Ladies and Gentlemen,

If you were going on a 14 day sable and two buffalo hunt in the Zambezi Valley, would you take two rifles or just one. Given the fact that there is not a lot of plains game and if you did take a zebra or kudu it would probably be a target of opportunity when you were out hunting buffalo. Given the conditions, most shots are going to less than 150 yards, so the .416 will work for the sable and most shots at plains game.

Would you take the .416 and the .375? Nice to have the .375 in case your .416 develops a problem, but dealing with the extra rifle and ammunition is just more weight.

Regards,

Terry

Terry,
After just having done that, I would take a .375 or .416 depending on what shoots the best. I took a .300 and .375 on our trip. I would just shoot the .375H&H until the barrel fell off!

Terry, for my own use I'd take my 416 Rem. Mag. and my 300 Win. Mag., although your 375/416 combo is anything but dumb.

AD

Terry,

I'd bring the 416/375, just so you have a backup capable of taking buffalo. I'm going to Zim (and maybe SA) in May for Buff. I'm taking two, 375 and 458 Lott.

-Steve

T.Carr,

416 rem, 404, 416 Rigby or 375 H&H (300 grain bullet) has quite similar trajectories.

Take your Biesen 416 Rem and have great time.

Cheers
/JOHAN

Terry: Your choice is well-reasoned. I ALWAYS take two rifles,regardless of what I'm hunting. Twenty five years in the military teaches us to "plan and train for the worst and expect the best."
There is no telling when a rifle will malfunction and with those two calibers you're pretty well covered. Incidentally, with my 416 Rigby, I had it sighted in for about 1.25"@ 100 with my 400gr A Frames and dead on with solids. With the A Frames I could comfortably hit dead center @250 yards, so your 416 Remington is more versatile than most people realize. My friend Todd who was with me in Zimbabwe, took everything with his 375 and his shots ranged from 30 yards on buffalo to a measured 352 on Kudu. You're ready! jorge

Terry,

I'm with Jorge on this one. Carrying any rifles is a big pain. That given, one extra won't be too much more of a hassle!

I personally will not ever bring anything less than a .375 to Zim ever again. After my Buff hunt was done we went after Sable and Eland....came across a lot of Eles, a couple of which were close to coming for us. Felt pretty whimpy / helpless with my .300 H & H and 180 NPs!!!

You are on the right track....

...If you could only take one gun, either of those calibers is great....I'd err to the side of the .375 though. Of course it all depends on which rifle you feel is the most sound and that you shoot the best - again, either one is fine (so take both!).

Jeff

Terry, You have much more experience than I but the tips can't be more than ten dollars to make the weight a non issue. In the unlikely event you have problems, you have your own back up gun. Remember, it only cost 80% morte to go first class.

Good hunting

Sprig.

I would take both. I've only had problems with a firearm when I only took one.

Thanks for the comments.

Considering that a one-gun safari can turn into a NO-gun safari, I think the two-gun safari is the way to go.

We will probably have to take an extra bag anyway, because of the need to "resupply" the PH. On this last trip (not counting the bag we needed for London-which we left at Afton House) we took the Tuffpak and two large rolling duffels (one a cheap one we bought just for the trip). We were able to make it back with just the Tuffpak and our regular duffel. You should have seen the charter pilot's face when we showed up. Unknown to us, the PH and his kit were also on the charter from Harare to Dande. The pilot said that we would never get off the dirt strip at Dande with this much weight. We assured him that one bag was full of stuff for the staff and PH so on the return flight we would be much lighter. He wanted to take the rifles out of the Tuffpak and leave it behind, but he decided that it was OK. That is why I always take a medium-sized nylon bag (light weight and takes up almost no room). Just in case we have to unpack the Tuffpak, we will have that bag to carry the stuff that was in the Tuffpak.

Regards,

Terry

Great choice. When people ask me what I take to hunt Buffalo , I always reply, "I like to take a big gun and a bigger gun."

Big gun = 375
Bigger gun = something that starts with a 4

The 375 being scoped will work for anything, Buffalo (out of iron sight range), or any plainsgame aniaml etc.

Terry,

Get a tuffsak. They fit in the Tuffpak and you just slide it out, it is a duffel made specifically for the Tuffpak. It has a drawstring end to load thisngs while in the Tuffpak and it has a full length zipper to unload it when you remove it from the Tuffpak.

Maybe Mims could help you with this?

