, because my house is festooned with mementos of many hunting and fishing trips, here and over seas.

Although my wife is no hunter, a life long Alaskan she is fully aware of where meat comes from.
I am so very blessed to be with her for 26 years already.
She has re-arranged my critter collection so that now they are more evenly distributed throughout our home, not just displayed in the basement / man cave.
Likewise, she has requested a giraffe skin, to place as an area rug in our living room (wall to wall giraffe carpet would be a more accurate description).
So far I have prevailed in not hunting a giraffe. Hopefully, she will eventually loose interest in this expensive idea.

Also, she does love to fish.
We have an over night salt water trip planned for this summer, in the event the government loosens its virus-panic strangle hold, on most businesses business here in our home state.

Scotch you say.
“Vitamin S” is good for us, (look at everything it’s done for me LOL).
While we’re on this vitamin topic, the light to moderate intake of “Vitamin W” (whiskey) in general, I think is good for us.
Furthermore, “Vitamin G” (gin) really does wonders toward curing the pip, the grip and the occasional slip.

I suppose that’s about all the news that’s fit to print around here.

Regards,
Velo Dog.

 

[M McDindi]

Paul - I (we) do love those Siamese Mauser conversions. I've got 3. Her's, mine and a back up. Only thing about them is, when you load the rounds into the magazine, you MUST make 100% certain the flange of the 45-70 case you put on top of the one below is AHEAD of the flange of the one below. If you don't...jam. The belted cases on the 450Marlin don't have this issue. Other than that ONE thing to remember they are what I call the "mini winnies". If you look up the ballistics charts for max 45-70 loads in MODERN actions, namely #1's and bolts, you are getting into the lower 1/3 tables for 458 Win Mag up to 400gr bullets. I sure wish the 450Marlin had been developed when all those S/M's were coming back and being converted to 45-70. Might have given the 450M a really good platform. I've also got a Ruger 77 (tang safety) with a fluted Shilen barrel in 450M that has yet to be blooded in Africa.

If we or just I'm going and we take the S/M's or my Win 70 in 450M, I ALWAYS take a 1/2 dozen rounds loaded with 325gr Cutting Edge Bullets. They are chono'd at 2300ft out of our rifles and make the 4000ft.lbs min for DG. There are a few elephants that do roam the part of Namibia were we go. Those bullets at 2350fps have been tested to go dead straight through 60+ inches of wet newspaper at 50m. I've put them all the way through a couple of zebra and gemsbok end to end and think the bullets are still going.

Those rifles in 45-70 and 450Marlin are great for the area we hunt in NW Namibia and the close-in stalking we prefer to do. Longest shots we ever take (unless culling with the 308's) is under 200yds. They are sighted in 1.5" high at 100 and with the 350gr TSX at 2300fts, we're pretty much dead on at 150-160 and a little over 2" low at 200m. No guess work. Put the crosshairs in the center of the "vital triangle" and squeeze the trigger.

We haven't taken the S/M's or Win 70 in a couple of years. We use the little Savage 308W's for culling and 30-06's for our general hunting and sometimes we take the 375 Ruger Alaskans. She is NOT recoil shy. Pulls the trigger on my full load 458 Win Mag on the bench and she's pulled the trigger three times on Jan's 500 Jeff with full loads, standing, and asked for another. At $10+ a pull he politely said he was "out".

One more "story" on her. We're kind of "known" at our rifle club range. Especially her. One day she sat down with "her" S/M at the 100yd lanes. She had a target up that had the round black 1" bull. She sends her first 3 rounds down and a "new" RSO, taps her on the shoulder and says he has to ask her to move over the 50yd lanes as she's "not on the paper". She glances at me, I smile and shrug my shoulders and nod my head. She passes him her binos and says, "Maybe you should look again". He looked, handed back her binos and walked away! All three were clover leafed touching in the bull. Yes, she IS that good! Anyway....

Hope someday to meet a few of the guys here and share a braai, a dram or two of Scotch and a nice cigar and great stories.

 

[Velo Dog]

M McDindi,

Yes, I totally agree when charging one’s slant box Mauser magazine, one should do so with great care, to always press each successive round with the rim ahead of the one below it.
Also, this was a problem with the Bren-Gun when chambered in .303 British caliber.
Soldiers sitting in an armory or supply depot and loading huge quantities of Bren magazines reportedly made this mistake a bit too often.
Supposedly sometimes a fellow doing the loading for long hours could become almost “hypnotic” after several hundred magazines.
This would result in rounds sometimes being pressed into magazines with a rim behind the one below it.
Not good results on the battle field.

If your wife will fire a standard factory loaded 500 grain.458 Winchester or equivalent hand-loaded 500 gr., from seated at a bench, wow.
I don’t consider myself a wimp but, I am not shy to say that’s more abuse than I’d care to endure.
IMO many .458 Winchester caliber rifles are made too light (8 - 9 pounds) and so, they kick like satan LOL.

I own some real powerful rifles but only fire them from standing over a sturdy rest, to adjust the sights or, off hand and/or over shooting sticks, during repeated training toward a hunting trip.
Furthermore, my large bore Mausers all weigh 10 - 11 pounds, most of them closer to 11 pounds.
Last but not least, I admittedly load my hard kickers down a little as well.

Not really a large bore, in Africa terminology but, my favorite load in .375 H&H is the 300 grain round nose at 2400 fps.
I have shot this from the bench quite a bit with several .375’s I had owned over the years and it is not too fierce in recoil.
Today, my favorite .375 is a Brno 602 / 4x Zeiss in Alaska lever rings and factory “express sights” in case I manage to damage my scope.
It is very accurate and although not light at almost 10 pounds, it balances well so, even an old geezer like me can carry it many miles, no problem.
That said, when hunting in more open areas, such as much of Namibia, I admit to preferring the standard velocity factory ballistics of 300 grain at 2550 fps.
I’ve also used the now missing in action Winchester factory loaded 270 gr “Power Point” semi-spitzer for caribou on the wide open tundra.
Wish that ammunition was still in abundance here.
It would’ve made a fantastic load for dreaded “plains game” hunting in the open parts of Africa, again in such as most of Namibia.

My .416 Rigby loaded with 400 gr at 2150 -2200 fps requires a spacer over the powder.
But, when fired at such “.404 Jeffery velocities”, it is much more fun to shoot than full house 2400 fps loads are.
My Lott is tolerable for repeated training sessions, with 480 - 500 gr @ 2125 - 2150 fps.
The .500 Jeffery when loaded to .500 NE ballistics (570 hr @ 2100 fps) is still a real “sporting recoiler” but not unbearable at 11 pounds and with a mercury cylinder in the stock.

Some women can indeed shoot well.
Those men who find that offensive or threatening need to re-evaluate their self esteem.
Women who shoot well should be given their rightful place among the rest of us rifle enthusiasts and world traveling hunters.
An exceptional shooter is an exceptional shooter.
Here in Anchorage there are perhaps more firearms enthusiasts and hunting enthusiasts per capita than many places world wide.
Some are women, especially on the trap and skeet range.
I’m not bad at wing shooting but, there are some women here that can clobber me every time on clay pigeon shooting.
My hat is off to them, they are impressive.

I’m curious about the .450 Marlin cartridge.
When Marlin introduced it a number of years back, it saw a brief “flash in the pan” type of popularity here where I live.
Then fast forward to now, it essentially has all but disappeared.
Do you find this cartridge advantageous, over the regular .458 Wnchstr and / or the .45-70 in some way ?
I have no experience with the .450 Marlin so, I don’t really have an opinion on it except that ammunition for it seems only available sporadically around here.

Regarding the braai and a wee dram or two, sign me up.

Cheerio,
Paul.

 

[M McDindi]

Paul:

Here's my 458 WM.


Based on a Zastava M70. Had my G/S shorten the barrel and install NECG banded front sight and rear base. I put their ghost ring insert in the rear and LOVE it in that forward position. Had him shorten the forestock and install the barrel band swivel. Shorted the LOP to fit me with a nice squishy recoil pad and Cerakoted matte to match the bedded Warne Maxima steal bases and QD rings. Scope is Leupold VX-R 1.25-4. Weighs just over 10lbs loaded. I've polished the factory trigger and got rid of the mil style 2-stage hump. Now is a nice clean 2.5lb pull. Still has a lot of over-travel but very happy with it as is.

The 450Marlin was a joint development between Hornady and Marlin. The goal was to make a cartridge less then a 458WM and more than standard factory 45/70. Hand loaders were the only ones who could take advantage of the 45/70 real potential due to the liability worries of some nut putting a HOT 45/70 into an old trapdoor Springfield. They wanted a case that could NOT be interchanged with 45/70 or 458WM and more importantly 458WM trying to be loaded in a 450Marlin. The banded base on the 450M adds strength to the case to accommodate the higher pressures they wanted and its size and position prevents it from cambering in a WM and visa versa.

Marlin's bit in the deal was to modify the 1895 actions. It's NOT just a change to the chamber. On the standard 1895 actions the threads between the barrel and the receiver are "U" shaped. The threads on the 450M are shallower and "V" shaped and there are more per inch. This allows both the receiver and barrel to be a few hundreds of an inch thicker and stronger. This is why the SAMI max pressure specs on the 1895 in 45-70 is either 36K or 38K psi and the max on the 450M 1895's is 45K.

I've got a several of Marlins in both. I will say, that my experience with them, the 450M ones cycle much smoother than the 45/70 ones and feeding cartridges through the loading gate is much easier.

In the Win 70 in 450M (in the pic with my kudu) and the Ruger 77 in 450M, they both feed much smoother as well compared to the S/M bolts. Best reason I can come up with is the angle the cartridges have to make when picked up by the bolt and moving up and forward between the rails is lower on the 450M because of no flange.

Looking at reloading tables is't easy to see the difference between trapdoor, modern lever gun and modern rifle data.

We've used the Marlin lever guns on a few trips and for the terrain, conditions and ranges we typical hunt/shoot they are fine for everything all the way up to eland.

 

[M McDindi]

Correction, I made a mistake. SAMMI max pressure on 450M is 43K not 45K.

 

[Velo Dog]

Paul:

Here's my 458 WM.


Based on a Zastava M70. Had my G/S shorten the barrel and install NECG banded front sight and rear base. I put their ghost ring insert in the rear and LOVE it in that forward position. Had him shorten the forestock and install the barrel band swivel. Shorted the LOP to fit me with a nice squishy recoil pad and Cerakoted matte to match the bedded Warne Maxima steal bases and QD rings. Scope is Leupold VX-R 1.25-4. Weighs just over 10lbs loaded. I've polished the factory trigger and got rid of the mil style 2-stage hump. Now is a nice clean 2.5lb pull. Still has a lot of over-travel but very happy with it as is.

The 450Marlin was a joint development between Hornady and Marlin. The goal was to make a cartridge less then a 458WM and more than standard factory 45/70. Hand loaders were the only ones who could take advantage of the 45/70 real potential due to the liability worries of some nut putting a HOT 45/70 into an old trapdoor Springfield. They wanted a case that could NOT be interchanged with 45/70 or 458WM and more importantly 458WM trying to be loaded in a 450Marlin. The banded base on the 450M adds strength to the case to accommodate the higher pressures they wanted and its size and position prevents it from cambering in a WM and visa versa.

Marlin's bit in the deal was to modify the 1895 actions. It's NOT just a change to the chamber. On the standard 1895 actions the threads between the barrel and the receiver are "U" shaped. The threads on the 450M are shallower and "V" shaped and there are more per inch. This allows both the receiver and barrel to be a few hundreds of an inch thicker and stronger. This is why the SAMI max pressure specs on the 1895 in 45-70 is either 36K or 38K psi and the max on the 450M 1895's is 45K.

I've got a several of Marlins in both. I will say, that my experience with them, the 450M ones cycle much smoother than the 45/70 ones and feeding cartridges through the loading gate is much easier.

In the Win 70 in 450M (in the pic with my kudu) and the Ruger 77 in 450M, they both feed much smoother as well compared to the S/M bolts. Best reason I can come up with is the angle the cartridges have to make when picked up by the bolt and moving up and forward between the rails is lower on the 450M because of no flange.

