But hell, why should I be different? I am planning to travel abroad and want an appropriate battery of firearms. I currently have a 6.5X55MM SE being built and I have started to aquire parts for a 404 Jeffery [10.75X73mm], the next rifle I plan on building is a 9.3X62mm. Is this all good for African hunting? I seem to like the trio non the less!

Perfect.

Great.
ozhunter

Excellent three rifle battery for anywhere you could want to hunt in the world.... And it has style too. What more could you ask for?

Very bad choice...your friends are right...you're off the deep end.....
Any good African hunter has a 300 H&H and a 375 H&H and a 416 Rigby.

Say three hail capsticks and repent of your indiscressions.

Your choices have qualified you to be just like most that post here.

333

There are many combos that will cover everything but yours is as nearly complete as any. Nothing is ever perfect but your battery seems only to lack a true long range cartridge for that Kalahari adventure. Since you like the classic chamberings perhaps a 300H&H would do the trick?

Mark

Nothing wrong with those three choices, although I'd be happy with just the 9.3x62 and .404 Jeffery myself and have one less rifle to transport.

quote:

Any good African hunter has a 300 H&H and a 375 H&H and a 416 Rigby

Mark Young too.

You guys kill me! I originally had a 300 H&H in the works for hunting locally, but choose the 6.5 for its meat saving abilities. I can take blacktail deer at long range with the Swede, but close range with the 300 gets ugly. Hell it isnt too late to build a 300.

quote:

Originally posted by 333_OKH:

You guys kill me! I originally had a 300 H&H in the works for hunting locally, but choose the 6.5 for its meat saving abilities. I can take blacktail deer at long range with the Swede, but close range with the 300 gets ugly. Hell it isnt too late to build a 300.

I think you'll find that larger calibers (than 6.5) will lose you less meat, unless you use a very soft bullet in it. Though it's not needed for it's power I like the (old, boring) 30-06 for deer and the like with good (not premium) bullets. Interlock, corelokt, etc. and at sensable velocities. The 7x57 is good also. The only deer I shot with a 243 was a mess from about 80 yards though the shoulder. Lost all the meat in the off side shoulder . Of course if your a good enough shot to be sure you'll hit the spine/neck what your using doesn't matter.

I'd gopher the 300 H&H if it where me, but only if you handload.

quote:

The only deer I shot with a 243 was a mess from about 80 yards though the shoulder.

Try it on feral boars. Not the best plan. My opinion only.

Guess I need to get the 300H&H going. A friend of mine is building a 338 Lapua for hunting. I have asked here about hunting with it but everyone just says go 338 RUM.

The choice for the 6.5 is just me. I love the little 6.5X54 MS in my 1903 Mannlicher, but the rifle has had so many rounds that the rifling is thin. The barrel has not a single pit, but it is almost a smoothbore. Still as accurate as I could hope for, but it is in full retirement now.

It is an amazing drill on game over 200 pound. I hope to duplicate it with my 6.5X55 and the 155 Lapua Megas that I have ordered to regulate the express sight to.

But what will you use for Marco Polo sheep or Altai Argali or Mountain Nyala?

You need that 300H&H!!!

Your battery should serve you well. My choice would be a 30-06, a 375 H&H and a 416 rigby, or maybe a 7X57, a 300 win mag and a 416 remington, or a 270, a 300 H&H and a 470 NE.
or maybe.......

quote:

Originally posted by TerryR:
Your battery should serve you well. My choice would be a 30-06, a 375 H&H and a 416 rigby, or maybe a 7X57, a 300 win mag and a 416 remington, or a 270, a 300 H&H and a 470 NE.
or maybe.......

Can't argue with any of them, except I'd drop the 7x57 and stay with the .300 Win Mag and .416 Rem Mag. Why take three when two will do?

333

I can't believe it! That is the same combo that I had in mind for myself.But I'm torn between the 9.3x62 or 9.3x64.
Get the calibers that you want! Your paying for them

quote:

But I'm torn between the 9.3x62 or 9.3x64.

Having shot both recently, and considering I will have a larger bore with me, Iwould go with the 62.

quote:

Mountain Nyala

My understanding is that they are not shot at long ranges? Is that true? If so the 9.3 will do great.

quote:

Nothing is ever perfect but your battery seems only to lack a true long range cartridge for that Kalahari adventure.

8x68s would do nicely!

6.5, 9.3, .404 seems you have every base covered with the possible exception of a .22!

quote:

Originally posted by 333_OKH:

quote:

Mountain Nyala

My understanding is that they are not shot at long ranges? Is that true? If so the 9.3 will do great.

