If you were to be going on your first African safari, say a 10 day plainsgame hunt for everything from kudu down, and you had to go out and buy a rifle, what rifle would you buy? I'm not going anytime soon, just curious as to what rifles (make and caliber) would make a good plainsgame gun.

I bought mine in 2004, a left handed Winchester M70 Classic Safari in 375 H&H.

I bought a CZ 550 375 H&H, I used it on plains game, then on two buffalo. You know if you go for plains game, you're gonna go back for bigger stuff. Trust me, it'll happen.

If you had to buy one to go, maybe that suggests your a beginning shooter and hunter? Maybe not but just phrased the question that way? Either way: buy what you can shoot well in the "normal" calibers and cartridges and shoot it a lot, and get good at it, from field positions before you go. Load premium bullets for the trip.
Some "normal" cartridges would be: 7x57 Mauser, 7mm-08, 280 Remington, 308 Winchester, 30-06, 300H&H, 300 Winchester, 8x57 Mauser, 35 Whelen, 9.3x62 Mauser would be a short list.

When my father and I went over in 2004, I bought a pair of Model 70 SS Classics in .300 Win Mag. We were not used to the 3 position safety, but after a few hundred rounds we became used to it. Many people in Africa are familiar with Model 70's which is why I chose that brand. I would have used a 30-06, but I use .300 Win Mag for all other hunting so I stayed with that caliber.

Sevens

For kudu down as you say a 30-06 or 300 Mag would be a very pracitcal choice. I don't know that make or model is all that relevant as long as you are confident with the rifle and load. When you move to DG of course the 375H&H is a safe minimum with a good 300gr. bullet but it is completely unecessary for smaller animals. The 375 is an African classic but it won't make you a better shot on springbok at 300 yards. On the other hand if a 375 turns your crank and it will make the hunt more enjoyable for you buy one. With the 270 TSX the 375 shoots as flat as the '06 and certainly will give all the power you would need for plains game.

Mark

exactly what mark said. anything really in the 30 cal range would be fine. we have seen great one shot stops with .300 win mag,.300 wsm. Less dramatic, but good shots all the same with 30-06,.308 and 7mm/8mm.We shoot 155-180gr bullets softpoints mostly.

whatever works for you. I would advise on plains game that you train to shoot at least to 200m (that is normally our maximum engagement range when we have clients)we normally shoot at 150 and below ensuring that a good stalk is done and the best shot on the animal can be taken.

Some hunters like 250,264,270 etc. I personally don't rate them as much as there is a little less cavitation in the wound channel and the 20 cal range leave too little blood spoor to follow up properly. some hunters do shoot them very well though and i wouldn't say no to and experienceced hunter shooting a 270 at kudu for example.most certainly 243,223 and 22-250 range are purely for fun and small game dassies,smaller boks and the odd jackal or ververt.

just remember that besides rifle and caliber, you need practice. shoot minimum 100-200 rounds in practice from at least 3 postions standing, standing stiks/rested and sitting. we find that hitting a 6inch paper plate is a useful excercise at 100m. I alos try and get our hunters to shoot about 1000 .22 at 25 and 50 m range to hit pictures of game the range and the size of the bullet generally work out to the same with a larger round at hunting distance.

For my first trip, I took my 375 H&H with 260 grain Nosler AccuBonds and it performed superbly on all animals. That was what it was designed for - Africa! For next years leopard hunt, I will take the 7 Mag with 160 NP's or TSX's, and the muzzleloader for PG, a waterbuck and eland.

I'd buy one of the new 325 WSM's....not quite a .338 but more than a 350 RemMag.

I'm in the same shoes -- bought a Steyer in .375 H&H.

What better excuse for a new rifle, and anyway, what comes to mind when you say you're going hunting in Africa? I am totally tickled at accuracy -- heck, it's giving my Hornet a run for the money there.

Already had enough other 'normal' calibers anyway, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

After picking your outfitter/PH, the next most important thing for a successful safari is shooting straight. So on your first safari for plains game, pick something you are comfortable and confident with. Confidence is key. A 30-06 topped with a quality 2x7 - 3x9 scope and loaded with 180 grain or higher premium bullets would be an excellent choice IMO.

BigBullet

In my opinion most of the medium bores with premium bullets are acceptable although I think something in .30 cal is pretty hard to beat. Me and my partner both took a Win 70 in .300 Win Mag shooting 180 grain Noslers. This rifle has been my main hunting rifle for a number of years so I am pretty familiar with it having taken a number of animals. I practiced a lot from all shooting positions including from the sticks and that was the most important thing I did to prepare. I had some long shots and shooting from the sticks isn't something you want to attempt for the first time when your sights are on a trophy animal. Set the tone the first day and instill in your PH confidence that you can safely handle a firearm and shoot accurately. If you are not used to shooting while people watch, have a few watch you as you practice shoot to add some pressure. Checking your zero that first day over the hood of the truck as the whole camp watches can be a little unnerving to some, as my hunting partner found out.

JD

If you already have a good deer/elk rifle that is range appropriate for where you will be hunting, load it with premium of your choice and take it.

Use the extra money for trophy fees!

From my experience, a 30-06 with partitions will kill all you stated with power to spare. And only regrets I have are shots I didn't take because I am a cheap SOB!

I'm going to assume that you are somewhat inexperienced and don't have a gun. My advice is to buy a 22lr bolt action, put a scope on it and start shooting it at least once a week. If you have no vacent lot or formal outdoor range, look for an indoor pistol range and shoot there. After you have fired 1,000 rounds start looking for a centerfire rifle and put a leupold scope ( 3-9 power) on it. Caliber; any caliber suitable for whitetail and elk will work, but a 30-06 will put a smile on your PH's face. Brand; they all work. Shoulder different ones and buy what feels most comforable. Have the trigger checked for it's weight of pull. If it is higher than 3 lbs have it adjusted to 2.5 to 3 lbs. Continue to shoot the 22, but but mix in trips to an outdoor range to shoot the larger rifle. 200 or so rounds through the big rifle and you should be pretty confident.

If you are a hunter already, take what ever will work on elk or big whitetails, that you have confidence in.

TerryR

I have to agree with TerryR. Though I have hunted and shot my whole life, I took that sage advice from a hunting buddy a few years back. Shooting that nice .22 bolt action has increased my confidence and accuracy immeasurably.

quote:

Originally posted by Fury01:
If you had to buy one to go, maybe that suggests your a beginning shooter and hunter? Maybe not but just phrased the question that way? Either way: buy what you can shoot well in the "normal" calibers and cartridges and shoot it a lot, and get good at it, from field positions before you go. Load premium bullets for the trip.
Some "normal" cartridges would be: 7x57 Mauser, 7mm-08, 280 Remington, 308 Winchester, 30-06, 300H&H, 300 Winchester, 8x57 Mauser, 35 Whelen, 9.3x62 Mauser would be a short list.

Don't listen to that 375 nonsense, use your deer rifle. A 338 works pretty darn good though.

I made my first trip to Africa last summer and choose a 30-06 shooting 168 Barnes TSX's. The combo worked great on zebra, gemsbok, and springbok. My Dad shot a .308 with 180 NP's that worked equally as well.

As others have said practice a lot. With me pretty much being only a treestand deer hunter the biggest difference was the need to get off a shot quickly. Once the sticks are set up your PH will be ready for you to get off a shot and doing that quickly and accurately is key. I practiced a lot from sticks but did not do enough simulating setting up and getting the shot off.

I was in the same boat last year. If your deer rifle is big enough use it. My deer rifle was a 243, so I bought a 300 win mag. You don't have to have some 30 cal mag, I'd just rather have a long range rifle for a short shot than be caught needing to make a long shot with a short range rifle.

I have now bought a 375 for the next trip.

quote:

Originally posted by Sevens:
If you were to be going on your first African safari, say a 10 day plainsgame hunt for everything from kudu down, and you had to go out and buy a rifle, what rifle would you buy? I'm not going anytime soon, just curious as to what rifles (make and caliber) would make a good plainsgame gun.

The 30-06 that I got in 64. I have bigger but this is what I will take.

Depends on where you plan to hunt. Will there be any dangerous game around? I always like to be armed to handle the most dangerous in the area.

If hunting in RSA or maybe Namibia, I find the likes of a 300 Win Mag to be an excellent choice.

If you ever intend to go back, get a 375 H&H.

If it were me, I would buy a .300 mag and save my money and buy a .416 later. With those two, you would pretty much have all you need for everything Africa has to offer. Just my two cents worth.

Regards,

Terry

If I were hunting in an area that did not have dangerous game, I'd use whatever rifle I felt comfortable with from 270Win or bigger up to 375HH.

If I were hunting in an area where dangerous game was an issue, I'd not have a rifle smaller than 9.3x63. Kudude

A friend of mine took his Mannlicher-Schoenauer in .30-06 and used 220-grain bullets with excellent results on plains game up to kudu.

My personal preference is a medium bore as a "light" rifle for Africa, just because you never know what you might encounter when after plains game. Thus I would lean toward "all around" cartridges with heavy-for-caliber bullets like the 9.3x62 with the classic 286-grain load at 2350 fps that have modest recoil for the killing power they offer. I dropped an impala at over 200 yards with mine, so for bushveld conditions range is not an issue.

Thanks guys for the input. As I mentioned earlier, I won't be going anytime soon, but I'll be going. I have my 30-06 that I hunt with state side, but I have an itch for another gun. I'm just debating now on a 300 win mag or a 375. The 300 is more practical for me to use to hunt here and a bit more economical to shoot, but a classic looking mauser styled 375 with iron sights, barrel band swivel, and an ebony forend piece certainly sounds nice. I guess I'll have to see what rifle I run into first that I like.

Sevens:

If you already have a .30-06, a .300WM is mostly redundant. Much better to get a medium bore that's adequate for dangerous game, and the classic choices in that regard are the 9.3x62 and the .375 H&H. You can't go wrong with either.

How about a .338 Win Mag?

Slingster is right. Add a 375 H&H and you are set for any African hunt.

TerryR