So many of us have been romanced by tales told by Ruark and Hemingway and Capstick and God knows everybody
else about how fine it is to take one's trophies with a double rifle that we have lost sight of the first rule of being a good rifle hunter,
which is to say, you can hit with it and kill your quarry cleanly every time, or near as dammit. If you read those authors a bit more
closely, you'll note that Hemingway and Ruark and Capstick did a damn sight more shooting with a bolt-action rifle than with their big
doubles. How the double rifle became the "classic" for African hunting is a bit of a mystery to me, when I re-read these authors who are
the supposed champions of the dictum. W.M. Bell, John "Pondoro" Taylor, Craig Boddington, and many other African hunting icons have
demonstrated in their own shooting and subsequent writing that a good magazine (bolt-action) rifle was the best rifle for most situations
and most hunters.
Ruark,Crapstick and Hemingway were all raging alcoholics who relied on pen ink and spin merchantry literary license
to make a living.
Then you have people who were actual disciplined hard core hunters including those who relied on rifles to make a living.
Frederick Selous, - offloaded his SxSs replaced with single shots; Gibbs Farquharson, Holland & Holland Woodward pat.,
and .425 Westley Richards mauser.
WDM Bell - had two SxS rifles .318 WR and .450/400 , but throughout his career relied heavily on a range of bolt rifles for
a number of practical reasons. Reliability was of high importance to Bell in remote Africa. SxS rifles did not offer that. His SxS
proved unreliable as did other SxS rifles he witnessed other people using....He still praised the SxS for its beauty and allure,
but thats about it. To employ a SxS as his day in-day out primary go-to safari business tool & life saver, was out of the question.
A problematic SxS was capable of severely crippling a safari, even the speediest option could take months requiring a rifle be
despatched with a runner to a populated centre in hope (but no guarantee) of finding a shop capable of doing such specialised
repairs.
Harry Manners - shot his first ele with 10.75mm mauser, followed by his commercial ivory career of 1000 elephants and
buffalo for meat using pre64 M70 .375 H&H. which he then continued using as a PH.
Harry Selby - initially a Rigby .470NE, got damaged and replaced with .416 Rigby mauser and intermittent .458win M70.
total of 53 full seasons of culling and PH duties, nearly 50 were conducted with a bolt rifle....he had a .450/400 SxS as a
back-up but never had cause to use it. I suspect it was the .450/400 Bell once owned and also relegated to the sidelines.
" The only heavy rifle I could find was a Rigby .416 at a dealer by the name of May & Co.......I bought it.
Little knowing then that decision was one of the most important I would make throughout my hunting career.
So began a lifelong love affair between myself, the .416 caliber, and the Rigby rifle.
.
I very soon realized that this rifle and cartridge combination was for me far superior to any double. The inherent accuracy
of a bolt action was apparent from the very first shot, the phenomenal penetration was to make itself evident as time went by.
I also appreciated the four round magazine, and on several occasions was glad that those four rounds were ready and waiting.
Suffice to say that after about two Safaris I would not have gone back to a double under any circumstances. In the Rigby .416
I had found the perfect Professional Hunters rifle, A beautifully balanced, fast handling weapon propelling a four hundred grain
bullet fast enough to enable it to reach out up to three hundred yards if need be, when trying to bring down a wounded animal,
and yet perform with devastating effect on large dangerous game at close range. I was impressed!!!.
I have to say that this rifle never gave the slightest trouble, it did however, give the most satisfactory service anyone could ask
for, it never let me down, ever!!...Over the years as a Professional Hunter I carried the .416 from the Sudan in the North to
Botswana in the South. There have been some rather tricky situations, and it was largely due to the qualities of the Rigby rifle
and the performance of the 416 cartridge that everyone involved came through unscathed." - Harry Selby.
"...the big bore school, When they quote striking energy in foot pounds, it becomes almost irresistible. The weight of the piece ,
the size of the cartridge, the noise it makes, and the cost of it all, quite overcame the inexperienced man or those of naturally
weak reasoning powers.
Of course its must be recognition that some of the very finest craftsmanship goes into these heavy weapons. they are things of
entrancing beauty and have attraction quite apart from their utility as killers. I myself once fell under their sway.
I bought myself a double .450/400 hammerless ejector first grade by Daniel Frazer of Edinburgh. I knew Frazer well and often
fired his heavy pieces on his regulating range." - WDM bell , American Rifleman 1954.
When recreational hunters and some of todays PHs insist they 'need' a SxS or try to prop it up as superior, I get a chuckle.
however like anything else in life if a person simply wants one and can afford one, then why not.
