Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa double or bolt?

What would you rather hunt DG with if money was not an issue and why?

Double

A double hands down,a double saved my bacon about a month ago.Buffalo came from behind cover at 15 yards, ph and I both shot to little affect, the left barrel of the double was triggered and spined the bull at 8 yards.The caliber was .450 NE 3 1/4" with 480 gr. bonded Hornadys.
Sometime you need the quick second shot,glad I had what I had.

Once saw a custom 458 win BAR.

5 quick shots !

Ele - double - you get close. Really close.

Everything else - bolt - for when that Sable-of-a-lifetime steps out of the bush beyond 100 yards and your plans change on a dime.

Puddle, good point. An elephant is a very close range, heavy caliber quarry. A scoped bolt rifle is the way to go for everything else. You never know what opportunities might present themselves.

It could be the my doubles accuracy issues and other brands are more accurate.I don't trust my doubles but trust my bolt rifles.

if money is not the problem always a double

I've only hunted buffalo so take this for what it's worth. I think a double is a better choice for elephant where you need quick close range shots. With a double the second shot is much faster because you don't have to work a bolt. For other dangerous game, I think a bolt is generally better: they're usually more accurate and are easy to scope which gives you more effective range.

I am bolt action trash, plain and simple.

I have shot many thousands of rounds through bolt actions. For me to get as proficient with a double it would take a tremendous amount of range time. I shot over 1000 rounds of ammo through my 300 H&H, 375 H&H and 404 Jeffery bolt actions in preparation for my two trips to Africa.

For me, a bolt rifle is preferred for everything except elephant. These days, I’ve settled on a model 70 in .416 Hoffman as my go to dangerous game rifle. I haven’t shot an elephant in quite a long time, but my last bull was taken with a Rigby box lock 470 that I sold a few years later.

The only way I expect to acquire another double is when I book one more elephant hunt, which I’m actively considering. It’ll likely be another 470 when I do.

For buffalo, I think a scoped bolt gun is a better option in most situations.

This.

i grew up as a bowhunter by age 7-8 so i learned how to get very close to animals that most people will never be able to do, that`s why i would feel fine with a double rifle. when i was a kid my hand was about 3 inches or less from a moving elephant`s foot and i never told anyone tell i was adult because my dad would have beat my butt for that.

When I was a kid and went to the zoo I fed an elephant peanuts out of my hand-lol.

Reality check !

How many of these experts have actually killed the big 5 with any rifle ?

none for me but you give me the money and i would show how its done , i am no expert with the big 5 in Africa but i have done well with a bow and arrow on my own. so using a rifle for a blue color worker like myself is no big deal or any other blue collar workers who have hunted all their lives . we would probably always do better than some rich dude brag`n about killing the big 5 with a expensive guide in Africa. that`s the true reality check dude !

Elephant and hippo I use a double

Buffalo I’ve used both

I have hunted with a bunch of PHs, and know several more very well. Have also sat around during evenings drinking beer with up to half-a-dozen very experienced guys, and heard them argue.

But the majority have stated that they much prefer to see a scoped bolt-action come out of the gun case when a new-to-them buffalo hunter shows up, This is because too many have seen bullets misplaced on buffalo due to two factors:

1) Iron sights, which often don't provide an adequate aiming point on buffalo in thick, shadowy cover.

2) A double chambered for a cartridge the hunter can't handle, due to recoil and/or heavy trigger pulls.

And buffalo hunters probably out-number elephant hunters 100-1 in present-day Africa.

Probably more than you.

No doubt, but I don't claim to have the answer.

Do you ?