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After reading so many posts regarding best dangerous game rifle, it made me think that some rifle calibers are better for some people and others are better for other people. Since everyone seems to agree that accuracy is priority one, which legal DG caliber do you all shoot more accurately than any other. This may solve some argument but not all as there are going to be those who believe a bore size of .458 or better is the only way to go. I shoot the .375 H&H most accurately but would most certainly agree that my .470 NE would be best for DG up close. Unfortunately, I am not as accurate with it as I am the .375. So, which is best? I guess the .470 NE when I get to that point but ammunition cost conflicts directly with appropriate levels of practice. I have a .450/400 Ruger #1 which is easy to shoot but it's a single shot. I will not use that on DG and it was bought with whitetail deer or possibly feral hogs in mind. What caliber serves you the best? I wish I could honestly say the .470 was best for me but the double barrel thing is harder to master than I had expected so it's the .375 H&H for me. Thanks, jfm | ||
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376 Steyr...cause I get to use it a lot and it is enuff Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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After one DG safari with a .458 and one with a .375, I think I'd pick the .375 for the reason (accuracy) you identified. Penetration is most adequate for buffalo and elephant and the milder recoil makes for less muzzle jump and a quicker second shot. Indy Life is short. Hunt hard. | |||
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jfm; I started out using my .416 on my first safari, but, like you, I found I was most accurate with my .375. When I had a problem with my .416 I ended up using my .375 for a frontal brain shot on my first elephant. After that it's the only rifle I use. However, I definitely feel better when the PH is carry something BIG if we are stalking through thick brush. Best regards, D. Nelson | |||
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My favorite for hunting buffalo is my 470 Nitro double. It may not be the most practical and I may pass up some shots but it is what I enjoy, and for me that is what matters. Only one elephant to date but what I wrote above goes double for elephant. | |||
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375 H&H for the above stated reasons. I have a 458 Win Mag, a Styer Mannlicher, but prefer the Ruger #1 375. | |||
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416 Rigby.I loved my 470 but can't see worth a hoot anymore.My scoped 416 doesn't seem to recoil any harder than my 375 and I can still shoot it quite well. DRSS | |||
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So far it is 404J, more punch than a 375, but still comfortable to shoot. | |||
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375 with no hesitation. It will serve nicely for 95% of African hunting for 90% of the hunters. Mark MARK H. YOUNG MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES 7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110 Office 702-848-1693 Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED E-mail markttc@msn.com Website: myexclusiveadventures.com Skype: markhyhunter Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 | |||
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Win. 70 LH in 375 H&H Leupold VX7 1.5x6 scope I love shooting it & when I spend time practicing, I shoot it quite well. LORD, let my bullets go where my crosshairs show. Not all who wander are lost. NEVER TRUST A FART!!! Cecil Leonard | |||
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470 Chapuis for ele 404 Mauser for buff 375 Brno for everything else shovel for rattlesnakes | |||
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My .375H&H Whitworth! Yes, I customized it!  Really, what ever YOU shoot best and accurately then that is your kitty. ~Ann   | |||
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BEST DANGEROUS GAME RIFLE FOR YOU
jfm , your thread title is a little misleading to some extent! The best “RIFLE” can be many CHAMBERINGS. The best CHAMBERINGS can be in many types of RIFLES. The other thing is ACCURACY! There is accuracy that is acceptable for up close and there is accuracy that is pin-point. However when accessing accuracy for dangerous game the only one that matters is acceptable for up close, because dangerous game is only dangerous up close, while pin-point accuracy is of the most value at longer range where animals are not dangerous. With that said let me go a little different direction if you don’t mind! First sense we are discussing DANGEROUS GAME let’s look at the rifle first. In Africa there are only two real choices IMO, for dangerous game up close where they are dangerous. That is a bolt action, or a double rifle, of 9.3 to 600NE. The rifle itself must be set up properly to be the best it can be for the job at hand regardless of type or chambering. IMO, no hunting rifle, especially one for dangerous game, regardless of type should be without quality iron sights. If a scope is attached it should it should be mounted in quality quick detachable rings and mounts that will return to ZERO