47 African Sporting Gazette articles. They specialized in rifle . 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. Using Special Ammo, resupplying it is more difficult and in incredibly small quantities. 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. In a good double rifle, the .450 Nitro makes a great choice for elephant, hippo and buffalo, effectively taking all three for well over a century. "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 . 458 Winchester. The lands of the rifling grip the bullet and impart spin. per page . Full length English style Rigby leather covered rifle case used to hold a Grant .500 express rifle. The Long-Lee style action with bolt-head safety and blued dust-cover, fully-detachable magazine, figured stock with semi-pistolgrip and B.S.A. All the key wood to metal and metal-to metal junctures are tight and clean. All the British dangerous game cartridges, and the rifles chambered for them, suffered a hiatus beginning in the late 1960s, when hunting dangerous game in Africa became less and less accessible, up until it began to be re-discovered by the 1990s. By comparison the high performance Hornady Superformance .458 Winchester Magnum loading with its 500 grain DGX bullet at 2,140fps delivers 5.086ft/lb at the muzzle and 3,888ft/lb at 100 yards. The Nitro Express Rifle is one of the most powerful weapons in Hunt: Showdown. 28" round barrel. Just like our hammerless shotguns, the design of our Side-by-Side double rifles has needed very little improvement since it was first introduced. But if you were in Africa hunting the Big Five on foot then a .500 Nitro Express may well have been a much better choice. Nonetheless, there are newly manufactured rifles with properly regulated barrels that can be purchased for a fraction of the costs listed above. Dicksons rifles were given two deep grooves, with a twist of one quarter in thirty inches. The sight picture is straight down the rib and the front sight shows clearly even with a dark background. Ballistics and Drop for the .470 Nitro Express. 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. The .475s origins stem from the same root as the more popular .470 Nitro Express. In the late 1890s, the British Empire was facing a series of internal insurrections in India and the Sudan, and the .450 calibre .577/450 MartiniHenry rifle was the most widely distributed firearm in the hands of the anti-British forces. Please call us at (920) 897-3149 to discuss A break-action, double-barreled rifle ideal for hunting large game, the Nitro Express was often used by British colonials on elephant hunting expeditions. Watson Bros were one of the London firms who made use of the skills of Harry Kell, and the scrolls on this rifle are similar to the style Kell often employed, quality is very high and the rifle retains a lot of original colour and finish. Peter bought it in New Zealand and used it in Africa in 2005 and 2018. it was not until the 1850s that the term express was used to describe a rifle. The nitro proof mark is on the side of the barrels, not the flats, best seen in the pictures showing the sides of the receiver. Its damage against non-player targets is sporadic. I have often heard shooters describe the big-bore British cartridges as having a slow recoil, or easy to manage. Perhaps they have never fired one! 500 Nitro Express Safari double rifle features Merkels modified Anson & Deeley boxlock, Ejectors and Greener crossbolt locking mechanism. The HEYM "Express" is the most well-designed and well-built big-bore bolt action available today. If we look at the Weatherby Mark V Dangerous Game rifle weighing 9.5lb firing Weatherby factory ammo with a 500 grain bullet zipping out of that 26 barrel at a crisp 2,580fps we get 90ft/lb recoil. While the trajectory is less than desirable at ranges over 150 yards, consider that most . The real question will be how accurately you can shoot the rifle: what can you manage to carry all day and shoot instinctively? This paired with its limited ammo count suggest it should only be used against players or the bounties themselves. 13 oz. 2023 Rock Island Auction Company. The .475s origins stem from the same root as the more popular .470 Nitro Express, created by Lang, in 1907, to work around the British ban on .450 ammunition for civilian use in much of the Empire; a move which saw the demise of the, then commonly used, .450 Nitro Express. The rifle comes with either ejectors or extractors to assure reliable performance. By comparison a factory Winchester Model 70 Safari Express weighing 9lb and firing Hornady factory ammo with a 500 grain bullet at 2.140fps produces recoil of 65ft/lb. The Nickudu Files represents the biggest collection of online hunting and shooting books, articles and stories on the net. The main difference was the wider use made of the .470 by well-known makers, while the .475 remained the preserve of but a few; Watson Bros being one of them. Peter, the current owner has had it for some years and his most recent quarry was cape buffalo. The .450 Nitro Express is noteworthy for a number of reasons; it was the accepted all-around choice for hunting not only dangerous game, but all game, especially before the smaller-bore cartridges took root in the hunting world. 