Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa 2 rifle battery....your thoughts

i would like to hear opinions and advice for setting up 2 rifles, to hunt africa....

i know this has probably been discussed, but my "searches" have not found info i am looking for...

To me it depends on what you're hunting and where. If it's a Plains Game only hunt in, say, the Eastern Cape or Kalahari, a .338 (something) and a .30 (something) would cover just about everything. The exceptions here would be Giraffe and Eland, IMO. If it's a combination of Dangerous Game and Plains Game, then I'd say a .375 H&H/Ruger/etc. should be the minimum and whatever larger caliber you can shoot accurately and comfortably. To my mind, both rifles should be able to perform the same tasks if you happen to run into a problem.

It's a good topic to rehash. Let's ask a few questions.

What do you want to hunt? Where do you want to hunt?
For the sake of discussion, let's do a 10 day buff and PG hunt

The classic combo is the .375 H&H and the 30-06. You will never go wrong with this combo. Rock Solid.

I've used 9.3 X 62 and 6.5 X 55 Swede. The Swede is a little light for 400 lb+ PG, but will do the job. I find both of these calibers perform in the field better than on paper. Sure killers.

I took everything from Springbok to kudu with a 7mm Rem Mag, and consider it really the starting point for a general PG hunt. .300 Mag is better. I've used an 8mm Mag with good results. .338 is great if you can shoot it.

The .375 family will take care of the buff, and bigger PG without punishing you with recoil. I wouldn't recommend anything bigger for the first time around. .416's and .458's bite at both ends. If you can shoot them, then great, but if you've never hunted with anything bigger than .300, pass on the over .40's

Final question is, what do you have in the safe at home? I used a Savage 99 in .300 for zebra and nyala, and would do it again in a heartbeat. It's not a classic "African" caliber, but now is at my house. So let us know what you've got.

30-06 and 375 H&H worked for me.

338 Win and 416 Rem works for Allen Day

7x57 and 9.3x62 works for John Barsness

Well I'm just a newbie at this, but for the hunt described above, I'd go with a 300 (Weatherby's my preference) and a 416 (I use a Rigby but the Remington's more practical). Boddington favor the 338/416 combo as well. jorge

Newbie at what, flying?

Hard to argue with any of the combos mentioned above. I'm a newbie as well, but went with the .338 Win Mag and .416 Rem Mag for my plains game/buff hunt. As Jorge and Utah mentioned, both Boddington & Allen Day recommended the .338 & .416 combo. I know Boddington just recently did another poll of PH's and their recommendation has changed somewhat. Way back when CB did his first poll, in the early 80's I believe, I think they recommended the .30-06 and the .375 H&H. Now, I think they have gone to a .300 magnum of some flavor and the .375s. With all that said, recoil and how you're able to handle it may factor into your choice. It's hard to argue with the .375 H&H or Ruger and many, many people kill dangerous game every year with the .375's, so you don't need a .40 or over. I'd recommend going with whatever you feel comfortable with and have confidence in. Myself, I've used the .338 for well over a decade for elk and was therefore very comfortable with it. The .338 and .375 are so close to one another, so I wanted something a little larger for DG. I always had a thing for the .416 and found that the recoil didn't really bother me, so I went with that. I believe Jorge had quite a bit of prior experience using the .300 Wby, so he went that route. More information on what you intend to hunt in Africa and what your hunting experience is and with what calibers would help with a better recommendation.

As posted earlier by others, depends on the quarry.

If buff, lion or elephants are included, I believe that both rifles should be capable and legal for the dangerous game. Here a 375H&H would be a logical light rifle, or maybe a 9.3x62 in Zim where it is legal for all. For hunts including one of the above, I take a 458wm and a 375H&H and both have served me well.

If a leopard or plains game are to be hunted, with no larger dangerous game, then any number of cartridges will do. A 308 or 30-06 and 180gr or 165gr premium bullets will do for all. So then choose a second rifle for longer shooting or heavier hitting if you wish.

