What is with these big calibres?
- Thread starter awesomeame
- Start date
Good luck Kevan!
As to the original thread topic, I LOVE my 45-70. I can plink with it at 900fps, or dial it up to 1800fps and beat the hell outta myself and still put a grin on my face! I love my marlin 1895 so much that I've caught the 458 bug and now I'm saving my pennies to find an 1874 sharps replica or 1885 hi wall with a vernier sight and see if I have what it takes to accomplish what the buffalo hunters did over 100 years ago. I already made up some steel pigs to set up at 4-500 yards, now I just need the rifle
I also use the marlin for protection. I work up north of Resolute Bay(north of 74 degrees) in the summer and quite a bit on Baffin Island and there are a lot of those pesky white bears around. It's often just myself and another guy in the middle of nowhere and the 45-70 loaded 450 grain hard cast lead gives a lot more piece of mind than a 12 gauge that the company would send us with.
I also have a Stevens long action that I plan on turning into a 458WM just for fun as another bush/ truck gun. A Boyd's stock with a few modifications to handle the recoil and a 22inch shillen barrel should make for a nice carry package. Best part is I can build it to fit me!
As to the original thread topic, I LOVE my 45-70. I can plink with it at 900fps, or dial it up to 1800fps and beat the hell outta myself and still put a grin on my face! I love my marlin 1895 so much that I've caught the 458 bug and now I'm saving my pennies to find an 1874 sharps replica or 1885 hi wall with a vernier sight and see if I have what it takes to accomplish what the buffalo hunters did over 100 years ago. I already made up some steel pigs to set up at 4-500 yards, now I just need the rifle
I also use the marlin for protection. I work up north of Resolute Bay(north of 74 degrees) in the summer and quite a bit on Baffin Island and there are a lot of those pesky white bears around. It's often just myself and another guy in the middle of nowhere and the 45-70 loaded 450 grain hard cast lead gives a lot more piece of mind than a 12 gauge that the company would send us with.
I also have a Stevens long action that I plan on turning into a 458WM just for fun as another bush/ truck gun. A Boyd's stock with a few modifications to handle the recoil and a 22inch shillen barrel should make for a nice carry package. Best part is I can build it to fit me!
large bore rifles are a special intrest area and are fun to shoot and are effective at shorter ranges all of mine are in ruger #1 s 375hh a improved ,416 rifby,500/450 NE 3 1/4"(similar to a 470NE but in 458) ,458 lott,510 wells .Granted they do recoil but keep in mind you shouldn't firing them prone or benching them too often .As for therapy they sure beat the crap out of drugs as it is quite a rush to split blue plastic barrels full of water .Also for lighter plinking the wsl caliber family are great too. And do get well cheers Peter
I had magnum-itus as a kid. If it didn't gobble at least 70 gr. of powder per shot I didn't want it! As a new shooter I turnded myself into a flinching idiot too. But I had fun.
Today I say to hell with this recoil nonsense. I don't feel the need to make long range shots, but I only hunt for meat and for fun so I can afford to do away with the high performance magnums. All my game falls within 200 yards of me and most are half of that again. As the old nickel goes, 'ya can't kill 'em any deader than DEAD!'
So today I shoot 223 and 308. Brass is free, they are deadly accurate and they will do the job on paper or out in the field.
Today I say to hell with this recoil nonsense. I don't feel the need to make long range shots, but I only hunt for meat and for fun so I can afford to do away with the high performance magnums. All my game falls within 200 yards of me and most are half of that again. As the old nickel goes, 'ya can't kill 'em any deader than DEAD!'