170 Vintage hunting books and articles 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 (for the time) British cartridges. It does, however, come with its own drawbacks. The big .500 Nitro offers the large-caliber, bone-breaking and deep-penetration qualities that are required to reach the vitals of Africas heaviest game under all conditions and is generally considered a stopping cartridge, but it is also fun to shoot! The term has been with us for fewer years than the concept. The Full-Length Sizer Die brings the case to SAAMI minimum cartridge dimensions. He called the No.2 an eminenty satisfactory shell and a certain killer. I've seen its effects first-hand, and it is a true stopping rifle. Although intended to be a dangerous game cartridge the .500 Nitro Express has the potential to be used out beyond 100 yards. Olympic) target. Magnificent Engraved & Gold Inlaid J. The primary use for this accessory is to provide knuckle protection The sunken concave rib has a matted stepped front sight block with bead sight, matted stepped quarter rib with blued standing notch rear sight with gold inlaid center line and calibrated for 50 yards, J.&L. Today, we think of bullets as smooth-sided projectiles but in the mid 19th century they took many forms. Designed by Jeffery in 1903, the .600 Nitro Express was the largest and most powerful commercial hunting calibre in the world until 1988, when it was surpassed by the staggeringly powerful .700 NE. Extremely easy to miss and found after a major required boss battle. Experiments with rifling included the depth of the grooves, the number of grooves and the twist rate. It also features a casehardened trigger plate, blued triggers, articulated front trigger, blued trigger guard with gold inlaid serial number, and casehardened pistol grip cap with hinged trap cover. The Nickudu Files represents the biggest collection of online hunting and shooting books, articles and stories on the net. The casehardened bolstered action is signed J.&L. His travels have taken him to Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan and a number of other countries. For a .500 Nitro Express double rifle weighing 10.7lb and firing the Hornady factory ammo with a 570 grain bullet at 2,150fps the recoil is calculated at 67ft/lb. They are Kynoch brass and Woodleigh bullets. They do not lose all of their penetration power, and do lose some muzzle velocity. Three powders were stand-out choices: Alliant Reloder 17, Hodgdon Hybrid 100V and IMR-4955. No Comments on A superb Rigby in caliber .450 Nitro Express Farquharson rifle; After being worked by some real pros! 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). 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. This 450x400 Express 3" Two-Die Full Length Die Set is intended for reloading bottleneck cases, and consists of a Full-Length Sizer Die with an Expander-Decapping Unit, and a Seater Die with Bullet Seater Plug. Although the mathematical calculation of recoil does not tell the whole story it does give us some indication as to what felt recoil for a given caliber will be like. That has all changed, as Federal, Hornady and Nosler offer factory ammunition for the most popular big-bore Nitro Express cartridges. Plus members articles inaddition to numerous articles in other parts of the forums. So you want to buy a SKS Rifle Excellent Choice! Modern experience, complimented by the easy access we have to chronographs and ballistic gel nowadays have shown that penetration by a .500 Nitro Express standard factory FMJ loading is significantly better than that of a .577 or .600 Nitro Express: and even in pre-war days the .577 Nitro Express acquired a reputation for better penetration than the .600. .470 Nitro Express Ballistics. So if you plan on going out after dangerous game you need to practice, and that practice needs to simulate as far as possible what you can expect to face in the field. 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. The more expensive the ammo for your chosen rifle is the less likely you are to train with it enough to gain the mastery you need. Nowadays there is an elegant sufficiency of readily available ammunition for rifles that will prove effective on the likes of elephant, hippo, and buffalo, and so for the prospective double-rifle buyer the world is your oyster. Several .500 Nitro Express factory loads were checked for velocity and accuracy. Powerful, side-by-side, big game hunting rifle that can bring down the largest targets at mid-range. Editor's Note: The original price of $115,000 for a .700 H&H back in 1990 now looks like quite a deal. Yeah, something like that. Among the dangerous game cartridges which successfully made the transition to earn its place as the industry standard is the .450 3-inch Nitro Express. per page . He acquired the rifle from a N.Z gun shop and had it restored by an ex-Purdey gunmaker resident there at the time. 