What do you call a big bore?

[Gibbs505]

OK, OK!
Lets get serious here. According to the experts on African hunting, where big bores are most used, the generally agreed definition of calibers used are as follows:

Large Bore: A rifle the caliber of which is not less then .450";
Large Medium Bore: A rifle the caliber of which is not less then .400" nor greater then .440";
Medium Bore: A rifle the caliber of which is not less then ..318" nor greater then .375";
Small Bore: A rifle the caliber of which is less then .318";
Miniture: A rifle the M.E. of which is less then 1,500ft. lbs.
Magnum: A rifle the M.E. of which is not less then 2,500 fps.

Per "African Rifles and Cartridges" by John Taylor.

He doses not discuss handguns in any depth as they were not really suitable for african hunting. He doses recommend one as a backup or emergency arm however.

 

[Casull]

In my mind, big bore handguns and big bore rifles are different things. I would put anything from the .44 mag up as a big bore though many don't consider the .44 mag in standard factory loads as a real heavy or stopper, but from there on they sure are. What the .44 mag will do from a Contender or Freedom Arms revolver makes it something well above standard factory loads though and I'd call it a big bore. I would not call the .357 mag a big bore at all. The .41 mag is in some middle ground, plenty for most anything but not a real stopper like the heavy sixguns we see now.
I'm not sure what to call the pistol rounds in carbines, that perform very well, maybe carbine is a group all it's own. I am thinking hard on a Ruger carbine in .500 S&W or even .50/70Gov.
Big bore is more than just diameter though, it's a term we use now for large bullet high energy guns. The .45 ACP is a big bore semi pistol but would make nothing in a carbine for heavy game or a hunting revolver.
I really don't like the term magnum. It seems over used and everything is a magnum, .32 H&RMag for example. The .416 Rigby is not a magnum but will outperform most of our common magnums inclufding the .416 Rem mag by a good margin. The .454 Casull is not a magnum nor is the .45 Colt though with a strong gun it will do amazing things. The NE rounds are not magnums nor the big .50/140 and .45/120 but they sure perform. My .500 Buhmiller is not called a magnum but has a belted case so might be considered one but the .50/140 in the same gun will outperform it.
The .45/70 is a classic but in modern guns it does incredible things. In a Ruger rifle is will make factory .458 mag ballistics.
I guess the naming is not important. But there is a feeling to the term Big Bore and it seems to be catching on these days. There are more large rifles and handguns now than ever. Components for the big guns are much easier to get now than they ever were and the major companies are making big guns again. It's great!

 

[TimC]

Small bore 177 -260
med bore 270 - 375
big bore 40cal and up.

how it plays out in my head anyways

Sorry but I wasraised on every thing 310 and below as miniature, small bore was everything up to .42 and medium bore everything up to .7, then it gets large!
HBSA shooting rules!

 

[375rum]

What do I call a big bore?Everything I've got from Casull.Regards 375rum

 

[Johnn Peterson]

In my mind, big bore handguns and big bore rifles are different things. I would put anything from the .44 mag up as a big bore though many don't consider the .44 mag in standard factory loads as a real heavy or stopper, but from there on they sure are. What the .44 mag will do from a Contender or Freedom Arms revolver makes it something well above standard factory loads though and I'd call it a big bore. I would not call the .357 mag a big bore at all. The .41 mag is in some middle ground, plenty for most anything but not a real stopper like the heavy sixguns we see now.
I'm not sure what to call the pistol rounds in carbines, that perform very well, maybe carbine is a group all it's own. I am thinking hard on a Ruger carbine in .500 S&W or even .50/70Gov.
Big bore is more than just diameter though, it's a term we use now for large bullet high energy guns. The .45 ACP is a big bore semi pistol but would make nothing in a carbine for heavy game or a hunting revolver.
I really don't like the term magnum. It seems over used and everything is a magnum, .32 H&RMag for example. The .416 Rigby is not a magnum but will outperform most of our common magnums inclufding the .416 Rem mag by a good margin. The .454 Casull is not a magnum nor is the .45 Colt though with a strong gun it will do amazing things. The NE rounds are not magnums nor the big .50/140 and .45/120 but they sure perform. My .500 Buhmiller is not called a magnum but has a belted case so might be considered one but the .50/140 in the same gun will outperform it.
The .45/70 is a classic but in modern guns it does incredible things. In a Ruger rifle is will make factory .458 mag ballistics.
I guess the naming is not important. But there is a feeling to the term Big Bore and it seems to be catching on these days. There are more large rifles and handguns now than ever. Components for the big guns are much easier to get now than they ever were and the major companies are making big guns again. It's great!

To keep 'things' in some sort of proper prospective, you need three separate categories, two at least. Handguns, carbines and rifles. Other than that, you're comparing apples, oranges and pineapples.