Looking at reloading tables is't easy to see the difference between trapdoor, modern lever gun and modern rifle data.

We've used the Marlin lever guns on a few trips and for the terrain, conditions and ranges we typical hunt/shoot they are fine for everything all the way up to eland.

The Zastava seems to be a sturdy, serviceable Mauser for a very reasonable price.
I’m not one to scope my heavy recoiling large bores.
The .375 is my personal recoil limit for scoping.
But, if I was to scope a .416 or .458, etc., certainly I’d want a low power / generous eye relief one, as you have mentioned.
The one on your .458 appears larger than what I imagine when reading about “1.25 - 4” power scopes.

However, I am far from well read on what scopes are available today, especially variable power ones.
Seems like the variety of variable power rifle scopes lately are flying at us, from the manufacturers so fast that old buzzards like me cannot possibly identify very many of them in photos.
I cannot even name all the brands available now, much less the models.

Good natured jest is always welcome and I occasionally receive a little fun poking, for my recommending an out of vogue these days, fixed 4x scope in low rings, when putting together a .30-06, .35 Whelen, 9.3x62 or .375 for Africa / Alaska.
Speaking of low power / fixed power scopes, just this last November, I shot very dead a Montana mule deer, by means of a now long discontinued model 3x Leupold (on my CZ 550 FS / 6.5x55).
I’m a fossil, lol.

 

[M McDindi]

Paul - those VX-R's are or I guess should say, were, outstanding. I think they've been discontinued. They look large because they are a bigger 30mm tube. I've got three. One each on the 458WM in the photo above, another 1.25x4 on my Win 70 in 450Marlin and 2-7 on my 375 Ruger Alaskan. So far, several hundred rds of full house loads on the WM, maybe 700+ on the 450M and 1000+ on the 375 Ruger. Not a glitch in any of them so far Besides the bigger tube and the huge light gathering that provides the coatings are really, really phenomenal and they have a dual spring erector system on the reticle to stand up to big bore recoil.

Here's a good one for you - we do a lot of night predator/varmint control at my friends place in Namibia. The powder I use in the 375 Ruger loads is mil surp that is pulled from 50BMG "Spotter Rounds" NOT regular 50BMG. The "spotter round" version is very large diameter, long and hollow centered and it's coated in graphite. Result is almost NO muzzle flash at all so, great for night shooting so you don't lose your night vision. Very bulky and a bit hard to light. Has to have a magnum primer and a pretty good bottle neck to to get good ignition. Doesn't work with a damn in 375 H&H, or any straight wall cases at all. They just don't build enough pressure and your barrel will be full of unburned powder along with the front of your bench. In the 375 Ruger it's 73gr under your choice of 270-300gr bullets. It will be just slightly compressed with a TSX. Can try to stuff so much in until the bullets start to come back out after seating but velocity will not increase at all.

CAUTION - DO NOT CONFUSE REGULAR 50BMG MIL SURPLUS PULLED POWDER WITH THE "SPOTTER ROUND" POWDER. VERY DIFFERENT AND NOT INTERCHANGEABLE!

 

[Velo Dog]

Paul - those VX-R's are or I guess should say, were, outstanding. I think they've been discontinued. They look large because they are a bigger 30mm tube. I've got three. One each on the 458WM in the photo above, another 1.25x4 on my Win 70 in 450Marlin and 2-7 on my 375 Ruger Alaskan. So far, several hundred rds of full house loads on the WM, maybe 700+ on the 450M and 1000+ on the 375 Ruger. Not a glitch in any of them so far Besides the bigger tube and the huge light gathering that provides the coatings are really, really phenomenal and they have a dual spring erector system on the reticle to stand up to big bore recoil.

