270 on DG in Africa?

28 February 2002, 15:00

<GAHUNTER>

If my memory serves me right, and it might not since I'm so old, didn't I read a Jack O'Connor article when I was a kid about him (or his wife) taking a cape buffalo with his trusty old Model 70 in .270? I seem to even vaguely remember him talking about someone who took an elephant with one.

The conversation came up when I was talking to one of my sons about why he really didn't need another rifle to elk hunt with. I cited good ol' Jack as evidence that his 270 would do the job quite nicely as long as he did his part.

God I miss Jack O'Connor!

28 February 2002, 15:34

<holtz>

I beileve it was a 30-06, with solids, of course.

28 February 2002, 16:05

HunterJim

GWHunter,

Jack used several calibers larger than .270 Win, if you can believe it.

His wife Eleanor did most of her hunting with a 7X57, but did hunt with a .30-'06 which she called her "heavy rifle" (according to Jack).

jim dodd

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"if you are to busy to
hunt, you are too busy."

28 February 2002, 16:48

fla3006

Jack mostly used a 375 for dangerous and large game, also a 416.

28 February 2002, 17:10

GeorgeS

I wonder if he used Matchkings

George

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Shoot straight, shoot often, but by all means, use enough gun!

01 March 2002, 10:27

N'gagi

quote:
Originally posted by GAHUNTER:
The conversation came up when I was talking to one of my sons about why he really didn't need another rifle to elk hunt with.

Wait a minute. WHY ON EARTH would you try and talk him out of a new rifle? I think he does need another rifle to hunt elk with!

Like I keep telling my wife: This is a deer rifle, that one in the back is an elk rifle. The one on the back on the other side is for wild boar, the the new one I just bought is for plains game. The one I put a deposit on is for cape buffalo, and......

01 March 2002, 10:47

RIP

JOC recorded the list of his buffalo rifles in his "Indestructable Buffalo" story. He started off with a 450 Watts in the mid 1950's, then a 416 Rigby was next, then a 375 H&H (with 300 grain solids) in the mid 1960's.

He said that Eleanor used 220 grain solids in the 30-06.

As he got older, JOC used smaller calibers on buffalo. Do we see any rationale here, or was it a mistake?

After all, that "indestructable buffalo" took seven good body hits and was finally (1/2 hour later) stopped by a brain shot from JOC's 375 followed closely by 2 head shots from John Kingsley-Heath's 470. The buff was charging the bakkie when it died.

Maybe some buff's are simply "possessed" by the devil, and an exorcist would be a better choice of weapon?

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Happiness is a warm double and a bloody spear, but a 375 or a 416 will do just fine!
RAB

01 March 2002, 15:51

<T/Jazz>

It sounds to me that he was suffering from a lapse of memory perhaps, not using his prior good judgement or assessing things correctly. Not being disrespectful gentlemen, but a 270 on real man killing type animals is a bit risky twice over in my eyes. Somewhat like using a tack hammer to drive a 16 penny nail if you get my drift.

01 March 2002, 15:58

<leo>

Eleanor took a tigress in India with one shot from her '06.

01 March 2002, 17:44

Atkinson

Elanor did shoot the Buffalo with a 220 solid and the PH shot it twice with a 458 or something immediately after Elenors bullet hit the bull...just for the record.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

02 March 2002, 02:00

<GAHUNTER>

The more I think about it, the clearer the words are coming back to me. Bare with me. After all, it was 40 years ago. I think the article said something like "the 270 is capable of taking big game up to and including cape buffalo. In fact so-and-so shot one with a 270 on my last safari. The bullet performed well, but I wouldn't recommend using it on a regular basis." Of course, that is a total paraphrase out of the deep recesses of my clouded memory.

In fact, it might not have even been JOC who I remember writing it. But I suspect it was since Outdoor Life was the bible that made my city life worth living.

02 March 2002, 06:15

RickF

Just for interests sake, I had the chance to buy Eleanor's fwt 30-06 a few years back. It was priced beyond me, and for the record Eleanor had shot the hell out of that rifle.

02 March 2002, 06:25

fla3006

I looked at Jack's Brevex 416 Rigby at the Tulsa Show a year or two ago. I think it was priced at $7K then.

02 March 2002, 08:10

Atkinson

Of course you can kill a buff with a 270, I know of a kid that killed one with a 22 Hornet, another farmer who killed a male Lion with a 22 L.R.

You will not stop a charge with any of the above unless you are really lucky..I suggest that you would kill quite a few buff with a 270 before one killed you, which would surly be the case.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com