So today I shoot 223 and 308. Brass is free, they are deadly accurate and they will do the job on paper or out in the field.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
It was many years before I thought I could manage what might be considered a powerful rifle. In my early 20s I was hooked on the .350 Remington magnum, which I got in a M-700, as the supply of 600s and 660s in my area had pretty much dried up. I had a little pocket book that had a 2 page picture of a fellow with a 600 Remington .350 magnum, and a huge polar bear that he had taken with it, out on the sea ice; for some reason that picture grabbed my imagination. The old style 700s with the thin forends didn't stand up to the recoil of the fat little .350, and was soon split from the checkering in the forend back deep into the pistol grip. I intended to get it restocked, but the gunsmith I chose went bankrupt about a month later, and it took me over a year to get the rifle back from the receiver. Some of you older guys might remember Campbell's Gunsmithing in Winnipeg, there was even a write up on Mr. Campbell in Gun Digest; I don't recall why I decided on them when I already had a good relationship with the folks at Jennings back when they were on Garry. I traded the .350 off a short time later, with less than 100 rounds down the pipe. I don't recall shooting that rifle upsetting me; the 700 stock fit me pretty well when I was young and skinny, even if I didn't understand such things then, and the cartridge was only the power of a .35 Whelen.
Next came the first version of the M-95 Marlin in .45/70 with a 22" Microgroove barrel. My hot load with it was a 405 over 52 grs of 3031, lively but no .458. Later, I was exposed to 2 rifles that hurt me, both chambered for what are normally considered moderate cartridges; one was a 98 Mauser of dubious Latin American heritage that was chambered for the .30.06 and was still in military trim and wore the K98k stock. Wearing a T-shirt and firing Winchester factory 180 gr ammo, that thing bit! Later there was a Mosin Nagant carbine in 7.62X54R. What the Russians had against their own troops is a mystery, but if the idea was to keep them pissed off, shooting that rifle with it's steel crescent butt plate, would certainly help. It occurred to me about then that a 6.5X55 was the correct answer for me, except that the Swede didn't fit my lifestyle particularly well. I developed a tolerance for the .30/06 and it quickly became my sweet heart cartridge first in a Herter's stocked '03 Springfield, then later in a M-17 Enfield. I did a short stint with another with a Mauser in .458, but pretty much loaded it to .45/70 levels. A Pal of mine let me have a workout with his factory Brno 602 in .375 H&H, but the LOP was excessively long for me, as I had developed thicker shoulders and chest by then, so I needed a shorter LOP. As a result I ended up with a sharp pain, not in the pocket of my shoulder, but actually in my shoulder blade, and once again concluded, that a powerful rifle wasn't in my future.
I was a big Ross Seyfried fan at the time, and he got me interested in the .416 Rigby, his graphic description of what it would do to a lion convinced me that's what I wanted in a bear gun. It wasn't long before Ruger introduced their #1 in .416 Rigby, and I decided I had to have one. By this time I was pretty much satisfied with my M-17 Enfield in .30/06 for any shooting chore that came my way, including bear work, but that .416 quickly became the rifle I was seldom without. Not surprisingly the first butt stock cracked due to uneven bedding with the receiver. This was quickly replaced, and the replacement was shortened up to provide a 13.5" LOP including a Decelerator recoil pad. I got to where I could shoot 3 rounds with a 350 gr X Bullet or Speer MagTip over 102 grs of H-4350 from prone. The 4th round always pounded me for some reason, so I kept my shot strings short. I exchanged the factory quarter rib for a custom one which put the ocular of the 1.5-5X Leupold mounted in Tally QD rings even with the front of the falling block, thus keeping the loading port unobstructed, and reducing any chance of getting tagged by the scope regardless of my shooting position. Although a bit late, thus began my love affair with powerful rifles. That rifle was unfortunately lost in a house fire, and was replaced by a Whitworth .458, which I later traded for the Brno 602 that hurt me earlier. That Brno, became my full custom .375 Ultra carbine. But is was a .416 Rigby in a rifle that fit me, with its scope repositioned so as not to cause an injury, that hardened me to recoil, and allowed me to enjoy the benefits of these rifles.
The point of this diatribe is that I believe any normally fit and active adult can become comfortable shooting rifles in the .338, .375, or even in the .458 class. First though you must really want to master them, and secondly, you must be able to handload so that you can start at a tolerable level, then work up to the the cartridge's full potential. If you find that a 7 pound .30/06 upsets you, you have a ways to go. But like me, you can get there if you want to badly enough.
