Lindcott Armory Rifle · Proprietary
.505 Gibbs
Massive British dangerous game cartridge.
- Caliber
- 0.5051″ · 12.83 mm
- Introduced
- 1911
- Case
- Rimless
- Primary use
- Hunting
- Status
- Limited
- Introduced
- 1911
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Inventor
- George Gibbs
- Manufacturer
- George Gibbs
- Standard
- Proprietary
- Status
- Limited
- Availability
- Scarce
- Case capacity
- 155 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:16
- Primer
- Large Rifle Magnum
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 39,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 150 yd
- Max range
- 3000 yd
- Recoil
- 75–100 ft·lb
Ballistics
- By real loads
- 2,150–2,300 fps · 18 loads
- Parent case
- —
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Performance
Buy links open .505 Gibbs ammunition at Rivertown Munitions.
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
CIP TDCC · verified| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 12.83 | 0.505 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 13.59 | 0.535 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 15.24 | 0.600 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 37.6° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 16.26 | 0.640 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 16.26 | 0.640 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.65 | 0.065 | ✓ |
| Neck length | 16.56 | 0.652 | ≈ |
| Case length | 80.01 | 3.150 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 97.79 | 3.850 | ✓ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .505 Gibbs is highlighted below.
Factory loads
In production — 18 active loads across 9 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 18 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady | DGX Bonded | 525 | DGX Bonded | 2,300 | 6,166 | — |
| Bertram | Woodleigh | 525 | Woodleigh WP | 2,300 | 6,166 | — |
| A-Square | Monolithic | 525 | Monolithic Solid | 2,300 | 6,166 | — |
| Woodleigh | SP | 525 | SP | 2,300 | 6,166 | — |
| Norma | FMJ | 525 | FMJ | 2,300 | 6,166 | — |
| Federal | Premium Trophy Bonded Bear Claw | 570 | Trophy Bonded Bear Claw | 2,300 | 6,694 | — |
| Hornady | DGX Bonded | 525 | DGX Bonded FP | 2,300 | 6,166 | — |
| Federal | Premium Trophy Bonded | 525 | Trophy Bonded Bear Claw | 2,300 | 6,166 | — |
| Federal | Cape-Shok Trophy Bonded | 525 | Trophy Bonded Bear Claw | 2,300 | 6,166 | — |
| Woodleigh | Weldcore | 525 | Weldcore SP | 2,300 | 6,166 | — |
| RWS | H-Mantel | 525 | H-Mantel | 2,300 | 6,166 | — |
| Norma | Oryx | 525 | Bonded SP | 2,300 | 6,166 | — |
| Bertram | Solid | 525 | Solid | 2,300 | 6,166 | — |
| Norma | Oryx Bonded SP | 525 | Oryx Bonded SP | 2,300 | 6,166 | — |
| Swift | A-Frame | 525 | A-Frame | 2,300 | 6,166 | — |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
Suitable powders
2 reloading powders listed for .505 Gibbs, fastest to slowest. Cross-reference in the finder →
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in .505 Gibbs
12 models in the database chamber .505 Gibbs. Browse all →
Lineage
Connected reference
History
Introduced in 1911 by British gunmaker George Gibbs as the ultimate stopping rifle for dangerous game. Designed for close-range encounters with elephant, rhino, and buffalo in thick bush. The huge 500-600 grain bullets at moderate velocity provide incredible penetration and shocking power. Extremely limited production and use even in its heyday. True collector's cartridge today.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .505 Gibbs use?
- .505 Gibbs typically uses a 1:16 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .505 Gibbs?
- .505 Gibbs uses a 0.5051″ (12.83 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .505 Gibbs still in production?
- .505 Gibbs is limited; typical availability is scarce.
- What is .505 Gibbs used for?
- .505 Gibbs is primarily used for hunting.
- What are the best powders for .505 Gibbs?
- Reloading powders commonly listed for .505 Gibbs include Reloader 25, Reloader 33.
Sources & provenance
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 18 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →