| .600 Overkill | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Hunting, Rifle | |
| Place of origin | United States | |
| Production history | ||
| Designer | Robert Garnick | |
| Specifications | ||
| Parent case | None | |
| Case type | Belted, straight | |
| Bullet diameter | .620 in (15.7 mm) | |
| Neck diameter | .646 in (16.4 mm) | |
| Shoulder diameter | .646 in (16.4 mm) | |
| Base diameter | .656 in (16.7 mm) | |
| Rim diameter | .683 in (17.3 mm) | |
| Rim thickness | .060 in (1.5 mm) | |
| Case length | 3.00 in (76 mm) | |
| Overall length | 3.65 in (93 mm) | |
| Case capacity | 196.6 gr H2O (12.779 cm³) | |
| Primer type | Magnum Large Rifle | |
| Ballistic performance | ||
| Bullet weight/type | Velocity | Energy |
| 900 gr (58 g) FMJ | 2,150 ft/s (660 m/s) | 9,240 ft·lbf (12,530 J) |
| Source(s): 470MBogo[1] | ||
The .600 Overkill cartridge is a hunting cartridge designed to fit the CZ-550 action, by American Hunting Rifles.
The .600 Overkill was designed by Robert Garnick of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The case is based on the .600 Nitro Express, with a belt added for headspacing and the rim to fit that of the .505 Gibbs [.640 in (16.4 mm)] size bolt face.
This cartridge was intended to be the largest bullet that was able to fit in the CZ-550,[1] and was designed specifically for the purpose of elephant hunting. The CZ-550 is able to fit 2 cartridges, with slight alterations. With solid brass bullets, the .600 overkill is able to penetrate 6 feet (1.8 m) into solid oak.
The .600 Overkill fires a 900-grain (58 g) bullet at more than 2,400 ft/s (730 m/s), At this level of power, as the bullet spins down the barrel, the rifle is torqued in the opposite direction, often twisting the rifle out of the shooter's hand. Recoil in standard-weight hunting rifles (10 lb (4.5 kg) or less) is far beyond what most shooters will tolerate. Traditional dangerous game hunting rifles typically weigh more, up to 14 lb (6.4 kg), and have less recoil.
A cartridge of this size and power is for hunting dangerous game such as Elephant and cape buffalo. Even in this context, many hunters prefer to use a smaller cartridge with more manageable recoil and reserve this super-caliber rifle as an emergency backup for a professional hunter to stop charging game.