I know that when Hornady first started rolling out the nitro express cartridges I was optimistic that others, like Federal, would have to become more realistic in their pricing. Best I can tell Hornady seems to be moving up more than Federal is moving down, am I off base? My recollection is that when Hornady first came out the .500 NE loadings were something like $90/box. Now they are more like $135/box. Federal is still over $200/box. Maybe I am just remembering things wrong.

Mike, no sure, but I think the MSRP was always about that. I buy them when I see them on sale, at $86 to $98/box.

All of which is why I never shoot factory ammo for any of my double rifles; still have half a box of RWS 9.3 from 1980 but that is it.

I bought about 15 boxes of Hornady 500 NE. I think I paid $125- 130 a box.

Just today I bought 3 boxes of the Federal with the 570 grain Swift A- frame. There were $220 a box as I recall.

Mike, the only factory ammo I've purchased for the NE cartridges was 1 10 count box of A-Square just to have something to shoot until my dies arrived. Paid $125 for that box of 10. Seems like Cabelas had the Federal box of 20 for well over $200. Actually remember it being $285 but I'm just not sure since I didn't buy it.

But as far as the Hornady affecting the Federal price, I don't know. Of course, anyone who has read my opinions on bullets knows I'm not a fan of Hornady bullets. Fully realizing my bias, IMO, Hornady is not going to cause Federal to lower their price due to the fact that Federal is loading true premium bullets such as the A-Square and Barnes Banded Solid. I would think Federal's position is that their loadings are superior and therefore worth the additional cost. There is a reason why Hornady is 1/2 the price. DGX and to a lesser degree DGS! DGX is a non-bonded cup and core bullet whereas the A-Frame is both bonded and partitioned. Barnes solid is a banded bore rider designed to reduce pressure and strain whereas the DGS is basically just the DGX turned around with the exposed lead facing backward and a little shape to the nose. Not a lot of technical input there.

Again, just my opinion. Kind of like Mercedes isn't going to modify their price based on what Yugo sells their cars for!

quote:

I bought about 15 boxes of Hornady 500 NE. I think I paid $125- 130 a box.

Wow, wish I could get them for that.

I bought three packets of Hornadys on the off chance my V.c was ready before my reloading gear arrived and paid $195/box, and they were ON SALE !!! (In Aus).

The Federals are close to the $300 mark, if you can get them. Few places stock them as they are virtually unsaleable.

These big twin pipes sure can get hungry to feed !

quote:

Originally posted by Paul Truccolo:

quote:

I bought about 15 boxes of Hornady 500 NE. I think I paid $125- 130 a box.

Wow, wish I could get them for that.

I bought three packets of Hornadys on the off chance my V.c was ready before my reloading gear arrived and paid $195/box, and they were ON SALE !!! (In Aus).

The Federals are close to the $300 mark, if you can get them. Few places stock them as they are virtually unsaleable.

These big twin pipes sure can get hungry to feed !

The fact is those factory rounds are not CUSTOM hand loaded but are loaded on gang press' just like Federal 30-30 deer ammo is loaded, and though the bullets may be speciality runs, the value over the same componants carfully hand loaded with the same bullets, and each powder charge weighed instead of being from a powder measure are, IMO, superior to any factory ammo.

Their price is not justified,IMO, and most double rifles will regulate far better with a carefully worked up personal hand load, for less than 20% of the cost. That is the reason factory loads are hard to sell in the USA where handloading is legal, and a very old practice. The only factory I shoot is when it is all I have, with no way to load my own. In other words I trust my loads far more than any factory no matter what rifle I'm useing or what I'm hunting.

In double rifles factory ammo rarely regulates well from box to box. over time, while once a load is found for your double you can load 100 rounds from the same lot of powder and you have ammo for hunting for ten years. and you can take 40 rounds of brass to load and reload several times for practicing or hunting feral hogs for practice in the USA.

I've had my current 470NE double for about ten years, and I got 5 boxes of Federal factory ammo, TB solids, with the rifle when I bought it, and still have two boxes left. The previous owner shot only factory ammo, and only used the rifle on two elephant hunts before selling it to me. However, as I shot some of the factory loads I used the brass to handload for hogs and general practicing , and fun shoots. My handloads shoot better than the factory anyway.

More than any other rifle type to get the absolute best from a double rifle is with a very carefully worked up hand load!

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WOW! I never dreamed the cost of the NE ammo by Hornady and Federal were so high. I have not bought factory ammo in 30 years so the prices have escaped me! For my doubles I keep two sets of brass--one set is loaded no more that twice and I use these for hunting and after the second reload I put them in the set for plinking and target shooting and shoot them until the neck splits or they otherwise become unusable. The bore rifles' brass has not stretched to split in over 100 reloads. There is good and great brass out there but the best is BELL from the 1980s. i have a few dozen boxes and I treasure it.
Cheers,
Cal

quote:

Originally posted by cal pappas:
WOW! I never dreamed the cost of the NE ammo by Hornady and Federal were so high. I have not bought factory ammo in 30 years so the prices have escaped me!Cheers,
Cal

Cal when Federal first came out with 470NE ammo it was $110 per twenty, and by 2005 it was $320 per 20 rds or $16 per shot!

