During that hiatus manufacture of both .500 Nitro Express rifles and ammunition was ceased and both professional hunters and sportsmen alike had few choices other than the .458 Winchester Magnum and the .460 Weatherby Magnum. .450 Nitro Express .450 Rigby .450/400 Nitro Express .458 HAM'R .458 Lott .458 SOCOM .458 Winchester Magnum .460 Weatherby Magnum .470 Nitro Express .50 BMG .50 Beowulf .500 Auto Max .500 Nitro Express .500-416 Nitro Express .505 Gibbs .56-50 Spencer 4.6x30 H&K 5.45x39mm 5.6x52R 5.7x28mm 6mm PPC 6mm ARC 6mm Creedmoor 6mm Norma BR 6mm Remington To complicate matters further, the No.2 Eley and No.2 Jeffery differ enough to not be interchangeable, the Jeffery using a slightly larger diameter bullet. There is no such thing as overkill, there is only underkill. From left to right: 1.17 HM2,2.17 HMR, . Would the .500 Nitro Express be a good choice? Extractors only (no ejectors). I purchased the rifle used but took it to the Krieghoff service center in fall of 2021 for a complete inspection, cleaning, installation of upgraded hi-viz sights and new recoil pad. The whole has fine classic English scroll engraving. Just like our hammerless shotguns, the design of our Side-by-Side double rifles has needed very little improvement since it was first introduced. plastic butt-plate, sling-eyes, the barrel, engraved Proved & Sighted for the Mark VII .303 High Velocity Cartridge , with 'Express' open-sights, sighted from 100 to 1000 yards, and block-mounted bead-foresight Weight 7lb. The Watson Bros is a good example of how some of the less widely understood calibres designed for sporting use, but rendered obsolete in the 1960s, as ammunition for them ceased to be listed in manufacturers catalogues, can quite easily be prepared for another lifetime of proper hunting. The latter threw an 875 grain ball at around 1,400 fps and penetrated the same number of boards. Double rifles, because two barrels is always better than one. The case is also very fine and has minor marks on the exterior. Peter, the current owner has had it for some years and his most recent quarry was cape buffalo. The Merkel features precision machining, automatic selective ejectors and a Greener cross bolt. The Holland & Holland Nitro Express .600 is a collector's bullet because the London, England-based firm stopped making the cartridge in 1975. The .475s origins stem from the same root as the more popular .470 Nitro Express. Brass, Bullets and reloading dies the 470 Nithro Express. The potential for the large and gently tapered case of the .500 as a pure-bred nitro cartridge for dangerous game was seized upon quickly in the 1890s and the new .500 Nitro Express made its debut running at nitro propellant pressures and driving a 570 grain jacketed bullet at 2,150fps producing 5,850 ft/lb energy. Rigby .450 Nito Express double rifle, 1906, Class C, engraved, ejectors, express, superb accuracy, l. Rigby .450 Nitro Express. As far as I can tell, the Nitro Express era started in 1898 with introduction of the .450 NE from John Rigby. GET YOUR CLOTHING HERE! However, the double eight weighed 13 1/2lbs, with the .500 weighing just 9lbs. Single factory loaded . Compare a black powder express .500 with an 8-bore rifle. How different are they? 9 hours ago.more Mike Harrell -----John aka NitroX . It sizes the outside of the case, de-primes and . Going off the German-sounding manufacturer name, it is most likely based off of a specific rifle manufactured by either Heym or Hartmann & Weiss. That has all changed, as Federal, Hornady and Nosler offer factory ammunition for the most popular big-bore Nitro Express cartridges. Jon Branch is the founder and senior editor of Revivaler and has written a significant number of articles for various publications including official Buying Guides for eBay, classic car articles for Hagerty, magazine articles for both the Australian Shooters Journal and the Australian Shooter, and hes a long time contributor to Silodrome. No Comments on A superb Rigby in caliber .450 Nitro Express Farquharson rifle; After being worked by some real pros! Whilst more powerful, the .500, .577 and .600 NE rifles were all too heavy for everyday use and remained specialist tools for the professional hunter, the .450s remained the most popular, but political events were to soon change this. By comparison a typical heavy sporting rifle in one of the small bore magnums such as the popular 7mm Remington Magnum or .300 Winchester Magnum will commonly weigh 8.5lb before . We ship ammunition to your door via UPS ground. People who have used the .500 Nitro Express tend to report a noticeable improvement in knock-down power by comparison with the .458 Winchester Magnum. One of the things that sparked my interest was his choice of rifle. It was being used by professional hunter Danny McCallum, for whom it had done trusty service for decades. The .500 Nitro Express ammo is a little more expensive but is certainly not going to break your bank account, especially if your bank account is capable of surviving a double-rifle size dent being made in it. The front sight features a traditional gold bead. I have also seen neck injuries. 