[1] The caliber was also used for the Coffman cartridges used for starting large aero engines such as the Rolls-Royce Griffon as used in the later Marks of Supermarine Spitfire.

The advent of rifling after about 1860, allowed longer conical projectiles to be stabilised, and, aside from accuracy, these provided even greater weight and penetration, with some hardened lead or steel bullets weighing as much as 2000 grains or 129.6 grams.

Although 4-bore firearms were commonly referred to as "rifles", smoothbore version of the weapon were actually more popular, and remained so throughout the era of 4-bore usage.

Since dangerous game was shot at ranges under 50 yd (46 m), a smoothbore was sufficiently accurate, while at the same time providing higher velocities and lower recoil, and needing less cleaning.

Many famous elephant hunters during the 19th century used such weapons, including George P. Sanderson in India and William Finaughty and Frederick Courteney Selous in Southern Africa.

[4] With the advent of breechloading cartridges in the late 19th century, the 4 bore came into its current guise, that being the well-known 4 to 4.5 in (100 to 110 mm) brass cases.

John "Pondoro" Taylor mentioned in his book African Rifles and Cartridges that the 12 drams (328 gr., 3/4 oz., or 21 g.) charge would propel the projectile at around 1,330 ft/s (410 m/s).

This caliber was used heavily by the European hunters, notably so the British and Dutch Boers, in tropical climates of Africa and India.

A single barreled smoothbore percussion cap musket of between four and six gauge called a "roah" was the standard weapon among Boer hunters, until the common acceptance of breechloading rifles among their ranks in the 1870s.

Henry Morton Stanley carried a 4 bore Farquhson single-shot rifle on his expedition to find David Livingstone.