Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins
John "Pondoro" Taylor had a lot to say about oversized cartridges like that. He made a clear distinction between hunting rifles and stopping rifles. One hunted with the hunting rifle and only traded with the gun bearer for the stopping rifle when needed.
No professionals, until relatively recently, hunted with the big bores, like the .577 and .600 Nitro Expresses. They all hunt with the .375 H&H, .404 Jeffrey, .416 Rigby or Remington, or the .458 Winchester Magnum. And they prefer that we do as well. Nothing concerns a PH more than having some client show up with a big double in one of the "stopping" calibers. They know darn good and well that the guy is terrified of it and is going to flinch even at the thought of pulling the trigger.
It's weird, though, the whole darn thing has gotten so expensive (I remember when hunting somewhere in Africa, on a "plains game" hunt, was half the cost of a brown bear hunt in Alaska), that it attracts a different clientele these days. Lots of parallels to my beloved long hood 911's, but I digress... Anyway, the very well heeled that can still afford to go somehow feel obligated to show up with some big bore double in one of the big "stopping" calibers. Frail little guys in their 70's showing up with a Best Quality Holland and Holland double in .577 Nitro... The dirty little secret is that he either uses the PH's .375, then poses with his expensive double with the dead animal, of the PH just shoots it for him. And, well, they expect the PH to be toting some fancy big bore double as well. It's all about the image and expectations.
I remember many years ago when one of these guys showed up at out club range with a Holland double in .577 Nitro. He was proud to tell us that the Kynoch ammo for it costs $80.00 per round. The guy was in his mid 70's, weighed maybe 150 pounds soaking wet, and was terrified to shoot it. Yet he was heading to the Dark Continent in a month or two. I offered one of my .375's, but he was having none of that. He was going to use his new double on his dream hunt. O.k., but you will have to practice with it a bit... He was having none of that either.
He knew he had to verify the zero, or so he thought. Holland actually does that for you when they regulate it. But he wanted to be sure... but didn't want to shoot it. So I did. Four rounds, a couple of "doubles" or "left and rights".
Holy Mother of God - I think I was in my late 40's, maybe early 50's, and relatively "fit" for my age. And I'm a big guy - 6'1", 250 pound former weight lifter. And this sonofabytch absolutely rocked my world. I looked it up later - better than double the recoil of my .458 Win Mag. Hell, I flinch to this very day just reading ".577...". I bet that rifle would actually physically injure that poor little guy. And I bet he never did fire it, in spite of all the dead animal pictures with him proudly holding it that he was showing off a year later.
This month's America Rifleman has an article recounting the development of the .700 Nitro Express. It's a fun read about an absolutely useless rifle and cartridge.
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