Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Who has used the 270 Win. / 375 H&H combo in Africa?

I guess we shouldn't use anything less than a 500 A-Square on whitetails, probably with solids, to ensure we get a blood trail ...



Chuck

I agree.

I've just never had a problem with the 270 Win. for the type of game it was intended for, which is deer, black bear, sheep, goat, and antelope-size stuff, especially in open country, and that's what Winchester designed it to be from the outset.

All of the guys I know who have used it extensively over the years love it, have learned how to properly load for it, and they've always had good kills with it. Of course they're mostly all good riflemen, and they know how to place their shots, plus they use good bullets.

The guys who seem to hate it usually have the least experience with it, and they often have no experience with it at all. Or else for political reason (Keith-style) they'll proclaim to hate it just to get at someone else they dislike who happens to like the 270.

I agree with my friend John55, though, that the 30-06 would probably be a better light rifle for all-around use in Africa than the 270 Win. Even Jack O'Connor said as much himself when he stated that the 30-06 was "the most useful light rifle possible" to take on safari.

AD

Allen: I don't remember. Do you have an '06? Can't remember you mentioning that.............

My own....uh...inventory of that caliber has inexplicably risen the last couple of years. Must be my age....

Bob, the only 30-06 I have right now is my old Remington 700 ADL that I bought at age 15, and I haven't taken that rifle hunting in a lot of years.

Personally, I don't worry about the 270 as a light rifle in Africa at all, because with a 375 in tow, there's simply no reason to worry about the sufficiency of the 270!

When I hunted with John Sharp in 2000, I used only my 375 H&H, and I shot everything from southern impala to Livingston's eland with it. It absolutely hammered everything, and without fuss. The only problem I had was with a zebra that I shot too far back, which was my own fault, pure and simple.

AD

I have never hunted with or even fired a 375 anything but I am sure that it would hammer everything. I had a 35/06 AI for a while and it certainly was a lead slinger.

Soon, I think I will have me a 375 Ruger. I like the idea of 270 gr bullets.

Good luck on your trip.

Allen: I don't think you have anything to worry about.Take the 270; you'll do fine. Bring home pictures!

Allen-though I've never been across the pond, when I do go the combo of a 270 and 375 will most likely be the way I'll go as well.

I just can't imagine wanting for anything more, and we both know that if they don't get it done it isn't their fault.

I'd take my lil G33/40 in a .270 and my bolt magnum would most likely be turned into a 375.

Come to think of it I've a thinking about doing it anyway for work here at home and anywhere else I travel.

Personally I think it's a super idea!

Dober

Mark, taking a familiar rifle like your G33/40 270 is a totally smart idea, and most of the plainsgame animals you'll hunt will be between the size of a Coues deer and a spike bull elk anyway. The 375 can take care of all the rest in a walk.

Personally, I think the truly heavy big-bores have been totally over-prescribed and I have serious doubts about the ability of most hunters to shoot them well. Writing a check is one thing, but using what you paid for is often somehting else altogether!

I can do good work with a 416 Rem. and a 458 Win., but I loath shooting the bigger 458s, etc.......

I've had the chance to do some shooting with various doubles over the years, and in addition to being big, heavy, awkward, and foreign to this Oregon elk hunter who was raised on seemly bolt-guns, they kicked like heck. I worked with a 577 NE once that was just totally out of bounds, and if I would lie to myself just long enough to get to the point of buying one of my own to hunt with, I strongly suspect that I'd have a greater chance of getting into trouble than I would with a lesser cartridge like the humble 375 H&H.......

AD

I have used a 375 H&H and 270 on the four safaris I have been on, but my 270 is the Weatherby Mag version. I used 150gr Noslers (Weatherby factory loads) on everything appropriate, and it certainly worked well.

In the 375 I shot Sledgehammer solids and 270gr FailSafes, no complaints with either.

Allen:
I would be very interested in your taking the .270/.375 H&H to Africa for several reaasons.

1.) I suspect it is more representative what the "average" 1 or 2 time hunter headed for Africa might use on a 2 rifle safari.

2.) You would be one who would give an objective, accurate and detailed hunting report regarding the effectiveness of this combination.

I could only be more pleased if you only loaded the 270 and 130 gr TSX's for your safari. I would especially like to hear of your experiences with the 270 TSX on DG, as Barnes recommends (at least on Buffalo).

I haven't decided on bullets just yet, but as the weather improves, I plan to do a lot of shooting, on paper as well as over the chronograph. I've got 375 H&H ammo ready that's loaded with Trophy Bonded solids & softs, as well as Nosler Partitions and Swift A-Frames. I have some 300 gr. TSXs on hand, and I plan to order some Woodleigh solids as well as Barnes solids.

