Which Rifle did you take

L

littlejoe

Guest
What caliber of rifle did you take on your safari? Did you make the right choice.

I took a 375H&H and 300 RUM last year to RSA.

My guns and baggage were delayed for days so I had to borrow the owner's 30.06. It worked great for 11 of my animals.

I used my 300RUM for the rest of the safari. The 375 never came out of the case; unfortunately.

In hindsight for the plains game safari I was on, next time I take the 300RUM and my 7mm.
 
LAST EDITED ON May-01-12 AT 01:13PM (MST)[p]For a normal plains game safari, your regular deer or elk rifle will work fine. The 30.06 is a great choice, as is 7mm, etc. I would generally advise the 270 win as about minimum, as some of these animals are quite large. There is no need for the long range magnums in Africa, but they will work, of course. I will be taking a 30.06 and 300 win this year on my trip. Would probably just take two 30.06's if it wasn't such a hassle to take two of the same rifles to RSA.
I've taken a variety of rifles over the years - 257 Roberts, 270 win, 30.06, 300 win, 375 H&H, and 416 Rigby. I took the 375 on a plains game hunt once, but it really isn't needed.
Take what you shoot comfortably and well. Don't show up with a brand new rifle that scares you. Premium bullets in a standard caliber placed properly will do the job everytime.
Bill
 
1st trip - Namibia PG, 375 H&H, 260 gr Nosler AccuBonds, 13 animals

2nd trip - Namibia, Leopard and PG, same gun, same bullets, 30 animals

3rd trip - Zim ele/buffalo/bushbuck/impala, 416 Ruger and 450/400 NE

4th trip - Namibia, Nyala/hyena, PH's Rem Sendero or Christensen in 300 Win Mag,
 
My first two trips PG: 7 mag shooting nosler 160's.
Third trip PG was my .375 H&H shooting nosler 260's. I was able to shoot eland, zebra and black and blue wildebeest so the larger caliber was enjoyed.


Venison and Zinfandel are GOOD!
 
Never saw the need for a 375 on a PG safari unless DG is on the menu as the primary quarry. Any deer rifle you are comfortable will suffice.

I've shot animals in Africa with 223Rem, 257WBY, 270Win, 7X57, 308Win, 300Win, 300WSM, 300RUM, 338Win, 375HH, 416Rem, 470NE, 500NE.

All work effectively if used on size appropriate game and under conditions the rifle was designed for..
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DRSS
 
If all you ever plan to hunt is plains game smaller than Eland, then anything 30-06 or bigger is fine. With hundreds or thousands of dollars for each animal, I don't consider it smart to try to get by with small guns. It's no place for an Eskimo approach of shooting things with a 222 or 22-250 for example.

If you hope or plan to hunt the bigger stuff say buffalo which is the common dangerous game, then you need at least a 375 as a practical matter. That being so, shooting paper does not give you the same experience and training let alone confidence, that shooting real game does. So I think it's very close to " not smart" to not hunt plains game with your 375 or 416 if you want to have the highest level of confidence when you do go hunt something like buffalo. Why not get the experience and confidence in your dangerous game gun, that only hunting with it a lot gives you?

I used my 375 H&H only on two trips to South Africa for plains game, and one trip to Northern Cameroon for plains game.

I used my 416 Rigby in southern Cameroon for plains game, and Tanzania for plains game and buffalo.

I've never felt handicapped and no PH has ever said I wish you had something smaller or flatter shooting.

You could always ask your PH for an opinion.
 
Used a 7mmRmag with 175gr. Swift A-frames on 3 plains game hunts. Worked great, never felt under gunned.

Used a 375 H&H in Zim. Also worked.

from the "Heartland of Wyoming"
 
My buddy went to Zim with a 375 and 300 and his PH told him to not worry about using his 300 at all and use the 375 the entire trip. It was 100% plains game with an Eland and Sable but all the others were just regular plains game sized animals.

I have to say I did very well using the owner's rifle but felt a lot more in my element using my own gun when they finally arrived.
 
When shooting animals that might have several thousand dollar trophy fees, I'd just as soon have a big hole as a little one, no matter how good it is.

I guess I should explain that I am not recoil shy, and love shooting my big bores. Hunt whitetails in the river bottom with a double rifle, elk with a 416, and everything with 50 cal. muzzleloader, max loads and 400-600 gr bullets. It's just more fun.

I can shoot anything I want here with a whole safe full of other rifles, but do what you enjoy.
 
Didn't see 308 mentioned,is there a reason why.Thats what my daughter is planning on using
 
We just returned and shot about 10 of the animals with an 30-06 with 150 gr PMP factory loads. I killed my trophy waterbuck and a huge herd bull giraffe with a 7mm Rem Mag and 150 gr PMP bullets. The other 20 or so were with a combination of 300 Win Mag, 300 Weatherby Mag, 338 WM. and 375 H&H. Just shoot what you are comfortable with and know well. Everything else will work itself out. Good hunting!
 
my wife and I had our guns held in Dallas last year thanks to the damnsterdam's. Anyways I borrowed my ph's 270 in zambia and shot a huge eland, a monster sable, waterbuck, zebra and ostrich.

Back in South Africa we used the ph's 308 to shoot everything. Duiker, bushbuck, nyala, kudu, monkey, baboon, impala, genet, bushpig, warthog, blesbuk, etc.

This year were going to zim. going after leopards, buff, croc, and pg. taking 2 bows, a 375 H7H and a 300 wby.
 

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