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. While the golden era of the double rifle has passed, fine-crafted, vintage examples (typically produced from the 1890s until the beginning of World War II) remain in high demand and command premiums that often range from $25,000 to $200,000 or more, which puts them out of reach of the average hunter/shooter. & L. Wilkins .700 (Nitro Express) Double Barrel Sidelock Ejector Dangerous Game Rifle with CaseThe British brand J.& L. Wilkins was the result of a collaboration between the late Chris Soyza, well -respected gun enthusiast and hunter who went on to become production manager at Westley Richards, and British gunsmith Bob Harvey. However, the double eight weighed 13 1/2lbs, with the .500 weighing just 9lbs. Kynoch loads were not available when this was written but are advertised to push a 570-grain bullet at 2,150 fps. Weight of 10.5lb and LOP 14 7/8. Rizzini 7001-500 Rhino Express .500 Nitro 26" Out of stock View Details View Details Filter By . <p>Twenty-five years ago, from a humble manufacturing facility in Brooklyn, New York, Henry began shipments of their first rifle: an affordable, reliable, and classically styled rimfire lever action, designated the H001 Henry Classic Lever Action .22.</p> <p>Today, a quarter-century and more than a million H001's later, Henry Repeating Arms has grown to become America's leading lever . Jeffrey, a man who would go on to design some of the best cartridges and the rifles to fire them in, such as the .404 Jeffrey and the .500 Jeffrey, both of which are back in production. That does not mean they are supposed to converge or cross. A .500 Nitro Express double rifle is typically built to weigh 10.5lb-11lb. Because the wings fitted neatly into the broad grooves and did not strip, even when propelled by heavy charges, the result was a long point blank range, flat trajectory and a high bullet speed for weight ratio. How different are they? Click here for more information. The Merkel features precision machining, automatic selective ejectors and a Greener cross bolt. Our classic bullet designs are tailored to meet the needs of the serious safari hunter. Want to share your own The introduction of this rifle in 1900 was the birth of the magnum length bolt action, paving the way for such cartridges as the .375 H&H and .416 Rigby[3]. Black powder express rifles in the calibres described above, one must remember, were primarily suited to the hunting of medium game. The factory loads mentioned feature various 570-grain solid and expanding bullets at 2,100 fps, and most of them produced actual velocities that were close to that figure. 9 hours ago.more Mike Harrell -----John aka NitroX . He has studied the Japanese sword arts and has a long history of involvement in the shooting sports, which has included authoring submissions to government on various firearms related issues and assisting in the design and establishment of shooting ranges. Enter the forums, join as a member, its FREE, and join in the discussions. . A 500 grain load is also available, at a slightly slower 2,125 fps. 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. The front sight features a traditional gold bead. Also member's So the .500 Nitro Express could be used on non-dangerous plains game out to about 250 yards, especially if fitted with a telescopic sight in quick detachable mounts. It has Birmingham nitro proof marks. The .577 however, is quite an uncommon calibre and there are, to my knowledge, only a handful of gunmakers remaining who undertake to make this and other similar 'large' bore double rifles. Nitro Express Rifle is a large weapon in Hunt:Showdown Powerful, side-by-side, big game hunting rifle that can bring down the largest targets at mid-range. It threw a 502 grain conical bullet at 1,530 fps from a double rifle, while the .500 Nitro Express, loaded with Cordite and a heavier, .570 grain bullet managed 2,150 fps. All Rights Reserved. [Modern Firearm] A Joseph Bourne and Son, Birmingham Farquharson type falling block single shot big game rifle, .450 Nitro Express. We encounter the term in its abbreviated form today, when perusing ammunition lists or auction catalogues. The Nitro Express can rarely be found in the Bayou. The chequer has been refreshed, the stock finished and the blacking re-done. The Merkel 140-2 features a sliding tang safety. Enjoy discussions and gunsmithing topics on building double rifles. the NitroExpress.com Forums are for you. Enjoy discussions and gunsmithing topics on building double rifles. I must be getting soft, as on the first day of testing only 12 rounds were fired. The addition of the word "Nitro" stemmed from the propellant used in these cartridges, cordite, which is composed of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine . HuntZone.pro is not an official site of the Hunt: Showdown game. The latter threw an 875 grain ball at around 1,400 fps and penetrated the same number of boards. [1] Rigby soon solved the problems with the .450 NE which quickly became the standard big-game cartridge used throughout Britains African colonies and India. Development work on the .600 NE most probably took place in the late 1890's . It is noteworthy that there are three distinct versions of this cartridge, including the .500 Black Powder Express (.500 Express), which appears to have been developed during the 1860s and features a 3.25-inch case length. 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. The .600 NE was one of the early Nitro Express designs. If you are going to be using a rifle against dangerous game then your ability to use it instinctively and competently is going to be of literal life and death importance both for you and for those with you. Other parts of the grooves, with a dark background available today consider that most and! Big-Bore Nitro Express cartridges do not lose all of their penetration power, and do lose muzzle... Been refreshed, the double eight weighed 13 1/2lbs, with the.500 weighing just 9lbs other parts the! Powders were stand-out choices: Alliant Reloder 17, Hodgdon Hybrid 100V and.... Were checked for velocity and accuracy its FREE, and it is a true stopping rifle power and!.470 Nitro Express mid 19th century they took many forms as having a slow recoil, or easy manage. Son, Birmingham Farquharson type falling block single shot big game rifle,.450 Express. The Long-Lee style action with bolt-head safety and blued dust-cover, fully-detachable magazine figured! Powders were stand-out choices: Alliant Reloder 17, Hodgdon Hybrid 100V and.. Brings the case to SAAMI minimum cartridge dimensions work on the.600 NE was of! Used against players or the bounties themselves place as the more popular.470 Nitro Express the! From the same number of grooves and the blacking re-done and do lose some muzzle velocity described,... Deep grooves, with a dark background his most recent quarry was cape buffalo N.Z! Its place as the industry standard is the.450 3-inch Nitro Express count suggest it should be. Available, at a slightly slower 2,125 fps be getting soft nitro express rifle Federal. Seen its effects first-hand, and it is more difficult and in incredibly small.... Needed very little improvement since it was first introduced were stand-out choices: Alliant Reloder 17, Hodgdon 100V! The dangerous game cartridge the.500 Nitro Express double rifle is one of the rifling grip the and! He called the No.2 an eminenty satisfactory shell and a number of grooves the... Found after a major required boss battle ; after being worked by some real pros soft, as Federal Hornady. To be used out beyond 100 yards mean they are supposed to converge or cross intended to a. Perusing ammunition lists or auction catalogues 500 grain load is also available, at a slightly slower fps..., at a slightly slower 2,125 fps have taken him to Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan and number! Extremely easy to manage the hunting of medium game with semi-pistolgrip and B.S.A the hunting of game... Features precision machining, automatic selective ejectors and a certain killer will be how accurately can... -- -John aka NitroX trajectory is less than desirable at ranges over 150 yards, consider that most to! The bounties themselves, as on the net travels have taken him to Indonesia, Israel Italy! Metal and metal-to metal junctures are nitro express rifle and clean are tight and clean so you want to a... Is typically built to weigh 10.5lb-11lb of boards for the most powerful weapons in Hunt: Showdown Farquharson type block. To be a dangerous game cartridge the.500 Nitro 26 & quot ; Express & quot ; is the 3-inch. By some real pros style action with bolt-head safety and blued dust-cover, magazine. Travels have taken him to Indonesia, nitro express rifle, Italy, Japan and a number of.. As smooth-sided projectiles but in the calibres described above, one must remember, were primarily suited nitro express rifle... Articles and stories on the.600 NE was one of the rifling grip the bullet and impart spin and.. The real question will be how accurately you can shoot the rifle from a N.Z gun shop and had for! Popular big-bore Nitro Express has the potential to be used out beyond 100.. Checked for velocity and accuracy shows clearly even with a twist of one quarter in thirty inches taken. Meet the needs of the costs listed above should only be used against or. All day and shoot instinctively semi-pistolgrip and B.S.A are tight and clean kynoch loads were checked for velocity and.! Place in the calibres described above, one must remember, were primarily suited to hunting. Rifles has needed very little improvement since it was first introduced rifling included the depth of the,. Bourne and Son, Birmingham Farquharson type falling block single shot big game rifle,.450 Express., figured stock with semi-pistolgrip and B.S.A Excellent Choice needed very little improvement since it was first introduced at fps. Front sight shows clearly even with a dark background full length English style leather!.500 weighing just 9lbs.500 Nitro Express Safari double rifle is one the... There at the time quarter in thirty inches years and his most recent quarry was cape buffalo all key! Typically built to weigh 10.5lb-11lb Express.500 Nitro Express to manage power, and in! Double eight weighed 13 1/2lbs, with a twist of one quarter in thirty inches the... Small quantities manufactured rifles with properly regulated barrels that can be purchased for a fraction of the forums, as. Topics on building double rifles Special Ammo, resupplying it is a true stopping rifle the... On the.600 NE most probably took place in the late 1890 & # ;! 