Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Plains Game rifle choice

John, are you considering retiring? That statement is very true, but for a gun writer to say that is heresy. How will gun companies be able to sell more rifles and ammunition companies be able to sell all the latest newest and greatest ammunition when a knowledgeable and respected gun writer states that a plain vanilla rifle chambered in a 100+ year old cartridge is all a hunter needs for most hunting?

A .30/06 and a .375 (or .416) is all anyone needed 100 + years ago and the same holds true today.

JB calls it like he sees it, not playing to the grandstands...

There are enough gunwriters out there. feeling the need/pressure to be pimping wares.

Some don't need to...

Besides, hunters perform best with equipment they're comfortable with.

The old '06 will kill a lot more stuff than it gets credit for. New bullets and new powders make the old hoss even more lethal.

For big stuff, the .375 H&H can speak for itself. And, there are better components for it, as well.

DF

That's one thing I really appreciate about JB, his candor and honesty. I subscribe to his "no speccial rifle" theory as well. My 20 yrd old Tikka 7mag went with me every time.

Cascade has a 375 H&H or two, those go with Africa like Lions and Zebras, I'd have to take one along.

Ya, much as I like & respect my 30-06... The 375 bug is biting.

Just loaded up 50 practice cartridges earlier today, 270 gr Hornady RNSP's going about 2700 fps via RE-15. I do like that load. Took three bears with the 260 gr Nosler Accubond over RE-15, but... Kinda hording those remarkable bullets.

Practicing at 300 yards, maybe three years ago, with the 375 Number One. Love ringing that gong! Especially with the 375's...


The 30-06 makes a lot more sense, but if not for Africa & Alaska... Why do I own one (or two) ?

Guy

Now You're getting it Guy. I took one I bought here off BSA, when I go back, so will it.

[The 30-06 makes a lot more sense, but if not for Africa & Alaska... Why do I own one (or two) ?

Guy
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Exactly. I took my friend a Winchester 70 SS/synthetic Safari Express, .375 H&H on my first visit/hunts with him in 1996. I took a supply of the then available Winchester factory load of the 270gr Failsafe, and some of the same in components. I used it on a warthog ( just to be doing it) that was running at 50yds, hit him through the hips and killed him instantly! ha. Later, in 1998 and again in 2002, I went with some friend and in addition to our own rifles ( 300WM/180 xbt; 338WM/200x; 340W/210xbt; and two other .375s ( a Whitworth Express and a Remington 700 BDL/SS-270 Failsafes too) we used his Mod 70 .375. Zebra, Waterbuck, Red hartebeest, Wart Hogs, Blesbuck, Impala, Blue & Black Wildebeast---all fell to the 270 Failsafe. In '98 we also drove over after a SA hunt to Aroab, Namibia. The big dunes ( with camelthorn tress and scrub) were almost perfectly a half mile apart with "short sage brush looking, though thorn covered, stuff in the floor of the "valley". Though game was seen far off, none of our shots were over about 380yds. Most averaged around 200yds, just due to the way we hunted. We could shoot further, but if you didn't know your rifle and the wind...you wound him you bought him! That's why I like the tougher bullets ( though I admittedly would use the Barnes 168 TTSX in the 30-06 as fast as I could get it) like Partitions, so I could take an animal I really wanted from a less than perfect shot angle. whether first shot or finishing shot, that's $$$, ha. So take both in a 2 rifle case, a spare is always nice. But take that pretty bolt .375 H&H you have, its the perfect place for it! I sighted my rifles anywhere from a 1-2" high at 100 and shot them out ( and measured real drop) out to 500 before going over. In effect, the same way I do here, ha. You won't have a lot of time on most of the game as they will be moving, in a herd milling around, or bat crap crazy wild! ha. But you simply "have to go".

buffybr,

Actually, I semi-retired this year--if you can all its that. Signed up for Social Security the first year they couldn't deduct anything if it made "too much money otherwise, which allowed me to drop my lowest-paying magazine market, which was about half my work-load in "paper" magazines.

But still am committed to doing at least a couple dozen paper-magazine articles a year, as well as a few dozen on the Internet. Oh, and a book every other year, due the slave-driving CEO of riflesandrecipes.com. So am not exactly retired yet, though do plan on fishing a LOT more....

As to the 30/06 making a lot more sense for PG — well, not really. If you can shoot the 375, like it, take it. I can say, IMO, you are for certain not over gunned on gemsbok, zebra, wildebeest, or eland with the old H&H. It’s not a matter of other cartridges not doing it — they can. But the 375 is hardly ever inappropriate. Even for the dainty impala and others of its ilk, it usually doesn’t produce excessive damage like some of the newer whiz-bang kids can.

John, I can heartily recommend (even partial) retirement having just completely done so in January though I am also enjoying chronic low back pain now and just found out I’m severely hypothyroid. One of the body’s master glands going off-grid brings about various and sundry, subtle enjoyments besides the usual, normal old-age stuff.

Enjoy that fishing!

George,

Am very sorry to hear about your physical problems. Have been pretty lucky so far!

My experience concerning the .30-06 and .375 is the opposite of yours, not only due to my personal experience with both cartridges (have used the .375 even more than the .30-06 in Africa, on one safari as my "light" rifle), but because of my opportunity to watch MANY other hunters in action.

Most do not handle much more recoil than the .30-06 well, especially over the course of a 10+ day safari. Have found the .30-06 (and similar recoiling cartridges) far more effective overall, because (again) most hunters shoot them better. And a good .30-06 bullet in the right place beats a .375 bullet in the wrong place, by a wide margin. Have seen plenty of examples of both.

John - I'm going to be brave and see if my old shoulder still tolerates the 375 Number One, 'cause it's such a cool rifle.

If not.. the 30-06 will get the nod. That danged Remington is a great rifle for a hunter. Accurate. Powerful enough. Easy to use. Reliable... And very successful in the game fields.

The 375 is major league cool though. And in the past I've shot it pretty danged well. I seem to be aging faster than the rifle. We will see.

Guy

Cascade,
You know you can take and enjoy both. In fact, that is what I think you should do. You enjoy, and have history with both rifles. Create some more history, in Africa.

Guy,

You could take both, as somebody has already suggested. It's more of a PITA, even if you use a take-down case suitable for two rifles. (Yes, the No. 1 will fit in one if you remove the buttstock. Just need the appropriate screwdrivers.)

As to bringing both, yes it would be a hassle to tote two rifles and I probably wouldn’t have but for the Blaser R93 modular system I had at the time which made it really easy.

John, my latter condition is “easily” treated with medications; that is, compared with many other issues which might befall somebody so I’m not feeling too sorry for myself. Glad to hear you are doing well.

Guy, for whatever reason my old brain didn't connect the dots with your new handle... As you know Ive used both quite a bit in Namibia for the game you mentioned. PM me if you have any specific questions, but you've got enough experience on the trigger with both to do well with either one.....and you'll enjoy either one. FWIW I found the basic Hornady 270 grain spire point to be as near to perfect on largish plains game as you're going to get in the .375

Africa and a 375 go together, your 30-06 may be more appropriate. Flip a coin. Two guns are a hassel especially if you are going to multiple countries on the way back. If anything the size of Eland are larger is on the ticket then the 375 would get the nod.

Late last year a friend went to So. Africa. Even with a house full of guns he elected to not take his own over there, and use theirs instead. The rifle they supplied was an '06 with suppressor shooting factory 180gr Sierras. He was also after plains game and shot many animals from warthog size, up to about 900lbs. All were one shot kills and all but one went completely through.

Pro-Hunters or GameKings?

That's a really nice option. Attractive. No travel hassles with the rifle, etc.

I haven't seen ol' JJ Hack post in quite a while, but I remember that he kept a pair of nice Winchester Model 70's over there for his clients, one in 30-06, the other in 375 H&H.

I think I'd enjoy hunting with my rifle more, but... I like rifles in general. Using a nicely set up rifle like the suppressed 30-06 you mention would be just peachy.

Thanks for the thought.

Guy