For a thirty day safari (I wish!) I'd take a true light caliber. For an RSA ranch hunt, I'd definitely take a 7X57, 270 or 280. Next year I'm going over for a Kudu, Hartebeast cull shoot and I'll be flipping a coin between a favorite 7X57 and a favorite 270. This is a completely different deal though.

Another reason for heavier calibers might be that on a 10 day hunt for 15 animals a hunter can save some time if he can shoot a magnum well. Less stalking, waiting, or follow-up tracking. If one doesn't shoot a magnum well, the extended follow up can quickly cancel out the time saved by taking a less desirable initial shot.

Lastly, I don't buy the "Their animals are tougher than ours" argument.

[This message has been edited by ForrestB (edited 11-09-2001).]

For starters you owe it to the animal to make a clean kill. Why lug around an Impala & Warthog gun; a Gemsbuck gun; an Eland and Sable gun; when a 338 or 300 or 375 will take all very nicely.

People shoot medium to big bores in Africa because they need to. One gun for all animals.

If you lived there and wanted to shoot an Impala for the pot, sure take out the 6mm or 223 or whatever you want.

Truth is if it were reasonable we would all take one gun perfectly suited for each animal we plan to hunt. But when you jump out of the land rover and tear out for a Warthog that ran over the hill, you might see that Eland you wanted or a Lion that wants you or a wounded Buff.

So, in answer to your question, you need to shoot a gun adequate enough to take the toughest animal you are hunting on your hunt. A 7x57 is not ideal for an Eland.

Oh, by the way, nice Nyala!

Use Enough Gun.

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Wendell Reich
Hunter's Quest International

Pack enough rifle to handle the biggest thing you are after, (or might be after you). If something smaller is encountered, shoot it with it and don't worry about it.

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"shoot 'em if you got 'em!"

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Rifles And Bullets r us: RAB

I use a 375 because I hunt everything with one rifle.

If the big dangerous boys are not on the menu, I would be happy to use any cartridge that takes my fancy, starting with a 270.

In fact, I have done that before for all plains game, including sable and eland, and never felt that I needed a bigger gun.

Anything from a 6.5-06 on up, with premium bullets, would do just fine for me.

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saeed@ emirates.net.ae

www.accuratereloading.com

I use the 338, 9.3's or 375 paired with a double or 404 in Tanzania or when I'm in Lion, Buffalo country. I would rather not be undergunned in Lion-Buff country, even while hunting plainsgame..Don't like being caught with my pants down..

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

I have also hunted a fair bit with light rifles, my personal favourites being a 7x57 Mauser and a 8x57 J (318) for use in the bush veldt .... van kleins af.

My sons have since started hunting with my light rifles and it is great fun to share hunts with them (they are quick to learn that a slow and heavy 7 or 8 mm bullet does not ruin their biltong).

I use a 375 a lot for my own hunting, in many cases because it's the appropriate calibre and in other cases because I want to , having said this, I have noted with interest that many many visting hunters on plains game hunts on typical RSA ranches often arrive with way "too much gun".

I will be the first to agree that many of them do a great job with these rifles and that going on an African hunt is a good reason / excuse to buy an bigger bore .... but realistically, I believe that most of them will do fine with a 3006 class rifle, but perhaps that will ruin the myth that bigger is better and that with a large magnum you can get by with less walking stalking?

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Peter
www.shafa.net
Shafa Safaris

When a client disembark the plane with a 308 it tells me it is going to be a real hunt. That guy know what he is doing.

The 6.5x55 Swede is also an excellent caliber up to kudu. For springbock in the Kalahari, nothing better.

Bjorn

Let's not pick a fight here <grin>, but most all South Africans accept that the 270 Winchester with a 130gr bullet is THE quintessential springbok calibre, followed by the 243. I've never seen anyone use a 6.5X55 but then it's not that popular a calibre out here.

On the hunts I've been on I've seen 222 Rem, 223 Rem, 22-250, 220 Swift, 243, 270, 7X64, 30-06 and 308's being used and they all work equally well.

