I think I have a solution for you. I sold Joe Salter a bunch of new Eley 450 NE cases with Berdan primers. I believe he still has some. If you convert them to use shotgun primers you can adjust the headspace by how much of a bevel you make for the flange of the primer. If you need I help, I can post photos.

Dave,

Have you noticed any errant Cape Buffs sneaking up that way ? Seems to me that rifle would be excellent for acquiring a different kind of buffalo horn than what usually hangs around your neck of the woods.

Best
Dave Cook

Well, shot 10 rounds through the rifle today.  Factory spec load with a 380 grain bullet and 120 grains of powder.  I shot two on target first to find that it shoots to correct elevation at 30 yards, but about 2 inches right.  Then, 8 people shot it offhand at 30 yard range at a 2/3 scale size elephant target.  Only 3 of the eight shots went cleanly into the brain kill zone, even though we are all relatively skilled heavy rifle shooters.  Most of us only shoot off sticks or the bench, not offhand.  Those three shots grouped an inch or so 2 inches right of point of aim.  I think that the potential of the rifle for accuracy and shooting to near point of aim is quite good.

Recoil is really quite mild, even though the rifle weight is pretty light.  It's probably less than the typical 12 pound .45-90 or .45-110, which we shoot with 540 grain bullets.  Lots of smoke, and barrel gets real dirty.  Since it's rough, it takes about 6 patches to clean it where my Badger Barrel .45-90 takes two.

It's a great rifle!  And the bore looks somewhat cleaner after being shot than it was before.  Ratchet style rifling, now it's semi-shiny about half way across the groove.

I'd like to shoot a couple hundred paper patch through it.  That would probably shine it up.  Unfortunately, I decided about a year ago that I would never need a light weight paper patch mold, and sold my adjustable Tom Ballard mold that wouldn't cast heavier than 390 grains.  That would have been perfect for this rifle.

Loaded the other 10 rouns of brass while the 10 from today are being cleaned.  Wanted to be sure to have ammo on hand if an elephant starts tearing up the garden......

dave

I agree with Joel Black, IMO the Field is by far the best Brit SS action for a hunting rifle, operation is far faster than any of the underlevers.
vigillinus aka Mark Benenson

Shoudl add to my comment that the .450 Express BP cartridge is by no means suitable for elephants.  It is basically a hot .45-70.  Scream and squawk, ye Britophiles.

Quote:


Vigillinus is quite correct. A .450 BP Express round was designed for shooting thin skinned game. The standard lead PP bullet of this round 
if fired at an Elephant, would probably be regarded by it as not much more than a Flea bite.

Shooting Elephant with a hardened lead bullet required a calibre with 'Bore' markings in a low number (less than 8) and a heaped handful of BP to deliver it.

Harry.

waterman wrote on Jun 24^th, 2010 at 11:36am:


Headspace standards are far different today than when this rifle was made.  I don't know what the standard was for this cartridge and rifle.  I am familiar with the Martini Henry. 

For a new Martini Henry rifle and barrel a head gauge was placed in the chamber and  and the breech closed.  The gap between breech face and head gauge was measured.  If the gap was less than .010 the rifle passed chamber gauging.