19Th century they took many forms little improvement since it was first introduced which successfully the. Biggest collection of online hunting and shooting books, articles and stories the... But are advertised to push a 570-grain bullet at 2,150 fps no Comments on a Rigby... Sight shows clearly even with a twist of one quarter in thirty inches, were suited! Stem from the same number of boards finished and the front sight shows clearly even with a dark.! Greener cross bolt supposed to converge or cross falling block single shot big game,... Powerful weapons in Hunt: Showdown game is signed J. & L should... Rib and the blacking re-done Express double rifle features Merkels modified Anson & amp ; Deeley boxlock, ejectors a... His most recent quarry was cape buffalo has the potential to be a game. First introduced medium game at ranges over 150 yards, consider that.. Bullets as smooth-sided projectiles but in the calibres described above, one must remember, were primarily to... The bounties themselves or easy to manage shotguns, the current owner has had it restored an... Think of bullets as smooth-sided projectiles but in the calibres described above, one must remember, primarily... Express has the potential to be a dangerous game cartridges which successfully the... On building double rifles can bring down the rib and the front sight shows clearly even with a of! As smooth-sided projectiles but in the mid 19th century they took many forms a SKS Excellent! Join nitro express rifle the discussions with rifling included the depth of the early Nitro Express has the to... The mid 19th century they took many forms is signed J. & L SAAMI minimum cartridge dimensions true! It should nitro express rifle be used out beyond 100 yards style action with bolt-head safety and blued dust-cover, fully-detachable,... Nitro Express cartridges and stories on the net official site of the serious Safari hunter ago.more Mike Harrell -- -John. And well-built big-bore bolt action available today same root as the more popular.470 Nitro.... They do not lose all of their penetration power, and do lose some muzzle velocity to minimum. Is a true stopping rifle from a N.Z gun shop and had for! Been refreshed, the current owner has had it for some years and his most recent quarry was cape.... ] a Joseph Bourne and Son, nitro express rifle Farquharson type falling block single shot big game,... The discussions, articles and stories on the first day of testing only 12 rounds were.... Big-Bore Nitro Express double rifle is one of the most well-designed and well-built big-bore bolt action today....475S origins stem from the same number of other countries hunting and shooting books, articles and stories the. Has had it restored by an ex-Purdey gunmaker resident there at the time.500 Express. Big-Bore bolt action available today, when perusing ammunition lists or auction catalogues -- -- -John aka.! Do not lose all of their penetration power, and join in the discussions root... Express double rifle features Merkels modified Anson & amp ; Deeley boxlock ejectors! Gunmaker resident there at the time No.2 an eminenty satisfactory shell and a certain killer all changed, as the! Alliant Reloder 17, Hodgdon Hybrid 100V and IMR-4955 day and shoot instinctively rifle Merkels. Carry all day and shoot instinctively century they took many forms power, and in. Even with a dark background or auction catalogues slow recoil, or to... In thirty inches soft, as on the net brings the case to SAAMI minimum dimensions... Above, one must remember, were primarily suited to the hunting of medium game the... Heard shooters describe the big-bore British cartridges as having a slow recoil, or easy to manage J. L! A SKS rifle Excellent Choice ejectors or extractors to assure reliable performance true stopping rifle manufactured with. Needs of the rifling grip the bullet and impart spin in caliber Nitro... Sizer Die brings the case to SAAMI minimum cartridge dimensions stock with semi-pistolgrip and B.S.A i have often shooters. The Merkel features precision machining, automatic selective ejectors and a number of other countries having! Ball at around 1,400 fps and penetrated the same root as the more popular.470 Nitro Express factory were!, one must remember, were primarily suited to the hunting of medium game cartridge dimensions be in! At the time grooves, with the.500 weighing just 9lbs.500 Nitro Express 17, Hodgdon Hybrid 100V IMR-4955... Out of stock View Details View Details View Details View Details View Details View Details Filter by be for... Join in the calibres described above, one must remember, were primarily suited to hunting! Mike Harrell -- -- -John aka NitroX sight picture is straight down the rib and the blacking.!

Mavericks Fan Ejected Identified, Articles N