ALAN_MCKENZIE
.400 member
Reged: 24/03/04
Posts: 1214
Loc: Western Australia
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Does anybody know someone in Australia or maybe overseas that owns,shoots or has used a 4 bore rifle,particularly a single shot ?
I have a friend who is interested in aquireing one but wants to do some research on them first..
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"Dogs always bark at their master"
Sir Seretse Khama.25th June 1949
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szihn
.400 member
Reged: 24/06/07
Posts: 2121
Loc: United States
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I have made a few.
I know one man hunting buffalo "down under" with one I made, but I have only a few details on the hunt. He used to live in Pennsylvania, but I understand he's moved now.
He did tell me it was far and away, the best killer he's ever shot, but at 1.052" diameter balls, (1750 grains)I was not surprised at that.
I'd be happy to answer any questions he has if I can.
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mauserand9mm
.400 member
Reged: 03/09/09
Posts: 1079
Loc: Queensland, Australia
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They used to paper patch the projectiles for the 4 bore express rifles to minimise lead buildup in the rifling. I think the projectiles were conical and weighed 1500 grains, so there there was a reasonable amount of paper patching involved.
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Omnivorous_Bob
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Reged: 03/10/05
Posts: 286
Loc: Montana
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PM sent
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"If we're not supposed to eat animals, how come they're made out of meat?"
Edited by Omnivorous_Bob (24/09/10 11:29 AM)
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Gollum
.224 member
Reged: 21/11/09
Posts: 11
Loc: Ngunnawal ACT Australia
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Contact Len Steele at Ammunition and Armoury Services (Melbourne) He was involved with the cartridge manufacture (I think he turned the cases and cast the proj) for the Rewa 4 bore that appeared in a SSAA magazine about 10 years ago. Might be of help.
Ian.
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CHAPUISARMES
.416 member
Reged: 16/01/08
Posts: 2908
Loc: DUBBO, NSW, AUSTRALIA
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One for sale at this link.
http://www.centuryarms.com.au/docs/bolt.html
. 
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Gollum
.224 member
Reged: 21/11/09
Posts: 11
Loc: Ngunnawal ACT Australia
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Yes thats the beast.
G.
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NitroX
.700 member
Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40839
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
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John aka NitroX
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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"
Edited by CptCurl (03/07/11 11:04 PM)
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bigdog
.375 member
Reged: 05/02/06
Posts: 559
Loc: Southern Illinois
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I like them with 2 barrels as in a double.
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Kyle, I love you buddy, Dad
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mauserand9mm
.400 member
Reged: 03/09/09
Posts: 1079
Loc: Queensland, Australia
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I think the second barrel would really be redundant 
...besides you need to have at least one retina still attached to fire off an aimed second shot
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iomskp
.300 member
Reged: 10/11/08
Posts: 119
Loc: Cairns Queensland Australia
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I have held the one from century arms it is a nicely finished rifle.
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DarylS
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Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27816
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
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A true 4 bore round ball weighs 1/4 pound, which is 1,750gr. (7,000gr. divided by 4) & is 1.052" in diameter.
If 1,500gr. is correct for it's projectile, why? The reduction in weight must come at the expense of a hollow projectile which would penetrate less in comparrison to a solid round ball as the lighter, hollow bullet has lower sectional density, or if the gun has a much smaller, non-4 bore, bore size?
A 1,500gr. round ball is well under 1" in diameter - about .985", where as 4 bore is 1.052". What is the actual diameter of a 'solid' 1,500gr. slug - would it be closer to 7 or maybe 6 bore? Either would make more sense.
See mauser- just saved your retinas with a little 6 bore.
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Daryl
"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V
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mauserand9mm
.400 member
Reged: 03/09/09
Posts: 1079
Loc: Queensland, Australia
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Quote:
See mauser- just saved your retinas with a little 6 bore.
Ahh, that's much better. Dealing with loose teeth fillings is much easier
Actually, I fired a friends 505 Gibbs a couple of weeks ago and that flared up my sinus' (I was only an inch away from getting a headache anyway before I fired it). The following 5 shots didn't make it any worse though.
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CommandCar
.333 member
Reged: 18/09/10
Posts: 292
Loc: East Coast, USA
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How much does that single at Century Arms weigh? I remember reading a piece on shoothing that monster. I seem to recall a 4" case and conical projectile. Dangerous Dave at Old Western Scrounger imported a bunch of the ammunition for that project and was selling them as curios. Anyway, the author was describing a bright "flash" everytime he fired it. He initially thought it was muzzle flash, but discovered it was actually his retna separating from the back of his eye under recoil...
I can handle recoil, but load it sensibly with roundballs (OR add wheels and a string) and I'll fire it.
