475 Nitro Express - Experience

[VertigoBE]

Hello esteemed members,

does anyone use, or has experience using the .475 Nitro Express in the field, especially on pachyderms. Or any experience/warnings/pittfalls on the reloading front?

This caliber is garnering interest for me as an inbetween 450NE - 500NE. But mainly because hammer double rifles can be found in it.

Thanks,

V.

 

[Pondoro]

I have a vintage british double rifle in .475 3 1/4 NE.. This is basically a .450NE case necked up to take a .483" 480 grain bullet.. I get 2158fps fra 23" barrels with modern Kynoch ammo..

I shot an elephant in Botswana with it.. All the .450 - 476NE cartridges are very much alike ballistically..

 

[Huvius]

One thing worth mentioning is that the 475No.2 has two different bullet diameters.
.483” for the Eley and .488” for the Jeffery.
Other than that, which is significant, the cases are virtually the same although I don’t think a Jeffery cartridge will chamber in a rifle made for the other. Not 100% on that though.
The No.2s are massive though!
On the left next to a 450 3-1/4”

 

[VertigoBE]

So if I understand correctly, I would need to buy 450NE cases, and neck them up to fit in either .483 or .488" bullets ?

 

[Huvius]

So if I understand correctly, I would need to buy 450NE cases, and neck them up to fit in either .483 or .488" bullets ?

That would only be for the 475 straight.
The No.2 is a different animal as you can see above.

 

[VertigoBE]

That would only be for the 475 straight.
The No.2 is a different animal as you can see above.

So there is a .475NE 3.25 "straight", which can be replicated with a 450NE necked up to fit a .483" bullet

Then there is a .475NE N°2 "Eley" using .483" bullets
and a .475NE N°2 "Jeffery" using .488" bullets.

So three possibilities total?

 

[Huvius]

Believe that’s correct.
There was a straight 476 Westley Richards but again not the same thing.
Those Brits were a funny lot at that time…

 

[Pondoro]

The .475 3.25 Straight is not very common. It was probably a Cogswell & Harrison developement. I have seen rifles by C & H, R.B.Rodda and Midland Gun Co. (mine). Greener also made double rifles in the caliber in the 1920´s..

 

[VertigoBE]

Would you have any comparison cartridge for a 475 3.25 , for penetration? It has sufficient SD and weight to penetrate on any angle for an elephant brain shot? Or a back up shot from behind if they keep running?

 

[Pondoro]

.450NE is very similar..