.577 Nitro Express

The .577 Nitro Express is a cartridge in the Nitro Express series of big-game ammunition. It's also known as the .577 Nitro Express 2.75" and there is a variant called the .577 Nitro Express 3". The .577 is notable as the standard caliber of professional ivory hunters in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

History
It began as a black powder round, and then became a smokeless round. It fires a 750 grain bullet (about 48.6 grams) at a muzzle velocity of around 2050 feet per second (625 m/s), depending on the type and amount of powder used. Rifles chambered in .577 Nitro Express are still in production, and are made by companies including Heym, Holland & Holland, and James Purdey.

Categories
Cartridge:rifles