My first post

After many months of deliberation I have just placed an order for a new Holland & Holland Royal Double in .500NE. This will be my first double and I intend to reload for it, as I do with my bolt-action guns. I accept that reloading for a double is not that straightforward due to regulation for a specific factory loading.

Hollands have expressed a preference for Norma ammunition, but will use Hornady upon request. They consider Norma to be the best option due to availability and consistency. Interestingly Heym have a different view. They say that Hornady is the most consistent factory ammo in .500NE and achieves a little more velocity than Norma.

Of course I understand that one of the great benefits of the NE cartridges is low pressure. Having said that I would like to achieve the original design velocity of 2150fps. I'm not sure either of these factory loads will achieve that. After velocity the most important objective is that I can reload with my choice of premium bullet - Swift A-Frame or North Fork solids - and have the gun shoot where it should. Reloading for a double is always going to be a little tricky, but I want to make sure that I choose the right ammo to regulate with that gives me the best chance of success.

Any suggestions or comments most welcome