Big Bores for small things

[degoins]

All the Big Bores - or for inclusivity's sake, let's just say "375H&H and up" - with the right amount of AA 5744 can be loaded down to "deer load" velocities and still be accurate. I've done that with handloads for my .375H&H and 200grn bullets for a few deer camps, and still want to do a deer camp with my .404J.

I also definitely want to smash some feral hogs with my .404.

I've had great success with 5744 with .375, 450-400, .458 and 9x57 with lighter bullets. Sadly I can't get it to work in my .450. However the old nitro for black formula works great in the .450...just have to use a filler.

 

[DIRTYHARRYBALLISTICS]

How many of you have used your big bores, I'm thinking .40 cal or bigger, to take smaller game than these guns are typically used for? Have you used them for plains game, or maybe North American and European game? If so, tell me about it. What animal did you hunt and what caliber and load combination did you use? I'd like to hear what led you to use the big bore rifle, for example maybe you got a chance at nice trophy impala while on a buffalo hunt, or maybe you were getting ready for a DG hunt so decided to use it for mule deer to practice. And of course, pictures make everything more fun.

I amd guilty of shooting a jackrabbit and a prarie dog with my .460 Magnum. I have a .500 Bushwhacker now, and i think its time i try it on a prarie dog as well. For science of course.

 

[DIRTYHARRYBALLISTICS]

I amd guilty of shooting a jackrabbit and a prarie dog with my .460 Magnum. I have a .500 Bushwhacker now, and i think its time i try it on a prarie dog as well. For science of course.

 

[264]

Feral cat,Greener 577 2 3/4 , 650 Woodleigh RNSP 8 feet running

boar 577

small sambar

 

[DIRTYHARRYBALLISTICS]

Feral cat,Greener 577 2 3/4 , 650 Woodleigh RNSP 8 feet running
View attachment 658231
boar 577
View attachment 658230
small sambar
View attachment 658232

Great, now i have to use my 6 bore on a chipmunk.

 

[CBH Australia]

I used a .416 Rigby to take a baboon.

I shot it with a solid to minimize pelt damage, but the bullet hit the humerus and damage was done.

Now that is humorous

3" 12 Gauge are punishing on both ends of the bore!

Don’t worry about @Bob Nelson 35Whelen He’s a big boy.
In Australia we have an expression “He’s built like a Shithouse” well, something like that I may have misquoted that.

Feral cat,Greener 577 2 3/4 , 650 Woodleigh RNSP 8 feet running
View attachment 658231

Now that’s the best $8 for a shot that you could spend.
I wouldn’t pass it up if I could smack a cat in the scrub.

 

[BlueFlyer]

“He’s built like a Shithouse”

I know it as "he's built like a BRICK shithouse"

 

[CBH Australia]

I know it as "he's built like a BRICK shithouse"

Yes, that he is.

My comment might have been tongue in cheek.

 

[ftrovato]

Now that is humorous


Don’t worry about @Bob Nelson 35Whelen He’s a big boy.
In Australia we have an expression “He’s built like a Shithouse” well, something like that I may have misquoted that.

Now that’s the best $8 for a shot that you could spend.
I wouldn’t pass it up if I could smack a cat in the scrub.

We say 'Brick Shit House' in the USA. As you point out, that analogy sums it up quickly!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

View attachment 657823.458 Lott running at 40 yards. 400 gr SP at 2100fps. View attachment 657824.375 H&H running at 100 yards. 300gr Sierras.
I haven't taken any with the other .375's as yet, but my Encore goes out after every rain during deer season. The Safari Express not as much. I'll have to work on that.

@Forrest Halley
Nice rifles mate, glad you haven't attacked them with the rattle can cammo job .
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

3" 12 Gauge are punishing on both ends of the bore!

@ftrovato
Especially when it only weighs 7#. The good thing it's a bolt action so gives you a chance of practicing fast bolt manipulation for a follow up with bigger recoil.
Great fun.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Yes, that he is.

My comment might have been tongue in cheek.

@CBH Australia
You forgot and he's full of shit to go with it.
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
Bob

 

[ChrisG]

The black bear in my avatar was taken with one shot from a .416 Ruger loaded with a 340 grain woodleigh weldcore PP at 2,600fps Not surprisingly, the round went through and through and dropped the bear where he stood. Took one the year before with a Winchester .375 H&H. That was a the old 300 grain hornady Interlock. That round went in the front shoulder and traversed diagonally through the body exiting after blowing the opposite hip to pudding.

 

[Woodcarver]

The 9.3x74R, 9.3x62, 375H&H, and 458 Lott have all accounted for a number of prairie dogs each, along with the 458 Socom and 45-70 (both a Sharps and a DR). Good practice for stretching out with cartridges not really designed for longer ranges. So far, I've only had to put down one charging prairie dog, but the 375 really did work as a stopping round despite everybody saying it isn't one.

 

[Excessexpress]

A mobile brick….
Was the car a write off…… a car hit one here near me (other side of the river)and it ripped the passenger side wheel off and put the car into a culvert , no one hurt but the car was a trashed
Gumpy

The car was nowhere to be seen, just the animal dragging itself off the road by its front legs. It was a very sad sight, but I was equipped for the task so did the right thing.

On another occasion I did see somebody nearly clear one. Bent front and rear subframes and dinged the ladder chassis on the spot. No wheel pointed in the same direction as another and the trail of fluids was short and very wide.

 

[Forrest Halley]

@Forrest Halley
Nice rifles mate, glad you haven't attacked them with the rattle can cammo job .
Bob

I said that once about a leupold scope with a ridiculous camo pattern on it years ago mate. Old hat. Find something new.

 

[meigsbucks]

On my first hunt, I took a .416 Ruger and .375 H&H. With the .416, I took a buff as intended, but also two blue wildebeest, waterbuck, zebra, warthog, kudu and an impala. Only used the .375 on two impala and a bushbuck.
This past summer, a coyote was stupid enough to walk on to the shooting range. My 9.3x62 took him out.

 

[Sarg]

As I use the .458Win a lot I have shot lots of small stuff with it down to Rabbits & sneaky Crows around camp.

I did shoot a nice Billy Goat with my huge 15lb 12Bore Double Rifle, actually shot a bunch that day with it, could have killed then all with one ball if I had lined them up !

 

[Altitude sickness]

I’m not sure a .458 WM counts as a big bore.

But I took my 1903A3 in .458 WM with 500 grain solids out plinking this morning and jumped some rabbits. Shot the first one loping along slowly in some briars.

Then found the second in thin brush and grass. I shot him with a frontal brain shot at around 15 yards. Nice warm sunny day for plinking. And bunny hunting.

 

[Sarg]

I’m not sure a .458 WM counts as a big bore.

But I took my 1903A3 in .458 WM with 500 grain solids out plinking this morning and jumped some rabbits. Shot the first one loping along slowly in some briars.

Then found the second in thin brush and grass. I shot him with a frontal brain shot at around 15 yards. Nice warm sunny day for plinking. And bunny hunting. View attachment 660923View attachment 660924View attachment 660925View attachment 660926View attachment 660927View attachment 660928View attachment 660931

What a cool old period Gat, nice Brain shot, most likely full penetration ?

You would have to watch hunting in that Hat if in Australia, get shot in the head for sure !!