every time it is removed and re-attached. The scope itself should be, on the low end as close to one power as possible so the scope can be used with both eyes open for very close work, and the top end no higher than nine power. The bolt action is best when it has a CRF action and a double rifle should be a side by side with a manual safety or a de-cocker system like the Krieghoff . and both should be in legal chamberings for the big five. The chambering is your choice, but again IMO, should be the largest you can shoot VERY well. The chamberings on the low end (9.3) in some places and (.375) in others for the guy who may be a little recoil shy. Then the .400 to .470 are the mid range and again you should choose the one you can shoot the best. Next comes the heavies starting at .500 up to the big boy the 600 NE. In any of the last two groups reasonable accuracy is far more important than pin-point accuracy, and if the rifle is set up properly this means being able to place multiple shots into a 10 inch pattern on a moving animal in the center of the kill zone offered no matter the angle, and to make those shots as quickly as possible with the Acceptable accuracy up close, and still be able to make a going away shot in center of mass at longer range of an escaping animal. IMO, no matter which type of rifle you choose, you should make sure it is set up properly and be able to shoot it and hit you target as long as the animal is on his feet. I like two rifles a lighter one for plains game but large enough to finish the safari if my big rifle goes south or is lost, and the large on always being an over forty double rifle for a dedicated DGR. If I were going to hunt a lot of elephant my choice would be a 500NE double rifle. Anything larger is simply a matter of choice more than need! In the final analysis the type of rifle, and proper set-up is more important than caliber as long as one stays within the legal dangerous game cartridges as long as you can shoot it well! The above is simply my opinion, and is worth exactly what the reader paid for it! .................................................................................  ...................  ....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith  | |||
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My Verney-Carron 600 Nitro Express:   75 yards off-hand   NRA Lifer; DSC Lifer; SCI member; DRSS; AR member since November 9 2003 Don't Save the best for last, the smile for later or the "Thanks" for tomorow | |||
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The DG rifle caliber that I shoot most accurately? .375 H&H.  And yes, I shoot a bevy of other DG rifle calibers.  | |||
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416RM Will J. Parks, III | |||
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In my opinion, there is no such thing as the one and only perfect DG rifle. What I would use for a brown bear hunt in Alaska would not be the same as what I would use to chase bitchey cow elephants in the Zambezi Jesse or for a tracking hunt for a leopard, not to even mention for a huge Botswana bull. Different tools for different jobs! 465H&H | |||
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There he goes...showing off again!!!! | |||
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For an all-around DGR, my Francotte Mauser in 416 Rigby would be my choice. It's accurate, CRF, handles very well, has a 5-shot capacity with the big Perch Belly, and easy to shoot. For Elephant and also for Buff in close quarters early in the season, a 500 NE in a DR would be my pick. | |||
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Minimum 416 Rigby. Best for me, my 500NE. | |||
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My .416Remington in Model 70 Winchester will be with me on all my African trips. Good shooting phurley | |||
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I also seem to shoot my 375H&H best. Took a 375H&H and a 458WM on my first safari and ended up shooting everything with the 375H&H. I had carried my 458WM the first 3 days of my safari and we tracked buffalo for the better part of each day. On the 4th day I had my 375H&H in my hands when we stopped the Landcruiser to just "look at some tracks". After 3 days of doing this, I didn't expect to see any buffalo so I left the 458WM in the truck. Sure enough we catch up to a nice 40" buffalo at 35 yards and I used what I was carrying (375H&H) to take him down. I took the 458WM all the way to Africa, carried the extra ammo for it, and didn't shoot one animal with it. In hindsight, I should have taken just the 375H&H. On that 7 day safari, I took: Buffalo Kudu impala 2x baboons 5x klipspringer warthog grysbok waterbuck Goes to show how versatile the 375H&H can be. Tim | |||
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Pretty much exactly what the ,375 was designed for! | |||
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After using a .375, .458 and .470, the rifle I settled on is a .416 hoffman. It's a model 70, custom stocked by Champlin Firearms, with a detachable 1.5x5 leupold on top. Is it the best? Probably not, but its a damned good choice for me. As for my 24 year old son, we were recently talking about him buying a rifle for buffalo hunting, I told him to purchase a .375 and be done with it. I told him it was all the rifle he'd need for 95% of his african hunting. | |||
