Okay, I had asked earlier about cartridges for a plains game hunt, but I got to thinking, since I may only have one shot at Africa I can't go and not hunt buff.

That has been THE animal for me since I first read Roark and Askins when I was a kid.

Should I go with a .375 or a .416, or bigger?

How about the Beretta Mato synthetic in .375? Brian Pearce just did a writeup on one in .280 in the July issue of Rifle. Retail price listed as $1,474. Looks exactly like the rifle me and a buddy decided 15 years ago would be the perfect rifle with the best features of Mauser, Winchester and Remington.

I haven't seen one yet but I have a couple Beretta shotguns and they are near works of art.

How do you ad your signature? I added it to my profile but it didn't show up.

[This message has been edited by Ol' Sarge (edited 06-27-2001).]
Okay, now I see the little check box.

[This message has been edited by Ol' Sarge (edited 06-27-2001).]

This is a no-brainer! If you can handle the recoil go for one of the various .416s. If not, the .375 H&H will do the job and will probably be more versatile for other hunting.
If you are really recoil-tolerant and don't mind recoil killing some brain cells, go for one of the really big boomers. A man's got to know his limitations!

OL'Sarge,

If you are going to make this the one and only africa trip and you still wish to hunt back home for a number of years, then go for the .375 ... it has proved itself to be the most popular over the years for both buff and plains game .... if you want to lash out and you have the disposable income to afford say a bigger boomer as well, then the .416 is proberbly the second most popular caliber chosen for cape buff hunting ... I dont truly recommend going any bigger unless you are just wanting to "splurge" and own another rifle for putting in the display cabinet following your hunt

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Peter
Balla Balla Safaris

... africa is in my soul .. my heart bleeds for africa ..

Ol' Sarge,

If you are going to do more than one buffalo safari, go for the .416. In your post you said "I may have only one shot at Africa." If that is the case, the .375 is probably the best choice. On my buffalo safari, I used the .375 on the buffalo and all of my plains game (kudu, eland, 2 zebra, waterbuck and wildebeest). I never took the .300 out of the gun case.

I don't have any first-hand knowledge about the Mato. It is CRF. When they first came out, all the writers mentioned that it was built on the Dakota action. In the recent articles, the writers never mention this and I don't know why. It has a few limitations if you are evaluating it purely from a dangerous game point-of-view. It only holds three in the magazine and the magazine is a drop-out box magazine. It also has a muzzle break (which is either good or bad--depending on one's preference). I looked on several websites and the price for a new synthetic Mato in .375 is about $1,200 (the other calibers cost about $900).

Regards,

Terry

Sarge,
My LH Model 70 .375H&H was enough gun for my first buff.
That said, this trip will see me using the LH Model 70 .470 Capstick, not because the .375 isn't good enough, but rather that I wanted a bigger gun!

George

Sarge-
If you wish to go on safari with only one rifle then by all means pick the 375. No one, me included, could logically argue against it. However, if you are a gun nut and would prefer taking your plains game & buffalo with something more suitable for each then I'd pick the 416.
I'm a gun nut and hate compromise calibers, which is why I have no affection for the 375. It's good for a lot of things but great for nothing, IMO. Our esteemed leader Saeed will differ with me here but this is my opinion so I'll let him make his case later!
Even if you will be making only one trip, (nobody makes just one trip!)the 416 is still viable. It is a superior brown bear rifle for Alaska and with light weight bullets can be made into a credible elk gun as well. BUT, what it was really made for was flattening buffalo, and it does a first class job of that.
Someday when you have grand kids to bounce on your knee and tell hunting stories to, there will be that special rifle standing there in the rack that has a special place in your heart and be the center of attention for all who visit the trophy/gun room. It will be THAT rifle that you shot the buffalo with and no other will hold such a lofty position. If you only use it one time that one time will be enough to validate it's place in your cabinet for eternity! Buy what you want and go have fun with it.

Ol' Sarge,

Under teh box that you write your post in, there are a couple of small tick boxes, just tick the one that say SHOW SIGNATURE.

You and me seem to have the same feeling about old mbogo! I would love to just hunt buffalo every day I am in the bush.

A 375 and Barnes X bullets are the best medicine you can have for them.

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saeed@ emirates.net.ae

www.accuratereloading.com

GeorgeS: where did you lay your hands on a LH Model 70 in a .375??? i've had one on order for 6 months and they now tell me it will be at least another 6 months. any leads you know of that might have one for sale?

Bill,
I bought mine in 1997 as soon as they came off the assembly line. The .470 Capstick action was made at the same time (s/n are 105 apart).

You have to locate a dealer who does big volume; they're the ones that get the allocations every year.

I saw a post here or at HA for one at $1100, but that is the only LH M-70 .375 I've seen for sale on the 'net.

Occasionally, I see Sako LH AV's in .375H&H; they're usually $900 for the Hunter and $1000 & up for the Deluxe. I've got a Sako Hunter in .375 (and one in .338), so I just pass on them.

George

[This message has been edited by GeorgeS (edited 06-27-2001).]

Sarge I dont know anything about Buff or Buff rifles, but I have to read every thread about Buff. But I have shot a .416 Rem and really liked it.

Im a little brain dead, took quite a few blows in the ring as a youth, and drank a lot before I found a bit of wisdom ; I also cheat and use a recoil harness on the bench. But I really cant feel much of a diff between a .416 and a .375.

If this is your "dream hunt" then "go for it", buy the .416, its pretty damn versatile too. If you load then more the better.....good luck on the Hunt and take plenty of pics..........10