Big Bore

Since my trip to Africa I have been fascinated (Tristie might say obsessed) with African hunting, especially dangerous game hunting. I would love to go back to Africa to hunt the Big Five (Cape Buffalo, lion, elephant, rhino, leopard).

I have also been fascinated with the rifles used for dangerous game hunting in Africa. While I would love to pick up a classic double rifle in 500 Nitro Express, I just can't quite handle paying in excess of $10,000 for a rifle. The $10,000 dollar models are the bargin bin variety, if you want a really nice Holland and Holland double with engraving and all the bells and whistles you are looking at paying around $150,000. That is a little rich for my blood, but I did decide that I could sell one of my AR-15's and pick up a nice express rifle in a dangerous game caliber. I found a great deal on a CZ 550 Safari Classic in .458 Winchester Magnum and bit the bullet and sold an AR. It was hard letting the AR go, but I have others. Now I am the proud (and sore-shouldered) owner of a big bore dangerous game rifle.

.458 Win Mag is capable of killing anything big enough to die including elephant, rhino, hippo etc. It also kicks a little more than your average deer rifle. This picture shows how the cartridge shapes up compared to a .22 and the venerable .30-06.

Today on the range I decided to see what the .458 would do to a slab of rock. I strained my back lifting an 8" thick slab of rock and then set my camera up to see what would happen. At 50 yards the 500 grain bullet completely penetrated the rock and broke it to pieces.

"I am strictly a heavy-bullet man myself. I cannot abide wounding things that could be simply killed if you used enough gun" Harry Selby, Professional Hunter on Robert Ruark's first safari.