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I use a 376 steyr not because it's the best but because it meets the legal minimum requirements everywhere and is easier for me to shoot and it certainly works well enough with 300 grain partitions. A slight step up from the proven 9.3x62. | |||
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Nice rifle Ann. Thanks all for your replies. jfm | |||
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How are the contact between the sheek and the rifle, those swing mount are high. A other very important issue is that the rifle must fit the shooter, even the height of the stock and length muust fit, thisis important even if it`s a 3006 or an 600 Nitro, When this stock fit the shooter, the recoil that you feel will be better and your accuracy will improve. | |||
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Hallgeir, It was made to fit me and sets up just fine for my face. I put a lot of $$ into it to make it right thus I shoot it quite well! ~Ann | |||
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I'm happy to see so many chose the .375H&H as it is celebrating it's 100th birthday ! Accurate and powerfull and with modern bullets even better. What are your favorite bullets ? | |||
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This both a very nicely set-up Whitworth .375 H&H rifle. The Whitrworth Safari express rifles are one of the bargains of the century, and with very little modification makes a top notch safari rifle that takes a back seat to nobody. Ann has good taste! Hallgeir Gravrok’s description above is spot on as well! A pattern to copy! I have two Whitworth .375H&H rifles One in wood, for Africa and the other in synthetic for Alaska Both set-up about the same as Ann’s rifle, and both have taken a lot of game in my hands. I also have an FN Mauser rifle in it’s original wood also chambered for .375 H&H. IMO, if a man/woman wants a .375 H&H the Whitworth is a fine platform to start with. The old three six bits from H&H is 100 yrs old today, and was always good, but with modern bullets, and powders, it is even better today. It is truly a one rifle for the world, and there is not a rifle chambering I can think of that even comes close in versatility, no matter where or what you are hunting, from tit mouse to mastodon! It is not the best on the top end, nor is best on the bottom end, but across the board it is about as good as it gets! ……………………………………………………………..............................................  ......Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith | |||
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If only those mausers had a cone-breach--  SSR | |||
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mete I've become a fan of the Barnes TSX bullets. I had the barrel on my Win. 70LH 375H&H throated for Fed. Prem. 300gr. TSX. It shoots them very well. I wish my shooting abilities matched that of my rifle. LORD, let my bullets go where my crosshairs show. Not all who wander are lost. NEVER TRUST A FART!!! Cecil Leonard | |||
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CrossL, what do you considewr the main benefit of a cone breech? ....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith | |||
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I also use TSX in my Ruger RSM 375 H&H Mag both 270 grs and 300 grs loaded with Vit N-540, superb bullets. | |||
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Smoother feeding -esp of the new BBW#13 and other truncated cone--flat meplat bullets. Mac-I am just a big fan of the M-70 have had feeding issues with Mauser's that I haven't had with Winchesters. SSR | |||
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I have several of both types and have owned several more of both types and have found that if the attachment between the extractor, bolt face and the rim recess opposite the extractor is properly fit and tight, the cartridge runs directly into the chamber without even touching the mouth of the chamber. This condition is simply part of a proper set-up for a dangerous game bolt rifle. I must say that I’ve never had a failure to feed on a CRF rifle with either type barrel. I will say I’ve not used the BBW#13 so that may be the first, but I doubt it will in my rifles, but you never know till you try! .........................................................................................................................................  ....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith | |||
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Mac- then we can both be happy--you get the Mausers and I get the M-70,s  SSR | |||
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My rifles are .375 Ruger, .416 ruger and Searcy .470 If I had to pick, it would be the .416 Ruger, a killer that thing. Dave Fulson | |||
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We're gonna find out if Dave is right or not? Thanks to him, I've gone against ALL of my common sense, and will not rely totally on my .375 RUM this year. 2Barrels here on AR was kind enough to sell me his custom .416 Ruger, so I will give it a go, and see if Dave is right?? You better be right Dave, or else  | |||
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