Performance
The .500 Nitro Express provided a leap in stopping power and performance over its black powder rivals. The .500 Nitro Express was loaded with jacketed bullets giving it far better results against dangerous game than the .500 BPE or Nitro BPE. Furthermore the bullets had better sectional density which taken together with the fact that the bullet was jacketed, provided far greater penetration on dangerous game such as Cape buffalo and African elephant.
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A Comparison of .500 Express Cartridge Loadings Cartridge Bullet Muzzle Velocity Muzzle Energy Comments .500 Black Powder Express 440 gr (29 g) 1,500 ft/s (460 m/s) 2,198 ft·lbf (2,980 J) Original black-powder load. Similar to the .50-140 Sharps/Winchester .500 Nitro for Black Powder 440 gr (29 g) 1,900 ft/s (580 m/s) 3,528 ft·lbf (4,783 J) Kynoch nitro load for BP rifles. .500 Nitro Express 570 gr (37 g) FMJ/SP 2,150 ft/s (660 m/s) 5,850 ft·lbf (7,930 J) Kynoch NE load
When compared to the then more popular .450 Nitro Express, the .500 Nitro Express fires a heavier bullet with about a 25% greater cross-sectional area and similar sectional density at an equal velocity. The typical .500 Nitro Express generates about 20% more energy than the .450 Nitro Express cartridge. The .500 Nitro Express is considered to be superior to the smaller caliber Nitro Express cartridges in killing power.
The .500 Nitro Express cartridge produces substantial recoil. Factory ammunition typically produce 85 ft·lbf (115 J) of recoil energy at a recoil velocity of 23.5 ft/s (7.2 m/s) using a 10 lb (4.5 kg) rifle which is similar to the recoil of the .458 Lott fired in an 8 lb (3.6 kg) rifle.
| Cartridge | Criteria | Muzzle | 25-yard (23 m) | 50-yard (46 m) | 75-yard (69 m) | 100-yard (91 m) | 125-yard (114 m) | 150-yard (140 m) | 175-yard (160 m) | 200-yard (180 m) |
| Hornady 570 grains (37 g) DGS/DGX | Velocity | 2,100 ft/s (640 m/s) | 2,033 ft/s (620 m/s) | 1,967 ft/s (600 m/s) | 1,902 ft/s (580 m/s) | 1,839 ft/s (561 m/s) | 1,777 ft/s (542 m/s) | 1,717 ft/s (523 m/s) | 1,658 ft/s (505 m/s) | 1,601 ft/s (488 m/s) |
| Energy | 5,581 ft·lbf (7,567 J) | 5,229 ft·lbf (7,090 J) | 4,895 ft·lbf (6,637 J) | 4,578 ft·lbf (6,207 J) | 4,279 ft·lbf (5,802 J) | 3,996 ft·lbf (5,418 J) | 3,730 ft·lbf (5,060 J) | 3,479 ft·lbf (4,717 J) | 3,244 ft·lbf (4,398 J) | |
| Bullet Drop | −1 in (−2.5 cm) | 0.1 in (0.25 cm) | 0.6 in (1.5 cm) | 0.6 in (1.5 cm) | 0 in (0 cm) | -1.3 in (-3.3 cm) | −3.2 in (−8.1 cm) | −5.9 in (−15 cm) | −9.4 in (−24 cm) | |
The trajectory of the .500 Nitro Express is similar to that of the .30-30 Winchester cartridge with a 170 gr (11 g) Flat Nose bullet. The Hornady DGX and DGS ammunition which has the performance characteristics of typical .500 NE ammunition has an MPBR (maximum point blank range) of 197 yd (180 m). For these reasons the .500 Nitro Express should be considered a short range cartridge.
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