Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Is 375 where big bore starts?

There is a difference for handguns, lever actions etc but where do you fellas feel big bore starts for high powered rifles? My personal feelings are 375H&H, though not a 40cal+, it appears as a 'bigbore recommendation' on about any thread, its minimum legal in some African countries, so it gets enough points to get across the line

From a commercial point of view it is 375 and that is where the market sees things.

Look at the price of a M70 in 375 compared to 338 and down.

With the exception of the 378, 416 and 460 all the Wby calibres are available in the cheapest Synthetic Mark V but the 378, 416 and 460 have the Mark V Deluxe as the entry point.

The M70 338 is the same rifle as the 7mm Remington and 300 Winchester and then M70 jumps to 375 and 458.

Then as was mentioned the 375 is the minimum calibre for dangerous game in Africa.

In expensive custom wood/blue guns is at 375 where things like the quarter rib appear.

It's a matter of perspective. To the Criedmore crowd big bore probably starts at 27 caliber. To most of the American shooting fraternity 375 seems to be the cut off. In Britain my understanding is they don't consider it big bore until it is .45 or larger. To Wolfe Publishing it's 8mm or bigger if you go by their Big Bore reloading book.

I agree with both mart’s & MikeMcGuire’s logic.
I think most of the world feels the 375’s are big bores. There was an interesting local ad to sell a 375 H&H, it was noted in the ad this was an “elephant gun”. The Big Bore boys probably consider it a medium - medium bore.

I am Not a real Big Bore boy. But, after shooting the 375’s & 416’s for awhile, I personally consider the 375 a medium - medium and the 416 / 404 as large-medium. I do think they are Big on performance. The 458 is where I consider the Big Bores to begin.
I definitely consider the 8mm’s and 338’s medium bores. And the 8mm as the start of them.
All the above’s only worth is conservation. Hell, some consider a .30 caliber as a big bore. And for their uses probably correctly labeled.

From what I've read - many hunters consider the big bores starting at 40 caliber. But I'd like to see someone shoot the 378 Weatherby off the bench all day and at the end of the day claim it isn't a big bore.

There certainly are opinions. In the book "Big Bore Rifles and Cartridges" the list of cartridges includes: 8mm to .600 Nitro.

In the book by Terry Wieland, "Dangerous-Game Rifles", Terry includes 405, 444, and 40-65 as big bore lever rifles. He also includes the 375 H&H in this book.

I think that besides the diameter of the bullet there are other things to consider. Would you consider a 40 S&W camp gun to be a big bore but the aforementioned 378 as a medium bore?

I have a few 458 caliber rifles and one 416. Is my 416 Rigby a medium bore and my 45-70 a big bore? How about the 45 Colt?


I know when I was young, I thought the 30-06 as being one of the "Big Bores". It was the largest cartridge I knew of.

As far as the 375 H&H being a big bore - answer me this, "What land animal is the 375 H&H deemed not capable?"

It is subjective - it's a mixture of bore size and energy level with no hard and fast guidelines.

Nope.....just for myself, personally I see 40+ as big bores! memtb

What memtb said +1

I see 300 grains and 375 cal as well as 400 grains and 410/416 cal as heavy medium bores, true Big Bores to me start at 458 cal and 500 grains.

Big bore starts at 40 cal, always has been the minimum big bore calibre. 375 is still a medium bore, which is the smallest window of all the designations.
Personally, even the 416’s are small to be really called a big bore.

Cheers.

Big bore starts at .458" and goes up from there.

My thought's as well! You can do a lot with 40 and up,,,,,

Although, I’ve mentioned earlier, that everyone has an opinion even writers. I consider the 375 H&H a great and capable cartridge, but I think it’s a “Medium Bore”. But it’s on the border of big bore.

But the “Conundrum” is, if 40+ is big bore, what is the 40 S&W camp gun? If 45 is the start of the big bore, what is the Rossi ‘92 in 45 Colt?

A 40+ diameter bore and 3,000+ Ft-lb muzzle energy is a definition that suites me. Or maybe just muzzle energy should be considered??? I’ve never owned a 378 Weatherby, but is this cartridge not in a “Big Bore” category?

Back in the day, of black powder, the puny 45 was in no way considered a “big bore”. In those days maybe something that was so many balls to the pound was the start of the “Big Bore” designation. A 45 caliber muzzle loader would not be considered something a hunter might choose to shoot a Cape Buffalo. It might not even made the “medium bore” category.

As bullets and powder have improved the designation of “Big Bore” has also moved.

In the end, the category of “Big Bore” is defined by the shooter.

It is "big bore" not "big energy" bore refers to bore diameter only

Bugger, my '86 50-110 WCF falls on both sides of your post, with 700 grans at 1250 fps with blackpowder, it is a heavy big bore bullet at low velocity with low muzzle energy, that still penetrates to next week, with RL-15 smokeless powder and 525gr Cast Performance or Beartooth bullets at 2150 fps it is indeed in the company of all the big bores used to hunt all the dangerous animals of the world, bet I could load it with the 570gr Barnes flat nose banded solids with a good hard pinch from a Lee FCD for 2100 fps, that would do in any Ele, Hippo or Buffalo that ever lived.

Well Gunner, I'd certainly consider your 50-110 as a big bore, even though it doesn't make that first definition.

JWP475, I won't consider the Marlin camp special 40 S&W as a big bore.

Maybe we should go back to where the 12 bore is where big bore starts?

The term is so elusive that it is hard to make a definite line in the sand.

Perhaps Taylor's knock out formula?

I don't think you'll get everyone to agree on the lower limit of "Big Bore".. Be my guess if there were 10 people in a room there would be 10 opinions of what exactly constitutes a "big bore"'

I think the .40 S&W would be a "medium" bore. With big bore handguns starting at .452" and up.

Just my .02 cents worth.

While I’ve hunted a good bit with a 375 and various 416s I don’t call either a big bore. Those are 45cal and up IMO. And after using them personally and seeing them used there’s no doubt in my mind on that. A 450 Dakota on Buffalo is in another league altogether than anything smaller. Same for the big express rounds in a double rifle.
The 375 and 416 are terrific hunting rounds and will take down anything they’re pointed at, but not lime a real big bore.

If its not a bigbore it sure does show up a lot on bigbore forums. Since the beginning of the internet the 375 get as many posts on them as any other calibre. Having owned .585, 460 and .416, I agree 375 seems medium, but it does seem to get the peoples vote. Just enough bore size, energy, the fact safari rifle options usually include it, african flavor maybe

You can't ignore bore size. If you ignore bore size then my 338 Lapua with a 300 grain bullet at 2800 FPS has 5,000 plus foot pounds of energy so it is now a big bore
It is bore size period