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Largest caliber you own?

30-06 is the most powerful I own. All I hunt is steepish local public lands for pronghorn, deer, and elk and she’s put A LOT of meat in the freezer.

Maybe I’ll get a bigger bore when I draw a local moose tag but I doubt it.

Ain’t sexy but stainless, synthetic, and a bit of electrical tape for the muzzle can be handy. Apparently Finland knows how to do stainless well, I’ve not had any rust issues in numerous wet hunts.
IMG_9852.jpeg
 
I like large caliber 19th Century rifles. .577 Snider, 577-450 Martini Henry, 45-70 and I just acquired a 43 Spanish Rolling Block. The photo shows the relative size compared to the wimpy 45-70 at the right. I'll have to take another photo with the Spanish round. It's a bottle necked case using a 440 bullet. IMG_0212 (2).jpg
 
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Varminterror said:
By caliber, 458WM now, was meant to be a Lott originally, but I'm on a shorter receiver and wasn't wanting to do a second lug on the barrel into the stock. I suppose my 45-70 and 458socom are technically the same caliber as my 458wm though, but obviously smaller and less potent cartridges - and my 475 Linebaugh is actually bigger caliber, but since it's a revolver and this is the rifle section, I assumed it's disqualified, and again, less powerful. No more 50BMG, think it has been... 16 years now? My most powerful rifle currently is my new 375 Cheytac, which eclipses my 458wm by over 50% in muzzle energy - and weighs almost 3x as much AND is almost 2ft longer, obviously not in the same application class.
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Those aren’t rifles. More like naval artillery.
 
Set a 50-140-550 beside those and it will make both look a little puny. Many years ago I bought a re-pro rolling block in that caliber just because I wanted it. I had no intention of hunting anything with it and never have. Several years ago I down sized it to 50-70 after having my right shoulder rebuilt. The rifle didn't cause the damage but I though it prudent to reduce stress on it. Shooting bench rest it still gets my attention plus everyone around. BIG boom and lots of smoke.
 
Trey Veston said:
Before my dad passed, I had no reason to own anything bigger than a .35 Whelen or .30-06 AI. Elk was the biggest thing I would ever shoot and I never got the thrill of shooting something that hurt you. But my father, who hunted dangerous game in Africa, Alaska, and Siberia, had such a need for some serious calibers. His Africa days long since passed, he got rid of his double rifles in 416 Rigby, .458 Lott, and .505 Gibbs.

All that was left when he passed was a Ruger #1 in .375 H&H Ackley Improved, built by Al Biesen, and a Sharps rifle crafted in Oregon in .50-90. I fired the Ruger, got a mild concussion, and gifted it to my brother for Christmas, lol.

The Sharps is now the largest caliber rifle I own, and I will keep it until I die. I have fired hundreds of rounds of .45-70 govt. in BPCR competition, and plenty of .45-90 as well. So the thought of shooting a rifle in .50-90 did not seem all that intimidating.

Until today. When I went to my storage container to scrounge up some ammo to shoot this weekend. The recipe I found was 91grs of black powder, with a .030 plastic wad, and 600gr flatpoint lead bullets.

I checked the ammo for condition, then compared it to my normal .45-70 competition ammo...

View attachment 1208422

The .45-70 looks downright tame compared to the .50-90!

Typical Idaho Spring weather with snow, hail, rain, sunshine and high winds all in one day has prevented me from any rifle shooting, but this weekend is supposed to get near 80 and be calm, so will hopefully shoot the Sharps and do a YouTube review of it.

View attachment 1208423

View attachment 1208427

I'm sure other folks on here have similarly giant calibers. Probably a few .50 BMG owners. Curious as to what other dangerous game calibers folks have and what they use them for. My Sharps may someday take an elk, but it definitely isn't needed for one.
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Your Dad must have been quite a Man! Some of his other rifles that you have posted about are just beautiful! As is your Sharps!

My biggest caliber is 45, as in 45-70. Sorry, I don't own any dangerous game rifles. I do have a 50 caliber Knight Muzzle Loader but I suspect that you didn't have muzzle loaders in mind for this thread.
 
CraigC said:
Have one of the first run of Japanese Winchester 1895 .405's
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I just love the look of the 1895 Winchester. 😍




My largest caliber rifle is now is .45 Colt. I have .357 Magnum, 30-30 and .308 Winchester rifles as well. I sold my 45-70 Henry Single Shot. Too much recoil in such a light gun.

I am (slowly) building a .50 cal Kentucky rifle so it doesn’t really count as I cannot fire it…yet.
 
Largest I own is the .50-140 or .50- 3.25 Winchester cartridge. It makes my .45-70 and .44-100 Ballard cartridges look puny. Here it is next to one of my .45-70 535gr. cartridges!

YwSBIuGl.jpg


And the Sharps it's chambered in.

3KNsZnhl.jpg


I had to buy a new RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme press just to be able to load for this long cartridge as my good old Rock Chucker was too short to allow the cases to be reloaded.
 
Couple of 45-70s and a 58 cal rifle/musket. Nothing really big. But more than enough for my Illinois "plains game".
 
My biggest rifle caliber wise is my 45-70 handi rifle, which can handle a LOT more than trapdoor loads if the shooter behind it is up for it. Honorable mention to my 35 Whelen I built for bear and elk hunting. Largest handgun is my 458 socom 8" upper. And since I also have an sbr lower, it can be my smallest overall length rifle too! Don't have any 50 cal stuff or bigger unless you want to talk shotguns..
 
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