Gun test Heym Express

GUN TEST
than acceptable. The action with
its Mauser-type extractor claw was
crisp and smooth and handled feed
and ejection 100%; it looked like
I had found the gun I needed…
What surprised me was the lack
of recoil in what is a big and punchy
calibre. The Heym Express is a heavy
rifle at 11.5 lbs, but due to the
spacious .505 case it doesn’t kick like
a .500 Jeffrey, or even the .458 Lott; it
just pushes you firmly and playfully…
In terms of performance the original
525-grain Gibbs load generated 6000
ft/lbs at 2100 fps. The Norma ammo
uses the new 600-grain Woodleigh soft
point or solid bullets with a sectional
density of .336. So more than enough
for polar bears, charging dagga boy
buffalo or even the odd T Rex!
Serious business
The rifle was what I had been
looking for; a true stopper, quality
craftsmanship at a fair price. Now my
training and testing began in earnest.
I say this as a dangerous game (DG)
rifle is required to save your life from
time to time, so you need to get
familiar with every characteristic of
the gun – weight, handling, sights,
felt recoil etc. So firing two or three
rounds prior to the hunt is of no use
at all, as you need to be able to use it
instinctively and with confidence. This
also applies to the ammunition, as
with calibres like this you are at the
mercy of a decent supply. So you need
to find what works and what it likes
and religiously stick with that recipe;
after all it’s your neck on the block!
In the golden era of big game
hunting and rifles, the master maker
of them all - John Rigby - supplied his
clients not only with the rifle, but a
sizable quantity of the correct tried
and tested ammunition too. He was
indeed a wise man as you would
need a good quantity in the remote
areas of the African bush where
there’s no chance of re-supply.
Sadly the specifications and
measurements of many Nitro Express
calibres have undergone far too many
interpretations in recent years.
Equally, other less well-funded
boutique ammunition makers seem
to struggle to provide a reliable
product for the big calibres these
days. Subsequently I had a series
of misfires with the .505 Gibbs.
This on a rifle intended for target
use is, although annoying, not a
matter of life and death. However, if
56
the same happens when shooting
dangerous game, it can be fatal.
Norma’s PH line
I knew the Heym .505 was for me,
but I just needed a reliable source of
ammo and that came in the form of
Norma’s new PH (Professional Hunter)
line which is magnificent. On receipt
of 40-rounds of both soft nose and
solid courtesy of RUAG Ammotec UK,
I set to work and had a run of 20
consistent detonations. Norma use
Woodleigh bullets and for stopping
a charging polar bear I practiced
with their soft nose and they fed and
cycled in the Heym like a dream!
Aside from the ammunition
issue, the Heym suffered a broken
ejector rod in the heat of firing.
These things happen regardless if
it’s Holland & Holland or a budget
Brno. What matters is that you, the
owner, are aware of this fact and it
is far better for this to happen in
practice than in anger in the bush.
What also matters is how the
rifle maker services your needs and
responds with after sales assistance.
Heym are superb at this. Within a day
a new ejector rod was Fed Ex’d to me
and fitted care of the express rifle
guru Paul Roberts and his wonderful
team (with field fitting instructions
and three spares). Excellent service
indeed and a problem quickly solved.
And so it was I left for the high Arctic
confident in my rifle and ammunition
and a spares kit just in case…
Our expedition was also a great
success, despite horrific sea ice
and storm conditions and numerous
white-outs on the trail. After nine
days of hard winter camping we came
upon a mother polar bear and her
cub out on the pack ice, she sat and
observed us from 70 yards and we
her, and the Heym Express stayed on
my shoulder, a warm, secure weight of
confidence, worth its weight in gold!
Speaking to Christian Pfeil
indicated that there is no one sole
importer for Heym in the UK. He
suggested that if you are interested
in any of the range, which also
includes a straight-pull action (SR30)
and more normal sizes and calibres,
you contact one of the following:
York Guns, 01904 487180
DJ Litts, 01633 250025
Reeves Deer Management,
01296 748741
As confirmed all of the above
do show Heyms in stock
SHOOTING SPORTS MAGAZINE
The safety is
a simple and
practical swinging
lever on top of the
bolt shroud
The Express features a fixed/
wide 35m V-notch and two
more fold-down blades that
are cut for 50 and 100m
accordingly
Despite firing a cartridge not unlike a 20mm cannon shell the
Heym was surprisingly well behaved in 505 Gibbs, which is a
credit to its design
Heym Express
❚ Type bolt-action
❚ Calibre 505 Gibbs
❚ Capacity 3 (.505)
❚ Weight 12 lbs
❚ Barrel 24”
❚ Length 45.3”
❚ Iron sights Y
❚ Price: £6891 (guide price)
❚ Contacts:
❚ Heym +49 36875 63300, [email protected]
❚ Norma ammunition - RUAG Ammotec UK, 01579 362319
❚ www.ollysuziexpeditions.com +44 7796 156087