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500 Nitro Express

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13 April 2004, 04:34
JerryM
500 Nitro Express
I have a friend who needs to load some 500 NE for his son, and he must do it today.He is using a 600 gr Hawk bullet.

He does not know the oal length, and is concerned about the case holding the bullet with no crimping groove.
I suggested that he call Hawk.

In the meantime, do any of you load for the 500 NE, and especially have you used the Hawk bullet? I think he needs an oal as much as anything.

Thanks,
Jerry
13 April 2004, 04:36
jeffeosso
if this is for a double, and you don't crimp, please only single load... it probably won't push in.. but it may

jeffe
13 April 2004, 04:57
JerryM
Jeffe,

The bullet does not have a crimping groove, and evidently no shoulder to use as such.
But since it is to be used in a double, he does need to load both barrels. If there is no crimping groove I assume that the case will hold the bullet as in other rifles cartridges.
The normal rule of thumb is to seat the bullet at least one diameter. I don't know if that is sufficient for the 500 NE or not. If he had the oal it might give him such insight. A 600 grain bullet might be seated deeper.

Thanks,
Jerry
13 April 2004, 05:34
Hammer
Believe Butch Searcy recommends 106 grains of IMR 4831 and Federal 215 primers with the 570 grain Woodleigh in his 500 Nitro Express 3 and 1/4 inch guns. The Woodleighs have a crimping groove.



This has worked well for me with both solids and softs.



Just picking a load at random would not have much chance of regulating the two barrels.



Hammer
13 April 2004, 08:49
JerryM
He has a load that the gun is regulated for. However, it is moot, as he found that his Rockchucker press is not long enough to load the round and remove it from the press.

His son is "own his own" and has decided to take another gun.

Thanks for the comments.

Jerry
13 April 2004, 09:14
Hammer
The best way to load 500 Nitro ammo is to set three RCBS AmmoMaster presses side-by-side. Set one up for resizing, one for mouth belling, and one for bullet seating. A fourth might be used for crimping. This is a poor substitute for a true progressive, but it will get a few loaded.















Hammer
13 April 2004, 09:35
jeffeosso
The rcbs supreme (like 108 bucks from midway) will handle these.

on the RC, if you lock the dies down on the rings, you can turn them out a couple turns (okay, a few) and then remove the loaded round.

I would not hunt this hawk/no crimp combo. I can either loan you a cannalure tool or do it for you, if you want

jeffe
13 April 2004, 11:17
JerryM
Jeffe,
Thanks for the offer. My friend has decided to let his son, who is in his 40s fend for himself on this. He has a 458, 416 Rigby, and a .375. He just waited until the last minute, and then wanted Dad to take care of the ammo for him. Guess What??

Hammer it looks as if you have a pretty extrensive setup.

My friend, John's personal largest is a 416 Rigby, which his RC press handles OK. The .500 NE was a present to his son from a long time friend of John's.

I guess you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

Thanks again for your generous and timely help.
I'll pass this thread to John for future reference.

Jerry
13 April 2004, 17:25
510wells
Quote:

I have a friend who needs to load some 500 NE for his son, and he must do it today.He is using a 600 gr Hawk bullet.

He does not know the oal length, and is concerned about the case holding the bullet with no crimping groove.
I suggested that he call Hawk.

In the meantime, do any of you load for the 500 NE, and especially have you used the Hawk bullet? I think he needs an oal as much as anything.

Thanks,
Jerry



500 NE 3" OAL = 3.750
13 April 2004, 18:36
700 nitro
hammer the load butch uses in the 500 nitro 3" is 110grains of imr 4831 you would think the 3 1/4 would have a little bit more powder.
14 April 2004, 01:20
jeffeosso
Jerry,
NP, wish him the best AND his son.

WOW, three ammo masters? I think i'll try that with 3 supremes... why the supremes? becuase 3 of them cost what 2 ammo masters does, and I aint long 50bmg

jeffe
14 April 2004, 15:59
Hammer
700 Nitro,

Checked again with Butch Searcy concerning the load for my 500 Nitro. Here is his response.

Quote:

Art, the 106 gr. load of IMR 4831 is the load that your rifle is regulated for.



Of course, that does not mean this load is suitable for any other rifle.

Hammer
16 April 2004, 17:16
Geronomo
JerryM
Sorry about such a late response to your inquiry. I load for both .470 NE and .500NE. I use 89gr. RL15 with a foam wad(Kynoch) and 500gr. Woodleighs in the.470. I use 94gr.RL 15 with 1/2 foam wad and 570gr. Woodleighs in the .500. Both give 2130-2155fps in my doubles(24" brls.)and regulate well.
hope this helps-Geronimo
16 April 2004, 18:47
500Mag
You can check our this site http://www.corbins.com/prhct-1.htm for a hand cannelure machine made by Corbin that's about $85 bucks plus shipping that you can put a cannelure (crimp groove) in any bullet with. The biggest round that I load is the S&W 500 Mag. and I found that Lee's Factory Crimp Die will allow me to use the cheap .50AE Speer Jacketed Hollow Points that don't have a cannelure in them for half the price of the more expensive Sierra's because it squeezes the crap out of the bullet and case and makes it's own cannelure which I got for $25 from Lee instead of having to buy the more expensive cannelure machine. But if Lee didn't sell the Factory Crimp Die for the bullet I was using I'd buy the Corbin Machine. That's just an option I thought I might mention. I don't know anything about the 500 nitro personally.

500Mag
16 April 2004, 18:57
500Mag
Quote:

The best way to load 500 Nitro ammo is to set three RCBS AmmoMaster presses side-by-side. Set one up for resizing, one for mouth belling, and one for bullet seating. A fourth might be used for crimping. This is a poor substitute for a true progressive, but it will get a few loaded.





Hammer



Hammer,
You ain't from Alabama are you? That set up is what we used to call the Alabama Progressive Press

500Mag
16 April 2004, 19:10
Hammer
Spent all my formative years in Alabama and Tennessee. But left there nearly 25 years ago.

Hammer