is big bore mania over?

D

dalegribble

New member
now that the 500, 480, 460 and even th 454 mags have been out awhile it seems much of the uproar over them has died down. what do people think of these calibers now that they have been around awhile? where does the 44 mag fall in as a caliber?

i have shot all of the above calibers. i liked them all, i shot them all well. the one problem i saw (at least for me) was the cost. not just the cost of the guns, which aren't cheap but also the cost of the ammo. it seems my wallet would give out before my wrist. reloading would cut the cost of shooting some but the guns are still expensive. i'm not saying they are not worth the money, they certainly preform well but i was wondering what was their nitch, where exactly do they fit in?

according to dirty hairy the 44 mag used to be the most powerful handgun in the world. so on clints say so i bought a couple of 44 mags. good guns, accurate, hard hitting. guns and ammo aren't cheap but at least reasonable. the 44 mag has taken every big game animal in north america and i believe around the world as well. i will admit a 500 mag might be a little more comforting than a 44 mag against a charging elephant but unless one escapes from the local zoo i will never see one anyway.

so how many people own one of the big boomers? what do you use it for? are you still in love with it? has anyone gone back to the good old 44 mag?
 
I can do everything I need to do with a handgun of a size I will actually carry in the field with a .44 Magnum or less.
 
Big bore guns will never go away. To me the 45 Colt is still very much alive and kicking. Some of the big bore guns will come and go depending on what the current fad is.

The 45 Colt, 45acp, 44 spl and 44 mag will live on forever.
 
I think the OP is referring to the super mags ie. 454, 500 and so on when he states "big bores", not just bore size.
 
I would like to have a .460, no use for it, but it would be a conversation piece, and an occasional shooter, I like the idea of 3 cailbers.I am sure that I will buy one someday, when I can find one a a great price.
 
I'm with S&W Keeper on the 460. I have an older motorcycle in the garage that I never ride. I'm thinking about selling it and buying a new gun. I've been eyeing the Magnum Research BFR. I'd use it mostly for long range plinking(mostly with 45 Colts) but it would be fun to run the occasion 454 or 460 through it. I'd also try deer hunting with it. Reloading is pretty much required given the $3+ per round cost of the 460s.
 
My Acusport 5.5" Bisley 44 Magnum is the max I figure I need down here in the Florida sand and swamp! Dennis
 
Big bore guns will never go away. To me the 45 Colt is still very much alive and kicking. Some of the big bore guns will come and go depending on what the current fad is.

The 45 Colt, 45acp, 44 spl and 44 mag will live on forever.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. Even my 45 colt, which I have run a 325 grain bullet at 1400fps, I usually just run bullets with 13 grains of HS-6 at 1100fps and call it good. There isn't much in the lower 48 states that isn't going to fall to that, if I do my job with the aim.
 
The 454 Casull has been around for a while now, since 1959. It's probably the release of Freedom Arms model 454 in 1983 that brought it more into the shooting public's attention.

We could add SuperMags to the discussion. .357, .375, .414, and .445 :D
 
Was there ever that much of a mania in the first place, in terms of sales at least as opposed to media coverage?
 
I think when Smith brought out the 500 and much easier to live with 460 mag revolvers,there was'nt much more reason to go any larger in caliber as the guns themselves are so large,it's just as easy to carry a rifle that will have even more power.

And wonders of wonders,as the guns got more powerful people started realizing just how great and versatile a caliber 44 magnum really was and is.

Yes,the big bore handgun wars are over.
 
Big bores

I see where the OP is coming from,I think.Look at the 480 for example.There was big hipe when it came out then it fizzled.Even Ruger seems to have scaled back on its production or at least the last time I looked at there website it seemed to.I myself have 2 44 mags and they will do anything I need.I admit that I am a better shot with a 357 but I love slinging a larger bullet around even if I can't hit as good.
 