Personally I think a 25-06 is the answer, but that's my opinion.

Cheers

Pete

[This message has been edited by Pete Millan (edited 11-09-2001).]

You are of course not entirely wrong , I do not want to fight, but the 6.5x55 Swede has been very common in RSA and Namibia the last couple of years.
When the Swedish army emptied their armouries of the 6.5 Mausers about 50.000 of them went to RSA. I think they sold for some 200 ZAR. Here you could get one for free.
It is actually a wounderful cartridge, flatshooting and lethal for anything up to 300 kilograms. Lots of different bullets too. If you get a chance try it and you will not use anything else. Promise!
Bjorn

On of my pals in the trade has two 6.5x55 Swede rifles on his shop shelves, they are "new" custom built from Carl Gustav military rifles. He is selling the "cheapest" one for ZAR 3500.00. (+/-US$350) One of them has been put aside as a Xmas gift for a member of my family - I think it will serve as a great calibre for my youngsters to hunt with, I'm trading in a 243 as part of the deal ... I have realised we have no real use for the 243 other than shooting neat groups in paper.

The average price that local dealers have been selling 6.5x55 military rifles for is ZAR 1150.00 - that price has been static since mid-90's and until stocks ran out.

Ammo is available on a regular basis from the bigger shops - 140grs class and all imports at a price premium.

As for a Springbuck rifle, Pete Millan has said it all - my 270 was initially purchased just for this - my 270 (reloads 52,5gr of S365 and a 140gr Hornady BTSP) has accounted for literally hundreds of these bokkies.

Regards,

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Peter
www.shafa.net
Shafa Safaris

This thread reminds me of the old ditty:

Ain't too many things a man can't fix
With a thousand dollars and a thirty aught six.

Although today I suppose the dollar figure would have to be raised to a hundred thousand.

A .25-06? In Africa?

You are my hero!

BTW, Are you from Texas or somethin'?

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To be old and wise.....first you have to be young and stupid!

[This message has been edited by Ol' Sarge (edited 11-11-2001).]

1) when I think about plains game, I am struggling to think of an animal that won't be dispatched quickly by any premium heavy for caliber bullet between .277 and .358 when properly shot through both lungs.

Yes the more potent the cartridge the les restricttions on the angle of the shot.

2) I could never understand the hassle about taking three rifles. Given, the distance traveled etc...you will deal with problem twice on the way out and the way back and at max 3 times....US Airport, Joburg Airport, and Destination Airport.

I take two rifles and my favorite bird gun and next time I am going to throw in my slug bbl.

In other
bullet betis

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The nearest Texas to us is TEKSAS which is the Trichardt, Kinross and Secunda region in the Eastern Highveld (Mpumalanga)!!! LOL!

Why I like the 25-06?

As ALF says it is eminently suited for the open areas of the Karoo, Free State and Kalahari - Suitable species are Springbok, Blesbok, Vaal Ribbok, Mountain Reedbuck, Klipspringer, Jackal, Baboon, Dassies.

I would reserve a larger calibre for the bigger species.

It's flat shooting, accurate and the recoil is not punishing at all. Brass is easy to make (ex 270).

It sits right between my 22-250 and the 7X64. I have a Rem 700 270 Win ADL and was actually toying with the idea of re-barrelling, but seeing as its my sons rifle....

I have a spare Mauser action here and I can't decide between making a full on African classic style 300 H&H or a synthetic stock heavy barrel 25-06. Unfortunately the gun laws out here don't allow you to chop and change calibres easily.

Cheers

Pete

quote:

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Originally posted by ALF:
Bjorn:

? SAR 200-00 for a rifle, you are misinformed on this one, here in Canada we pay about $130 to $230-00 for a carl gustav mil swede in bright condition, definitely not in the RSA.

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Sorry for the missunderstanding. The military Carl Gustaf rifles were sold to RSA dealers (among others) for ZAR 200.00 a piece. How much profit they put on I do not know. What I do know is you could get one here for free.

Beeing a military rifle not suited for hunting most were customized.

Bjorn