What better way to start the Purple Frog Ammo blog than with the 470 Nitro Express, an iconic big-bore cartridge?
And the starting point of any cartridge is the case.
In the past, finding .470NE cases was no easy matter. You were probably left trying to hunt down some Kynoch cases from the 1960s.
Now you have a lot more choice. Hornady, Norma, and Bertram all sell cases for the .470. I have not seen Federal or Kynoch new brass for sale, but you can always re-use the cases from loaded ammunition you (or a friend!) purchase. You might even be lucky enough to find some discarded at your local range (although I would not count on that as a way of keeping yourself supplied).
Ever wonder what happens to all the cases from ammunition that riflemakers use to test their rifles? In the UK, Krieghoff sells used cases through Alan Rhone Ltd, its main UK distributor, here (they also ship internationally). It is a mixed bag of plain and nickel-plated brass with a variety of headstamps, but all useful for the .470NE shooter.
Here is a selection of headstamps from cases I have collected over the years – Federal, two Norma cases (more about the difference in another post), Hornady and Kynoch.
(click photo to enlarge)
Auctions can be a good way of getting ammunition (and a subsequent supply of cases). Holts Auctioneers holds a quarterly auction in London and ammunition often appears in the Sealed Bid section of each auction. You can bid by email and they ship internationally. This can be a good source of ammunition from house clearances, or when someone decides his big-bore shooting days are over and has some ammunition unused.
Here is a case of 50 rounds I purchased at auction:
10 packs, each of 5 rounds:
and here is what they look like:
The cases will never polish up to match their nickel-plated counterparts, but will certainly do the job!
Bertram brass is well worth checking out. Bertram Bullet Company (a bit confusing, as they make cases, not bullets) is based in Seymour, Australia but they have distributors around the world.
I have used their .505 Gibbs, .470 NE and .600 NE cases, all with good results. The packaging is straightforward:
and you can see the distinctive “BB” and twin kangaroos in this photo of the headstamp:
(click photo to enlarge)