Speaking of packing for a safari. Why, when you are doing your final packing and struggling to make everything fit, does the wife say, "Do we really need this? Why are taking this?"

Do you notice that it is always your stuff she is talking about? Why doesn't she ever ask those same questions about the stuff she is taking?

Regards,

Terry

The first thing I would pack are two rifles capable of handling elephants in an emergency, especialy in an area with so many elephants as the Zambezi. I then figure what room I have left for other things. The two rifles have priority in my kit. You can't go wrong with a 375 as one, it is so damn useful. Then a 40 +. In my case my Biesen 458 Lott or my 465 H&H double. I leave most of my travel and town gear in Bulawayo and only take my rifle case and a small shoulder bag with clothes, ammo, binos insect repelent, etc. The pilot has always said to me "Is that all your taking?"

465H&H

That's easy Terry. She's trying to make more room for her stuff...

-Steve

P.S. I know this because I'm married to the same gal.

when i did just that i took my set of 375 & 416 dakotas. today I might just sub a 470 for the 416

Two is one one is none

When i went on a plains game only safari in zim i took 2 375 h&h one A-square and one steyr I dearly love my A-square but it took a shit on day seven broken safety it would just go click sometimes I mised a bushbuck because my rifle would not fire so i just picked up the spare and went on about my work fixed the A-square on my return. It was humbling to have a tracker tell me if that was a lion you would be dead.

Terry!

As men it is our responsibility to ask our wives those questions. BUT Men are too sensitive to ask such demeaning questions or is it that "discreation is the better part of valor?"

465 H&H

....

Terry

Of course all the above comments on taking 2 rifles certainly make good sence just in case you have a malfunction. On the other hand if you knew the PH/Safari operator had a "nice" spare and not the usual horrid camp gun you might get by with one or none. Our camps have tweaked Mod 70's in 375 and 300 with Swarovski and Leupold scopes and also Browning and Beretta shotguns. I may not bring any guns when I hunt next in Tanzania.

Regards,

Mark

I'm going on my first safari in a bit and its 16 hunting days with Roger Whittal & Co. Two buff are on the list as well as lepard, sable, bushbuck, eland, kudu...I'll be hunting in Chewore and then at Humani in the Save.

I have a double rifle I really want to use on the buff and that left me scratching my head. Instead of a light rifle I chose my 375H&H. When I e-mailed Roger to double check my choices and ask about ammo mix between the rifles and between softs and solids I got a hearty endorsement of my choices and a suggested ammo mix that emphasised solids.

Roger suggested 20 rounds for the double with sixteen of those solids and forty rounds of 375 with fifteen being solids.

He also emphasised, with caps and bolding and underlining that the solids be steel jacketed.

I guess the saying, "when in elephant country, carry an elephant rifle..." rings true.

JPK

On many ocassions I have done a plainsgame hunt in RSA, then hopped a flight to Tanzania or Zimbabwe for Buffalo and other DG....I took one gun on several ocassions, the 416 or 404 and I never felt over or under gunned, they both worked out fine for me, and I will probably do it again very soon...

These days I carry two guns, my double and a 40 caliber of some sort for all my African hunting.

I love my .375 and shoot it exceptionally well, but I know the 40 calibers just do a much better job any way you cut it...

Terry,

For a safari of the kind you describe, I agree that you should take a minimum of two rifles, both of which should be DG capable.

On that theory, this fall I am taking my .500 after elephant and buffalo, and maybe hippo, and will also take either my .458, but more probably one of my .416s, along for back-up and plains game, if I have the time and opportunity to take any.

I'd prefer to use a lighter rifle for plains game of course, but I don't want to take three and I need both of the two I take to be DG capable.

Now you've got me second guessing my battery. I am going to Zim in Oct. for buff and a few plains game animals and I was going to take my Brown Precision 338 Win.Mag. and my CZ 458 Win. Mag. Now I am thinking I might ought to replace the 338 with my 375???????????I've just always wanted to try my 338 in Africa though. Some of life's decisions are tough indeed.
Doug

Well I guess I'll have to be the loan dissenter and cast a single vote for the 416 Rem mag. It will do everything you ask it to do in spades if you do your part. I have yet to take more than one gun on any hunt in US, Canada, Europe or Africa. I have never had a gun failure during the hunt and only once was the luggage (read rile lost) and it was received the next day. Yes there is a chance the gorillas at the airport can snap a stock but careful packing in a tuffpack goes a long way to prevent this. With all the BS laws in every country you visit or pass through I just don't feel the need to burden myself with anything extra.