Here's a good one for you - we do a lot of night predator/varmint control at my friends place in Namibia. The powder I use in the 375 Ruger loads is mil surp that is pulled from 50BMG "Spotter Rounds" NOT regular 50BMG. The "spotter round" version is very large diameter, long and hollow centered and it's coated in graphite. Result is almost NO muzzle flash at all so, great for night shooting so you don't lose your night vision. Very bulky and a bit hard to light. Has to have a magnum primer and a pretty good bottle neck to to get good ignition. Doesn't work with a damn in 375 H&H, or any straight wall cases at all. They just don't build enough pressure and your barrel will be full of unburned powder along with the front of your bench. In the 375 Ruger it's 73gr under your choice of 270-300gr bullets. It will be just slightly compressed with a TSX. Can try to stuff so much in until the bullets start to come back out after seating but velocity will not increase at all.

CAUTION - DO NOT CONFUSE REGULAR 50BMG MIL SURPLUS PULLED POWDER WITH THE "SPOTTER ROUND" POWDER. VERY DIFFERENT AND NOT INTERCHANGEABLE!

Thanks M McDindi,

Interesting info on the scopes, very unusual rifle powder supply and caliber for night culling of predators.

Cheers,
Paul.

 

[M McDindi]

Paul - here's the link to where I get that powder from. Look down the page to IMR7383 and dig the price!!! I order a LOT of powder (not just this one) from him by a mixed 6-jug case every couple of years.
http://www.surpluspowder.com/gunpowder.html

Because most of what he has is pulled mil surp, and a got bit of new mil surp I always call and make sure how much he has from the same lot numbers. I by as much as I can from the same lots, because every batch is jut a bit different. Can still only stuff 73gr in the case but the velocity can vary 100fps plus/minus.

Yes, I DO burn a LOT of powder but remember, I'm feeding TWO shooters and we hit the range at LEAST twice a month and take a couple of different rifles. The 375's see 40-50rds each, the 458WM gets 20-25 and if its the 30-06's at least 50rds each. As time gets closer to a trip, it will be weekly at least with whatever one or two rifles I'm or we're taking.

I agree the 375's are a bit of overkill, but then too, but were usually after hyena and occasionally some things a bit bigger.

 

[Velo Dog]

Paul - here's the link to where I get that powder from. Look down the page to IMR7383 and dig the price!!! I order a LOT of powder (not just this one) from him by a mixed 6-jug case every couple of years.
http://www.surpluspowder.com/gunpowder.html

Because most of what he has is pulled mil surp, and a got bit of new mil surp I always call and make sure how much he has from the same lot numbers. I by as much as I can from the same lots, because every batch is jut a bit different. Can still only stuff 73gr in the case but the velocity can vary 100fps plus/minus.

Yes, I DO burn a LOT of powder but remember, I'm feeding TWO shooters and we hit the range at LEAST twice a month and take a couple of different rifles. The 375's see 40-50rds each, the 458WM gets 20-25 and if its the 30-06's at least 50rds each. As time gets closer to a trip, it will be weekly at least with whatever one or two rifles I'm or we're taking.

I agree the 375's are a bit of overkill, but then too, but were usually after hyena and occasionally some things a bit bigger.

M McDindi,

Not to worry, because when I lived in Soviet California, I’ve shot ground squirrels and jack rabbits with a .375 now and then.
Thanks for the powder web site but in AK, we cannot afford to order small shipments of propellants or primers.
The Canadian Hazardous Material permit is expensive and is required no matter how your flammables pass through or over Canada, truck, rail, barge or cargo plane.

Alaska gun shops, Cabela’s etc., each buy several hundred pounds at a time so, it is worth their while to have powder and primers bulk shipped, Haz-Mat permits and all.
Due to regular long haul shipping costs in general, we pay a bit more here for everything except natural gas, oil/gasoline, firewood, sea food and reindeer sausage lol.

Regards,
Paul.

 

[African Sporting Creations]

Welcome to AH M McDindi! Nice to have you on the posting side, looking forward to reading your posts.

 

[micbo]

Welcome to AH and the posting side @M McDindi! Great to have you here and we are looking forward to you sharing your stories!

 

[Pron]

Welcome to this great forum @M McDindi! Enjoy the site!

 

[TROPHY SHIPPERS]

Welcome to AH M McDindi. Nice to have you as part of our community. Enjoy the forum, it's very addicting!