Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Preparing for Africa rifle/scope

Every serious big game rifle I have is a CRF winchester

I have a .223, a savage 11 in .243, a savage 10 in 7mm-08, and a marlin 30-30. I do not have any scopes that are worth anything

I'm a bit confused on the direction of this thread now.

Is your question " what scope should I buy" ?

Well that crf and your leupold comes out to $1300. So your telling me I need to raise my budget $100 to be able to afford to hunt Africa? You said im hunting 2 countries, What 2 countries am I hunting?

I think he's reading what you wrote.

look at the Meopta line. A lot of scope for the money and real quality all the way.

Hack: In my old line of work it's time to punch out some chaff & flares, unload the airplane cobb on all the power and knots she'll give you, extend distance and GTF out of Dodge!....

Jorge, I cannot even type on this iPhone I'm laughing so hard I cannot hold it steady!

Savage88:

My wife and I have been going to Namibia every year for the past eight years. I've also completed the RSA PH course a couple of years ago.

You already have 7-08 and as long as all you are after is PG, you shoot it well and load it with heavy for caliber TSXs as fast as you can push them, in my opinion you have all the rifle you really "need". My PH friend has a "loaner" in 7x57 that has taken everything up to Eland.

If you want to get a better scope, you can find used Leupolds on Ebay for half the price of new all day long. As far as magnification goes, there are not many people that can shoot well off of sticks with much more than over 4x power. With a little practice you can learn to shoot with both eyes open on 2x for close-in thick brush. You can find a good used Leupold VX-II for under $250 or a 2-7 Leupold Rifleman for around $175. When it comes in, you send it off to Leupold to have it checked out ($10 shipping) and it comes back in a few weeks good as new and if was seriously screwed up they ship you a brand new one.

If you're dead set on a new rifle think about a CZ550 in 9.3x62. You can find them brand new on Gunbroker for under $800. That caliber is just under the power level of a 375 H&H and the recoil isn't much more than a 12ga with field loads. It will knock the stuffing out of all PG in Africa and everything in N. America as well. Only downside to the 9.3 is finding off the shelf ammo in the States but it is everywhere in Africa.

$375 for a used Leupy on the Classified Boards in 3.5 x 10. I picked up a USED VXIII in 2.5 x 8x. It seemed to work, as I killed a bunch of animals in Zim last fall. I think it cost around $325?

I like taking my own rifle. I borrowed a PH's .308 on my honeymoon to shoot a warthog. But I like to bring my own. You can pick up a used Model 70 on the boards and still be under $1100 total.

DON'T get the 9.3 x 62. You can't find ammo for it anywhere in the states. Yes they are cool, but get a 30-06 or .300 Win Mag and you will be fine.

SB45:

True enough on finding off the shelf 9.3 ammo in the US. Can order it on-line from a lot of sources though. Expensive but available. Since I'm a devoted re-loader, factory ammo isn't an issue. 30-06 is a very viable option with ammo available pretty much world-wide.

IF and I do mean IF the UN Arms Treaty is ever fully implemented and more countries and airlines actually increase the enforcement of some existing laws and regulations they already have on the books that prohibit the transport of any caliber firearm and ammo that has "ever" been a military service caliber anywhere, things will get tougher in the long-term for all us traveling hunters since so many calibers originated or where at some point military "issue" calibers.

Since the OP seems to be a fan of the Savage Arms line and thinks his current 7-08 is "not enough" for African PG and is on a tight budget, I just re-checked the Savage web site. They make a stainless/synthetic rifle and Weaver 3-9x40 scope package called "International Trophy Hunter XP with a MSRP of $795. Get that in 375 Ruger and he would be good to go anywhere in the world and any animal in the world for the rest of his days and have the "emph" he stated in the OP out to 500yds. IIRC, Leupold bought out Weaver a couple of years ago.

I just went out to Gunbroker and found one NIB with a Nikon 3-9x40 with the BDC recital (next best thing to "turrets") for $585. The OP would have enough left over in the budget for another trophy fee. He'd probably still have to order ammo on-line in the US or get into reloading, but it has become pretty prevalent in RSA and Namibia where he said he was planning on going.

3 years ago, a year ahead of my first trip, I contemplated for over a year about what rifle/scope I wanted. I was shooting a Savage 7-08 with a Zeiss scope, but knew I wanted something larger and more of a longer distance gun because I knew my plans after Africa was to hunt out West and Alaska/Yukon.
One rifle for everything.
I opted for the Savage Weather Warrior in 300WSM with a Leupold VX3L 3.5-10. I have a CDS on it matched to my bullets. It has the half moon cut out of the bottom so my scope sits lower and is more comfortable to shoot.
I love it.
But, I got the scope on sale for $600 and the rifle was $860, so total was over $1500 after tax.

