4 bore Bolt action

[Grumpy gumpy]

Frederick Courteney Selous used a 4-bore single shot black powder muzzleloader (a Hollis) to take over 75 elephant. He came to loathe the thing and wished he had never used it. "They kicked most frightfully, and in my case the punishment I received from these guns has affected my nerves to such an extent as to have materially influenced my shooting ever since, and I am heartily sorry I ever had anything to do with them." So much for the gentle push of black powder or not noticing recoil while actually hunting.

As someone who shoots a lot of the "holy black" my saying is 'black powder doesn’t kick like smokeless, it shoves you gently….like a train".
And from memory wasn’t FC Selous flinch caused by one one of his bearers double loading it, and it actually injured him.
Gumpy

 

[Red Leg]

As someone who shoots a lot of the "holy black" my saying is 'black powder doesn’t kick like smokeless, it shoves you gently….like a train".
And from memory wasn’t FC Selous flinch caused by one one of his bearers double loading it, and it actually injured him.
Gumpy

That incident did happen, but just for clarity's sake why don't you read again - slowly - his exact quote one more time.

"They kicked most frightfully, and in my case the punishment I received from these guns has affected my nerves to such an extent as to have materially influenced my shooting ever since, and I am heartily sorry I ever had anything to do with them."

 

[Tex .416]

This is two 4 Bore rifle cartridges either side of a .600NE .

View attachment 726496

I admit it, I am not tough enough to pull the trigger on that.

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

That incident did happen, but just for clarity's sake why don't you read again - slowly - his exact quote one more time.

"They kicked most frightfully, and in my case the punishment I received from these guns has affected my nerves to such an extent as to have materially influenced my shooting ever since, and I am heartily sorry I ever had anything to do with them."

Touchy , aren’t you
Perhaps you should read my comment again , slowly

And from memory wasn’t FC Selous flinch caused by one of his bearers double loading it, and it actually injured him.
Gumpy

I was referring to his flinch that he developed, no one but you questioned your quote of him speaking of the use of the four bore
Gumpy

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

I admit it, I am not tough enough to pull the trigger on that.

I’ve got a fourbore cartridge here that some idiot dropped on the projectile end and then tried to dig it back out of the case causing the end to be flared, I was going to build a "large" kinetic hammer to try to knock it out, but I’m not sure how easy that will be to do without damaging it more
Gumpy

 

[Flbt]

As someone who shoots a lot of the "holy black" my saying is 'black powder doesn’t kick like smokeless, it shoves you gently….like a train".
And from memory wasn’t FC Selous flinch caused by one one of his bearers double loading it, and it actually injured him.
Gumpy

I had a 10 gage sxs Bp one of the loads the guy I got it from was 135 gr 2f and the power measure full of shot.
With the stell but plate there was nothing gently about that shove especially the 2 times loaded with the measure full of # one buck that the dammed thing dubbed on me.

 

[Sarg]

I’ve got a fourbore cartridge here that some idiot dropped on the projectile end and then tried to dig it back out of the case causing the end to be flared, I was going to build a "large" kinetic hammer to try to knock it out, but I’m not sure how easy that will be to do without damaging it more
Gumpy

That’s terrible, someone dropped one of mine to, real bugger, lasts 100+ years without damage & a plonker drops it !

I pull one offs by drilling case size hole in a solid piece of wood, like sledge hammer handle (not big enough in your case) tape it in & whack over a bench corner or what ever, have a couple of blankets or box full of scrape cloth to catch projectile, with the weight of a 4 bore ball it shouldn’t take but one or two ?

If it’s a ball just turn it over & place back in ?

 

[matt85]

Could it be made? Yes.

It would be an EXTREMELY expensive project that would yield a fairly impractical firearm.

If you make it and it is made properly (weight and balance), id be willing to shoot it.

 

[Red Leg]

I had a 10 gage sxs Bp one of the loads the guy I got it from was 135 gr 2f and the power measure full of shot.
With the stell but plate there was nothing gently about that shove especially the 2 times loaded with the measure full of # one buck that the dammed thing dubbed on me.

Well duh. I was trying to be facetious rather than literal. But your experiences exactly frame my thoughts about the utility of a four bore bolt action.

Rather than a pintle gun mount as used with Ma Deuce, I would think the little two wheel cart used by the Russians for their Maxim MGs would be the best solution for a long day trying to walk down a buff or buffalo.