.470 Nitro Express

Last updated
Munit01.jpg
TypeRifle
Place of originEngland
Production history
DesignerJoseph Lang
Designed1907
Produced1907–present
Specifications
Parent case .500 Nitro Express 3+14 in
Case typeRimmed, bottlenecked
Bullet diameter.474 in (12.0 mm)
Land diameter.467 in (11.9 mm)
Neck diameter.504 in (12.8 mm)
Shoulder diameter.531 in (13.5 mm)
Base diameter.573 in (14.6 mm)
Rim diameter.655 in (16.6 mm)
Rim thickness.040 in (1.0 mm)
Case length3.25 in (83 mm)
Overall length3.98 in (101 mm)
Case capacity146.0  gr H2O (9.46 cm3)
Rifling twist1-20 in
Primer typeBoxer
Maximum pressure39,160 psi (270.0 MPa)
Maximum CUP35,000 [1] CUP
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/typeVelocityEnergy
500 gr (32 g) SP, FMJ2,150 ft/s (660 m/s)5,133 ft⋅lbf (6,959 J)
Source(s): "Cartridges of the World" [2]

The .470 Nitro Express / 12.7x83mmR is a rifle cartridge developed by Joseph Lang in England for dangerous game hunting in Africa and India. This cartridge is used almost exclusively in double rifles. It is in wide use in the Southern and Central-East African region, favoured by hunting guides, primarily while out for hunting Cape buffalo and elephant.

Contents

Overview

The .470 NE was originally designed by Lang's as a replacement for the .450 Nitro Express, after the .450 NE was banned in several British colonies including India in 1907 (its bullets could theoretically be removed from loaded rounds for use by natives in stolen .577/.450 Martini Henry rifles). [2] Due to 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. [3]

Dimensions of the .470 Nitro Express. 470 Nitro Express 3Dview tech data.jpg
Dimensions of the .470 Nitro Express.

The .470 NE continues to be the most popular of all the Nitro Express cartridges. [4] Ammunition and components are readily available. [2]

Handloading

Like other 'dangerous game' cartridges, ammunition is expensive compared with standard hunting cartridges, often costing up to 10 times more per shell than typical cartridges such as the .30-06. [5] Because of this many shooters choose to handload the .470 NE. [2] 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. [5]

Author and adventurer James S. Gardner provides a realistic, detailed account of the capabilities of a Nitro Express during an ill-fated safari, and again in a graphical account of a desperate firefight against men and a helicopter in his book, The Lion Killer. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Express (weaponry)</span> Term applicable to hunting rifles and ammunition

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The .700 Nitro Express (17.8×89mmR) is a big-game rifle cartridge. The cartridge is typically charged with around 250 grains of powder, in addition to a two-grain igniter charge. The cartridge was introduced in 1988 by the boutique gunmakers Holland & Holland (H&H) of London. It was developed by Jim Bell and William Feldstein and built by H&H. Feldstein had tried unsuccessfully to get H&H to build a .600 Nitro Express for him, but they had already ceased production. However, when Bell and Feldstein produced an entirely new .700 Nitro Express cartridge, they were able to attract the interest of H&H, which was looking for a new big-bore cartridge. After production began, the backlog of orders was so great that it continued to 2007 and H&H restarted the production of .600 Nitro Express guns.

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The Nitro Express (NE) series of cartridges are used in large-bore hunting rifles, also known as elephant guns or express rifles, but later came to include smaller bore high velocity British cartridges.

The .577 Nitro Express is a large-bore centerfire rifle cartridge 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 in the Tropics or hot climates in general and is a cartridge associated with the golden age of African safaris and Indian shikars.

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.450 Nitro Express also known as the .450 Nitro Express 314-inch is a rifle cartridge designed for hunting dangerous game such as elephant, rhino, cape buffalo, lion, and leopard. This cartridge is used almost exclusively in double rifles for hunting in the tropics or hot climates in general and is associated with the Golden Age of African safaris and Indian shikars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.505 Gibbs</span> Rifle cartridge

The .505 Gibbs cartridge was designed by George Gibbs in 1911. The cartridge was originally known as the .505 Rimless Nitro Express. The C.I.P. refers to the cartridge as the 505 Mag. Gibbs in their publications. It is a .50 caliber (12.8 mm) rimless bottlenecked cartridge intended for magazine-fed rifles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.404 Jeffery</span> Rifle cartridge

The .404 Jeffery is a rifle cartridge designed for hunting large, dangerous game animals, such as the "Big Five" of Africa. The cartridge is standardized by the C.I.P. and is also known as .404 Rimless Nitro Express. It was designed in 1905 by London based gunmaker W.J. Jeffery & Co to duplicate the performance of the .450/400 Nitro Express 3-inch in bolt-action rifles. The .404 Jeffery fired a bullet of .422 in (10.72 mm) diameter of either 300 gr (19 g) with a muzzle velocity of 2,600 ft/s (790 m/s) and muzzle energy of 4,500 foot-pounds force (6,100 N⋅m) or 400 gr (26 g) with a muzzle velocity of 2,150 ft/s (660 m/s) and 4,100 foot-pounds force (5,600 N⋅m) of energy. It is very effective on large game and is favored by many hunters of dangerous game. The .404 Jeffery was popular with hunters and game wardens in Africa because of its good performance with manageable recoil. By way of comparison, the .416 Rigby and .416 Remington Magnum cartridges fire .416 in (10.57 mm) bullets of 400 gr at 2,400 feet per second (730 m/s) with a muzzle energy of approximately 5,000 foot-pounds force (6,800 N⋅m). These cartridges exceed the ballistic performance of the .404 Jeffery but at the price of greater recoil and, in the case of the .416 Rigby, rifles that are more expensive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.416 Remington Magnum</span> Rifle cartridge

The .416 Remington Magnum is a .416 caliber (10.57 mm) cartridge of belted bottlenecked design. The cartridge was intended as a dangerous game hunting cartridge and released to the public in 1989. The cartridge uses the case of the 8 mm Remington Magnum as a parent cartridge. When the cartridge was released in 1988, author Frank C. Barnes considered the .416 Remington Magnum to be the "most outstanding factory cartridge introduced in decades".

The .475 No 2 Nitro Express is a British rifle cartridge developed by Eley Brothers in the early 20th century.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">.458 Lott</span> Cartridge

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">4 bore</span> Black powder hunting caliber

Four bore or 4 bore is a black powder caliber of the 19th century, used for the hunting of large and potentially dangerous game animals. The specifications place this caliber between the larger 2 bore and the smaller 6 bore rifles. This caliber was the quintessential elephant gun caliber of the black powder safari rifles. The caliber was also used for the Coffman cartridges used for starting large aero engines such as the Rolls-Royce Griffon as used in the later Marks of Supermarine Spitfire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.500 Nitro Express</span> UK large hunting rifle cartridge

The .500 Nitro Express is a rifle cartridge designed for hunting large and dangerous game animals in Africa and India. This cartridge was primarily designed for use in double rifles though various single shots were produced on the Farquarson action and at least one major company (Heym) produced it in bolt-action configuration. It was commonly available in two lengths: a 3.00 in (76 mm) and a 3.25 in (83 mm) version.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.500 Black Powder Express</span> Rifle cartridge

The .500 Black Powder Express was a series of Black powder cases of varying lengths that emerged in the 1860s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.450/400 Nitro Express</span>

The .450/400 Nitro Express is a Nitro Express rifle cartridge that is produced in three case lengths: 238-inches, 3 inches and 314-inches, and is intended for use in single shot and double rifles. The 3-inch and 314-inch versions are considered classic Nitro Express cartridges.

The .400 Jeffery Nitro Express or .450/400 Nitro Express 3-inch is a medium bore, bottlenecked, Nitro Express cartridge designed by W.J. Jeffery & Co in 1902, intended for use in single shot and double rifles.

References

  1. Max chamber pressure - saami specs. Return to the index to LASC. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1, 2023, from http://www.lasc.us/SAAMIMaxPressure.htm
  2. 1 2 3 4 Barnes, Frank C. (1997) [1965]. McPherson, M.L. (ed.). Cartridges of the World (8th ed.). DBI Books. pp. 89, 92, 334, 341. ISBN   0-87349-178-5.
  3. "Twin-Tube Dreamin' Archived 2007-06-02 at the Wayback Machine " by Ted Hatfield, in American Rifleman
  4. Haley, Charlie (April 1999). "450 Nitro Express". African Hunter. 5 (2). Archived from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022. Alas, of all the old Nitro-Expresses it would seem that the one currently riding the crest of popularity is the .470.
  5. 1 2 "An Adventure with Lead Bullets In The .470 Nitro Express Archived 2007-11-07 at the Wayback Machine " by Leo Grizzaffi
  6. James Gardner (2009). The Lion Killer. Sterling House Pub. ISBN   978-1-56315-462-1.