POLL: Preferred Big Bore Cartridge?

[krish]

If it is only one firearm I would go with 450 Rigby. Lots of bullets avsilable. Is versatile for mediam and very large game. Provided you stock up on brass and reload.
Krish

 

[IvW]

The 400's are not big bores.....

 

[IvW]

If it is only one firearm I would go with 450 Rigby. Lots of bullets avsilable. Is versatile for mediam and very large game. Provided you stock up on brass and reload.
Krish

Great caliber but I am in the same ammo boat with my 500 Jeff......

 

[Northern Shooter]

The 400's are not big bores.....

Many will disagree with me but I've always viewed anything >0.40 as a big bore.

I used to think my 375H&H was a big bore until I was shown the error of my ways.

The 375s I can agree with, the 40s still feel like they should be big bores.

Everything has been "scaled down" in caliber since the black powder days so the medium bores of 1900 are the new starting point of big bores today.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Many will disagree with me but I've always viewed anything >0.40 as a big bore.

I used to think my 375H&H was a big bore until I was shown the error of my ways.

The 375s I can agree with, the 40s still feel like they should be big bores.

Everything has been "scaled down" in caliber since the black powder days so the medium bores of 1900 are the new starting point of big bores today.

For me big bore and stopper are synonymous and that starts at .458 cal in tandem with proper ballistics

 

[Slider]

Big Bores start at 450?

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

If sub 300 is considered small bore, it makes sense to call sub 400 medium bore, 400 to 500 big bore and 500 and above mega bore or some such name.

 

[FlowHamed18]

Well in my opinion a big bore is something which can kill the biggest animals on earth without any doubt. Combined with the ability for 80-90% of hunters to shoot them without serious damage to their shoulder...

Personally I wouldn't trust a .375 for elephants, no matter what Bell and others used for them. Probably it's more than suitable in 80% of elephant hunting situations...

Therefore "big" for me is .416 in diameter and above...

Also I have to admit that shooting my .404 Jeffery is fun and I can handle the recoil without problems. So why should I buy a bigger caliber, which I might not be able to shoot straight afterwards...

But I would never buy a Porsche too, even if I can afford it and it has more PS than my actual car. I just don't need it...

So have fun with .500 plus, but that's definitely more than a big bore. It's kind of a cannon...

 

[Northern Shooter]

There seems to be a whole lot of interchangeability between Big Bores, Dangerous Game Cartridges and Stopping Cartridges.

Having the 375s and 9.3s grouped in with dangerous game cartridge is what had me originally refering to those as big bores.

Kevin Robertson seems to stand by the minimal threshold of a "stopping cartridge" as those pushing a 500 grain projectile at 2,150 fps with 5,000 ft lbs of muzzle energy.

So if that's the case then 458s, 450s, 470s etc can all be considered "stopping cartridges" despite being less than 0.50.

 

[Don458]

If you had to pick one for overall utility and enjoyment.

8.8cm KwK 36

 

[pilar]

A 416 is fairly reasonable to shoot in my experience
I was going to barrow my buddies 505 Gibbs double rifle and when we went to do some practice shooting @ 5”9 200 lbs the recoil was unmanageable and damn near laid me on my bum, I have shot a couple of animals with a 416 Remington and 375 H&H and since I am not ever going to hunt a elephant or rhino a true big bore isn’t in my cards

 

[Safari Dave]

I voted for the .416 Rigby, because I think it's the most versatile, even though I don't consider anything less than a .458 a "big bore"

The .470 NE would get my vote, otherwise,

 

[Aussie_Hunter]

Where the 450 Rigby at?

 

[Rob404]

Hmm.. tough choice

 

[gballard137]

I put my tick against 500 J

Only coz the question was about big bores - which I read as large bore

That excludes ( in my OCD brain ) the medium calibres like 375, 404 j, 416 etc

I might have ticked the Lott, but it was pidgin holed with 458 Win (which once again my tiny little OCD brain couldn’t deal with)

the 500 Jeffery needs More votes

 

[spike.t]

the 500 Jeffery needs More votes

OK there you are

 

[RETD16]

IMHO, I think small bores go up to .308, medium bores extend to sub .400, and above .400 rifles calibers are the base of big bores. A .416 Rigby/Rem. Mag have more energy than a .458WM.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

IMHO, I think small bores go up to .308, medium bores extend to sub .400, and above .400 rifles calibers are the base of big bores. A .416 Rigby/Rem. Mag have more energy than a .458WM.

Energy matters but so does diameter..

 

[Luvthunt]

And the discussion goes on into this century. But it is good to see/hear the reasonings.

 

[RETD16]

Energy matters but so does diameter..

I think any caliber that can hurl a 400gr bullet and create in excess of 5000lbs of energy should be considered a big bore.