.600 Nitro Express
Once the most powerful sporting cartridge. Built to stop charging elephants at a few yards.
Good for: Africa, Double rifle
A typical factory load is a 900 gr solid bullet at about 1,950 ft/s, with roughly 7,598 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle.
Typical load
900 grsolidMuzzle speed
1,950 ft/sMuzzle energy
7,598 ft-lbsTypical BC (G1)
≈ 0.30typical, varies by brandTwist rate
1:30Practical range
50–75 ydPoint-blank range
188 yd6" vital zoneRecommended platform
Double rifle, 15–16 lbExtreme recoil; one of the hardest-kicking rifles madeOn the Big-Bore & Dangerous Game chart
Made for
Once the most powerful sporting cartridge. Built to stop charging elephants at a few yards.
Typical load
900 grsolid
Typical muzzle fps
1,950ft/s
Typical muzzle energy
7,598ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
≈ 0.30typical, varies by brand
Twist rate for typical load
1:30
Practical range
50–75 yd
MPBR
188 yd6" vital zone · Near zero 17 yd · Far zero 160 yd · Min PBR 0 yd · Max PBR 188 yd · Sight-in @100 2.95" high
Recommended platform
Double rifle, 15–16 lbExtreme recoil; one of the hardest-kicking rifles made
Open the full Big-Bore & Dangerous Game chart →
Similar cartridges
- .577 Nitro Express 3"
- .505 Gibbs
- .500 Nitro Express 3"
- .458 Lott
- .470 Nitro Express
- .458 Winchester Magnum
Browse more
Speed, energy and BC are typical figures for the listed load; real numbers vary by brand, lot and barrel length. Always check the ammo maker's data for your exact load.