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Common uses: Dangerous Game, Big Game
| Type | rifle (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 500gr Federal Cape-Shok Trophy Bonded Bear Claw |
| Muzzle velocity | 2150 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 5133 ft-lb |
| Published G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.299 |
| Case length | 83 mm |
| Overall length | 109.5 mm |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2150 | 5131 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 1889 | 3961 | 0 |
| 200 | 1650 | 3021 | -8.3 |
| 300 | 1437 | 2293 | -29.5 |
| 400 | 1258 | 1758 | -67.6 |
| 500 | 1122 | 1397 | -127.7 |
At 1,000 yards, .470 N.E. (500gr at 2150 fps, 100 yd zero, standard conditions) has a modeled come-up of about 90.1 MOA / 26.2 MIL, retaining 820 fps (subsonic).
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | State | Drop (in) | Elev (MOA) | Elev (MIL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 1437 | Supersonic | -29.5 | 9.4 | 2.73 |
| 400 | 1258 | Transonic | -67.6 | 16.1 | 4.69 |
| 500 | 1122 | Transonic | -127.8 | 24.4 | 7.10 |
| 600 | 1027 | Subsonic | -215.4 | 34.3 | 9.97 |
| 700 | 959 | Subsonic | -336.1 | 45.9 | 13.34 |
| 800 | 906 | Subsonic | -494.6 | 59.0 | 17.17 |
| 900 | 860 | Subsonic | -695.4 | 73.8 | 21.46 |
| 1000 | 820 | Subsonic | -943.3 | 90.1 | 26.20 |
Extended predictions beyond 500 yards are modeled from the same G1 engine — useful for initial DOPE, but outside the 500-yard manufacturer-table validation audit. Confirm with observed DOPE, especially near transonic.
A retained-energy reference only — not a shoot/don't-shoot distance. Real effective range depends on your accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction, and conditions. The ~1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized) and ~1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized) figures are commonly cited rules of thumb, not standards.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own rifle.
The .470 Nitro Express is regarded as one of the definitive dangerous-game cartridges, prized for reliable, deep-penetrating performance on elephant, buffalo, and other thick-skinned animals at close range. It is almost exclusively chambered in double rifles and a small number of bolt actions built for professional hunters and safari clients, where a fast second shot and rimmed-case reliability matter more than long-range reach. Its heavy 500-grain bullets, offered in both solid and soft-point form, deliver massive momentum and stopping power but come with substantial recoil and a steeply arcing trajectory that limits practical use to short distances. Ammunition and rifles are costly and specialized, so the cartridge occupies a niche defined by tradition and function rather than versatility. Among the many big-bore Nitro Express rounds, the .470 has proven the most popular and best-supported, keeping it commercially viable more than a century after its introduction.
The .470 Nitro Express was developed by the British firm Joseph Lang around 1907, part of the family of large-bore cordite cartridges that emerged in the early twentieth century for use in break-action double rifles. It rose to prominence after the .450-caliber cartridges were banned in British colonies including India, filling the need for a legal alternative that delivered comparable stopping power on the heaviest game. Firing a 500-grain bullet at roughly 2,150 fps, it became a standard chambering among African and Indian professional hunters and remains one of the most enduring dangerous-game cartridges in production.
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