Is a 30.06 a Big Bore Rifle?

[TIMETRIPPER]

If you selling it to the gun shop it's a small bore. If buying, its a big bore.

John

 

[John Patrick]

The traditional definition from the British after the transition to cordite was up to and including 30 calibers was a small bore (303 included .318" to .375 was medium bore; 40 calibers were medium large bores and 45 caliber and up was large bores.

With the British experiences, particularly their hunting, in Africa and India considered for context, it makes sense.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

All very interesting. Perspective is the key PLUS a legitimate determination of what the rifle is supposed to be for.

It might be relatively silly to bring a .30 caliber rifle to a prairie dog or squirrel hunt where everyone else is using assorted .22 caliber rifles or .17s but that does not make that rifle a "big bore" rifle. Just overkill for the event.

However, if you bring that same .30 caliber rifle to Africa you will not be permitted to use it to hunt dangerous game, where .375 is mandated, but it's good for all of the plains game that are there.

That's just a point of information with respect to how professional hunters and governments view rifles in Africa and what they deem "big bore".

Then there is the Dallas Safari Club - it holds an annual "big bore" shoot where the minimum caliber is .375. The usual presumption is .375 H&H but I happen to have a lever rifle called the Winchester Model 94 Big Bore in .375 Winchester and at one point they were going to permit me to use it but it so happened I had other plans so I didn't attend.

So, what makes a rifle a "big bore"? Anyone can have an opinion on this subject but I'd have to stick to .375 caliber and I think that's the case with the professionals in the field and in the gun magazines..

 

[DTH]

If a .30 is a big bore for some of you the I guess your Prius is a muscle car!

 

[diyj98]

I agree it's a meaningless term. A 35 Remington is a big bore compared to a 300 Win Mag, but it has no where near the 300's power, so what is "big bore" really telling us?

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Don't forget the 55 Cal Boys Rifle!
Here's the one up at NRA Whittington.
It's been modified to shoot 50 BMG.

 

[CH4]

Big bore in real terms of hunting large game is 40 caliber and up.

^^^^^^^^^^
This
However, right or wrong, the 375 H&H is often lumped in with the big bores.

 

[Patrick L]

Personally I consider a .30-06 to be NOT a big bore. But it is high powered for sure!

Just my way of seeing things!

 

[oysterer]

at ranges it's either 22 or big bore

 

[racoonbeast]

I agree that it is a nonsense term. If you want your 30-06 to be a big bore, then congratulations you have one. If you don't want it to be a big bore, you can go that way and be just as correct.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Thanks! When I stopped hunting and Liquidated my Rifles,
The only one I kept was this Carl Gustaf 30-06.
Later I did double back and buy a really ugly Savage 223.

 

[johngalt]

My own personal opinion, but I think one of the characteristics of 'big bore' is it has to be a long action cartridge.

 

[Eltioloco]

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

Yeah, Ol' Elmer needed the 35 Whelen for those quartering shots, the bullet has to get to the boiler room to do any good. Don't underestimate the girth on an Idaho jack rabbit.

 

[pantannojack]

All Bets Aside, I recall in my starting to Re Load days, the first book I read stated that the 30-06 was the standard by which all other calibers were judged, or something like that.

 

[Puller]

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

I can honestly say in all my days of hunting and shooting and firearms acquiring I have never uttered a sentence that included the term "big bore caliber rifle".

 

[44wheelman]

This whole bit about it being powerful makes it a big bore is nonsense. So is a 270 Weatherby Mag a big bore? Why not, it shoots a 150gr bullet faster than a 30-06, must be. So a 30-06 is, and a .308 not?

As others said, Winchester says 375, and I'm inclined to agree.

As far a handguns….is my Dan Wesson .375 Supermag not a big bore cause it don't start with 4? So now you can make standard .375 for both.

 

[pantannojack]

in NRA comp, 22rf was considered small bore, 30 cal said to be High Power. Then 7.62 became High Power, then 5.56... then so on. I would look back to Robert Ruark's book "Use Enough Gun" before I made my decision.

 

[Pocketrocket]

Big bore

Ok since we revived this thread here's my idea of some big bores.
Sorry about the bad picture but these were on the work bench for show and tell...
10Ga, 600 Nitro, 500 Schuler, 476 Nitro, 450 Eely, with some modern rounds 416 Weatherby, 50BMG, and really scary "high powered" .223.

The only one I've shot is the Weatherby, it was a handful.

 

[JDBoardman]

In my opinion, anything from .50 cal on down is small bore. 105mm is medium bore, and 155mm and above is big bore.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

By the time it was adopted the 30/06, along with the 303 British, 8MM Mauser, 8MM Lebel and similar rounds were considered 'small bores", a combination of smokeless powder and the introduction of jacketed bullets had made the older large bore military rounds-45-70, .577/450, 11MM Mauser obsolete.