I just ordered my new and only double nearly a couple of months ago now. I considered the 450, 470 and 500/416 chamberings. The 458 calibres are my favourite due to the availability of projectiles and the SD the 480 grain and above projectiles offer but decided to pass on the 450 seeing I already have a 458 Lott in a bolt gun. I've really been interested in the 500/416 cartridge for a long time, the idea of the 416 Rigby ballistics being replicated in a double rifle is a great concept IMHO. However I passed on the 500/416 as well mostly because of brass availability and because I think the 470 could probably be considered a slightly better stopping rifle (my words) than the 500/416 though it's probably really splitting hairs as both produce similar energy at the muzzle but the 470 having the advantage of greater frontal area.
So I landed on the 470, readily available reloading components (at least where I live that is the case), good stopping power, I feel the 470 provides a good balance of power at the muzzle vs felt recoil, probably the most common factory ammo anywhere in the world (if I ever needed it), the rifle doesn't need to be overly heavy to tame the recoil of the 470 cartridge even though heavy rifles don't really bother me it is still an advantage and most of all it offers all the right attributes for me personally as a hunter. I do hunt DG on my own at times so it gives me that stopping power if needed, the DG I hunt 99% of the time is buffalo and scrub bulls and I feel the 470 is almost the perfect double cartridge for these animals and it still gives me everything I need if I was to end up on an elephant hunt one day.
