.470 Nitro Express
Encyclopedia
The .470 Nitro Express is a cartridge developed in England
for very large or dangerous game hunting. This cartridge is used almost exclusively in single shot and double express rifle
s for hunting in the tropics or hot climate. It is in wide use in the Southern and Central-East African region, favoured by hunting guides, primarily while out for Cape buffalo and elephant.
. This was because the .450 NE had been banned in several countries such as India. Because of the heavy bullet and powder charge, the gun has significant recoil but this is mitigated by the low velocity, resulting in recoil being delivered as a strong push rather than a violent blow. Rifles chambered for this cartridge tend to be heavy double-gun style, and are typically quite expensive.
The .470 NE continues to be popular and is the most popular of all the Nitro Express
cartridges. Ammunition and components are readily available.
the .470 NE. Brass can be obtained from a variety of sources, and like most reloading components varies in quality. Lighter loads for practice can be created that are more enjoyable and cheaper to shoot.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for very large or dangerous game hunting. This cartridge is used almost exclusively in single shot and double express rifle
Express rifle
The term express was first applied to hunting rifles and ammunition beginning in the middle 19th century, to indicate a rifle or ammunition capable of higher than typical velocities. The early express cartridges used a heavy charge of black powder to propel a lightweight, often hollow point...
s for hunting in the tropics or hot climate. It is in wide use in the Southern and Central-East African region, favoured by hunting guides, primarily while out for Cape buffalo and elephant.
Overview
The .470 NE was originally designed as a replacement for the .450 Nitro Express.450 Nitro Express
.450 Nitro Express designed for the purpose of hunting large game such as elephant. This cartridge is used almost exclusively in single shot and double express rifles for hunting at the Tropics or hot climates in general and is a cartridge associated with the Golden Age of African safaris and...
. This was because the .450 NE had been banned in several countries such as India. Because of the heavy bullet and powder charge, the gun has significant recoil but this is mitigated by the low velocity, resulting in recoil being delivered as a strong push rather than a violent blow. Rifles chambered for this cartridge tend to be heavy double-gun style, and are typically quite expensive.
The .470 NE continues to be popular and is the most popular of all the Nitro Express
Nitro Express
The Nitro Express series of cartridges are used in large-bore hunting rifles, also known as elephant guns or express rifles. They are named after the propellant they use, cordite, which is composed of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine...
cartridges. Ammunition and components are readily available.
Handloading
Like other dangerous game cartridges, ammunition is expensive compared to standard hunting cartridges, often costing up to 10 times more per shell than typical cartridges such as the .30-06. Because of this many shooters choose to handloadHandloading
Handloading or reloading is the process of loading firearm cartridges or shotgun shells by assembling the individual components , rather than purchasing completely assembled, factory-loaded cartridges...
the .470 NE. Brass can be obtained from a variety of sources, and like most reloading components varies in quality. Lighter loads for practice can be created that are more enjoyable and cheaper to shoot.
See also
- List of rifle cartridges
- 11 mm caliber11 mm caliberThis article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the through caliber range.All measurements are in millimeters .-Pistol cartridges:-Revolver cartridges:-Rifle cartridges:-See also:...
other cartridges of similar size. - http://www.458express.com
External links
- .470 Nitro Express
- http://www.458express.com
- Comparing the Big Bores
- "470 Nitro Express load data" from Accurate Reloading
- "The Big Bore Nitro Express Cartridges" by Chuck Hawks
- "470 Nitro Express ballistic data" from Norma
- ".470 Nitro Express history and loading data" from Norma