I've not considered going the 270 gr. Barnes route, but that's an interesting idea that deserves some inquiry and some serious thought. I'm glad you brought it up!

For the 270, I've got it ready to go (if I get pressed for time) with my favorite 130 gr. Nosler Partition loads, but I plan to experiment a bit with other bullets, including 140 gr. & 150 gr. Swift A-Frames, 130 & 140 gr. TSXs, as well as 140 & 150 gr. Nosler Partitions.

As I found out a long time ago, the 270 Win. is really a handloader's cartridges if you want to get the most (in the way of complete performance) out of it.......

AD

This is a little bit an aside but this - the two rifle concept - is why I purchased a "switch-barrel" rifle in the Blaser R93, a rifle I suspect might make some (I imagine you, Allen) twitch in your sleep . But it really, really worked out well, albeit I went over with a scoped 30-06 barrel coupled with the 375. Even on a planned one-rifle hunt, you can carry an extra scoped barrel for the eventuality that travel and hunting are wont to bring.

For those who plan on Africa in the future, the two-barrel rifle bears a little consideration for it's versatility, the ease of transfer, familiarity, carry, less paperwork, etc.

Gdv

Absolutely Alan, I've had very good luck with H4831 with 130g Noslers and both H4831 and Norma MRP with 150g bullets. I've always used Rem brass and Rem magnum primers (9 1/2M). I've always been able to achieve 1960s advertised specs with my 22" barreled Rem M700 (3150 fps with 130g and 2900 plus fps with 150g bullets)

Regards,
Chuck

George, I'm sure that your results were excellent with your Blaser rifle.

Here's one of the problems with switch-barrel rifles: They don't switch fast enough. On a number of occasions I thought that we were out to hunt some sort of plainsgame species, only to be driving down the road to do so we'd spot a lion, or a herd of buffalo (or else a lone bull) and then we'd stop the rig as fast as we could, grab a rifle, then get out and make a stalk. And sometimes those stalks would turn into half-day marathons.

There wasn't time to switch barrels - just grab the 458 or the 416 and have at it. The 300 would then be carried by a tracker, just in case........

AD

I can't imagine a switch barrel rifle in mixed bag country in Africa vs two or even one proper rifle.

First let me point out that I have taken a pile of deer with good results with the 270. But I have observed deer hit very well with a 270(and 280,7x57,308,30-06)go 200 yards or so into the thick stuff.

I have taken a couple dozen whitetails with a 300 win mag. Only one went anywhere,he made it about 25 steps. I think there may be a place for an elk round like the 300 on deer in the south,particularly when you want them dead right there,right now.

Shot placement trumps everything,but lung shot deer do seem to stop quicker when hit with a 300 mag with the proper bullet.

Just my view,

Britt

tol-

There's a tongue-in-cheek saying in medicine regarding doing certain procedures: "imagine one, do one."

A "proper rifle" huh?

edited to add, of the ones you've tried which didnt' work out?

That's not dumb thinking at all.

I know this much, and that's the fact that whatever I've whacked in the way of plaisngame with a 300 Win. Mag., 375 H&H, or a 338 Win. Mag. has stayed whacked, most of the time going down right there, without complication.

At the end of the day, I may very well take my 338 and my 416 for this safari. For one thing, my hunting partner is taking those same calibers, so we'll have mutual ammo to fall back one, which proved to be very important once before. Besides that, my 416 Rem. Mag. has proven itself as a totally great Cape buffalo rifle, as has the North Fork ammo I've got loaded for it, and my 338 Win. Mag. loaded with Swift A-frames has work perfectly and decisively on all manner of plainsgame, thru eland.

Ultimately, I have to decide if I'm going to try to make this some expensive exercise in nostalgia (which is rather stupid, when you think about it), or if I'm going to go with proven rifles of greater power, plus logistical common-sense.

It's possible that I'll save the 270 and 375 for the next time I go over and take my wife, which is sort of how I'm leaning right now.........

AD

After reading through this thread I'm surprised that the proponents of the .223AI haven't chimed in to tell you how overgunned you would be with a .270 for plains game

I'll probably draw lots of flack for this next statement, but for me, the 270/375 is a marginal combo...key words there are "for me". They are both adequate but neither offers much power to spare for many of their intended targets. A 300/416 combo or the 338/416 is far better in my own experience as it offers some extra bullet weight and power for the times when a bad angle shot is all that's offered. Africa is too far, too expensive and too much trouble to use "marginal" type rifles...unless these calibers are all that a person can handle effectively. Thankfully I am not in that category.