Largest caliber that you comfortably hunt with?

.458 Win is quite a moderate cartridge in felt recoil, due to its typical velocity range. The exception is when it’s chambered in a sporter weight seven pound and change rifle like a Zastava. If you speed it up with a 300 or 350gr, it just feels exactly like a .375 H&H.

In my own subjective take, I categorize the .458 Win right with a 12ga slug from a typical 6 1/2lb 870. That is to say you’d let your wife try it for the grin and laughs. The .450 Rigby loaded to its potentially is an entirely different dimension of recoil you simply have to shoot to understand. It was too much for me. But .505, .577 were totally reasonable, as they were slow.

It was the velocity that was the difference, and the most recoil I’m willing to put up with from a 2500fps cartridge in a rifle of a weight I don’t mind carrying all day, is the .375 H&H.
 
When my 416 Rigby is downloaded (IIRC about 96 grains of H4831sc) and shooting 350 grn bullets it is pleasant to shoot.

When I load it up with 400 grn AFrames it is not pleasant.

Interesting enough the last bear I shot with the "full house" load I didn't even feel the recoil...but that is another story in itself.
 
longbeardking said:
You and I are exactly alike.
Click to expand...

I've shot Moose with a .308 as well and it was fine but I thought a bit more bullet would be better in the hopes of putting them down a bit faster. I found the .338 to be a good balance of thump without being too punishing to me. I think the .300 Mags are a bit sharper in felt recoil. 45-70 has become one of my favourites if there is little chance of a longer shot.
 
Northern Shooter said:
Let's hear some accounts of those rifles and those hunts.
Click to expand...

This was my 1st 458 mag rifle that I bought in the mid 70's. She was a M98 based build with a 24" Peterson barrel, Fagen stock, alloy bottom metal & Timney trigger. The bare rifle weight was less than 8lbs and I used 'er mainly for 50 yd running deer events in annual meat shoots at the clubs I shot at.

It put a lot of turkeys in the freezer for me at the shoots along with a few deer on still hunts. The bugger gave me cloverleaf groups with my load using 300 gr Sierra FP running around 1835 fps average. I kick me arse fer letting that one go.

Me 1st 458 Win Mag sm.jpg

The 458's that followed that rifle were a Rem 700 African, Enfield P14 build, Herters U9 & Win M70. These all shot decent enough for me but were rather
porky for my liking. No grand hunt tales to tell on my end as still hunting be a quiet venture.
 

Attachments

  • Me 1st 458 Win Mag sm.jpg
    Me 1st 458 Win Mag sm.jpg
    72.2 KB · Views: 374
For about 15 years it was 375 rum. Last while it's 30-06. I somewhat recently bought both a 240 wea and 25-06.

Seems I'm not happy without some.sort of oddball, can't buy ammo for it, reloader only caliber. Being coastal I'm probably $4k in fuel/ferry to go up north. The small calibers seem about right for the tiny deer here, close cover, short range black bear. Literally I live in one of the places in the ####ry it would actually be quite possible and ethical to hunt with a 223.
 
SHELL SHUCKER said:
I've owned and hunted with 5 rifles in 458Win over the years along with numerous 45-70's. Now that I be an old fook, I use short, light rifles in 45 ACP, 45 Colt & 450 Bushmaster.

The 45 caliber has always been my favorite.;)
Click to expand...

I too have been enjoying the short, light Howa mini of mine in 450 BM. It's a great combo of light weight and hitting power without excessive recoil.
 
Does it only feed gummy tip bullets?

I wonder if the feedlips can be modified to feed big flat nose heavies

Wouldn't mind one with the floorplate conversion you did and carbon Fibre stockies stock
 
I honestly have never felt recoil when I'm hunting. When the adrenaline hits ur only thinking about the task at hand. That being said my 300 win with snappy hand loads purrs like a kitten with the limbsaver on the m77 no issue running the bolt for a follow up right away if needed
 
conor_90 said:
Does it only feed gummy tip bullets?

I wonder if the feedlips can be modified to feed big flat nose heavies

Wouldn't mind one with the floorplate conversion you did and carbon Fibre stockies stock
Click to expand...

It will only feed pointy bullets. The pointier the better lol. The best feeding and shooting (sub 1" groups) are the 250gr TTSX I handloaded but the are unobtainable right now. I have enough to keep me hunting for a few years but hopefully Barnes makes another run of them soon.
 
The 270 Winchester when hunting everything except bison. So easy on the shoulder, flat shooting, and so very accurate.

Having said that, the 9.3X62 has been my go to rifle for more more than 40 years on truly big game, especially bison. Recoil is reasonably easy to handle, and also very accurate. Not hard at all to clean the rail of our 200 meter silhouette range.

Ted
 
My biggest calibre I comfortably hunt with is a Nrowning model 71 chambered in 348 Winchester.
Heavy pig to lug around, but the 10# weight helps soak up recoil.
Been carrying it on Moose hunts for 10(?) years and all I feed it are cast lead.
Some day I’ll actually connect with a swamp donkey.
Otherwise, I carry a 303 British in a Tuger number 1 that I have really come to like for whitetail
 
Lionel said:
My biggest calibre I comfortably hunt with is a Nrowning model 71 chambered in 348 Winchester.
Heavy pig to lug around, but the 10# weight helps soak up recoil.
Been carrying it on Moose hunts for 10(?) years and all I feed it are cast lead.
Some day I’ll actually connect with a swamp donkey.
Otherwise, I carry a 303 British in a Tuger number 1 that I have really come to like for whitetail
Click to expand...

I really should find a tree to sit in and clobber a bear with my Model 71.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom