That is a good common sense read with some valid recommendations.

I own a 470 NE but agree that the 450 NE makes a lot of sense, especially for someone who is going to put a lot of rounds down range - it has it hands down over the 470 for projectile choice.

The 470 is a great cartridge and I certainly enjoy hunting all manner of game with mine - I agree that hand loading is a far better and more consistent option for any double from a regulation, accuracy and cost effectiveness point of view. Bullet choice can be an issue but am fortunate being an Australian that Geoff McDonald keeps me in good supply of the top notch Woodleigh RNSPs.

In my opinion the 500NE is a step up from either of these cartridges and doesn't offer anything over them unless it is for the man who wants to shoot group 3 Nitro with SSAA (Australian shooting comp which has energy levels and bore size restrictions for the categories of shooting) or simply 'must' have a big rifle.

I have fired 450/400s and really like them also - a very sensible choice and likely to encourage good shooting.

Which would I recommend for a chap wanting to hunt buffalo and elephant - to be honest, the 470 for nostalgic reasons. I think the issue stated WRT factory ammo is not a huge issue, I would suspect that most who own doubles are involved enough in the sport to handload and lets face it, over double rifle hunting ranges, providing the ammo has proven that it regulates consistently in the rifle, a degree of variance in velocity is not a warstopper. I personally haven't had the issue of a big degree of variance in 470 factory ammo, although I didn't bother too much with factory stuff and got straight in with handloads once I had determined there were no issues with the rifle.

Cheers