September 18, 2018, 05:53 PM | #1 |
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Affordable Elephant Gun?
Anyone know of an affordable elephant gun option under about $1,000? I'm thinking something upwards of 6000 foot pounds. Wouldn't have to be a bolt action, but that would be pretty nice.
Thinking something along the lines of the 500 Jeffery, 500 nitro, .458 Lott. I figure with casting my own bullets I could reload rounds for less than twenty cents. Probably will never shoot at elephants, just wanting to lob really big chunks of lead around Last edited by sixgunnin; September 18, 2018 at 06:00 PM. |
September 18, 2018, 06:38 PM | #2 |
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That's funny right there......
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September 18, 2018, 06:46 PM | #3 |
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This is about as close as you are going to get:
https://ruger.com/products/HawkeyeAfrican/models.html Looking at about 5k foot pounds of energy. |
September 18, 2018, 06:59 PM | #4 | |
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Street price on the Ruger should be about $1000 +/- $100. The 375 Ruger or 375 H&H would do just fine.
Another option http://www.weatherby.com/products/ri...rd-safari.html And probably the cheapest option http://www.weatherby.com/products/ri...c-375-h-h.html There is always the used market. Quote:
https://www.marlinfirearms.com/lever...-1895-big-bore
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September 18, 2018, 07:31 PM | #5 |
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Better price in a case of Ben-Gay and a chiropractor.
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September 18, 2018, 07:41 PM | #6 | |
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More like an ophthalmologist for the detached retinas...............
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September 18, 2018, 07:53 PM | #7 |
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A Browning or Winchester 1886 in .45-70 is pretty close. And it's a good cartridge for big cast bullets. Don't know if you can find a decent one under $1000, though.
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September 18, 2018, 08:17 PM | #8 | |
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September 18, 2018, 08:20 PM | #9 |
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I got my Weatherby 460 for $1000 a few years ago.
Shop around and you might get lucky. I shoot cast out of my 375 H&H and the 460, but it shure as hell ain't 20 cents. The powder alone will run 50 cents. |
September 18, 2018, 08:22 PM | #10 | |
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September 18, 2018, 08:28 PM | #11 |
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That's hysterical!!! The empty brass will likely cost you $5-$10 per round, the powder (90 to 110grns per rd) say even 100grns at $30/lb will cost likely about 45¢ per rd, and primers (Fed GM215M) are what, 3.5¢ per rd. So, on the cheap side, you've got $5.50 in brass, powder, and primer per rd without a bullet or reloading dies, etc., to load it.
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September 18, 2018, 08:34 PM | #12 | |
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September 18, 2018, 08:49 PM | #13 |
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None of the above are "really" fast, with jackets. With cast a good bit slower.
458Win are fairly common used at gun shows for under $1K. 375H&H which is a lot more useful caliber for most people usually bring more. Those big English cartridges were never made in cheap guns. The cheapest would be a #1 Ruger which are not really cheap. |
September 18, 2018, 09:03 PM | #14 | |
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Thank you for the help! |
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September 18, 2018, 09:07 PM | #15 |
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Why not consider a .50 BMG? 12,000 ft lbs. There are a few around. Serbu and LAR make both make single shot .50 BMG’s around $1K.
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September 18, 2018, 09:43 PM | #16 |
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If you get one, it will likely lose its charm in the first box of ammo fired.
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September 18, 2018, 10:16 PM | #17 |
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Just get an NEF single shot rifled slug gun and shoot Lightfields.
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September 18, 2018, 10:31 PM | #18 |
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Here you go....
https://www.gunbroker.com/Bolt-Actio...303&ca=5000145 or this one...it's a "must have" https://www.gunbroker.com/item/785826528 Jerry |
September 18, 2018, 10:36 PM | #19 |
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In all seriousness you can pick up a Winchester Alaskan for about $1300 or an African for about $1400...depends on what you consider "affordable". To me, that is affordable, for some that is sky high and for others that is chump change. I don't know you or your situation.....
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September 18, 2018, 11:46 PM | #20 |
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At one time you could pretty easily pick up a .458 or .375 magnum at a local place because men bought them as trophies. Not to hunt, it was a matter of pride that they owned the ultimate gun. My father in law had one. So, these things would sit in cases and sell for a small return decades later.
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September 18, 2018, 11:55 PM | #21 |
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375 Ruger will handle anything that walks the earth. A good friend that has been hunting in Africa for more than ten years was recently fortunate enough to be drawn for a cull elephant. Although he has both a 375 H&H and 375 Ruger, along with a 450 Nitro double he did not have time for the aperwork to bring his own rifle. He used tge outfitters CZ in 375 H&H which worked flawlessly.
Now if you really want "afordable" his 375 Ruger chambered Mosberg Patriot was less than $400. He says it actually shoots better than a custom built Remington 700 in 375 H&H that cost him three times or more.
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September 19, 2018, 06:55 AM | #22 | |
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September 19, 2018, 08:04 AM | #23 |
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How about a bolt action cartridge that pretty much duplicates the old .450/400 Nitro Express ballistics? It's about 2000 ft-lbs shy of your 6000 ft-lb goal, but it does launch a 400 grain projectile at 2000-2100 fps and is made from really easy to find brass. If that sounds appealing to you then do what my buddy did and make a .400 Whelen. You could do it for under $1000 by finding an old Rem M700 .30-06 or .270, send it off to JES Reboring and have it cut rifled to .411 diamter, and if necessary have it set back and chamber recut. If you do the last part try to find a reamer using Michale Petrov's specifications.
Here is how his rifle is shooting.
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September 19, 2018, 08:17 AM | #24 |
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I have owned a numebr of 458s in the past. With the right barrel the 458 is an excellent caliber for cast bullets. BUT going "really fast" with cast bullet is a dream that never seemed to work out. About 2300 seems to be the top velocity thresh-hold I have ever seen with really good accuracy from cast bullets. Every now and then I found a load in a 30-06 that would do 1.5 MOA at around 2450 to 2500, but faster never worked out (for me anyway)
However with "elephant weight bullets" (450 to 500 grains) you will not exceed that level anyway. For energy, the 5000 FT LB level is easy to find with the 458 and the 458 Lott. Getting to 6000 FT LB for under $1000 is highly unlikely. You can't get to that level with cast 45 cals in my experience and that means going to a larger bore, usually a wildcat 47 cal or a 505 Gibbs or 500 Jeffery. You go from about $850 to $1000 in the 5000 FT LB level to about $3000 at the 6000+ level. |
September 19, 2018, 09:09 AM | #25 | ||
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