medium bores "neither fish nor fowl"

[grand veneur]

The topic of this older post but is a completely different one. It is about the controversy surrounding the use of medium, large medium or large bores for hunting Big and DG Game.

 

[krish]

John pondora Taylor in his book African Rifles states he shot a Buffalo with borrowed 505 gibbs
Measured 285 long steps with one shot. I think it was 525 grain bullet. If we are just talking about fire arms and not what you are hunting.
Krish

 

[grand veneur]

With a lot of large bore cartridges and the right load you can easily shoot at long range. It assumes but that one mastered an big bore rifle very well and that one are able to shoot it in various positions.

 

[geoff rath]

With a lot of large bore cartridges and the right load you can easily shoot at long range. It assumes but that one mastered an big bore rifle very well and that one are able to shoot it in various positions.

" Beware the man with just one rifle!"

 

[grand veneur]

One should not normally shoot an Big Game at longer distances, but this is also very theoretical because due to the pressure of hunting, the games are becoming more and more cautious and it is therefore becoming more and more difficult to get close to them. I believe that in the near future hunters will have to adjust to something like this and that this must be also taken into account when hunting for Big Game in Africa. Everyone has to decide, based on their experience, what cartridges are suitable for this, but how longer the distance for shooting at Big Game is, and the larger the caliber should be. One need enough terminal ballistic to kill a heavy game at longer distances.

 

[geoff rath]

... and know your, and your rifle's limits. experience matters, a LOT!!

 

[Capebuffalo]

I like all the cartridges in the Holland & Holland series, meant 300 H&H Magnum, 375 H&H Magnum, 400 H&H Magnum and the lesser known 465 H&H Magnum. The appeal but lies more in the design of these cartridges with their beautiful slim conical shape of the cases and also the aura with which they are connected.

What is the advantage of some of these cartridges compared to other cartridges ?

Let's exclude perhaps the cartridge 300 H&H Magnum and in particular the 375 H&H Magnum, latter a cartridge that has become inseparable from hunting in Africa, but all the other cartridges from Holland & Holland, especially the cartridge 400 H&H Magnum, must be used in rifles from Holland & Holland or other expensive weapons. So where is the advantage of the cartridge 400 H&H Magnum compared to the cartridge 416 Rem Mag, the latter being much more available and above all in cheaper rifles. Ballistically there may be some advantages between caliber .411 and .416, but I am not sure if they are relevant for hunting. The alleged problems cited with the cartridge 416 Rem Mag are only a question of loads. As far as pressures are concerned, the same pressure is required for the same performance as long as the size of the cases and their shape are more or less similar.

What you say is true, there are more factors to consider when looking at a DG rifle. However, putting the availability factors aside at this point, the 400 H&H seems to be a cartridge without any flaws. I read that H&H made a point of it to eliminate all the flaws similar cartridges have when they designed the 400 H&H....especially all the pressure issues, while still performing at a competitive level.

 

[geoff rath]

Consider the almost ancient 416 Rigby; born around 1911, modern case design (sharp shoulder, near parallel sides, and no pointless belt. operating at moderate pressure and more popular now than in its "heyday") the H&H belt was partly a headspace solution, and a feeding solution as well. likewise, the 404 Jeffery (1905?"); no belt required. Now loaded to even higher pressure I understand ...