Hunting North American / European Game with Big Bores?

[Northern Shooter]

I would like to note in advance that the cartridge 375 H&H Magnum does not belong to the big bores but to the same medium class as the cartridge 9,3x64 and even the cartridges 9,3x62 und 9,3x74R.

All of these cartridges caliber 9,3mm are very often used in Europe, and also some hunters make use of the cartridge 375 H&H Magnum for shooting wild Boars or Red Deers. So it's not uncommon. For me, a Big Bore is a cartridge at least caliber 10mm or 408. Such cartridges are rarely used in Europe, but in Africa, according to the circumstances, it is not uncommon to shoot small game with big bores.

Outside of Africa and in Europe, during a Wisent hunt, I shot two wild Boars with my rifle caliber 460 WBY-Magnum and a load for Big Game with a 500gr SP bullet from Hornady. Except that the holes were bigger, nothing special to note. The damage in the meat is sometimes even less than that caused by a light and soft bullet of a smaller caliber, unless one uses lighter thin-walled bullets of bigger caliber.

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I have a bad habit of grouping in the 375H&H with big bores due to its association as a "dangerous game" cartridge and the fact that it produces superior energy to several American Big Bores like the 45-70.

 

[Northern Shooter]

I’ve killed a lot of whitetail and feral pigs with my .375 Ruger Alaskan topped with a Leupold VX6 1-6. most of my hunting is done in thick brush and a 150yd shot would be stretching it, over the last 10 years or so the longest shot I’ve taken has been about 60yds. If hunting where I may need a little more reach I use my 7mm Rem Mag.
I’ve also want to shoot an American bison with my MRC .416 Rigby topped with a Trijicon RMR. Some don’t even consider a .416 or .375 big bores they consider them mediums but reserve the title of big bore to be .450 and up.

I'd concede that the 375s are mediums but most I've spoken with consider =/>.0.40 as a Big Bore so the 416 and 404 would be included there.

 

[Puddle]

Shot a black bear with the 400J out of a Ruger #1 using a factory ammo soft that chrono'd close to 2,000 fps. This was before the softs were bonded.

The bear was ~250 lbs. The wind was in my favor and the bear was sitting on his haunches happily gorging himself on hazelnuts using both paws and just never noticed me at ~70 yards.
I center-punched him between the shoulders, easy as he was sporting a white chevron to aim at, knocking him backwards.

I rummaged around for quite a while looking for that bullet as that was the first animal I'd taken with the 400J, but I ended up figuring it was buried too deep in the ground to find.

 

[colorado]

I'd concede that the 375s are mediums but most I've spoken with consider =/>.0.40 as a Big Bore so the 416 and 404 would be included there.

I think you're absolutely fine with lumping the amazing 375 H&H with the big bores. If not, in my opinion, big bores should start at .500

 

[MedRiver]

I have taken only three head of game with my .400 Whelen so far shooting a 360 North Fork. All three were whitetails and they all died within about 17 seconds and 75 yards of each other.

The first was a 3.5 y/o buck quartering to at about 185 yards. Hit left shoulder and exited offside ribs. Buck dropped immediately then got up and ran a few yards before piling up for good. Ray Charles could follow the blood trail.

The second was a large doe basically full broadside at 125 or so. Shot was through both ribs. Dropped at the shot and stayed put.

Third was a “button” buck. Very small at 125 yards or so. Also full broadside through the ribs offering minimal resistance. It too dropped immediately but tried to regain its feet and made it a few yards (like 3 or 4 at the most)

Meat damage was minimal on all three animals, certainly much less than I have seen with higher velocity rounds. I thought it interesting that two of the three did make it a few yards after dropping dramatically with the shot. Even so…no 100 yard dash. I can relate that the 360s make a heckuva “whoomph” when they contact flesh.

The .400 will be in Texas in less than two weeks looking for hogs. I am planning to hunt Javelina also but may hunt them with an open sight .35 Whelen shooting a reduced load and 158 XTPs.

My guess is the 360s from the .400 would leave me with a 50 cent or silver dollar exit and a very dead javelina but would not expect major damage. The north forks seem to open easily and hold together…pretty deadly for small to big.

 

[Jim Golden]

I shot a 230 lb Russian Razorback boar with a .375 H&H, 300gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw. The pig, while not huge, is really ill tempered. I've known guys who got really ripped up by them. These have a gristle plate (maybe they all do...I don't know...but this breed does) that looks almost like a saddle that wraps around them. Pretty much like armor. A guy there the day before put eight out of a .30-06 into one to put it down. He claimed they were solid hits anyway... Me, I pulled the trigger and he just fell over. 41 paces with iron sights. That was it. Kind of anticlimactic. Just blew a nice hole right through him. No fuss no muss. Might need to try another one with the .375 Roy

 

[WAB]

I only have one big bore, a .458 Lott. I have only hunted Africa with it. I’m just not going to lug that rifle around if there is not a Cape buffalo or elephant mixed up in the story somehow.

I have shot quite a bit of game with medium bores. My .375 H&H was my go to bear gun when we lived in Alaska. Our 9.3x62 is beginning to run the tally up on whitetail and will be off to Romania for red and roe deer this year.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

I'm planning to use my 500NE Double with solids on a couple hogs one of these days.

 

[93marlin]

A black bear doesn't take a lot of gun to take.
My favorite rifle for black bear is an 1896 Sauer double rifle in 11mm Mauser. 5 bear and counting. Only one needed more than one shot, it was my own fault

 

[colorado]

True, 've killed two with a 1911 45 ACP when I was the problem bear hunter on a ranch bordering Yellowstone Park.

 

[Longwalker]

I shot a big old cow moose last October with my .450-400 3" Nitro express. Worked just fine. Before that my local experience with the same rifle was limited to a bull elk. I have also used a .375 H&H for a couple elk, a moose and a black bear. I plan to hunt more local game with my medium-big bore rifles. Not because they are necessary, but I like the rifles, and enjoy gaining experience with them that I can apply to African hunting.

 

[dchum]

I've shot a 450 lb feral pig and a cow elk with my 500 Jeffery so far. Plan to practice on jackrabbits and take it on a bull elk hunt this fall.

450!!! what state? I wish I could see that

 

[colorado]

Colorado. Rancher in Western Colorado bought some Russian boars. They got lose and mated with his Hampshire pigs. They've overrun is ranch so my sons and I paid 250 each including staying in a bunk house and meals. I shot him at 8' between the eyes as he walked out of the thick stuff towards me. 570g TSX came out of his left ham leaving a desert plate sized exit wound. Guts were liquified. Not much meat out of this one. My youngest son (with me in the pic) got a larger one with his 270.

 

[ldmay375]

I regularly use either a 375 or 416 Ruger for moose. The 338 Winchester has worked very well also. This year, I might use a 458 Lott.

I like the caliber group of 8mm through 458. So that is what I use.