A few months ago I found a used Heym 88 B Safari in .458 Win Mag for a reasonable price. I sent it to JJ Perodeau at Champlins to convert it to a 450 3-1/4" NE. In addition, I asked him to add a spacer and new recoil pad to increase the LOP to 15-3/16", add a mercury tube to the stock, machine the grooves into the rib for an RMR mount, remove the cast in the stock, bend the triggers to be more friendly for a lefty, replace the front sight with a pop-up ivory sight, then re-regulate the barrels for 450 grain North Fork FPS. I shoot left handed, but my boys shoot right handed, so in an attempt to get a rifle we all could use, I had the modifications above made. I received the rifle back Wednesday of this week, and it looks like JJ did everything I ask! Unfortunately I don't reload, so I'm waiting on ammo to be loaded to the same specs JJ re-regulated with. I can only hope the rifle shoots as well for me as it did for him (proof target shown below).
Great looking double Shakey, well done. Your certainly "buffalo-ready" with that one. Good hunting and straight shooting, Paul.
Shot very well Mike! First double I've had that wasn't crossed at 50 yards. Composite groups of slightly less than 2"! While the 450 above is meant to usable by everyone in the family, the 470 is sure-enough left handed and all mine! It's with Dustin Mounts at the moment getting a new recoil pad and spacer to increase the LOP a bit, and he's adding a mercury tube to the stock. Still don't love the recoil of a 470, but this one felt much better than my last one in this caliber. These mods will help and hopefully won't effect regulation much. Gonna have to call Buff-Buster and beg for the ammo I sold him back ....
JJ is a national treasure (or maybe a French one!). He is the only person I allow you touch my drillings. He has built numerous rings to fit existing claw mount bases, and the work is always superb. Congrats on what is now truly a new rifle.
With the 450 and 470 to feed, it sounds like you need to 'roll your own' to afford more trigger time. It's not hard and is actually fun to me anyway.
AkMIke, I think you're right. The .470 shoots Hornady very well and Hornady is reasonable - especially on some of the auction sites. The .450 is a different story, especially since I went down the 450 grain NF route. Just haven't had the time to research it yet. Any recommendations on equipment and reading material to get started?
Safari Press just put out a new book "Metallic Cartridge Handloading" by Mic McPherson. Or you can look up some you tube videos on the basics of Handloading.
The Book, 'Shooting the British Double Rifle" from Graeme Wright is a must have for loads that are tried and true for DR's. The general knowledge gained from the book shown above will get you started. With any problems just ask here and someone will have the correct answer. Most presses will handle the long cartridges with some effort but the Lee Classic Cast will do it with ease. Start with a basic reloading kit and add on as is needed.
Well Mike, I have fallen in love with this rifle. Just got back from the Eastern Cape and Botswana, and this Heym has become my favorite rifle. I'd feel much better if it had made it on the same flight home as my son and I did. Watched the gun case get taken off the Air Botswana plane in Johannesburg, but that's the last time I saw it. None of our bags made it to Washington. Three of the four arrived at the door step last Friday. The forth, which is the only one I cared about, didn't show up. They tell me it is being picked up tonight in DC and will be in Houston Wednesday. I'll believe it when I wrap my hands around my rifles again. Hate O.R. Tambo ....
Congrats on the hunt. I knew the Heym would work out well for you. That makes me a little sick to my stomach that the rifle isn't in your possession.
Sorry they Misplaced? your Rifle,,,I,d be in a real S^&%T mood until I had that beauty back in my hands
Well, the good news is that I drove to a warehouse this afternoon next to the airport and gathered some papers, then went to CBP and showed them my 4457s and passport, got their stamp, then back to the warehouse where I had to pay $30 by money order to get my gun case. A quick inspection revealed all the original contents were present (.470 Heym, .375 H&H, shooting sticks and cleaning rod). The bad news is that once I removed the rifles from their soft cases at the house, the stock on the Heym was cracked at the reciever (both sides). Hopefully the photos show up with the post. How they could impart enough impact to crack the stock is beyond me. The rifles were in a TuffPak, I had foam at the bottom of the case where the muzzles rest, and both were in thick, well-made soft cases. They refused to fly the case from Dulles since I wasn't there to clear customs with it when it finally arrived, so it was trucked to Houston. Have e-mails into Chris Sells and JJ Perodeau to see what they recommend (crack repair vs stock replacement).
that would really peeve you there shakey its a great looking firearm none the less :redhot:bet your bubbling bloke
that is bad news, it looks like the force has come from under the stock going upwards to do that, its usually round the pistol grip that they manage to break the stock. i would say that is a new stock unfortunately....you have insurance dont you?....
