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Jack

The actual difference in time between the introduction of the Cordite .577 and the .600 Nitro Express is not as great as one may imagine, although the .577 had seen the light of day in Black powder format, the change to cordite in 1898 lead to a host of old cartridges being re-born in Cordite format as well as a new generation of "new" rounds like the .600.

There is evidence in records still with Kynamco and possibly even in the Jeffery archives of a "new" .600 Cordite round mooted in 1900 with the first test rounds appearing shortly after that date, it is even possible that Eley started development just prior to 1900 when the change over to cordite for the other calibres had already begun.

It is clear that much activity took place in the first 10 years of the 1900's with many of the big names in rifle making all striving to intorduce their own "proprietary rounds", no real adsvantage existed between many of these rounds, other than some of them looked very imposing when based on large cases such as the Number 2 .450 and .475, balistically they were all (.450 -.475's) very similar in performance except for the .500, .577 and .600's.

Although the .600 was know as the "Jeffery", it was offered to the trade shortly after its introduction, but for a number of reasons, probably the largest of which was the onset of WWI and the gradual decline thereafter of the profession of ivory hunting, to be replaced over a period of time by the sport hunter, who for reasons of proficiency found the smaller and lighter calibres in the medium to mdium large bore group from .375 to the various .470's, the heavy recoiling and heavy to carry .600, and to some degree the .577 also, fell out of favour with all but a few of the hard core hunters still eeking a living out of the taking of big-game.

There is probably no one particular reason for the introduction of the .600, not for that matter the more modern .700 other than someone somewhere wanted one, but then again what better reason can there be, if you want something badly enough that is all that matters.

For us today looking back, the existence of the .600 serves to add to the mystique of that bygone era of 100 plus pound tuskers and the days of 3 month safaris and all the romance associated with safari hunting in the long gone golden days of hunting, who can resist that.

JT

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