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What caliber is the cutoff for a BIG BORE? Login/Join
 
one of us
posted
Is it .333?

Is it .400?

Is it 9mm?

and why?

My vote is the 9mm. since it is a whole number. no real reason though.

 
Posts: 902 | Location: Denver Colderado | Registered: 13 May 2001Reply With Quote
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Picture of Paul H
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Personally, I classify 30 cal and under as small bore, .333 to 40 caliber as medium bore, and 45 and over as big bore. I also subdevide a bit, as I consider the 40's a heavy medium, and the 33's a light medium. I don't know what to classify the 8mm's as, either a light medium or heavy small bore.

Why, cause I say so! Just arbitrary numbers really. If I were to rationalize, I'd say small bores are for animals in the 500# and under class, the medium bores are good for everthing up to the biggest meanest stuff, and the big bores, and heavy mediums are for the big nasty stuff. I also classify the big bores as rounds that sacrifice a bit of shootability for raw horsepower.

If we are talking handguns, stuff under 40 caliber is small bore, 41's and 44's are mediums, and 45 and over is big bore. Despite what others have done, I don't personally see any revolver round as suitable for use on big dangerous game, thats what big dangerous rifles are for!

 
Posts: 7213 | Location: Alaska | Registered: 27 February 2001Reply With Quote
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Picture of Oldsarge
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Dangerous Game Rifles are classified as follows:

Class I: Legal for Dangerous Game in those countries that restrict such. This includes the 9.3x62, 9.3x64 and the .375 H&H. Don't take anything but the .375 into the grass after a lion and don't take any of them out after a wounded buff or pachyderm.

Class II: Entry level stopping rifles. This includes the .404 Jeff, the .416 twins, the .458 Winchester, etc. Too many professional hunters bet their lives and those of their clients and staff on these calibers to not take them seriously.

Class III: "Suitable for dinosaur and small armored cars" (Boddington, 2000) Here we begin with the .458 Lott, go up to the .450 Rigby/Dakota, etc. and end with the .505 Gibbs and .500 Jeffery. The recoil is manageable in a well designed rifle and they absolutely numb buffalo and give an elephant such a crick inna neck!

Class IV: Do not doubt that these monsters work! Starting with the .416 Weatherby and going up to the 1.008 Vincent (whenever it gets built), there has never been anything alive on this planet including sauropods that a class IV DGR won't kill. However, they are reserved for those shooters who absolutely, positively MUST have the biggest and the baddest. If you can shoot it, good for you. I shoot a Class III and am quite content, thank-you.

Sarge

 
Posts: 2690 | Location: Lakewood, CA. USA | Registered: 07 January 2001Reply With Quote
<gunner7mm>
posted
so whats the classifications for handgun then?my biggest is 50 alaskan and my smallest is 22 hornet. my biggist rifle is a 308 and my 30 cal handgun is a 300 win mag.o well i love handguns the bigger the better too.just something to ponder. have fun shooting. jason
 
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How about this for a "quick-and-dirty" definition? If you can get your pinky finger in the barrel it's a small-bore...your index finger it's a medium-bore and your thumb it's a big-bore...close enought?
 
Posts: 4360 | Location: Sunny Southern California | Registered: 22 May 2002Reply With Quote
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try this
small bore: rimfire & center fire from
.10 cal up to 6.5mm cal.
light weight middle bore: .270 cal to
8mm cal.
middle weight middle bore: .338 cal .375 cal
Heavy weight middle bore: .40 cals
Lights heavy weight bores: .420" bores, .416 cals, .458 cals
Heavy weight bores: 470 cals up through
4 bore (until something bigger comes along)
 
Posts: 1723 | Location: wyo | Registered: 03 March 2001Reply With Quote
<BigBores>
posted
I would say that if you can't stick your thumb in the muzzle, it's not a big bore.
 
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<Harald>
posted
Small bores: less than .308 caliber or heaviest bullet weighs less than 200 grains. This one is somewhat arbitrary.

Medium bores: less than .400 caliber or heaviest bullet weighs less than 400 grains (typically about 300 grains). There is a clear and significant break here between .375 and .408/.411 calibers, whereas a continuum between .308 and .375 calibers.

Large bores: over .400 caliber and heaviest bullet in caliber weighing at least 400 grains. Some older .40+ cartridges do not use bullets this heavy, but obviously could.

The definitions obviously get warped if you consider the roles of older blackpowder cartridges.

 
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Picture of 470 Mbogo
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by Oldsarge:
Oldsarge how are you,
I've really enjoyed reading your posts but I have to ask a question. In one post you mentioned an article saying that 2500 fps was not recommended but you list the 416 Weatherby in your class IV ratings. I think the larger bore rifles with the 500 grain bullet at 2400 fps would be much better stoppers than a very fast 400 grainer. I don't really agree with the fact that 2500 fps is not good either. I made my cartridge to shoot a 500 grain bullet at 2500 fps with the thoughts that the trajectory is a little better and that most likely I will get 2400 fps at the point of impact. The 500 grain Swift A-Frames I used mushroomed out to over .850 and penetrated from the front chest of a Buffalo to within three inches of the hind quarters in a dead straight line. I do agree with 2400 fps and a 500 grain bullet being a dynamic match. I don't understand and would like to see the information that makes the extra 100 fps so undisireable. If your pushing a .850 hole through over 3/4 of a Buffalo is a 600 Nitro Express doing anything different with a solid. Just curious what you think. If you are thinking of posting pictures of your class ranges of cartridges let me know and I'll send you a list of cartridges that I have. I think it would be interesting. I have some comparison photo's of cartridges on my website www.470mbogo.com. Take a look and tell me what you think. Best regards 470 Mbogo
 
Posts: 1247 | Location: Sechelt B.C. | Registered: 22 May 2002Reply With Quote
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Picture of Oldsarge
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O.K., now I understand the .470 Mbogo. Very impressive. You story is going to have me working out tables and rethinking some of my criterion. I still think its a Class IV simply because of the raw, bone-crushing power of the round. You're generating nearly 7,000 ft. lbs. with the ballistics you give in your story. On some other post I put the nominal limits of the Class III at between 5500-6500 ft. lbs. simply because if you're going to have classification, you've got to have limits of each class. Good story, good-looking wildcat and difinitely put it's picture in with the Class IV BIG KILLERS.

Thanx,
Sarge

 
Posts: 2690 | Location: Lakewood, CA. USA | Registered: 07 January 2001Reply With Quote
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Picture of MacD37
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470 Mbogo, that is a very nice website, I bookmarked it for future use!

------------------
..Mac >>>===(x)===>
DUGABOY DESIGNS
Collector/trader of fine double rifles, and African wildlife art

 
Posts: 14634 | Location: TEXAS | Registered: 08 June 2000Reply With Quote
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