Dangerous Game Cartridges.

[JonVan]

I would like to know if anyone has heard news about any other manufacturers making a 460 S&W lever action rifle other than Big Horn Armory for $3,600.... Yikes. I am hoping either Henry, or I don't know, Smith and Wesson might make one in 460. Yes I understand it's hard to make due to how high pressure the cartridge is. I just like that it can cycle 460, 454 and 45 Colt. I'd primarily shoot colt out of such a lever gun.

That being said is it even necessary to get a 460 for dangerous game if I intend to get a Ruger Hawkeye African in 375 Ruger and cross draw my 45ACP/45 Colt Redhawk with Buffalo bore 300g Dangerous Game if I ever go up north to hunt. I want a rifle/ handgun that can overkill all animals in the US if necessary. My primary rifle is a Ruger SFAR 20" 308 Primary Arms 5x prism and Vortex venom.

 

[contender]

You can have the most powerful caliber, rifle, or handgun in the world, and it not kill anything.
UNLESS you are capable of putting a properly selected bullet into the right place(s) that will take down that particular animal.

You mention "overkill" in describing the calibers for anything in North America. Many can fit the description. And the same ones can fail with a bad bullet design, or a miss or bad hit.

A big part of things falls to the shooter.

Myself,, I would not feel undergunned with a .45 Colt and my cast, powder coated 280 grn slug anywhere in North America. But that's just me.

 

[TheTexasRAT]

I'll stick with my Ruger Redhawk chambered in 45 COLT for woods protection. I have Lehigh Defense's 250 grain extreme penetrators @ 1,000 fps.

 

[Jeepnik]

Up until I decided to get a new levergun a few years ago my go to was (still is really) a Left handed Remington 700 in 30-06. It's killed everything I have shot "IF" I did my part. That includes black bear and elk, sadly no moose yet.

For tat levergun I decided on the 45-70. I hear tell folks using 45-70 leverguns have killed even the largest toothiest terrestrial critters on the planet. So while I never plan to hunt Africa, or huge brown bears/polar bears, I figure it would work. You don't need the highest pressure hardest recoiling round. You need the best one "you" can shoot accurately (not to mention rapidly in some cases).

 

[Mobuck]

The 7x57 and 6.5x54(?) worked pretty well for some of the prominent 'African' hunters back in the early 1900's. Shot placement was critical.
Current bullet technology has changed the face of the 'big game/dangerous game cartridge' playing field plus the fact that most guides in this business carry their own version of man portable cannon.
Those living in the midst of big bears and such can probably justify the need for a 35-45 caliber repeater suitable for 'in your face' ranges. My personal choice if I was ever in such need would be a Win 94 Trapper in 44 mag with a suitable factory loaded heavy controlled expansion or flatnose non-deforming bullet. Quick to get in action and fast follow up shots if necessary.

 

[thinckley]

.308/30-06 are big enough for any animal in North America. .375 H&H would be more than enough, but as @contender stated, you have to do your part.

I carry my OM SBH in a chest rig when I am in the woods, hunting or not.

 

[Paul B]

Back when I was abe, I usually carried a 4 5/8" Ruger Super Blackhawk loaded to the max. Not much fun to shoot but I could hit well with it. Sometimes I would carry a 5.5" Ruger Super Blackhawk Bisley load with John Linebaugh lvel handloads. Not a lot of dangerous game here but when I hiked the local mountains or desert, I sometimes ran into a Black Bear and an occasional Mountain Lion. Mostly it was the bears. While most got the hell out of Dodge when noticing me, there were a couple that stood their ground a bit before deciding It was time to be elsewhere.
On some of the mountain hikes I would run into small groups from the local university. It never failed that it was the girls (women?) that griped the most when they saw the gun in my hip. When I asked them if they ran into a bear or lion, which they would like better, being armed with a stick they just picked up or having me around with that gun on my hip? Usually after a bit of conversation they would reluctantly agree with me.
Paul B.

 

[bergmen]

Back about 13 years ago I found a brand new Rossi model 92 stainless in 454 Casull. I bought it to go along with my two 454 Casull single actions (Freedom Arms Model 83 and Ruger Super Blackhawk Bisley). I had trouble with the sights (they kept flying off, poor machining with the dovetails). Then I quit hunting and sold the rifle. Still have the revolvers though, they will stay.

 

[eveled]

As much as I like my pistol caliber carbines. They don't make sense to me larger than .357 mag. Maybe .44 mag.

If you need more than a .44 mag step up to a proper rifle cartridge.

If it needs to be a lever action. Henry makes the Long Ranger in .308, or find a Savage 99. Or even a 30/30

If it needs to be big bore .45/70 would be tough to beat.

 

[kmoore]

What ever you take for SD against dangerous game. You had better practice and practice a lot. The more recoil the less you will be willing to practice. If you don't develop great marksmanship with smaller caliber handguns and rifle, you never will. Once you start flinching, it's extremely hard not to without coaching and lots of more shooting. That equals to lots of time and money. Some people, guys and gals both are real sensitive to heavy recoiling firearms and never get good with them but excellent with smaller calibers with much less recoil.

 

[Mobuck]

kmoore's comments are another reason I favor a 44 mag carbine. Lever actions can be quick with a little practice--even if you're not Chuck Conners.

 

[buckeyeshooter]

I had Doug Turnbull fix me up with a Marlin 1895 Cowboy that was converted from 45/70 to 50 Alaskan in 2004. I can load it mild to wild. It is pretty much my go to in Ohio because of the stupid straight wall nonsense. I load it like a 45/70 with a 300 grain Barnes original at 1900fps. For bigger stuff everywhere else in the world, like bears, elk and moose I load a 535 Grain Woodleigh at 1850fps and it blows a golf ball sized exit in anything you shoot. I have not fired a 460 SW rifle but I would guess you could get the same flexible range of use that I do. You would have to use a Winchester 1886 to make one. The Winchester 92 would take the pressure, however, my guess is you could not rework it to feed. The cartridge would be too long. There are some out there that are chambered in 454 Casull though.

 

[Mobuck]

With the 'potential' available from a 454 Casull/460 S&W in a carbine length barrel, is there any real gain from a 45/70? If so, is that gain worth the lower magazine capacity?

 

[buckeyeshooter]

With the 'potential' available from a 454 Casull/460 S&W in a carbine length barrel, is there any real gain from a 45/70? If so, is that gain worth the lower magazine capacity?

My thought would be that the big benefit would be a revolver and rifle chambered for the same round. I would say little to no improvement over a 45/70. The 460 is a shorter round 2.290 vs 2.70 for a 45/70 so a winchester 1886 would hold more rounds in 460.