This little film clip (created by the folks at accuratereloading.com, a web site out of South Africa) is making its way around cyberspace, and it shows a shooter firing a .577 Tyrannosaur, a cartridge that was designed in 1993 at the request of two African PHs who wanted something really convincing in the way of backup rifles. The T-Rex, as it’s affectionately known by those who haven’t shot it, is loaded by A-Square, and sends a 750-grain bullet on its way at 2,400 fps, with 10,000 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. When fired in a 13-pound rifle, this produces 158 foot-pounds of recoil—nearly three times that of a .458.
If this is not enough for you, may I recommend the .700 Holland & Holland? This creation shoots a 1,000-grain bullet at 2,000 fps for 8,900 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. The only one building rifles for this beast is H&H, and they weigh 19 pounds. Oh, and the price is $200,000.
Too much for your pocketbook? There is always the .460 Weatherby and the .475 A&M magnum. They don’t carry nearly the cachet of the .700, but they are amusing nonetheless. In the 1960s, I saw a very expensive .475 A&M magnum split its stock on the very first shot. It was cloven down the middle as if by an axe.