Because I had the fctory ammo that came with a bargain price on the rifle I blew most of it away on targets, hogs, and letting others shoot the rifle, and retained the brass for re-loading.
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Just to make you Yanks feel a little better about the prices on factory ammo, Norma PH 500 NE are approx $34 per round here in Norway. Sold in 10 round boxes for $340!
470 NE are about 2.5 usd cheaper per round.

Dont have the prices for Federal NE cartridges but regular Fed. Premium 458 WIN trophy bonded are $16.

I think Hornady is close to Norma PH but haven't gotten that confirmed yet.

I was on Midway looking something up and remembered this post so I did a little research. This is just one retailer but it gives an idea of what it is costing to shoot a .500 if you don’t reload. They did have KYNOCK softs on sale.

500 NE solids/softs KYNOCK 85.99 BOX OF 5 or $17.20 ea
Midway has softs on sale for $59.78 a box or 11.96 ea (10 boxes)

Norma PH ammo uses Woodleigh softs and solids 10 round box for 154.99 or $15.50 ea

Federal Cape-shok ammo 570 gr Barnes Banded Solid flat point box of 20 $210.99 or $10.55 ea
Federal Cape-shok ammo 570 gr Barnes triple-shock X bullet box of 20 $209.99 or $10.50 ea

Barns Vor-TX Safari Ammo softs or solid 500 Nitro Express 570 grain triple-shock X bullet box of 20 150.99 or $7.55 ea They use the banded solid

Hornady Dangerous Game Ammo 20 round box softs or solids 132.99 or $6.65 ea
Bill

quote:

Originally posted by Cardinal:
Just to make you Yanks feel a little better about the prices on factory ammo, Norma PH 500 NE are approx $34 per round here in Norway. Sold in 10 round boxes for $340!
470 NE are about 2.5 usd cheaper per round.

Dont have the prices for Federal NE cartridges but regular Fed. Premium 458 WIN trophy bonded are $16.

I think Hornady is close to Norma PH but haven't gotten that confirmed yet.

That is expensive. You won't hear me complaining about prices hear. I am glad to see outher companeys get into the market.
Bill

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Cooley:
I was on Midway looking something up and remembered this post so I did a little research. This is just one retailer but it gives an idea of what it is costing to shoot a .500 if you don’t reload. They did have KYNOCK softs on sale.

500 NE solids/softs KYNOCK 85.99 BOX OF 5 or $17.20 ea
Midway has softs on sale for $59.78 a box or 11.96 ea (10 boxes)

Norma PH ammo uses Woodleigh softs and solids 10 round box for 154.99 or $15.50 ea

Federal Cape-shok ammo 570 gr Barnes Banded Solid flat point box of 20 $210.99 or $10.55 ea
Federal Cape-shok ammo 570 gr Barnes triple-shock X bullet box of 20 $209.99 or $10.50 ea

Barns Vor-TX Safari Ammo softs or solid 500 Nitro Express 570 grain triple-shock X bullet box of 20 150.99 or $7.55 ea They use the banded solid

Hornady Dangerous Game Ammo 20 round box softs or solids 132.99 or $6.65 ea
Bill

That's a heck of a good deal on the Barnes Vor-Tex Ammo. At $7.55 each, considering that buys the brass as well, it's pretty close to handload costs.

MacD37 et al, if only you know how lucky you are !! We are not allowed to reload here and Norma .500 is $20 a pop

I was wrong in one of my posts. I had 60 rounds of Federal Premium with 570 grain A-Frames ordered. They were $720 with shipping. Got them Friday.

Todd,
The Barnes Vor-Tex Ammo is not avalible yet, at the DSC show they were promising "SUMMER" we will see. Yes that is a deasent price and you get to keep the brass.
Bill

Bill, I was going to say, I haven't seen the Barnes Vor-Tex ammo in 500NE. So that makes sense. But then I haven't been looking for any factory ammo in that or any other caliber. Can't remember the last factory ammo I purchased, other than a 10 round pack of A-Square Lion Loads when I first got my rifle, just to have something to shoot until my dies came it.

Here in the UK Hornady 470 500 grain solids are $310.00 for a box of 20 and Federal are $496.00.

MJ
You are correct Hornady keeps ticking in an upward direction. Federal isn't coming down a penny by my wholesalers websites. No matter the Hornady doesn't shoot for crap in my Merkel anyway.