JPK

I'm a "non-flying-object" now!

jorge

I have been using the .338 and .416s for many years now as the best combo in DG country...For a plainsgame hunt I would take a .338 for Eland and a 30-06, 270 or 7x57 for everything else..

I wouldn't put as much emphisis on caliber as I would bullet construction and proper placement of that bullet..Most calibers do about the same job with good shot placement.

I recall Allen Day preferred his 300 Win Mag over the .338 (he had both) and that is an excellent choice. I sometimes opt for my old 300 H&H and 200 gr. Noslers and that's hard to beat.

On a plainsgame hunt you would be hard pressed to do better than just taking one gun, that being a 300 magnum of whatever make and model you like, and no other. Just use the 200 gr. Nosler and your set for whatever shows up..

JPK

Sorry to slightly correct you, but the minimum in ZIM for elephant, rhino and hippo is 9.2mm and 5300joules, and I know of no factory load that exceed 5202joules (RWS 300grain TUG). You will no doubt be able to obtain 5300+ joules by hand loading, but it might be difficult to convince a Game warden about the quality of your home rolled wonders.
This said is it very unlikely that anybody will question the strength of your ammunition.

NAN

300 H&H and 375H&H...been doing it since, forever.

I'm heading over next year with a 375 H&H and a 300 RUM.

Plains game hunt

I am aware of the miminum calibre and energy figures in Zim Parks regulations and the energy the 9.3x62 makes. Apparently the Zim Parks folks have never been aware of the energy factory rounds in 9.3x62 produce and even Parks liscensed PH's use it for dangerous game, including elephants. As an example, AR and African Hunter Magazine's own Ganyana, whose real name escapes me for the moment. The 9.3x62 is the cartidge he uses for personal hunting, and sometime client back-up, though he also uses a 416/500 double rifle for client back-up. He is just one example, and he'll tell you its legal too.

JPK

JPK

Legality and common practise seldom walk together in Africa. This light hearted attitude to a country�s laws, however, do not give the individual PH, author of ballistic editorials or not, the right to arbitrarily rewrite it at will.

NAN

.270 and .338 . If you need bigger for DG, .270 and .416 or .458.

I've been over only once, and that only for plains game. Take that as full disclosure as to my credentials (or lack thereof). For the record, I took a .257 Weatherby, and a .375 H&H.

If I were to leave tomorrow, and dangerous game (buff ) was on the menu along with plains game, I'd take a .300 Winchester and a .416 Remington. Partly that's because I'd like to take some of the bigger/tougher plains game (eland, zebra, gemsbok), along with kudu, wildebeest, hartebeest, and waterbuck, and I flat love the .300 Winchester with 200-grain bullets.

I've never hunted cape buffalo, but when I do, my guess is I'll be toting a .416 Remington.

Of course, if I opened my rifle case upon arriving in camp and found a .30-06 and a .375 H&H, I can't imagine I'd be handicapped in the least.

True, but perfection is the 308 Win and the 375 H&H. . . . .

BMT

This is exactly how these Internet flame wars get started!

I never been to AFRICA, but this post really nails it.

The fact is a LOT of combos will work well.

What do you WANT in the story?

Your old faithful 270?

A classic round (like the 303 Brit?).

Something fun (Winchester Model 1895 in 405 winchester Like Teddy R?)

An easy to find, easy to use, sure thing? (30-06 and 375).

The fact is-ITS YOUR HUNT.

Within certain criteria--ability to practice with a round and shoot it well, rounds with enough power to work effectively, etc., most general purpose rounds within each class are fine.

Pick something you want to use and can shoot well. Then talk to your guide (to make sure the choice is appraopriate for the game and conditions he expects) and go forth.

Remember, hunting is serious BUT WE DO IT FOR FUN!!!!!!!!!

No need to worry about the 0.007 inches between tht 270 and the 7mm.

Good Luck, and HAVE FUN!

BMT