Written by Greg Buchel, Founder of Big Horn Armory
The first thing a hunter should consider when hunting large or dangerous big game is cartridge caliber and bullet construction. Matching the right cartridge and bullet will enhance the hunting experience and help avoid a potentially dangerous confrontation with certain types of big game.
Big-bore firearms generally give an advantage to hunters of tough big game. Their frontal area is larger than medium or small bores and transfers energy more efficiently to the target animal. Big-bores are .400” in diameter or greater. Medium bores range from .300” to .399” and small bores are .299” and smaller. There is some overlap in these ranges, but these are generally accepted figures.
The following chart outlines the frontal area advantage of .500” diameter bullets.
| Bullet Diameter Inches | Frontal area in2 | .500″ area Advantage |
| 0.500 | 0.196 | |
| 0.458 | 0.165 | 19.2% |
| 0.451 | 0.160 | 22.9% |
| 0.375 | 0.110 | 77.8% |
| 0.338 | 0.090 | 118.8% |
| 0.308 | 0.075 | 163.5% |
| 0.277 | 0.060 | 225.8% |
| 0.224 | 0.039 | 398.2% |
Learn More About Bullet Construction
About Big Horn Armory:
Big Horn Armory was founded in 2008 with the expressed intention of designing a Browning-type lever-action gun chambered in 500 Smith & Wesson Magnum. The Big Horn Armory Model 89, made in America, closely follows the work of John Browning with refinements courtesy of modern metallurgy and machining capabilities. The first rifles began shipping in September of 2012 and since then, BHA has added to their big bore lineup with a Model 90 Carbine in 460 S&W, the Model 90A in 454 Casull, the Model 90B in .45 Colt, the Model 89A in 500 Linebaugh and the Model 89B in .475 Linebaugh. In 2017, Big Horn Armory took a departure from its lever-action series and developed the AR500 Auto Max, the most powerful short-range, semi-auto based on an AR .308 platform.
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