My "New" Searcy 450 NE

[AkMike1]

It finally arrived today. But it came too late to go to the range to try it out.. Tonarrow will have to do.
 She's a thing of beauty!  Now if it will only shoot!

[Drilling Man]

  Beautiful DR, Searcy is building some GREAT rifles these days, wish i could afford one!  I think i'd like it in a smaller cartridge though, as it would be more useful to me...

  DM

[AtlLaw]

That is just beautiful!  No other way to put it!   

And the cartridge is just fine!  Almost as good as my 45-120 3.25!   

[AkMike1]

Yes a flanged 375 or my Chapuis 9.3X74R would probably do me fine for anything around here as you well know DM. But I want to do a trip to Africa in a couple of years for Cape Buff and a warthog or 3.

I went down to Rabbit Creek Range today and sent 60 down range from this rifle. Not bad at all. But my home brewed Sauer conversion 450 NE shoots better so far. The factory Hornadys were a 3" group in the Searcy. The load I have for the Sauer goes 1 1/2". Either will be fine for a buffalo though.  I think I can make it do better though.
  I also pulled out my A. Henry 577/500 for it's first time out. It did pretty well also. But the guys shooting down range didn't like the clouds of dacron floating down on them after every shot. Nextime,,, maybe, there'll be a bench down wind?

 LOL, AtlLaw,, the 45-120 is the little brother of the 450 NE. I've got alot more room for powder and use it!

[Drilling Man]

  I wish i would have had my Chapuis 9.3x74R back when i was heavy into brown bear hunting, but i guess i will have to pretend now...  lol  When i hunted in the flats across the Inlet, you would find big bears in the tall grass and brush there.  My DR would have been pretty handy then.

  Most of my bear hunting was done down the peninsula, with some out on the islands, and it would have been perfect for those hunts too...

  DM

[AkMike1]

I ran 60 thru it yesterday at Rabbit Creek and today 40 more at Birchwood with some other guys playing with their D/Rs. It's alot of fun bouncing bowling pins around on the 100 yd berm with a 450NE and iron sights. One of the guys had his Remmy/EAA/Biakal `06 SXS there and it's a tack driver. Terrible triggers but great barrels. There was a Bland 4 bore that will get your attention when you touch it off! (A 4 bore rifle shooting a 2000 grain slug, just over a 1" bore.. )

[dougk]

Mike
great gun thanks for sharing the pictures.

How is your shoulder after 60 rounds?  (I remember shooting 20 30-06 rounds and 10 3 inch slugs out of a Baikal combo which kicked like a water buffalo.  My shoulder was bruised nicely for weeks.)

Thanks
Doug

[AkMike1]

That day I sent 110 total down range and the next day, (yesterday) I sent 180 down range. About 60 again from the 450. Now I am using alot of 350 grn slugs. Not all of them are the $pendy 500grns. I am trying some plinking loads with hard cast and 5744 powder that seems to work good enough to knock a bowling pin all over the 100 yd berm.

This was from other shooting other DRs too.(577/500, 500/450/450/45/70 and2- 9.3X74) I use a strap on sissy pad that helps alot. My arm has just a touch of black and blue and slightly tender. I'm hardly an iron man but this works great.

[dougk]

Wow

I was crying after 20 30-06 rounds and 10 3 inch 12 ga slugs out of the Baikal.  My shoulder was black and blue for over 2 weeks.

[AkMike1]

Wear a sissypad under your shirt! It works! (And the other guys won't tease you) ((UNLESS they see this ))

[Drilling Man]

Wear a sissypad under your shirt! It works! (And the other guys won't tease you) ((UNLESS they see this ))

  EVERYTHING is bigger in Texas, even their "bruises"!   

  DM

[AkMike1]

Yup! They tend to make it sound worse than it was.. It must have something to do with the beer or water down that way. It somehow turns into hot air!

 Remember that old joke from the pipeline era? Happiness is a bus load of Texans going over a cliff. Sadness in a bus load of Texans going over a cliff with 2 empty seats!

 Just kidding Doug..

[dougk]

Wear a sissypad under your shirt! It works! (And the other guys won't tease you) ((UNLESS they see this ))

  EVERYTHING is bigger in Texas

  DM

Yup