I've just bought a Merkel 470 NE SXS and bought Bell brass and ordered Woodleigh bullets but the bullets are on back order.

I also bought a box of Swift A-Frame bullets (500g) from MidwayUSA for the 470NE.

Has anybody used them in the 470NE?

Any feedback or tips would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Rich

See the Africa forum, same topic.
Aloha

Rich Hernandez,
For a start, 470 Nitro is .474", not .475".
It may not sound much but if you get a 470 Nitro with undersized barrels
and then use slightly oversize projectiles, pressure will increase. Other things
can also happen.

Being a New Merkel this is unlikely but pressure (pressure curve) has alot to do with
regulation and barrel grouping.

Hope this helps.
500 Nitro

500Nitro,

Somehow I got the impression that the .470 NE actually was a .475" bore, but that Woodleigh makes 0.474" projectiles because of the very tough clad steel jacket they use.

Do I have a misperception going here?

Mike,
I think you are correct. Most 470 NE bullets are 0.475" diameter. IIRC, both the Woodleigh bullet mentioned and the Barnes 500 grain XLC are 0.474" diameter "exceptions." The Swift A-Frame is indeed 0.475". So are the GSC FN and HV, etc.
Aloha

Here is a link to this topic discussed in the African Hunting forum.

http://www.nookhill.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic,f=1,t=008048

I have dug out the components to load some 470 NE with slow powders and no filler!

I will post results later, and y'all do the same ya hear?

I don't believe that one thousands is going to make a hell of a lot of difference in pressure, at least not anymore than a grain of powder..It is not uncommon to shoot bullets of varing size in double rifles up to a point, and most of them are never slugged in the first place..I shot some Swifts in my 470, but it was regulated for Woodleighs and the Swifts shot about 3.5"s as opposed to the Woodleighs 2.5" groups, maybe that is why the difference, maybe not.

I know a lot of hunters who shoot the Swift bullets (475) in there doubles along with Woodleigh solids (474).

Knowing this now, I might want to check it out on the chronograph and will in the future should the ocassion arise, but I noticed nothing at the time and they shot very close to zero with each other..I got no pressure indications, and with a double you can expect pressure indications with a anywhere near warm load.

Ray is spot-on about this. .001" less diameter may make the Woodleigh most accurate, softest on the rifling, and lowest pressure, but not a whole lot of difference in anyway.

If the above link doesn't work, find this same topic on the African Hunting forum, and see how they compared for me. I will btt it over there.

Pressures and velocities will depend on both bullet diameter and the length of the bearing surface (as well as the amount of case space the bullet occupies when seated), as well as the "hardness" of the bullet, or its resistance to upsetting into the rifling.

The Woodleigh soft and solid are both 0.474" and have short bearing surfaces, with the soft being shorter.

Woodleigh soft ~ 2080 fps and most accurate of all.

Woodleigh FMJ and Swift A-Frame, both gave about 2120 fps and similar accuracy. Both may be of similar hardness and length.

Above loads all with identical components except the bullets.

[ 08-20-2003, 06:15: Message edited by: DagaRon ]