I'm not a Big Bore shooter but saw this in todays Newsday

"Custom Made .577 Tex Rex used to euthanize beached whale. Three shots used by pro whale hunter."

www.newsday.com

Seems using the 577 T-Rex is not that uncommon for hunting whales.

Maybe Art needs to rename it the 577 Harpoon!

Trouble is they probably used round nose bullets!

http://docs.google.com/viewer?...vRVgSFrA2LPAKpJGaGUw

Great thread, very interesting.

IWC report. Seems many experts in favour of using elephant guns as most humane method to finish whales or kill them outright.

http://iwcoffice.org/_document...ngs/workshop2003.pdf

It ain't big enough if it took 3 shots.......
Maybe Rob's or my 700. Or the 4bore coming.Ed

quote:

Originally posted by Karl:
Great thread, very interesting.

IWC report. Seems many experts in favour of using elephant guns as most humane method to finish whales or kill them outright.

http://iwcoffice.org/_document...ngs/workshop2003.pdf

That IWC report was a great read. Politics aside, of course.

The technical data, especially as gathered and presented by Norway, are fascinating.

I'm pretty sure that the 458 Lott could kill a whale.

Of course it can.. Just a matter of bullet placement. The 458 Lott will give all the penetration needed. Just look at Michael458`s Terminal Bullet Performance thread...

The articles say the 458lott class or 9.3mm and up can do the job. Even on ones weighing 40ton , the bodies usually less than 10ft wide(depending on species and shape).Reaching the vitals through 5-7ft of flesh given the general 'sogginess' of a whales body is within Elephant gun ability.

I think a bowhead or blue whale at 90 ton+ would stretch things a little in the quick kill department though Even if you can find it in 100ft of whale, the blue whales heart is the size of a small car..

Can someone paste the article here as you have to join up to read the entire article....This now gives me a reason for a new rifle hmmm,maybe a 2 bore with a short harpoon or exploding rounds

Being In Cali I can report any beached whale that might show up and maybe we can use it for "Testing" before the hippies try to push it back in

A hot loaded 45-70 would have done it!



Sorry, I just couldn't resist! I'll be leaving now

Might just have to test mine out just to confirm

quote:

Originally posted by m3taco:
A hot loaded 45-70 would have done it!



Sorry, I just couldn't resist! I'll be leaving now

The IWC report indicates that the best projectile for whale killing is the penthrite grenade harpoon.

Penthrite is one of the most effective high explosives ever devised, both by itself and as a component of Semtex plastic explosive and many other high explosives.

As an aside, it was reportedly the explosive of choice of the both the shoe and underwear bombers - although thank God that neither of them had the means or ability to detonate it.

quote:

Originally posted by SAFARIKID:
Can someone paste the article here as you have to join up to read the entire article....This now gives me a reason for a new rifle hmmm,maybe a 2 bore with a short harpoon or exploding rounds

Safarikid they do that

Check the net.All the way down to 12ga modified to fire harpoons at small sea mammals.

Karl.

quote:

Originally posted by hubel458:
It ain't big enough if it took 3 shots.......
Maybe Rob's or my 700. Or the 4bore coming.Ed

Go to it Ed!!!

I just knew there was a great needed use for a 577 t rex, now we know it is whaling. Yeehaw.

The Alaska Eskimos preferred the 577 T-rex because it weighed only 13 or 14 pounds and fired 3 shots,
as compared to the single-shot 50BMG that weighed "20 pounds," what?

They mentioned 570-grainers from the 50BMG at 3200 fps versus,
750-grainers from the 577 T-rex at 2400-2500 fps.

Did they claim 240" of water depth penetration versus 113" of whale blubber penetration with either the BMG or T-rex?

I think a 500 A-square would have been the better choice, with 570-grainers at 2500 fps in a repeater.

That will kill any whale that swims or beaches, when properly applied.
Less likely to end up with the rifle or shooter overboard too,
in case either decides to do some flying.