Rich Elliott is the expert on this, and would certainly defer to his judgment, but what I have read, shots can get longish. Of course, all that I've read about were in the high heather haunts and not in Rich's new areas.

quote:

Originally posted by 333_OKH:
But hell, why should I be different? I am planning to travel abroad and want an appropriate battery of firearms. I currently have a 6.5X55MM SE being built and I have started to aquire parts for a 404 Jeffery [10.75X73mm], the next rifle I plan on building is a 9.3X62mm. Is this all good for African hunting? I seem to like the trio non the less!

The 9.3 is a dandy choice....ask Boomstick, he is crasy with euro calibers

Looooong shots for Mt. Nyala? Depends on whether he's on your side of the canyon or on the other side looking over at you. We try not to take shots over 300 yards in any event but???? I will say that more are missed (or worse...wounded) by clients either aiming too high or sighting in for too far out. It may be a phsycological thing, The guy shows up expecting a long shot and instead gets a 50 yard poke in thick bush. I shot my Mt. Nyala years ago in the Tcher Tcher Mt's which is an area similar to where we hunt now. Mine was in the bottom of a canyon app. 225 yards away. A .30-06 sighted in 3 inches high at 100 yards was plenty. I've hunted quite a bit now with a .35 Whelen for elk and moose. It should be similar to the 9.3X 62. With a 250 grain Nosler Partiton 3 inches high at 100 yards it is pretty well on at 200 yards.
I'd not feel handicapped at all with that trajectory but would probably cheat a bit with a good range finder in case of one of those cross canyon situations.

Rich Elliott

quote:

Originally posted by Slingster:
Nothing wrong with those three choices, although I'd be happy with just the 9.3x62 and .404 Jeffery myself and have one less rifle to transport.

Sounds way to metric!

I gotta agree with TEX,your battery is close to perfect for africa but for the deserts you will need a fast 300,8x68 or a 338 win.Choose one of these that suits where you normaly hunt,they re all good for gemsbuck.I dig the 338 win with 225g partitions at 2800fps.Dont change the others they re purrrfect

The key thing is....to use them! A 30-06 used is better than a _______ talked about being used. For a long time I worried more about assembling my battery than putting them to use.

It ain't so much the calibers as it is being there, in the field, using them!

'nuff said

The 9.3 & 404 would do me fine!


I dont see a need for a hot.30cal,8x68,338win.
The GscHV230-9.3 is plenty flat and hard hitting for long range work.
Id much rather buy custom bullets than transport another rifle.
>> http://gsgroup.co.za/9362.html <<

To be as traditionally African as possible, I would opt for 7x57 over 6.5x55.
Personally, I would go 30-06. For home and abroad,for many good,practicle and commonsense reasons,no man should be without one!

happy Hunting.

everybodys got thier favorite all round calibre but,getting back to your specialised battery.
6.5 swede. ideal for springbuck and blesbuck in the karoo
9.3x62 for anything i mean anything in the bushveld
404 for DG
something fairly heavy and flat for the desert

I dont read charts,I know animals dont read.Ive seen how they fall,and with what. there are many choices but, what you have chosen is pretty spot on in real life

I like your choices, although I would probably up the 6.5 to a 7x57 or .280rem. I have the .280 & the .404j along w/ my trusty .338-06. I keep thinking I need a .375h&h (sold my Ruger #1) but probably would only use it in Africa, which is why I have the .404j, ah decisions, decisions.

Sounds like I am not too far off. For the 6.5mm I have 130 grain Barnes TSX bullets, 140 grain Nosler Part, 140 grain Speer Grand Slam, and 160 grain Woodleigh Protected Points for testing and use with the scope. For the express sights being put on the rifle I will only use the 155-160 grain slugs such as the 156 grain Norma versions, the above Woodleigh, and the 155 grain Lapua Mega. I love those old fashion long slugs!

quote:

Very bad choice...your friends are right...you're off the deep end.....
Any good African hunter has a 300 H&H and a 375 H&H and a 416 Rigby.

Say three hail capsticks and repent of your indiscressions

From my earliest readings of Africa, I have included the master of modern books, and I have now read everything he has writen.

I have also read everything I can reasonably get my hands on.


How about I replace the 9.3X62mm with the 9.3X70mm Expert Magnum by DWM?

This should handle all of the range of the Mt. Nyala, Marco Polo sheep, Altai Argali, and the Kalahari. Although not a classic African caliber, it will do most nicely I presume! Additionally, I take great joy in making my own ammunition.

Mate,

We've talked before, good choices!

I think I'll build a 404, 500 Geoff, 9.3x62, and 8x57 (don't want the brass drama with the 256) on some nice mausers.