Does this big bore cartridge exist?

Northern Shooter

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Does this cartridge exist, or is it a unicorn?

I'm curious if there is a bolt-action cartridge that replicates the 500NE ballistics or there abouts without the need of "loading down" the 500 Jeffery or 505 Gibbs.

Essentially looking at options that fit between the 458 WinMag and 500 Jeffery without the recoil of the 500 Jeffery. Is there a cartridge that meets the following criteria? I'm guessing not..
  • Bolt action magazine cartridge
  • 0.458 - 0.510 cal
  • 550-600gr projectile
  • 2,100-2,200 fps
  • Recoil <80 ft-lbs
  • Factory ammo readily available.
458 Lott - Close enough to 458 WM, don't believe there are factory 550gr+ loadings for it.
450 Rigby - This is a close fit, 550gr loadings at 2,100 fps however factory ammo seems non-existent.
470 Capstick - Another close fit but zero factory ammo.

Have I missed any?
 
Does this cartridge exist, or is it a unicorn?

I'm curious if there is a bolt-action cartridge that replicates the 500NE ballistics or there abouts without the need of "loading down" the 500 Jeffery or 505 Gibbs.

Essentially looking at options that fit between the 458 WinMag and 500 Jeffery without the recoil of the 500 Jeffery. Is there a cartridge that meets the following criteria? I'm guessing not..
  • Bolt action magazine cartridge
  • 0.458 - 0.510 cal
  • 550-600gr projectile
  • 2,100-2,200 fps
  • Recoil <80 ft-lbs
  • Factory ammo readily available.
458 Lott - Close enough to 458 WM, don't believe there are factory 550gr+ loadings for it.
450 Rigby - This is a close fit, 550gr loadings at 2,100 fps however factory ammo seems non-existent.
470 Capstick - Another close fit but zero factory ammo.

Have I missed any?
450 N.E ?
 
More oomph than the 458WM, less recoil than the standard 500 Jeffery and 505 Gibbs.

The 500NE ballistics seems to be a real sweet spot in terms of Energy vs recoil. Surprised it hasn't been replicated in a bolt gun without pushing the same bullets to 2,300 fps+
 
You can have Hendershots load for you. If you send them your components, it’s much cheaper.
IMG_6618.jpeg
IMG_6617.jpeg
 
The question was

"I'm curious if there is a bolt-action cartridge that replicates the 500NE ballistics or there abouts without the need of "loading down" the 500 Jeffery or 505 Gibbs."

I don't know such a cartridge, but one could definitely have filled this gap, namely the cartridge 495 A-Square, if A-Square had not tried to market it at the upper limit of its performance, as has unfortunately often been done with a lot of big bore cartridges in the past. The cartridge 500 A-Square was available for those who wanted a little more power in this caliber class.
 
Norma loads factory Norma PH range 458 lott on 550gr.
 

Raven Rocks has piles of 450 Rigby ammo at $59.00 a box. They also have Norma brass. Plus they are a sponsor of this site. (y)

The 450 Rigby can be loaded down to 1900 fps for mild recoil loads, or loaded up near 2600fps (460 Weatherby) power levels should T-Rex tags become available on Jurassic Island. Most on this forum would agree that 2250-2350 is plenty for anything on this planet.
 
Last edited:
Was the 450 NE ever offered in 550gr bullets? I don't believe I have ever seen factory ammo for the 450 NE.
No the 450 NE 3 1/4” isn’t available with 550gr projectile. Hornady factory ammunition was available up until recently. I think it has now been discontinued. It was loaded with 480gr dgx and dgs.
 

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