If I were going on a "Plains Game" hunt, I would
probably only take one bolt-action DG (.375 up)rifle. I agree with Mark, check with your PH to find out what type of backup rifles are available if something goes wrong with yours.
If your safari were to include "dangerous game" then I personally follow Ray's advice & travel with a .416 Rigby & a 450/400 NE double.
Bottom line is make sure you have good quality bullets & you shoot well with whatever you take!

Terry, I'd take both. Travelling with two firearms really isn't much more difficult than with just one.

This could be another topic entirely, but next year I intend to take two big bores to Tanzania. My 470 Mbogo will be the lead for two buffalo, and my 416 Taylor will be the understudy and possibly see limited use for zebra, wildebeeste, warthog and the like.

(NOTE: Yes, I intend to take TWO wildcat cartridges to deepest, darkest Africa. )

I would not have bothered with the 416 Taylor at all, except for the zebra, etc. I don't really need a backup rifle, as my partner (Don_G) will have his 416 Rem Mag available if mine is lost or calves (and vice versa). BUT, I like to use my own rifles if and when I can, and it would be great to use my Taylor on something in Africa. Considering the additional rifle is really just another firearm permit and a pound or two of ammo, I figure its worth taking.

Cheers,
Canuck

I would trade in that .416 for a .470 double, and then take a .470 double for buffalo and a .375 for everything else.

Have fun!

On all of my previous trips to Africa I have taken only one rifle per trip and sometimes combined my hunting partners rifle, on a two on one hunt ,say with a 470NE and a 375, 9.3 light scoped rifle. This year for Buff ,cow ele and plains game I will bring a scoped 9.3 and have my 470NE in its hardcase wich fits in my canvas duffle bag.
Good hunting, Adam C.

I´ve hunted with my .375 on two trips and my .416 on one. So far I´ve not contemplated taking two rifles as both these calibers work well on big and small (I´ve not hunted buff or any other DG yet). I´ve taken duiker with the .375 and a bushbuck with the .416.

If I was you I´d take the .416 and leave it at that.

Terry ----- You could certainly get by with the .416 and not be worried about the logistics of the second rifle. As for me, when I go back and have any idea of taking more plains game, I simply cannot leave home without my old "Big Red" a custom built .358 STA. When I go, it goes, and pumps those 270 grain North Forks with precision, time after time. If cought with it in my hands in front of Mr. Buff I would feel very confortable. If you have feelings that strong about a second rifle, by all means take it along. Good luck and good shooting.

Terry,

I would take both rifles. Just for the piece of mind and a readily available "Plan B" which can be brought to bear with no loss of precious hunting time.

How on earth could you leave one of those Biesen M70s at home anyway...?

Regards,
Dave

Taking two rifles with ammo is just a big pain IMO. The 375 or the 416 will do the job and since your main bag is buffalo I would take the 416. Every camp that Ive been in has a spare gun you just need to bring a spare pre sighted scope. Learning to travel light is the most important thing in travel.

two rifles of course.....a .404 Jeffy and a .30-06

Magnum Hunter 1,
Go ahead and take your .338, its a great African rifle, and if you run into a trophy Cape Buffalo with it, then shoot him, it will kill him...I have killed several Cape Buff with a .338 Win....Your choice of armament is excellent...

Take your 338 if you want to. Load up some solids for it just in case. I really doubt any DG you take with it in an emergency will be able to tell the difference between it and the 375 and the minimum caliber requirements don't pertain to self defence.

465H&H

quote:

Originally posted by T.Carr:
Speaking of packing for a safari. Why, when you are doing your final packing and struggling to make everything fit, does the wife say, "Do we really need this? Why are taking this?"

So take 3 suitcases each. SAA only charges an extra $180 for a 3rd suitcase from ATL to JoBerg.

Terry,
How about the 458 lott (unscoped) and a 9.3x62 (scoped)?

Both the .375 and .416, then your covered for rifle/ammo malfunctions. Also take two scopes which are interchangeable. Always prepare for "Murphy".

Dak

Don't let your safari turn into a party for
the fuck-up fairy-take two rifles!!Then both will work just fine.Take one and you can be certain of a problem.Twice I have been very glad of two rifles on expensive hunts.