Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only What caliber means Big Bore to you?

I was just curious as to what caliber would you consider classifying as a minimum big bore, 30, 33, 35......?

By British standards, big bore started at 458 caliber. Medium caliber are from 423 down to 311 and small bore was ferom 308 on down.
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<br>Too me, big bore starts at 411

To me, .375 on up, but I'm a North American big bore neophyte.
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<br>Rick

I suppose my handle will give one a clue
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<br>I still debate with myself where big bores start, either 40 caliber or 45.
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<br>30 and under are definately small bores, I don't know what to think of the 8mm, 33-375 are medium bores, still not sure if the 40's are heavy mediums or light big bores, 458 and larger are definately big bores.

Allen, would that be a .411 KDF. I've always thought there was something sexy about a .416 myself. Good luck, Troy.

To me anything over .40cal is a big bore.

.40 CALIBER AND ABOVE.

Gents,
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<br>As a suggestion, I submit we use the calibers which are generally considered legal for hunting Cape Buffalo in Africa.
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<br>That would include the 9.3x62mm and up.
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<br>But like most folks here, I consider the .40 cals and larger "big bores".

anything bigger than a .416

40 caliber and up!

For me ,my 338/378 KT is a big bore.

I consider any caliber of 400 or above as "Big Bore".
<br>The .375 is a big cartridge.,to me.
<br>Frank
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Alaska Dave; For me, below .30 cal.= small-bore, and above .40= big-bore. I'am in the middle!-memtb

Somewhat subjective, thats for sure. I believe prior to the turn of the century, in the black powder days, anything over a .458 bore was considered a must when considering the likes of rhino, cape buffalo, or elephant. A .458 bore w/450-500gr bullets and loaded with blackpowder was considered marginal in those days. Many opted for .500-.577 bores behind stout 170-190 grains of blackpowder.
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<br>After the turn of the century and the advent of smokless powders, all of the so called express chamberings (.375 H&H, .404 Jeffery Nitro Express, and 416 Rigby) started to really perform as John Taylor clobbered the hell out of all sorts of large beasts. So even though these are medium bores by British standards, they delivered the good thanks to Cordite and the better smokeless powders that came down the pike after Cordite. Adding smokeless powder, better bullet design and construction makes the .375, .416 and .458 class chamberings quite deadly.
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<br>As for me, I think I would differentiate the .37, .40 and .41 as express Safari, still mid bore but fairly flat shooting to 300 yards with 300-400gr spitzers (.41s w/325g bullets shoot as flat as an 06 w/180grainers), with the .41s being very capable of downing the biggest game in the world. The .458s on up, would be dangerous game rifles and rightfully badged as "big bores", however their intended use, in my mind, would be the insurance of stopping something that has gotten very close with no margin for error. As such, the big bores are a bit more handicapped by range and trajectory, but thats not what these fine tools were made for.
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<br>Lott, you and JJ pack the 458 Lott. its a great DG round. What is the performance difference between the Lott and the 450 Dakota on game? They seem very similar from a ballistic standpoint.
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<br>As for me, I shoot a .338 Win and a very juiced up 444 Marlin and am still contemplating the .375 vs .416 purchase. I'm also interested in putting a 458x2 American together as a baby 458 Win. I have had the pleasure of squeezing off a friends 50/140 Sharps 3-1/4, w/700gr paper patched cast-lead hollowpoint. I consider that a big bore with a little bit of attitude.
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<br>Take Care,
<br>rossi

Depends on your experience but Taylor, Keith and Boddington would say 375-425 are medium bores, and the price of double rifles would support that... 458-470-500 are the current and most expensive definition of Big Bore... Remember that when you go up from a .416 to a 458, you are also picking up 100 grains of mass.. so while the velocity decreases by say 8.5% from 2400 down to 2200, you are picking up 25% of mass (going from 400gr to 500 gr).
<br>According to the Taylor formula's:
<br>The 416 Rigby/REM would rate about 57 points..
<br>and a 458 Lott/Ackley would rate about 72 points..
<br>The 500 A-Square would be about 105 points (hurts a lot)
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<br>The Taylor formula for knock down power is:
<br>mass (grains) x velocity (fps) x bullet dia (inch)and divide by 7000.
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<br>I've seen Buffalo shot with .375H&H, 450 Ackley and even 500 A-Square, and there really is a remarkable difference in the hitting power as you go up the caliber scale. Taylor's "Factors" favored bore diameter over velocity and I would tend to agree with that, from my observations.
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<br>600 and 700 NE are stictly for the Saudi Prince checkbooks..
<br>So let's not even go there.
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Well, I consider my 375 H&H and 416 Rem as medium bores, but that's mainly so folks will think I am cool for understating things.......
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<br>Blaine

We all remember the outcry in the press when the army commission reduced the tried and true standard bore to the modern high speed, flat shooting small bore .58 cal.
<br>Well, maybe some of you young'ens missed that.
<br>Cheers from Darkest California,
<br>Ross

It seems that there is a forumla at work here.
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<br>Bigbore equals what ever the largest caliber firearm I own and up. Hence, if you own a .338/xxx big bore is .338 and up.
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<br>If the largest firearme is a .40 the .40+ is a big bore and so on. If the largest firearm owned is a .270 then .270 and up are big bore
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<br>Most of what I read has .458 and up is big bore., .338-.40 is medium, Below .338 is small bore.---but what do I know I thougth a .458 Win was big bore until I shot a .50BMG!!!