Is a 30.06 a Big Bore Rifle?

[Texas Star]

John Taylor, the professional hunter and authority on African rifles, considered anything of .30 caliber (and smaller) to be a "small bore." This included the 30/06 and the .300 H&H Magnum. He didn't use the term "big bore" but considered the "large bore" to be everything from the .600 Nitro on down through the .50 calibers like the .500 Jeffery and the .505 Gibbs. Cartridges down to about .40 caliber were "medium large bores." All this shows is that the term is relative to where you are and what you, and others, do with a given cartridge. I wouldn't consider a 30/06 a "big bore" myself, given my experience with a number of bigger cartridges, but would probably give that honor to the .375 H&H and larger cartridges.

I basically agree with Taylor, but deem .40-up to be large bore.

I think small bores stopped with the .318 Westley-Richards.

 

[one eye joe]

I just got into buying rifles three months ago,what is the smallest caliber of a big bore caliber rifle?

THE .30-06 IS CERTAINLY A BIG BORE. I WOULD CONSIDER ANY CALIBER .30 AND AB0VE TO BE A BIG BORE.......

THE NRA CONSIDERS .223 TO BE A "HIGH POWER" RIFLE CALIBER, RATHER THAN A "SMALLBORE" AND AR-15s COMPETE IN THAT CLASS AS WELL AS "SERVICE RIFLE". IT IS SOMEWHAT CONFUSING.......

 

[Bakebfr480]

.375 and above!

 

[JayFramer]

.375 and above!

I would have to agree with this brief but accurate assessment.

 

[Richard Simmons]

I've never thought of Large Marge as a "bore" but she is a big girl!

 

[The_Truth]

I'm sure it's been said already, but to be considered "big bore," power, for me, isn't a consideration, only bore size. In a handgun, IMO, big bores start at .41 Magnum, not .40 S&W or 10mm. In rifles, IMO, big bores may start at around .375 for some, around .400 for others. I think a good rule of thumb is .40cal though, although in actuality for handguns a little bigger than .40 is where it starts and for rifles probably a little smaller than .40 is where it starts.

 

[mrchuck]

.40 caliber is the beginning of "big bore".

 

[Valmet]

Not IMO. I don't consider anything smaller than .375 to be big bore.

 

[Tony M.]

My biggest shoulder fired gun has a rifled bore that measures about 1 1/2" diameter, so anything much under 1" seems kinda small, but to each their own...

 

[steelslaver]

When I am shooting prairie dogs my 25-06 is a big bore
When hunting deer a 308 or 30-06 is big bore.
Hunting elk my 338 and 350 Rem Mag are big bore
With charging Rhinos and Elephants not so much.
Then I would need a 4 and a big bottle necked case

 

[500SNW]

I'm late to the party, but the OP's question got me thinking. If we are talking about RIFLES and nothing else, I say .22 to .30 is small bore....31 to .39 is medium bore...and anything .40 on up is "big bore." If you think about it, classifying cartridges and weapons with names like these has little use...except maybe for establishing generalized categories for competitions and scoring at gun ranges.

 

[rkittine]

As a Bench Rest shooter we actually talk less about what we call a given bore title compared to where we group them for different events. We usually group:

Rim Fire
.22X Centerfire
6mm / .243 / 6.5mm
.270 thru .338
Over .338
Call them what you want, but I would rather decide on an appropriate caliber / configuration via their Carbine round may be the same bore diameter as a .30-06, but the ballistics are a heck of a lot different. Same with ,30 WSM.

Bob

 

[nachogrande]

NOTHING CARVED IN STONE, THAT I'M AWARE OF.

I'll go with > 30 caliber, for rifles. 40 & up caliber in handguns.

 

[double-dipper]

Is a 30.06 a Big Bore Rifle?

Jack O'Conner: Yes, without a doubt.

Elmer Keith: Absolutely not.

Shortly after Jack moved to Lewiston Idaho he and Elmer went Jackrabbit hunting. Jack took a .22WMR and Elmer brought his 35 Whelen.

 

[Patrick L]

I agree with the poster who said a .30-06 will kill anything he cares to shoot.

Funny thing, I always said a .30-06 will kill anything I could drag out of the woods. After that deer I shot in 2015, it was apparent it would kill things considerably larger than I could drag out. I killed the deer, then it darn near killed ME getting it out.

 

[Qc Pistolero]

We live in North America;so I'll try to answer the question from that point of view.In the '70's I had a 350cc motorcycle that could(and did)beat dead most 500's and 750's on the track.Still,I considered it as a ''small bore killing big bores(bike mags called it ''the giant killer'').Or more accuratly,my definition would be:the smallest big bore or the largest small bore. Everything being relative.
Like I said,being in North America,I'd say that the 30-06 is the largest small bore or the smallest big bore.One thing is for sure;that's the smallest ballistics I want in my hands if facing an angry grizzly!

 

[bulletslap]

Next define a "High Powered Rifle"

 

[M3Stuart]

Personally, I don't think in terms of the caliber as much as the recoil or energy delivered.

With similar weight bullets; I'd call a 30-06 'large', a .308 'medium' and a 30-30 'medium' or possibly 'small'. And, of course, .243, .223 - even a .357 mag rifle, 'small'.

 

[shocker]

Really Big Bores

I stole this off another website - L to R, 8 bore, 4 bore (2000 gr bullet!) and a 450-400.

 

[gonerydin]

Next define a "High Powered Rifle"

Anything that leaves a bruise lasting more than one week. [emoji3]


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