Just wondering if there is any major difference between the two. Some say that the recoil of a 450 is a bit less due to the straight case v/s the bottle neck case of the 470.

Guess the effect on game is the same.

Thanks

AR

Identical. No critter will notice any difference and neither will any shooter.
.450 is easier to get bullets nowdays.

There are quite a few .450s out there, it would be wise to select one that is presently factory loaded so that ammo is easily acquired from Hornady, Federal, Norma and Kynoch. There is also some proprietary ammo from Holland and Westley out there, but since Wolfgang Romey went out of business, much of this is gone. Tracking down brass for the others can be challenging....

Cal is right that most all NE rounds from 450, 465, 470 and 475 are all about the same muzzle and downrange energy. The 500NE is about 20% more, and alot more RECOIL!!

Of course, the 470 NE is just alot more COOL cartridge!!... made famous by John Taylor and many other famous PHs and hunter luminaries!!



Cheerz,

As mentioned above the energy output is about the same for a number of these calibers,if we split hairs?the 450 might give a tad more penetration,but all depends on bullet selection anyways,I load for both a 450 cal & a 474 cal,they both work,the 470 is probably easier to get ammo for.
A gun in either caliber will serve you fine.

Already said but this what I was going to say; Absolutely no difference, and not sure where the recoil thing came from. It's physics.
And the 450 is much easier to get bullets for, and in various weights, and yes, you can get them to regulate. Which is why I have owned 4 450s and zero 470s.

If anyone needs brass for the .450 I have plenty of fired Hornady.

If anyone needs .470 ammo I have plenty but you must be in Alaska as shipping out of state is way too expensive.

I have two 450s and one 470. From a performance standpoint they are nearly identical. As a hand loader I prefer the 450 because of bullet selection. I have found 470 ammo to be significantly easier to find.

From my perspective, 450 if you hand load and 470 if you use factory ammo.

quote:

Originally posted by 470EDDY:
The 500NE is about 20% more, and alot more RECOIL !!

No. It isn't. It's about the same. MAYBE a little bit more. The recoil chart Chuck Hawks put out some time ago shows the 500 to have additional recoil over the 450 / 470 class calibers equal to about a 243 Win. More important is the shape and geometry of the stock.

My .470 recoils “more or less” the same as the 2 .500 NE’s I’ve shot.

I’m not sure where everyone is getting the bullets are more available thing for the .450.

When one considers true DG bullets, I’ve tended to be able to find .470 as easily as anything- and finding the proper 480 grain bullets for the .450 can be tough (most just use the ones made for the .458 WM/Lott)

Factory ammo is much easier to find for the .470 than the .450 or the .500, although in this age of internet you can typically find the .500 pretty easily as well. .450 seems to limit you to Hornady ammo in the US, unless you special order.

If I was to do it again, I’d probably buy a .500 over the .470, but frankly, everything I’ve shot with the .470 has dropped, so I don’t know why I say that…

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:

quote:

Originally posted by 470EDDY:
The 500NE is about 20% more, and alot more RECOIL !!

No. It isn't. It's about the same. MAYBE a little bit more. The recoil chart Chuck Hawks put out some time ago shows the 500 to have additional recoil over the 450 / 470 class calibers equal to about a 243 Win. More important is the shape and geometry of the stock.

Todd, basically, I agree and you have far more experience than I do!!

That said, it is all about physics, and the 450 generally proof for 480 gr, the 470 with 500 gr and the 500 at 570grs... all at 2150fps... the stated muzzle energy of the 500 stated at 5850 vs about 5100 in the others.... 14.7% higher energy.

If you had identical guns for shape and weight most shooters would recognize a difference.

All I can say, in watching fellow shooters at our bi-annual Oregon Double Rifle shoots... the guys shooting 500s complain and say they get a head ache after 5 rounds... and stop shooting!!

The 500 is certainly made popular by JA Hunter...and of course Mark Sullivan!!

I prefer the 450-400-3", and consider it all one would ever need for anything the size of an elephant or Sperm whale..Beyond that your dealing with Penis envy!!

I cannot tell any difference in recoil between the 450-3/25" and the .470 NE..I can on the .500 plus its too heavy to carry on a hot African day..

.470 all the way.

The overlooked demon, the recoil recovery of some big bores can be problematic to one degree or another..Ive seen a solid hit with a 500 and the second shot go over the back..Don't tell the shooter, he will just keep talking and dismiss your advise! Ive seen a 470 shooter shoot two fast shots up close that spread 10 or 12 inches, the 450-400, 375 flanged, and 93x74 show a spread of 3 to 4 inches..All these instances under various degrees of stress I suppose..Happen to me when a wounded buffalo by a client showed up in front of me and the PH yelled for me to shoot, I hit him in the ball joint and 8 inches high, with a .470 pointed not aimed at 20 yards, really fast...and down he went kicking,reloaded adn gave him two more aimed..