Next came the first version of the M-95 Marlin in .45/70 with a 22" Microgroove barrel. My hot load with it was a 405 over 52 grs of 3031, lively but no .458. Later, I was exposed to 2 rifles that hurt me, both chambered for what are normally considered moderate cartridges; one was a 98 Mauser of dubious Latin American heritage that was chambered for the .30.06 and was still in military trim and wore the K98k stock. Wearing a T-shirt and firing Winchester factory 180 gr ammo, that thing bit! Later there was a Mosin Nagant carbine in 7.62X54R. What the Russians had against their own troops is a mystery, but if the idea was to keep them pissed off, shooting that rifle with it's steel crescent butt plate, would certainly help. It occurred to me about then that a 6.5X55 was the correct answer for me, except that the Swede didn't fit my lifestyle particularly well. I developed a tolerance for the .30/06 and it quickly became my sweet heart cartridge first in a Herter's stocked '03 Springfield, then later in a M-17 Enfield. I did a short stint with another with a Mauser in .458, but pretty much loaded it to .45/70 levels. A Pal of mine let me have a workout with his factory Brno 602 in .375 H&H, but the LOP was excessively long for me, as I had developed thicker shoulders and chest by then, so I needed a shorter LOP. As a result I ended up with a sharp pain, not in the pocket of my shoulder, but actually in my shoulder blade, and once again concluded, that a powerful rifle wasn't in my future.
I was a big Ross Seyfried fan at the time, and he got me interested in the .416 Rigby, his graphic description of what it would do to a lion convinced me that's what I wanted in a bear gun. It wasn't long before Ruger introduced their #1 in .416 Rigby, and I decided I had to have one. By this time I was pretty much satisfied with my M-17 Enfield in .30/06 for any shooting chore that came my way, including bear work, but that .416 quickly became the rifle I was seldom without. Not surprisingly the first butt stock cracked due to uneven bedding with the receiver. This was quickly replaced, and the replacement was shortened up to provide a 13.5" LOP including a Decelerator recoil pad. I got to where I could shoot 3 rounds with a 350 gr X Bullet or Speer MagTip over 102 grs of H-4350 from prone. The 4th round always pounded me for some reason, so I kept my shot strings short. I exchanged the factory quarter rib for a custom one which put the ocular of the 1.5-5X Leupold mounted in Tally QD rings even with the front of the falling block, thus keeping the loading port unobstructed, and reducing any chance of getting tagged by the scope regardless of my shooting position. Although a bit late, thus began my love affair with powerful rifles. That rifle was unfortunately lost in a house fire, and was replaced by a Whitworth .458, which I later traded for the Brno 602 that hurt me earlier. That Brno, became my full custom .375 Ultra carbine. But is was a .416 Rigby in a rifle that fit me, with its scope repositioned so as not to cause an injury, that hardened me to recoil, and allowed me to enjoy the benefits of these rifles.
The point of this diatribe is that I believe any normally fit and active adult can become comfortable shooting rifles in the .338, .375, or even in the .458 class. First though you must really want to master them, and secondly, you must be able to handload so that you can start at a tolerable level, then work up to the the cartridge's full potential. If you find that a 7 pound .30/06 upsets you, you have a ways to go. But like me, you can get there if you want to badly enough.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
For you my friend. And, here's having your best of health results on the 28th.
And,
I'll do my best.- Location
- Thunder |Bay
Good luck with your surgery Kevan.
I had a heart attack Dec. 31, 2011. I'm still on blood thinners. If I shoot any of my boomers, I wind up with a shoulder every colour of the rainbow. I have always been enamoured with big bores. I have a .375 H&H, .416 Rem, and a .458 Win., all built by me over the last 10 years. I have been shooting rimfire as part of my cardiac rehab program, and I'm having a ball!! However, I am really looking forward to shooting my boomers again.
I have never shot any game with any of my big boomers. They're fun guns for me. However, I am thinking about trying the .458 with cast next fall for deer/moose.
