[1] The cartridge was offered in several case lengths including 11⁄2-inch, 2-inch, 21⁄4-inch, 25⁄8-inch, 3-inch and 31⁄4-inch, several were successful and endured others lasted only a short period.

[2] The two cartridges offer almost identical ballistic performance to each other, and are very similar to the .50-140 Sharps.

The 3-inch and 31⁄4-inch cartridges were later loaded with smokeless cordite to create the .500 Nitro Express, with the 3-inch version becoming the most popular.

The .500 BPE was considered a good cartridge for medium-sized non dangerous game[3] and can still be used for such.

The .500 BPE was never highly regarded for hunting in Africa,[1] yet it was a popular cartridge in India, considered a good general purpose rifle cartridge popular for hunting tigers.