Really Aaron? Ya I know lots will say I am just being a dink, but to me this is one of those topics that falls into the .270 vs .30-06, or is the .375 really big enough.

To me this is a "filler" topic, guys looking for shit to talk about. And that is fine, carry on but so far from what I have read it is the same as the last dozen of these I have read.

I must be getting old. LOL

Well, unlike Aaron, I am a confirmed "gun nut" and own "far" too many calibers-

Historically, I have taken a number of calibers-
577,500,458,450,425,404,378, 375,333,318,300,6.5x54 etc,--senility insures that I fail to remember all--

Current "African Battery" is 450NE Heym 88B DR with a Doctor 3, 375 Flanged Heym 88B DR with 1.7-10 illuminated circle dot reticle Swarovski in claw mounts and Heym SR 30 Precision 300 Win Mag with S&B Precision Hunter with custom turret.

In the past I would to take up to 4 rifles (in the 80's & 90's) then-as things tightened up with increasing (per gun) firearms importation fees, airline weight restrictions dropping from 100 to 70 and now 50 per bag/case, etc-- and just simply getting older and trying to simplify-I take fewer rifles-

For a 1 gun safari--I would take my 375Fl--shoots well with the Swaro out to 300 and potent enough to dispatch the bigger critters up close.

Two Guns--it would be the 450 and the 300
and
for a plains game only trip the 300. It is perfect out to 500 and if necessary it is still heavy enough with monolithics or high quality bondeds to be a decent up close big critter gun.

If I were a young guy just starting out , I would by a 450-400 DR and a 300Win Mag and call it good.
If I could only afford 1 rifle in order to go hunt Africa, it would be a 375 or a 416 of some variation.

I guess it's pretty much just up to personal choices if you take everything with you. In Zimbabwe and South Africa, though, you also have options for reloading and plenty of time on the range if you so desire - but not for obscure calibers. So if you bring a .375 and your ammo doesnt arrive, no big deal. If it's a Weatherby caliber you could be in trouble.

quote:

Originally posted by LR3:
Just out of interest what do you take with you? Clearly it depends what you are going for and terrain. PG, DG, birds, Namibia long-range, suni, etc?

Obviously, Saaed loves his 375/404 for buffalo. I have a 375/Gibbs 505 that I m ver happy with and it reaches out to 1200 yds very nicely but I prefer my Gibbs 505 for PG AND buffalo. For PG my 30-378Wby is great and works well out to 1000 yds but in retrospect the 338-378 Wby may have been a better choice. I also have a 577 NE double for thick jess buffalo and self protection. A couple of times we ve run into problems with un expected rhino, including being chased by black rhino and elephant (and once buffalo).
So here s my choice: 22-250 and 6mm for practice, 338-378 or equivalent for PG (includes eland), Gibbs 505 for buffalo in open space (good also for lion, ele and leopard if need be but "overkill" for the last one) and 577 for dense bush.(the 375/505 is my preferred elk and caribou rifle)

It wii be interesting what other combos are suggested like 270, 30-06 and 375/416.