What’s a big bore and what accuracy is acceptable?

[steelo32]

Is 35 Caliber big bore? At 50 yards-75 yards-100 yards what’s acceptable spreads for a big bore gun? They don’t have to be hole in hole to achieve what they are made for.... and that is taking larger game.... I would say 35 caliber is big bore... requires too much air to plink with..... and the caliber itself screams small predators... but what say you is it big bore? Accuracy expectations of a 35?

Mod edit: moved to Big Bore Airguns forum

 

[Kinetic45]

Depends on the power of the gun and it's configuration.

Regular Bulldogs usually shoot 3 or 4 inches at 100 yards, convert one to a Pitbull and get 1 or 1-1/2, WITH the right slug.

I have a .357 and .457 Texan and both will do 1" at 100 IF tuned for the right bullet at the right pressure. Depends on the shooter too of course. Airguns are harder and different to shoot then centerfires. Lots of guys I've seen at the range where quite a few airgunners shoot only get 3 or 4 inches with their Texans but they just don't shoot enough to master the gun I think.

Got a custom WAR .357 FLEX rifle that shoots 150gr bullets at 980 FPS and I shoot it at a 6" steel gong at 300 yards and hit it 90% if the time, the missed shots scare it really badly, haha.

And the ultimate that I just got one of and others have done amazingly well with is the .357 Slayer, three different friends Slayers are MOA rifles

https://americanairarms.com/product/slayer-hi-power-bullpup/

But the couple of .357 PELLET rifles I have that can only shoot 81gr Diablo pellets group good to 50, 60 or sometimes 70 yards then their accuracy falls off. Had an Ataman that was a fine rifle except pellet only and just not powerful enough for my hunting needs.... Might fit someone else's so I sold it.

The Winchester .357 and 457 are basically pellet rifles and the couple guys I know with them had only OK accuracy. Not very powerful either so only pellets and similar weight slugs. Read about multiple people who took deer with them this last hunting season. Got a guy in Florida called Bullfrog who regularly takes deer with a .30 caliber and swears by it. (Makes great videos too, check out his YouTube channel)

So your questions answer is both "It's complicated" and "It depends". When I was growing up a lot of guys and their rifles (and ammunition) only got around 3" at 100yards and we killed and kept meat on the table just fine.

Kind of depends on what you are hunting too. Lots of guys have taken deer or hogs with some low FPE guns with precision shots. Like Tim Allen the comedian, I like "More power" so that if I'm off just a bit the bigger caliber and highest FPE I can get makes for a humane kill.

I've hunted and killed 140 pound hogs with a .25 Marauder and 33gr pellets but I now ALWAYS tell people they shouldn't because it's just too minimal, everything has to be perfect and too much can go wrong.

Finally, I cast my own Big Bore bullets and pellets too and I DO plink with them. Of course, owning my own SCUBA compressor so I have unlimited air helps immensely, hahahaha



Mostly cast 128gr to 152gr bullets/slugs but I do have this .357 pellet mold and it is an accurate projectile with the deep and medium base pin (don't even try the flat base pin, they shoot terrible)

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=35_586

Now my small and medium (up to 50 lbs) predator gun is a .257 Texan fitted with a Maddog Recon stock shooting the NSA 85gr BTHP at 1050 FPS/208 FPE and I get 1/2", yes ONE HALF INCH groups at 100 yards.

https://nielsenspecialtyammo.com/products/85-grain-swaged-257-caliber-sized-257-100-count

 

[2fast2furious]

30 cal and up is a big bore. 1 inch at 100 yards is good accuracy for big bore.

 

[Okie1959]

Since you have the airforce texan 35 cal and 45 cal in your opinion which do you prefer for predator hunting and possible some white tail use. thanks

 

[wimpanzee]

I get 3/4" (or smaller) groups at 50 yards with my winny 70-45. I don't plan on shooting any game further away with it.

 

[Kinetic45]

Well, most of my deer hunting is in E. Texas where a I'm sad to say my black Labrador weighs about what the average deer does... So in E. Tx the .357 and 110gr to150gr works great. Like I said earlier, I don't use the .357 for varmints (excluding hogs) but it would be great (+ somewhat overkill, but even any .357 pellet or slug would only be .38 Special FPS/FPE out of a snubnose compaired to a Texan)

In W. Texas and the other western states I frequent I would pick up the .457 and shoot a 250 to 300 gr bullet for the greater FPE (much heavier and you lose so much velocity and the extra FPE is not balanced by the drawbacks - IMHO) I guess you can hunt 'varmints' with the .457 if that's all you have and use a light weight slug but I've found the mid to heavier are more accurate, I've never gotten my .457 to shoot anything under 200 gr as accuratly.

Other's opinions will differ but I'd rather bring enough to the fight than be a bit short and fail on the hunt or fail my responsibility to my prey.

I'll bring up that everything I've said pertains to a stock, long barreled gun. None of mine is any more. All my Texans have carbon fiber bottles and modified valves and different hammer springs - - I fill to 3600 (NEVER OVERFILL THE ALUMINUM BOTTLE!) and get a Big boost in FPS/FPE that brings the .357 right up to what a factory unmodified .457 puts out in FPE. I know there are 4500 PSI kits but I have some doubts on the valve changes. Honestly, I'm waiting for there to be an incident reported about one of the manufacturers products.

I also target practice with air but if I'm hunting at longer ranges I fill with helium. Do a sighting shot, (because the rifle is now shooting 25/30% faster so the trajectory changed) and go hunting. Helium is great and can be shot in any unmodified airgun but: TANSTAAFL. Expensive, hard to source, usually has to be boosted in pressure because you can't buy it at 4500 AND it gives you that boost but it loses shot count 25/30%.