47 African Sporting Gazette articles. Enter the forums, join as a member, its FREE, and join in the discussions. Two triggers Action Calibre: .500 Nitro Expres .Click for more info Seller: Holland & Holland United Kingdom Area Code: 203 POR Holland and Holland Royal Grade 303 with factory 20ga barrels.ON SALE! The 700 Nitro Express, like the big bore nitro express cartridges, was developed for taking dangerous big game at close range, by intrepid hunters on foot in heavy cover, using single-shot or double rifles. As an example the Holland & Holland double-rifle pictured above tips the scales at 10lb 13oz. Renowned worldwide for their handling, accuracy and durability, each HEYM rifle represents over 150-years of experience combined with the best in modern materials, machining capabilities and craftsmanship. Click here for more information. Using a Lyman Borecam borescope, they were further examined for surface condition. Using the Hornady 570-grain Dangerous Game Solid bullet, each powder duplicated or even exceeded factory load velocities, more or less filled the case, was within industry pressure limits, produced good accuracy and regulated properly when velocities were between 2,100 and 2,150 fps. All Rights Reserved. The present rifle, our interpretation of the serial number indicating that this was the third of a reported four total double .700 rifles made, bears the Birmingham proof date stamp for 1996. Ten of those were the .475 (No.2) and one the original .475. I have had experience with the big .577 and .600 NE cartridges, which due to their recoil are definitely not for everyone. So the price of .500 Nitro Express ammo is about 30% more than that for common .458 Winchester Magnum ammo and a bit over double that for .375 Holland & Holland Magnum. . A break-action, double-barreled rifle ideal for hunting large game, the Nitro Express was often used by British colonials on elephant hunting expeditions. Naturally, fired cases were handloaded, which was difficult as Berdan 172 primers had to be unconventionally removed, bullets were hard to find, and determining a powder charge that would produce the correct pressures and velocities to correspond with factory-load ballistics and regulate correctly for a given rifle was challenging. Today, if you order a new rifle from Westley Richards or Holland & Holland for the purpose of hunting elephant or buffalo, it will be a Nitro Express in .470, .500 or .577. (You will find the sale page for the double-rifle pictured above if you click here). The 450/400 Nitro Express is based on a straight sided 450 caliber parent cartridge necked down to take a smaller diameter projectile in a bottle-necked case. he did several articles on modern smokeless loads for Cordite proofed Nitro Express calibers, he was a real asset to our passion and hobby. Those after African big game exclusively may prefer a .470 or a .500 and those with a serious liking for horsepower may even opt for a .577, if buffalo and elephants are the quarry. Read articles on African Kynoch loads were not available when this was written but are advertised to push a 570-grain bullet at 2,150 fps. It should be noted however that at greater ranges the rifle has a chance to require additional follow up to guarantee a kill. What resulted was a rush by British rifle and ammunition makers to develop a substitute, Holland & Holland created the .500/465 Nitro Express, Joseph Lang the .470 Nitro Express, an unidentified firm the .475 Nitro Express, Eley Brothers the .475 No 2 Nitro Express and Westley Richards the .476 Nitro Express,[2] with the .470 NE becoming the most popular. One notable example is the Merkel 140-2, with variations offered in .375 H&H Magnum, .416 Rigby, .450/400 Nitro Express (NE), .470 NE and .500 NE, which is the cartridge I selected. We are the first and best forum for Double Rifles. If you are interested in Double Rifles, Classic and Vintage Guns, Big Game Hunting, Safaris, This . It is similarly effective in bringing down buffalo, bear, and other large game found in the Americas. A forum for cartridge collectors especially Nitro Express and other vintage cartridges Moderator: NitroX : 120 599 Re: Scored on some ammo th. Nitro Express Rifle is a large weapon in Hunt:Showdown. Find reloading information on Nitro Express cartridges, reloading for double rifles and other rare firearms as well as modern cartridges. it was not until the 1850s that the term express was used to describe a rifle. The forend houses the ejectors and is attached by an Anson pushrod. .500 Nitro Express Rifles (1 Products) Filter By . He acquired the rifle from a N.Z gun shop and had it restored by an ex-Purdey gunmaker resident there at the time. This tended to result in sporting shooters choosing to purchase a carry rifle in one of the .450-.470 nitro calibers, and an emergency stopping rifle, most commonly a .577 Nitro Express, few .600 Nitro Express rifles were made. The Nitro Express Rifle is one of the most powerful weapons in Hunt: Showdown. The two rifles mentioned above were both made by the same London gun-maker; Watson Bros, and probably dated from a similar period; circa World War One. However, to the Edwardians, a much wider variety of calibre options existed and, because many of the rifles our gunmakers produced a century ago are still available, in functional condition, on the used market, we occasionally find ourselves looking at a nicely made, high quality non-standard rifle and have to ask ourselves, Will it do the job?. The Anson & Deeley action is bolstered at the radius, which is the weakest part of a breech-loader. By comparison, the .458 Winchester Magnum with a 500-grain bullet at 2,010 fps has a TKO value of 65.75, and the big .460 Weatherby Magnum pushes a 500-grain bullet at 2,600 fps for a TKO of 85.05. (You can find the sale page for the rifle pictured above if you click here). (You will find the full article about the pair of rifles pictured above if you click here). Experiments with rifling included the depth of the grooves, the number of grooves and the twist rate. It is similarly effective in bringing down buffalo, bear, and other large game found in the Americas. Black powder express rifles in the calibres described above, one must remember, were primarily suited to the hunting of medium game. Plus members articles inaddition to numerous articles in other parts of the forums. Wolfe Publishing Company | 2180 Gulfstream Suite A | Prescott, AZ 86301. They specialized in rifle production during the 1990s. The .470 Nitro Express was designed in 1900 by Joseph Lang of England. 170 Vintage hunting books and articles They are straight and beautifully machined. <p>This Hoppe's .17/.204 Caliber Cleaning Kit includes everything you need to clean a .17 caliber rifle. I hope you enjoy the video and thanks. 1 wad cutter, cleaning jags, oil bottle not by Rigby and a pouch holding a drop through patch jag. This week, we talk about one of my new favorite guns in Hunt: Showdown, the Nitro Express Rifle. "I love the smell of cordite in the morning." "A Sharp spear needs no polish" Post Extras: Rothhammer1 .400 member Reged: 06/01/17 Posts: 1637 . A 16-bore pinfire converted to centre-fire. Crytek, CRYENGINE, Hunt Showdown and the respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Crytek group in the EU, U.S. and/or other territories. The weapon is also mounted with a bulky peep sight, greatly restricting the players vision when they use the weapons irons. The term "Express" was coined by James Purdey in 1856, derived from the express train, to publicise the bullet velocity of his double rifles and became common parlance for many rifle cartridges. Continental makers included Merkel and Francotte. As an example the Holland & Holland double-rifle pictured above tips the scales at 10lb 13oz. Both problems were remedied by adding a 1.5-inch custom lace-on leather pad, and the extra length of pull made a huge difference. . To get used to it, he hunted fallow deer in New Zealand prior to his African trips and once managed a 200 yard kill, shooting from a sitting position. The stock was too short for my 6-foot, 4-inch frame, which caused more punishment to my cheek than desired, and the trigger guard would bump my second finger when firing the right barrel (front trigger). For a slightly reduced load that produced noticeably less recoil, try 96.0 grains of RL-17 for just over 1,900 fps; 105.0 grains reached 2,113 fps and is a factory duplication load. Bolting is by the conventional means of a Purdey double under-bolt. The front sight is a standard gold bead. Head: 2.0 - Upper Torso: 0.52 - Torso: 0.52 - Arms: 0.25 - Legs: 0.2. A .500 Nitro Express is a rifle you can comfortably carry all day on a hunt without needing it to be ported for you by a gun-bearer, and it has a flat enough trajectory curve to be used out to 200-250 yards on non-dangerous plains game in addition to being a reliable stopping rifle against dangerous game. However, since foot-pounds is not a particularly good method of measuring the actual effectiveness of a big-bore cartridge, it is noteworthy that by using Taylors Knock-Out (TKO) formula, it earns an impressive 89.29. The lands of the rifling grip the bullet and impart spin. Machining is well executed, and the firing pins are bushed. A break-action, double-barreled rifle ideal for hunting large game, the Nitro Express was often used by British colonials on elephant hunting expeditions. Peter mentioned that despite the relatively light weight, it was comfortable to shoot in the field, though repeated firing at the range was typically brutal, as it is for any rifle delivering this kind of power. Caliber/Gauge:.500 . Ballistics and Drop for the .470 Nitro Express. While they were not the smoothest barrels I have seen, their finish is respectable, and they did not produce unusual fouling during many shooting sessions with jacketed and cast bullet loads. The pair of rifles pictured above if you click here ) pins are bushed the pair of rifles pictured if. 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