I had a heart attack Dec. 31, 2011. I'm still on blood thinners. If I shoot any of my boomers, I wind up with a shoulder every colour of the rainbow. I have always been enamoured with big bores. I have a .375 H&H, .416 Rem, and a .458 Win., all built by me over the last 10 years. I have been shooting rimfire as part of my cardiac rehab program, and I'm having a ball!! However, I am really looking forward to shooting my boomers again.
I have never shot any game with any of my big boomers. They're fun guns for me. However, I am thinking about trying the .458 with cast next fall for deer/moose.
Pathfinder
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Northeast Ontario
Is there a Calibre restriction in your Camp ?
In my camp most of the guys laughed at my caliber choice, because I didn't use blunt bullets. All of them said I would never be able to find a running deer in the scope..That season I shot 9 deer ahead of dogs...Even 10+ years later and over 50 deer taken, a couple of them are still singing the same song..Some opinions you can change, some you can't...Use what you want big or small, it's more fun that way...
Pathfinder
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Northeast Ontario
In my camp nobody really asked but then again a few of them dont' know that a 300 WM, 30-06, 308 shoot the same bullet.
This thread brings back a few memories, I used to go to the range often when I first started in business for this exact reason. I'd take my 458 and 44 Super Blackhawk and sometimes my 450 Ackley and 50 or so rounds for each and just shoot rocks and stuff just to clear my head. It is very theraputic! It's tough to think of anything else when shooting a rifle with 93 ft/lbs of free recoil that rips the shooting glasses and muffs from your head with each shot! I always came back in a much better mood.
The reason you see all those big rifles is because the sickness is contagious! I never had any desire for anything over .30, but lately I have been reading so many threads about them here that I think the curse is upon me! Some day I will start off with .35 whelen or 9.3x62, perhaps .375.
Boomer, your story of getting onto the big bores was encouraging, and also was your advice that most average people can do it. Great pictures too!
The best thing about these rifles is that they make you dream of adventure, and as others stated you will be ready when adventure comes your way.
Boomer, your story of getting onto the big bores was encouraging, and also was your advice that most average people can do it. Great pictures too!
The best thing about these rifles is that they make you dream of adventure, and as others stated you will be ready when adventure comes your way.
canadaman30
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Far from the City
Yes I use my 458 cal here in Ontario for rifle hunting, why not. It's probobly the most accurate hunting rig I've got. I don't need a long range rig where I hunt, and the bonus is, it makes a big hole. Shot many deer with 73cal slugs out of a 12g slug gun.
.375 H&H is my funnest gun.
That BRNO just flings the gongs, out to 400+. CLANG
After 20 rounds (my limit) from bipod prone, the nomal cals. do seem decidedly tame thereafter.
This may sound weird, but it is easier to print tight groups with the LR 6.5x55 after the .375 has loosened me up.
The mind seems all relaxed, calm and focused.
That BRNO just flings the gongs, out to 400+. CLANG
After 20 rounds (my limit) from bipod prone, the nomal cals. do seem decidedly tame thereafter.
This may sound weird, but it is easier to print tight groups with the LR 6.5x55 after the .375 has loosened me up.
The mind seems all relaxed, calm and focused.
I have enjoyed this thread. I don't own anything that would qualify as a heavy rifle but I have been considering buying a .375 H&H to add to my collection. I have read as many books about African hunting as I can find and I would love to go. It is probably out of reach for me given the cost. I could save for an African caliber rifle to "keep the dream alive" as a previous poster has mentioned. It would get used on bears and whitetails and maybe a moose. Plus .375 is just one of those classic rounds that just impress me. For me it would be a Ruger No 1 tropical.
Just reading through this thread and wanted to wish you the best of luck and a merry Christmas!
- J
So you wouldn't be welcomed in camp, if you brought a .500 nitro? Why would that be? If you could shoot it, you should use it. A .500 would leave a good blodd trail everytime, if you needed to follow one.
My big calibers were 45-70 in an 1886 and an 8 gauge double rifle. Now those were manly rifles. I have to get another 1886 in 45-70. The 300 grain Hornady bullets at 1900 fps were real deer killers. The 8 gauge was incredible, but at $25/round - a tad expensive.