I plan to go back to Africa in 2014, this time my wife is coming. She wants Kudu, Impala, Blesbok, springbuck. She will use her Savage 7-08 ladyhunter which is her deer rifle and it will be all she needs.

but, reading M3Taco, his option sounds great. In fact, dawgonit, now I want one of them Savage 375's.

Based on the rifles you currently own, a .300 WM would compliment them nicely and would work well for Africa and other future hunts. I don't have any experience with Vortex, but I have a number of Zeiss Conquest and you can find a 3-9 x 40 for under $400.

Another suggestion, if you're planning to bring your own rifle, I'd recommend using a rifle permit "meet and greet" like Henry Durrheim . For a first timer, it's $100 well spent to take the hassle out of dealing with SAPS.

My rifle shoots the Barnes 165 gr TTSX very well, so that's what I use. I've taken all of the larger plainsgame (with the exception of eland) with that bullet and had good results.

Ive only been to Africa once and oure group shot about 20 animals including eland. I used a Savage SS 1o in 7mm WSM and my son used a Rem 700 in 300 WSM. My daughter a 308 and my cousin a 300 WSM. The conclusions I came to, are if the bullet is good quality for the game and its plasced well, the Animals drop. They may run a short way but they drop, including eland. If the shot isnt perfect you may have to walk a bit. Barnes TSX and Nosler partitions just fine. Point ius 7-08 will work, 300 winns will work and Savage will work. My estimation of quality and use for the $, Bushnel elite scopes are hard to beat. A Savage 300 WM or WSM will run 1/2 a hundred or so and a Bushnel 2.5-10 is about 400$. Fits thge budget, will shoot almost anything you want to hunt. Not DG of course. A word to the wise on Savage products, I find their quality control is not exemplary, so shoot it for praqctice before you go, check all your ammo for function(especially let the ejector kick the empties out) ( mine didnt all the time<ejector issue>)( infact would accept about 8-or 10 caserims). Keep things on budget and enjoy your trip.

Savage 88,
If you are concerned about the cost of a rifle and scope,
how do you feel about the cost of a round trip airline ticket?
Just curious,
whelennut

Maybe savage88 isn't a rifle loony like the rest of us. Sure doesn't mean he can't afford to hunt.
Add me in with the 30-06 and Leupold 3.5-10x40 crowd. This the combo I used in SA recently.
Most people here are recommending the Leupolds with good reason.

For heavens sake don't lob lead at these game animals at 500 yards. You are doing yourself a big injustice to the hunting and stalking experience and it doesn't say much about your hunting prowess.

When I was in SA I borrowed a Mauser 7x57 with iron sights from the land owner.
I didn't even get a chance to sight it in. The farm hands put on a drive for me and eventually a few came within range. They lectured me about wasting meat and when I asked how they did it. they responded that they only took head shots from a helicopter.
I had fun but it wasn't what I expected.

Whelennut:

That is really most unfortunate your RSA hunt wasn't conducted like you expected. The way you describe it, it sounds like it was more like a biltong/culling operation than a free-range/fair chase op. I use the word "conducted" on purpose as there are very inexpensive culling "hunts" wherein the landowner is just looking to reduce herd numbers and meat sales being the primary revenue stream and not "trophy fees". If that was indeed the case I can understand the "head shot" being the preferred POA.

I would hope you would seriously consider going back again to a operation that offers free-range/fair chase hunting. While it may sound "easy" to go after a particular animal mixed in a herd of 40-50 others, the serious challenge is in the stalking to within 100yds or less. Especially, since you have those same 40-50 extra sets of ears and eyes on the lookout and then toss in the "go-away" birds or eyes of the baboons that you can't see but they pick you up at 700yds and start barking and not to mention the multitude of any other number of species that you didn't or can't see in between that will "bust" your stalk in an instant.

Thank you, that's great advice! I will take it all into account. It's nice to hear from someone that doesn't think I'm not able to hunt unless I spend as much on a rifle as I do for the trip

Savage 88, I went to SA, Eastern Cape this spring on a plains game hunt. We are going back again, Lord willing 2015 if not next year if I can swing it. I rebooked for a twelve day hunt, 10 full hunting days 1x1 and $1000 credit towards trophy fees for $2800. Kudu trophy fee is $1150 (any size) for example of reasonable trophy fees. Throw in a few of the smaller game plus your airfare and dip and pack your looking at around $6000 +/-. You CAN do Africa on a working mans budget ! Good luck! Kevin