Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Plains game rifle choice.

Oh, and have a hell of a time, take your wife too, if she likes it like mine, it's a hell of a lot easier to crack the checkbook when they're jumping up and down to go more than you are.

For travel go with Patrick at Travel With Guns. He will give you correct info re firearms, case, 4457, permits etc.
There is some incorrect advice on here already.

I'll 2nd Travel With Guns. They'll handle everything including meet,greet, clearing rifles, etc. I'd also highly recommend Africa Sky Guest House if you have to spend the night. Free beers, great food. If you don't want to leave the airport but still have to spend the night in J'Burg, City Lodge in the airport is great. Congrats on the new rifle......may you get that 50+ kudu bull in your sights.

Appreciate it Johnny! Man I’m having some serious issues finding brass or ammo! Any of u guys got some extra brass floating around??

Yep she’s going! Have a buddy and his wife going as well. They will do the excursions together. And have a fellow fire member(Sako76) joining us as well. Anyone wanting to join shout at me.


Roy

NICE! man, you guys are going to have a blast!

Or 160 gr. NAB’s, whichever was available and if both, the better shooting one.

Terminal performance, pretty close.

7RM with 160’s has a pretty good PG track record.

DF

10/4 on the AB's, my personal preference actually.

Yeah, I remember your write up. That was the inspiration for the loads I put together for my hunting bud’s PG hunt.

These days it may just boil down to what you can find, or have on hand.

DF

Can't go wrong with the .375 for sure! Nostalgic, effective, and a real killer. My own use of the 375 H&H (we shared one in our party, 4 hunts) was with the then available Winchester ammo with the 270 Failsafe. Zebra, Black Wildebeest, Waterbuck, Blesbok, hartebeest, some at pretty long range. Have a ball pard!

My first 2 trips to Namibia I brought a .300 WSM Model 70 Winchester and it worked well. My last 3 trips, I went with my PH’s camp rifles, a Savage .308 and a Mauser 8X68mm for larger Plainsgame like Eland or Waterbuck. I got sick of the extra charges for baggage handling, plus the hassles with TSA/ CBP going and coming. I carryon a single Red Oxx soft side bag and never have to worry about baggage theft or pilferage passing through JoBerg.

when i go i plan on just taking the lowly 30-06 for plains game 165 gr. Nosler Partitions and just a regular bolt rifle with 2 both scopes sighted in one on rifle one spare ,picatinny mnts.

I took a Blaser with 30/06 and a 375 H&H barrels, and hand loads for both — 168-gr TSX’s and 270-gr TSX’s loaded respectively. I started and finished with the 375 and had a ball with it but both cartridges were very accurate in the Blaser, and the ‘06 would have been perfectly fine.

I’m glad you got the 375. Frankly the 300 RUM made me shudder as in any kind of heavily brushed country, you just don’t need it, though I’m sure there are applications for it somewhere, and.. it’s just my opinion.

The beauty of the 375 is not that it’s needed but that it’s just not too much either. I took most of the plains game with one shot with the exception of a gemsbok which I hit a bit too high the first time — their very long spinous processes give it that very deep chested look, even though their chest area, top to bottom, is not abnormally sized.

I’m sure there are many good OTC 375 loads that would work fine, but I found the 270-gr TSX about perfect for the 375.

I ended up getting dies, brass and quite a few Bullets to play with. Have 4 boxes of 270 Tsx, and 275 Hammer ShockHammers. I’m sure one of those will get the nod for africa. Think I’m gonna take it to Texas in oct for my Aoudad/axis hunt. Good break in test for it. Got a few boxes of the Speer 285 Grand Slams i think I’ll load up. Also found a nice gloss 2.5-8 to throw on it as well. It’s all starting to come together! Thanks for all the suggestions.



Roy

I used H4350 under the TSX’s for about 2750 fps and though my longest shot in the Namibian brush was on a very nice kudu at about 200-210 yards, only a big zebra at about 100 yds. stopped one. Otherwise all exited with all dropping where they stood. They are also usually very accurate.

This load also printed several 3-shot groups at a 100 yds. under .5” so most of the time, which is usually true, it was more accurate than I was. It was just a great hunting load.

The 375 H&H is the intersectionality (I just wanted to use that word 😊) of the all physical laws and human capability.

Another interesting option with the .375 H&H is the Cutting Edge Bullets Raptor.

This group out of my M-70 SS New Haven Classic surprised me. It's just three shots but gives an idea what this bullet can do.

Also, the Raptor frags and is very effective on appropriate game animals. I've read that some PH's do like these bullets.

They're sorta expensive but are effective. I'd suggest practicing with cheaper bullets, saving these for game.

https://cuttingedgebullets.com/375-235gr-er-extended-range-raptor

DF

I'll second that motion.

In fact..leave it in the classifieds...

I have been 15 times and used nearly every option for Africa.
For plains game - 280 Rem to .300 WM
For dangerous game - .375 HH

If only taking one rifle - .375 HH

Better yet, rent a rifle from your outfit or PH. I have done that on most hunts. Cheaper in the long run. Easier traveling as well....

Forget the days of taking your own rifle unless you will spend an extra $400 to $1000 to take your own gun....

The 375 H&H is an excellent cartridge and, in my opinion, an excellent choice for plains game. That's what I've used pushing 300 grain Swift A Frames . Yes, blue wildebeests are tough but so are the zebras. The 375 H&H will do it all without the violent recoil of the faster cartridges. The "kick" is more of a push.

Good luck on your safari!

T.S.

If it's a CRF, it would make a great platform to build a .404J. If a Remington or similar with that type extractor, alteration of the bolt face to accommdate the .404 case rim may not be feasible...

DF

In that case it would also make a good .375 without much modification.