My primary interest will be buffalo, leopard, eland and kudu with some other animals thrown in. I plan on taking my 416 Rem. (Win. 70) and would prefer to take just the one gun. But I am also aware of the limits of just one gun and a 416 at that.

I have a 300Win,a 338 Ultra, an 8MM mag and a 375 H&H, all on Remington actions. I am also open to buying another Winchester in an appropriate caliber as I would be a little more comfortable with both rifles being built on the same action. Just a bit easier to find the safety under stress.

I have plenty of time to get used to whatever I decide to take. Any suggestions?

Just some thoughts on a dull Christmas afternoon, Joe.

A M70 in 300win would be a perfect companion to your 416. I would use the 300 for plains game and leopard and use the 416 for buffalo.

Jason

The 300Win mag plus 416 Rigby has been my #1 battery for Africa where a mixed bag is expected. If I were limited to taking just one I would likely take the 375. But why be limited? The rifle case for two is little bigger than a single gun model, and having along a second gun is comforting, if nothing else.

Joe,
The .300Win is a good cartridge, but I'd bring a .338. It's almost ideal for kudu, gemsbok, and leopard (only God's Favorite Cartridge, the .375H&H, is better ), and with the proper bullets it will do as a backup rifle (for the buffalo) should something put the .416 out of action.

George

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

Why not just take the .375 mag and be done with.

Hard nosed logic would go with leo's argument. Sometimes very early in the morning I ask myself, "Am I a hunter or a gun nut? If I am a gun nut, what the Hell do I do it for? If I am a hunter why don't I just sell off everything but my .375 and my 12 ga. and go hunting?" I haven't come up with an answer, yet, so I keep buying neat, old guns. What JMac really wants is a Perfect African Pair. Mine is a .318 WR and a .404 Jeff. That's the vintage version. If he already has a .416 Rem then to balance it out, he needs either a .338 Win or a .338/06. That would be the modern version. Personally, I believe that something a big as an eland needs more punch than a .300. Many disagree but I still believe it. Since none of the shots should be long, a .338/06 is just as good as a .338 Win. Now if he was going out with Rich to Ethopia for Mtn Nyala, the reverse would be true. Either way JMac will have the Perfect African Pair (late XX Century).

Logically, though, he should just carry a .375 H&H. All kneel!

sarge

I would also agree with the .338/.416 combination. In addition, it is always a good idea to carry two guns on your hunt. Equipment failure can and does happen at the worst moments. Having a back up is not a bad idea. I realize that you will not be out chasing a buff with your .338, however, a second gun does provide you with a few more options.

I'd be very happy with a .416 Remington teamed with either a .300 Winchester or a .338 Winchester. You CAN go .375 and forget about taking two rifles, and I've done it, but as John says, there's something a little more comforting about having two rifles along. I have had rifle problems in Africa that made the second rifle an absolute necessity.

Except for your intended buffalo (.416, of course), plainsgame animals just aren't that hard to kill if you use a reasonably potent caliber. If you whack 'em with a well-constructed bullet in the right place, you'll soon have your trophy. I've taken two eland (Patterson's & Cape) with the .300 Win. and 180s. In both cases, I placed the bullet right behind the shoulder through the lungs, and the eland ran about fifty yards and fell over. And that's typical on most plainsgame kills: You shoot them properly and they either go down on the spot or else run a short distance and expire. There's nothing all that complicated about it.

AD

Being a certified gun nut, I have never taken two of the same caliber, but...

If you think about it, the best plan might be 2 .375's or 2 .416's. It would simplify life, and if they are the very same model, etc., switching from one to the other would increase (?) the simplicity, or decrease the complexity of using two different guns.

JMac,

I have done it a couple of different ways, but I always take two rifles. One hunt I brought a pair of .375 H&Hs just for purpose of having a back-up if something broke.

The last three hunts I have used a .308 and a .375.

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

1st choice: 375 HH only
2nd choice: 416 / 338 Combo
3rd choice: 416 / 30-06 combo (new gun)

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Good Hunting & Hunt Safe,
David

I would not hesitate to take just the .416 were it not for Murphy's law. Equipment failure is always a fear. That said, I took Eland, Sable and Kudu as well as six other smaller species with my .416 (400 grain Barnes-X) on the last trip. If you will likely see more thick stuff than open plains, I would not hesitate to use the .416 with a low power scope (ideally a Leupold 2.5x or 1-4x) on just about everything. If the critter is outside the range at which you feel comfortable shooting the .416 . . . you probably shouldn't be shooting at it anyway so . . . get closer.

Best of luck,

JohnTheGreek

[This message has been edited by JohnTheGreek (edited 12-27-2001).]

Two rifles for the purpose of having a back-up if something broke is crazy.
The most frequent mishap is, the rifle doesn�t arrive with the baggage. The only solution is, to borrow one from the operator.
Next frequent is, something wrong with the scope, knocked by a fall or so. Therefore I carry a spare scope with me.
A broken rifle is nearly impossible if it is checked before. In any case not worth to carry a spare rifle.
If not needed for very very long distances, for normal hunts in the african bush, I need only one rifle, e.g. a .458 Lott, which is good for any dangerous game and plains game up to 220 yards.

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Norbert, a man after my own heart! On my last 3 week mixed game safari I took a 450 Dakota and used it for everything. Nothing I shot complained it was with the wrong rifle. The PH also used a 450 Dakota and I knew he had an old 375 sitting in camp.

So John, tell me how that 450 works on Tommies at 300yds?

John, as there were no tommies in Niensi the shot would've been a lot farther than 300 yards! Acturally, the fellow I was with had a 300 WinMag that I just didn't like. It was poorly balanced, had a 30 year old scope of dubious quality and grouped poorly (other than that it was just fine). On my last trip I had taken a 300 Wby and I think I used it 3 times in 21 days. Either by design or luck the Dakota just balances VERY well. It weighs about 11 pounds loaded and it seems I get a much steadier sight picture with it than most lighter rifles. Beyond that, I've been surprised in the past how quickly a hunt that started for, say, waterbuck can end up as a buffalo hunt. Ultimately, I think the real reason is that I like the rifle. It feels good in the hand. I've decided that I will use it for elephant this year.

John-
I like mine too! It weighs 10 pounds all up and balances nicely, but I will still pack the 300 along for those Tommies!

Thanks for the opinions.

I am pretty sure I'll take a second gun, either a 300 or a 338.

I know where there is a 300 H&H Mod. 70 for sale but I really would prefer a 338 Win or 340 WBY.

And regardless of how many guns go, there will be a spare scope for at least the 416.

Thanks again, Joe.