Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only what would you use a 450 BPE on

Reading some old hunting memoirs and was reminded just how popular the 450 Black powder express was in the day. 275-365 grain bullets from 1600-1950fps. Was really the fast medium game gun of its day but saw occasional service on the big stuff too, probably in the niche of a 30-06 or maybe even 375H&H. I was thinking with those ballistics its roughly equivalent to 454 casull on a carbine, 450 bushmaster or 460 S&W from a pistol. Whats the largest game you would feel comfortable with?

With a proper bullet for the task at hand, any game your little heart desired.

A good friend had a cased Dan' Fraser .450 BPE, he sold it a couple years ago, the rifle had provenance letters from the day it was sold...it was bespoke for a British titled officer who served most of his career in India....where I assume they have numerous creatures that bite, trample and inflict general mayhem on hunters. You may draw your own conclusions from that.

45 Colt and 454 with 360 grains bullets shoot through both shoulders of Buffalo 🐃

I was thinking a 480 ruger carbine might just squeeze into that category as well.