I'll be taking a 30-06 and a 375 H&H to Namibia (Omaruru) in 12 weeks. I'll be shooting Federal Premium 180 grain Nosler Partions in the '06 and 285 Speer Nitrex Grand Slams in the 375. I'll be hunting leopard, kudu, gemsbok, warthog, steenbok & dik-dik.

How would you sight-in each rifle, and which would you use for each animal?

Terry,

The last time in Namibia I used a 100 yard sight-in range for my pair of .375 H&H rifles. You could use 200 yards zero in Namibia, as ranges can run farther there then elsewhere in Southern Africa.

I would sight both rifles in for the same range, the ballistics will be very similar. Two different mental drop tables could be confusing.

Although I only used the .375, the .30-'06 would do well for all of them.

jim dodd

I like a 200 yard zero for hunting in Namibia. However, with Leopard, if you're hunting over a bait, that rifle should be sighted in for the exact distance you'll be from the bait. If you'll be in the blind 60 yards away, that's what you should be sighted in for.

I'd sight them both 2" high at 100 yards, you won't be off enough to miss up close and just right for 200 yd. Trajectory will be real close to the same for both rifles.

STB,

For some time now I have been sighting in all my rifles for hunting using "Maximum Point Blank Range." There is a calculator in SST's Rifle Room that works very well.



http://www.eskimo.com/%7Ejbm/ballistics/pbrange/pbrange.html



You need the size of the target areas (most of the time I use 6" to 10") of the animals you are shooting, the B.C. of your bullets, and the velocity (chronographed) of your rounds. Plug in those figures and you will find the Maximum Point Blank Range Zero.



12 weeks give you a little time to work it up but using a quick calculations on Ballistics Explorer I found that the 30/06 (using commercial posted velocity) with a 6" target sighting for about 225 yards will give you a maximum Point Blank Range of about 260 yards.



Of course you could avoid all the number crunching B.S. and sight both in at 200 yards and end up about the same place.



Good luck and good hunting. Give us a report on your return.



Steve

SBT,

I'd sight the 375 in about an inch high at 100. You should be about dead on at 150 and a liitle low at 200. This should work great for the kudu and oryx.

Personally I would bring some solids since I promise you from personal experience that the 180 NP or 285 GS will blow your steenbuck and dik-dik to bits. Aim at the middle of both animals and you will be happier. Really!

Your '06 sighted 2" high would probably do everything but the 375 will let you take even a going away shot on your biggest animals.

Regards,

Mark

SBT,

All of my rifles have low mounted scopes and I use a 3 inch high at 100 yards sight in. This might not be so good for the really small critters...steinbuck or dik-dik if you hunt them but so sighted, your .30-06 should be dead on at about 225 yards and you wouldn't miss a larger animal out to 270 yards or so. Your .375 so sighted with 270 grain bullets would be about the same as the -06 but would be on instead at 200 yards with 300 grains and drop a bit faster from that point on.

Rich Elliott

Who makes a factory 375 H&H 285 solid?

Another answer to your question-
I took a Whitetail @ 542 paces using the below Ammo-in lots of open country-had just got thru sightin in my rifle at 200yds
F E D E R A L �
No. Primer-210
No. 180- Grains/Grams-11.66
Style Hi-shok Soft Point
Caliber 30-06 Springfield
Velocity in Feet Per Second
(to nearest 10fps)
Muzzle 2700
Yds 100 2470
Yds 200 2250
Yds 300 2040
Yds 400 1850
Yds 500 1660
I hit him mid chest on the lt side
it had enough punch to churn up both lungs and lodge in the lt side of his neck just below his ear-

I retreived 134 gr propeller shaped projectile-

hope this helps- I only use 180gr Ammo

also if you are use to shooting the 180 gr ammo
ballistics for the P3006R
has the best muzzle at 200 yds
drops less at 200 yds

buy a couple of boxes and have at it-

I sighted both my 30-06 and 375 1 inch high at 100 yds. Either rifle will work for your trophy list so I suggest that you use the one that you have the most confidence in.

My advice would be not to rely on ballistic tables, especially for the .30-06. That load in my Model 70 barely breaks 2500 fps over the chronograph. So if you want a 200-yd. zero, you'd better shoot at 200 yds.

BTT