Does it have to burn gunpowder to be a big bore? This is a .45 cal air rifle, A Quackenbush .457 LA. It's a precharged pneumatic rifle. The under barrel air reservoir holds 3000psi compressed air, enough for two good shots with a heavy slug. Ammo is cast lead slugs intended for the 45/70, generally 300-405gr. Velocity is about 800fps with a 405gr good for over 550 ft/lb of energy. Useful range is 50-75yds trajectory needless to say is less then flat, but accuracy is excellent and very predictable. It can be shot at longer range but you have to be very familiar with it. You fill it with a scba tank or a hi pressure hand pump,not much fun to pump mostly we use a 4500psi scba (fireman's airpac) tank. normal scuba 3000psi tanks just don't hold enough, when the pressure drops under 2700psi the tanks done. First shot will go to point of aim at 50 every time, the second about an inch lower. A third shot will be 4" down from the second and slow. Tons of fun to shoot, big, heavy, loud it feels like a big bore and makes a big clang on a steel target.

Dennis Quackenbush and Mrs. Quackenbush build these in his one man shop. The .457LA is the latest in a line of big bore airguns that go back some twenty years and started with a .50 cal round ball rifle. First ment to equal black powder rifles, they have evolved into a serious hunting tool. Would I face a angry cape buffalo with one, no, but it will stop most things in North America shy of big bears. Deer and hogs the norm with a few elk and bison tossed in. They did well on plains game in South Africa too.

http://www.quackenbushairguns.com/index.html

Yes, it does.

George

Egads! That's a helluva pellet rifle