"I think the OP is referring to the super mags ie. 454, 500 and so on when he states "big bores", not just bore size. "

true. i was wondering how many people went for those mega mags, if they used them for hunting or target and if they were still as excited about them as when they bought them.

i think the 44 mag has become a staple in the shooting world. it covers everything from target and long range work to hunting everything in north america. i'm not putting down the more powerful calibers. the only disadvantage i see to them is cost and in some cases size. i guess i'm happy with my 44 mags and 45 lc's for what i do and where i live.

it seems most of you pretty much feel the same way.
 
my dad has a 460 S&W and he loves it. He typically shoots 454 from it though.

My "big bore" pistol is a 45/70 BFR. I got it because I all ready shot a lot of 45/70 ammo and all ready reloaded for it. I have taken 3 deer with it. I feel it is more accurate with the heavier bullets (400+ grains).
 
Time will tell.....

I think that the 454 Casull is here to stay even though it goes beyond the limits of most humans to handle well. If there's any useful future to the likes of a 500 S&W I expect it will be as a rifle cartridge. The 44 magnum and 45 Colt +P are right at the limits of human endurance. Of course, there always a few super-humans around for are qualified to disagree for themselves only. But they can't represent the vast majority of us that don't look like Arnold in his prime. However, there will continue to be a fascination for things that are too powerful for our own good: Extreme magnums, fast cars, and faster women. It's what's the matter with people.
 
I had a .460 and thought it was one of the coolest guns I've ever owned. But it was just that a discussion piece. It was cool to pull out now and then and shoot a few times a year but for where I live it isn't practical. My .44 will put down anything around Minnesota.
 
The .480 Ruger didn't "catch on" for a variety of reasons. But I would argue those reasons were more marketing and types of guns in which it was available. It's a fine cartridge. It still baffles the heck out of me that Ruger didn't offer it in a hunting type of gun. A nice five shot single action revolver. One of their Hunter series with scope mounts on the barrel. Another one with a shorter barrel as well. Although I do dearly love my .480 Alaskan!

Gregg
 
mania?

I'm not sure that it ever got to that level of interest, but one of the most overlooked advantages of the big bores is their versatility through the use of a variety of handloads. That they are powerful is all well and fine, but the true beauty of them is how well mannered they are when loaded down!

I have almost no personal experience with the big S&W X-frame calibers, so will have to rely on input from others with more experience with them. I own revolvers in .41 Mag, .44 mag, .45 Colt, 454 Casull, .475 Linebaugh, and 500 Linebaugh. The .41, and .44 are certainly capable of taking pretty much any game animal on North America. But, this does not detract from the utility of the larger calibers. Imagine having the power of a heavily loaded .44 mag, but with a more manageable recoil impulse. This, IMHO, is where the big bores shine!

As bore diameter increases, the efficient use of the pressure driving the bullet, also increases. Pressure x surface area=force. This means that a larger bore will propel the same or similar weight bullet to the same velocity as a smaller bore with less pressure. Less pressure generally equates to a more pleasant and manageable recoil impulse.

Using heavier weight bullets is one way to increase performance of any caliber. Heavy weight bullets offer better penetration, larger wound channels and increased velocity retention, just to name a few advantages. In many cases a heavy weight, larger diameter bullet at a modest to moderate velocity will provide equal or greater performance than a smaller caliber of lighter weight at higher velocity.

As an example, the .475 and .500 Linebaughs can both be loaded quite light and still deliver big performance. My general use loads in both of these cartridges is a 400 to 440 grain bullet at velocities of 800 to 1000fps. These loads are plenty for any game short of the big bears, yet are far more pleasant to shoot than a .44 mag loaded with a 250 grain bullet at 1400fps+. The recoil of this type of load is a big push, not the sharp slap of a high pressure, high velocity load from a smaller caliber. I personally prefer shooting these loads over a stout load in a .357 mag. The .357 has less recoil, but it is much sharper, and has more of a crack to the sound signature as well. I find the noise and blast of the .357 to be quite annoying. In contrast, the big bores with light loads have a slower recoil impulse, they boom rather than crack, and they still perform as well or better.

If you get the chance, try the big bores loaded down to equal energy levels of the next smaller caliber. I think you ma be pleasantly surprised by how easy they are to shoot and how much fun.

JW
 
I'm whole-heartedly in favor of the heavy duty calibers; I doubt, however, anything will ever knock the humble .22 long rifle from first place in popularity.
 
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