Something different...1" / 4 bore

[Artos]

Ok, went out to a buddies ranch who got a couple new toys. Had some 1800 vintage doubles in 8ga and 4ga he wanted to sight in and test loads...the big one shoots a 2200gr pill. NO, I did not shoot it. The little bullet for scale is a 22-250. Gun is 22lbs and you can get an idea of the size by looking at the hand / forearm. Note the pic of the recoil and smoke.

[cheez]

What the heck was that gun built for Lining up elephants in a row and shooting them all at once

[justin156bc]

I like big rifles and I don't think I want any part of the monster.

[bearintex]

Need video!

[AggieBall]

I think I would hide behind a brick wall and use a string tied to the trigger. Holly cow.

[Artos]

Need video!

pm me with email and I'll try to send.

The only one vid I got was with the mild 8 bore loads for his kids
I missed the one of him getting rolled on the back of his neck while shooting the 4....this was the best I could do.

[AggieHunter]

Just a few things I found on Google

The 4-Bore size being an old reference measurement of 4-Balls to the pound of lead, which computes out to 1750 grains of weight. ....... case length of four and one quarter inches..... The barrel tooling was made up and the bores cut to 12 grooves one turn in 66 inches. Brass cartridge cases were machined from solid stock, ......Very early in testing loads (through a 110 lb fixture that slid on a steel-plate, two and half feet during recoil) it was obvious that excellent groups were possible with the right components and loadings. The best groups obtained during these bench tests, measured one and half inches centre to centre, five shots at 50 metres.

Back when I was apprenticing in his shop he was commissioned to build a 4 bore Muzzleloader in a similar style as the 2 bore.

When it was nearly finished and needed to be sighted in I got the pleasure of helping do that job. The 4 bore exerts 255 PSI at 32 FPS of felt recoil(if I remember the number correctly), and I can tell you that at 6′ 5″ and 240 pounds and being very experienced with big bore guns, it was still more than enough to push be back a quick two step. And after 2 shots left me black and blue for about 5″ around my shoulder area(part of that was because the rifle was built for a smaller statured person so it really didn’t fit me). But the owner of the 4 bore shot it once and sent it back to Steve to sell.

The man bought more gun than he could handle, and I believe it was more painful than he wanted to ever shoot again(speculation on my part).

For reference a 300 Win. Mag. (180 gr at 2960 fps) pushes an 8.5 lb rifle @ 14.0 fps

Thats a lot of gun!!!

[mesquitecountry]

makes my 50 look like a bb gun!!!!!!!! get that man a muzzlebrake!!!!!!!!

[rem788]

I need to borrow that for Water Buffalo. I bet its like dropping a squirell with a 12 gauge slug.

[Ricky T]

Cool stuff, Artos. 'magine ammo's pretty pricey, huh?

[Cajun Blake]

P,

was he shooting thru the Oehler ??

i'm thinking the percussion would damage the 3 skyscreens

that dude has bigger "pelotas" than me

awesome dbl-bores as that stuff ain't cheap !!!

[AgHntr10]

holy ****

[Kiowa Scout]

I read an article once about a hunter that used one in Africa around the end of the 1800s. He was resting the rifle on the tracker's shoulder, and when the hunter fired the 4 bore, it recoiled up, ripping the tracker's ear off his head and ruptured his eardrum. The cape buffalo that the hunter shot, was charging and the hunter hit him directly center chest; the bullet exited through the hind quarter of the buffalo.


I don't think that I want any part of that rifle.

[Solocam00]

HOLY ****E..... now thats alotta gun right there, might be fun to shoot.....NOT

[Artos]

P,

was he shooting thru the Oehler ??

i'm thinking the percussion would damage the 3 skyscreens

that dude has bigger "pelotas" than me

awesome dbl-bores as that stuff ain't cheap !!!

Blake,

YES!! I thought they were gonners too...That one was actually a hotter 8 bore and speed was 1350. He normally tells me what he pays for his new toys but said he was too embarrassed on these. Very rare. They both have damascus bbl's and he's a little spooked to shoot full blown loads. I know the 8 bore was a Purdy but don't recall the other. He actuall gave me two bullets to pull as the work up on the 4 got a hair sticky. Still not 100% sure how I will tackle it but probably d&t. Strangely enough, he says his full loads on his 600 nitro pound him a bit more than these??


Ricky,

He said the cases alone are $15ea...I can't wait to see the dies.