.475 Nitro Express

Infobox Firearm Cartridge
name= .475 Nitro Express


caption=
origin= Britain
type= Rifle
service=
used_by=
wars=
designer=
design_date=
manufacturer=
production_date=
number=
variants=
is_SI_specs=
parent=
case type=rimmed straight
bullet=.476
neck=.502
shoulder=.502
base=.545
rim_dia=.621
rim_thick=
case_length=3.30
length=3.82
rifling=
primer= Berdan 0.254 inch
is_SI_ballistics=
bw1=480
btype1=
vel1=2100
en1=4700
bw2=480
btype=
vel2=2175
en2=5040
bw3=
btype3=
vel3=
en3=
bw4=
btype4=
vel4=
en4=
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vel5=
en5=
test_barrel_length=
balsrc=Barnes & Amber

The .475 Nitro Express is a British rifle cartridge.

One of several rounds (including the .470, .475 No. 2, and .476 Nitro Express) [Barnes, Frank C., ed. by John T. Amber. "Cartridges of the World" (Northfield, IL: DBI Books, 1972), p.229, ".476 Nitro Express".] designed and introduced between 1905 and 1910, [Barnes and Amber, p.229, ".475 Nitro Express".] after the British Army banned the .450, all with comparable performance, [Barnes and Amber, p.229, ".476 Nitro Express".] the .475 was intended for both single and double rifles.

A good general purpose round, it is suitable for all big game, and was preferred by experienced hunters for elephant, lion, or Cape buffalo at close range, [Barnes and Amber, p.229, ".475 Nitro Express".] though somewhat more than needed for anything in North America. [Barnes and Amber, p.229, ".475 Nitro Express".] Its performance is little different from the others, and its ballistics resemble the .458 Winchester Magnum, with a larger diameter bullet; whether this is an advantage remains in dispute. [Barnes, and Amber, p.229, ".476 Nitro Express".]

The weight and bulk of the rifle and ammunition have made the round less attractive in the face of smaller calibers with performance aproaching the .475's, and slugs for handloading it are only available from Britain (though Fred N. Barnes did offer a 600 gr {38.9 g} variety at one time), [Barnes and Amber, p.229, ".475 Nitro Express".] and the Berdan primer militates against this, as well.

Two or three wildcats have been based on the .475. [Barnes and Amber, p.229, ".475 Nitro Express".] The factory load used 75 gr (4.86 g) of cordite over a 480 gr (31.1 g) slug; 70 gr (4.54 g) of 3031 will duplicate the factory ballistics. [Barnes and Amber, p.229, ".475 Nitro Express".]

ee also

*List of cartridges by caliber
*List of rifle cartridges
*13 mm caliber

References

ources

*Barnes, Frank C., ed. by John T. Amber. ".475 Nitro Express", in "Cartridges of the World", pp.228-9 & 236. Northfield, IL: DBI Books, 1972. ISBN 0-695-80326-3.