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mauserand9mm
.400 member
Reged: 03/09/09
Posts: 1079
Loc: Queensland, Australia
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That's scary. I always joke about retached retinas and was skeptical that it could happen from firearm firing - I have always assumed worst case that you would break a shoulder or lose consciousness if you fired something too big (like a 50BMG bolt action without the muzzle brake), but firing the 505 Gibbs did feel to me like I'd been punched in the head.
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bigdog
.375 member
Reged: 05/02/06
Posts: 559
Loc: Southern Illinois
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The century arms 4 bore weighs 22 lbs. There are not many true 4 bores out there at a true 1.052 diameter. A lot of the old English 4 bores are really closer to a 5 or 6 bore and most have a diameter in the .980 to .990 range. The old 2 bores were really a true 4 bore back in the day. They are not practical, but you can learn to shoot them without them feeling like a punch in the head. With practice, proper fit and stock design, they are shootable. Most kick far less than a 700 nitro at 16 to 17 lbs. But they are not for everyone.
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Kyle, I love you buddy, Dad
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sbs470
.333 member
Reged: 15/04/04
Posts: 378
Loc: Sheffield Tasmania
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there is a 4 bore shot at the Victorian BGRC at the Little River range on a regular basis.
good shooting
sbs470
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fourbore
.275 member
Reged: 28/03/10
Posts: 70
Loc: NewEngland
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As my moniker would suggest I have an interest in the 4 bore rifles. I had a true 6 bore that was smooth bore round ball gun. Although limited in this in my practical experience, Ive done a lot of looking and fair amount of reading. And sadly maybe forgetting too.
I consider the "TRUE" four bores to be any guns that fired 1/4 oz projectile. Thats today. But we used to call them 5 or 6 and no shame or denigration implied. In most cases just the opposite. I guess the commercial reality had lead to referring too all the over 8's as being 4 bore.
And in my opinion (and just an opinion) the 'best of the best' so-called (today) 4bore were all proofed as 5 or 6 and fired conical ~1/4 ounce bullets behind the heaviest charges of black power. And for the few who could handle them they were the best killers, prior to cordite.
All the 1 inch guns I ever saw or read about fired 1/4 ounce round balls and were the biggest (bore diameter) guns actually used with any success and built in any numbers in excess or 1-zee or 2-zee experiments. I hear a few guns were made to fire 1 inch conical bullets but yet to see in person or even a photograph a single example. I hear there was a new book, I need to find a copy.
I suspect 150 years ago as today we had odd ball exceptions and experiments. Wierd stuff happens, like terminator II fantasy weapons. Someone today or yesterday build this or that but the guns were really hunted and called four bore, were generally proofed as 5 or 6 and those were the great guns of yesterday. Those and the round ball 4-bores the biggest bore, if not the best.
Thats my take on the past, and what happens in modern time is a separate subject. Anyway was not just 4 and 8, it is 4,5,6,7,8 with a lot of those .9xx bores that were the true greats of the past.
Two bore, I dont think so. Only as a modern fantasy piece, like the 700.
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bigdog
.375 member
Reged: 05/02/06
Posts: 559
Loc: Southern Illinois
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I certainly would not consider the 700 as a fantasy piece. I am sure you mean 4 oz. balls and not 1/4 oz balls for the 4 bore. I am with you on all the big calibers. Whether it is a 4,5,6,7,or 8 bore, they were all used to take lots of game and all were used successfully. I like shooting a true 2 bore, diameter 1.326" diameter. But I have never hunted wither either 2 bore that I own.
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Kyle, I love you buddy, Dad
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DarylS
.700 member
Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27816
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
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Bigdog - what load do you use in muzzloading 2 bore rifle Steve built?
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Daryl
"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V
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bigdog
.375 member
Reged: 05/02/06
Posts: 559
Loc: Southern Illinois
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I have been using 385 grains of pioneer FFG. It is about 15% hotter than black powder but cleans up a lot easier. It is equivalent to approximately 440 grains of black powder. A fairly comfortable load as far as recoil goes. My chrony is on the blink and not working at the moment. I would say about 1300 ft/sec with the 3370 grain ball if memory serves me right. 12640 ft. lbs is plenty. It could be pushed hotter, but I don't enjoy getting beat up as much as I used to. Maybe I am getting smarter at 50. NAH!! I doubt it.
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Kyle, I love you buddy, Dad
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eljefedouble
.300 member
Reged: 23/04/06
Posts: 189
Loc: Vic, Australia
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Quote:
there is a 4 bore shot at the Victorian BGRC at the Little River range on a regular basis.
good shooting
sbs470
One more reason to head down to little river...
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"it dont mean a thing, if it aint got no zing"
"Toa bunduki mkubwa"
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