Big Bore Hunters

How many hunt with any type of medium or big bore rifle? Say a 338 and up calibers, yes I know most will say it’s overkill and stupid but I’m curious if many guys hunt with them like I do. My go to is a 375 H&H mostly for pigs but I’ve shot a lot of deer with it as well and my second pig gun is a 416 Rem Mag. I’ve shot a good many with a 458 Win mag as well, dead is dead Anyone else throw big lead?

Marlin 1895 in 45-70. Hornady 325 gr. LeveRevolution.

10 or 12 years ago I killed a whitetail doe with my friend's 375 H&H. He had it at the lease and we spent all afternoon shooting up a bunch of factory ammo to get brass for reloading. I saved 3 rounds and took it with me to the stand that evening. It made a fairly impressive hole in the deer. I've also shot a couple of deer with a 45-70 and some HOT handloads. That thing was violent at both ends. I've got my friend's 50 BMG in my safe right now, but I don't think I'll take it hunting. Wagging 32 pounds of rifle around the woods doesn't sound like much fun.

I have a 338RUM that Alamo built this year-- currently sitting 3/3 all shots over 400 yards. Big fan of putting a big hole through critters.

Had and sold a 45/70 for the reason mentioned above by TTID.

Do you count shotguns and muzzeloaders as well??

I use to hunt pigs with a 375H&H. Wild Boar is Texas’ version of “dangerous game” so I was justified in my choice of caliber.

Absolutely. And they perform very, very well.

A lot of folks don't realize that the "bigger" slugs wear a considerably thicker jacket as they were designed for adequate penetration on larger, heavier game than whitetails. Launched at their usual moderate velocities, they punch through with much less tissue damage than might be expected. The first whitetail I ever shot with a .375 was examined soon afterward by my hunting buddy who commented that he "screws 'em up worse with a .270". The big bores work so well on the "little stuff" because th slugs arrive pre-expanded!

I've taken whitetail and hogs with the .375, the .416 Rigby, the .45-70...as well as a favorite wildcat, the .338-08 Ackley Improved. In fact, I'll be carrying my old warhorse .375 sometime this season...just 'cause it hasn't been in the field in a while.

Mark

I have taken several hogs with the previously mentioned Marlin 1895 .45-70, and it works as advertised.

The beauty of using African Big Game type rifles for "conventional" hunting is if you handload. With cast bullets and minimum loads a cartridge like the .458 Winchester Magnum can be loaded to Trapdoor .45-70 levels and it will still punch a thumb size hole all the way through anything we have in Texas. The .375 H&H can be loaded down to .38-55 or .375 Winchester level, etc. This is also an excellent way to practice if you are planning a trip to Africa.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

Glad to see I’m not alone in the quest to chunk big lead I’ve shot a good many pigs with a 50 years ago but it’s just to much work messing with that any more. I agree that the smaller faster rounds generally do more damage than the larger calibers due to bullet design but I don’t worry to much with brush in the way when sending in a 500 grain chunk of lead after them

This thread really got me to thinking about my old .375 and the fact that it hasn't been afield since Zambia five years ago.

Since I had to go down to the range to work with a friend's recalcitrant rifle anyway, I scooped up the Warhorse and a fistful of 300 grain solids. I'd refinished her stock recently, and it needed sighting in anyway.

Boresight and one shot at 50. One shot at 100. Crank in some needed windage and elevation. Another single shot. Tweek the scope a bit left. Two more shots to confirm. All the last three in 1 1/4" (including the scope tweek). I don't deserve this rifle.

But as Clint Eastwood said (as William Munny in "Unforgiven")..."Deserves got nothin' to do with it".

338 Federal, 357 Mag, 350 Remington Mag, 375 Win, 38-55, 44 Mag and 45-70 all seem to kill things quite well.

I do a lot of hunting with a Rem Model 700 Classic in 375 H&H and a CZ Model 550 American in 9.3x62. I handload so the 375 is always loaded with 300 gr Woodleighs and the 9.3x62 is loaded with 286 gr Woodleighs.

I have also used (but no longer own) 45-70, 450 Marlin, 350 Rem Mag and a William Evans double rifle in 450/400 Nitro Express.

12 gauge slugs!

I’ve shot pigs with my 375 H&H. That old guns been with me from Alaska to Africa. I may dust it of In December and bust a pig with it for fun.

You should, she would probably appreciate a little love

I was really pleased with the 416 Ruger, hand loaded with 300 grain Barnes TSX. Same velocity and trajectory as the good old 30-06, but twice the surprise at arrival!!

For past ten years I have hunted with a 358 Winchester. Never felt it was over kill. Everything is DRT. There would be a good blood trail if they did run. Unlike my experiences with a 243, there are hardly any blood trail.

I opened a safe and pulled out the 460 Weatherby Mag for tomorrow so pigs be damned, their in trouble. I’m feeling frisky today

I used to hunt with a 35 Remington in a 14" Contender Pistol, it was potent on both ends. I have a friend that has a Marlin Lever Action in the same caliber and he is very lethal with it.

Brought the. 44 mag and the old reliable 444
and the newly reamed 357 maximum to try out.
Just because you can, doesn't mean you have
to load a big bore b*lls to the wall thunder and
lightning knock your shoulder off.
It's going to plow on through by virtue of mass.
It's already "expanded " so a good flat point
will make your finger sized entrance and wreck
everything inside and make a nice thumb sized
hole on the way out. Lets the blood out and the
air in where it's not supposed to be.

The bigger the hole, the faster the boat sinks

Decided on the 358 Winchester for the morning hunt.

I’ll be hunting whitetail with my 338 Sherman this year

I've got a .357 mag. single shot I reamed to .357 maximum and it's a tack driver.
I've taken deer and hogs with it, and they all never went far with good blood.
Only problem is getting the brass and limited selection of bullet type, and you had better be into reloading with all the goodies.
Not to mention the single shot .45LC I reamed to .454 Casull which is not my favorite to shoot because of the recoil. I would rather shoot my 45-70 over that .454 Casull.