Opinions on Best Big Bore Rifle
- Thread starter Hardrockminer
- Start date
saskgunowner101
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- near Prince Albert
So, are you saying that a 400 legend is no more a big bore, than a 90's Civic is a race car?
I kid I kid. I don't understand how people can't see how rifles can have a "big" bore, but not be a "big bore". The wifes 410 stops birds and gophers dead in their tracks, and yet, not a stopping rifle.
Shot one, once, in south Africa. It was, hmm, interesting. - dan
Yaaa, The Whelens up my Alley.. but I've eyed off 325WSM an often thought , if one were Reloading for a 325 wsm... It wouldn't be any less difficult or expensive to load for a 338 WSM or maybe a 35WSM... Or 375WSM... 
Initial setup cost a bit more with custom barrel.... But yeah.
Whelens nice and easy, heaps of 06 brass about too
Initial setup cost a bit more with custom barrel.... But yeah.
Whelens nice and easy, heaps of 06 brass about too
I wonder which true big bore make the more sens, the 404’s, the 416’s, the 450’s, 500, 505…..
for me I think the 416’s is what I would go for. Seams to be a good balance of weight, speed, bullet choice, fairly common especially the Remington one, enough I guess for everything everywhere. I like my 458 win mag because it uses a regular length action, it’s easy to find bullets, brass can be made from 300win mag, it pushes enough but not too much with the right bullet weight and right load. And I guess it is good for me easily to 200m for everything up here !
for me I think the 416’s is what I would go for. Seams to be a good balance of weight, speed, bullet choice, fairly common especially the Remington one, enough I guess for everything everywhere. I like my 458 win mag because it uses a regular length action, it’s easy to find bullets, brass can be made from 300win mag, it pushes enough but not too much with the right bullet weight and right load. And I guess it is good for me easily to 200m for everything up here !
Licensed to kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Peace Country Alberta
Or, more accurately “ it might have a big BORE but it ain’t got the pipes”. I thought the thread was about “ big bore” not “ big horsepower”. IMO, 50 cal is a “big bore” regardless of the case it is housing the powder. In a rifle, .45ACP is a “ big bore” not a power house but certainly a big bore. Just my opinion. Opposing opinions are not “wrong” just different. Cheers.
I do not concur, and I believe most of the respondents don't either... in the gun/hunting world, the phrase "big bore" refers to something specific, and that is not the bore diameter. "Saskgunowner" said it concisely above. A pistol caliber in a rifle may indeed have a "big" bore, but it is not a "big bore." There is also a payload element that is a key component of the term. As are the intended uses for a big bore, none of which include dangerous game with a cartridge netting under 3000 ft/lb energy.
Totally accurate and true. Maybe it needs an other terminology… the op’s question was definitely referring to rifle cartridges with enough horse power not rifle cartridges that have large diameter bullets like most new straight walled chambering created cause of some rules in some states in the USA, even 45-70 ain’t a big bore in my opinion but 458 win mag is, they use the same diameter bullets but one in enough where the first one ain’t!
Licensed to kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Peace Country Alberta
Should it not be based on joules (sp) rather than bore? “Bore” is nothing more than hole diameter where joules measures raw horsepower. Like I said it’s all just semantics but I find it interesting how others define/interpret things. Makes for an interesting discussion imo.
This topic and term has had an understood loosely defined definition for more than a century... there is some nuance around the edges, hence the continuing discussion, however that nuance does not stretch so far as to include pistol cartridges under a certain power level (impractical or inconceivable for DG), it also does not include anything based on the .223 Rem case and the like, nor trapdoor loads in what otherwise may be loosely allocated "big bore" status.
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I like the long established formula for elephant stopping threshold.
Over .40
.300 or over sectional density
2150 fps
Steel jacketed solid
Over .40 because size matters.
.300 or higher SD to ensure penetration of that big noggin. That moves the weight around with caliber as it should. Cuts out the pistol weight bullets.
2150 fps because thats right around where the magic starts.
Steel jacketed solids. Before them there wasn’t a reliable frontal head shot bullet.
Energy usually ends up close to 5000 foot pounds.
Its not an accident that these closely mimic the 450 Nitro Express, but there’s other ways of getting there.
Over .40
.300 or over sectional density
2150 fps
Steel jacketed solid
Over .40 because size matters.
.300 or higher SD to ensure penetration of that big noggin. That moves the weight around with caliber as it should. Cuts out the pistol weight bullets.
2150 fps because thats right around where the magic starts.
Steel jacketed solids. Before them there wasn’t a reliable frontal head shot bullet.
Energy usually ends up close to 5000 foot pounds.
Its not an accident that these closely mimic the 450 Nitro Express, but there’s other ways of getting there.
Interesting comments so far.
But can I ask from the guys that have more experience than I.
My 500s&w lever action will throw a 380gr bullet at 2250fps thats over 4000 ftlbs of energy with about 60tko not considered big bore?
Not sufficient for most if not all dangerous game?
But can I ask from the guys that have more experience than I.
My 500s&w lever action will throw a 380gr bullet at 2250fps thats over 4000 ftlbs of energy with about 60tko not considered big bore?
Not sufficient for most if not all dangerous game?
I'm also leaning towards a 35 Whelen , I've got a Browning 270 that I may order a 35 Whelen Barrel for. Would be nice to have a 35 cal 250 grain pill for Bears if need be.
It comes up short on sectional density. To make the .300 SD mark it would need a 525 grain bullet.
An old time Aussie Sambar Hunter, who recently passed- wrote a book, "walking them up", He favoured the 458 win mag over everything else, an actively encouraged everyone toget a 458 win mag... lol.
its my understanding alot of his deer were sort of spook an shoot, or literall walking up behind them and catching up to them, so he liked the big bore as it would put 2 holes in almost any angle of the deer lol
