Thinking about being limited to 2 guns for travel and hunting in africa. Curious if anyone has taken a switch barrel gun with more than 2 calibers? Is it doable or do ammo restrictions keep that from happeneing.

The restriction is not continent wide. SA allows more, perhaps others do as well.

Guys have posted here about taking Encores.

Rich
DRSS

a double with additionel barrel sets is nice, i have an alex henry in 577 with an extra set of barrels in 450/400 3,25" to me that would be the ultimate combo for africa.

best

peter

May I ask whay you want to take more than 2 calibers?

It will make life more difficult for , as because of ammo weight restrictions, you will have to plan on how many of each to take.

And Africa being Africa, you might find yourself out of ammo for a caliber you want to use.

I go the other way, to insure that I do have something to use, and I take two identiocal rifles in the same caliber, shooting the same load.

Makes life infinetly simpler.

Wouldn't you always have the wrong barrel assembled when you needed the other?

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I go the other way, to insure that I do have something to use, and I take two identiocal rifles in the same caliber, shooting the same load.

Makes life infinetly simpler.

saeed

why do you bother bringing two, if they are of the same caliber etc. i dont get the logic (but that would not be the first time)

best

peter

quote:

Originally posted by peterdk:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I go the other way, to insure that I do have something to use, and I take two identiocal rifles in the same caliber, shooting the same load.

Makes life infinetly simpler.

saeed

why do you bother bringing two, if they are of the same caliber etc. i dont get the logic (but that would not be the first time)

best

peter

Peter,

I normally use one rifle, and the other is used by my friends to hunt with.

Having two rifles of the same caliber and same ammo, makes life a bit easier.

thanks saeed

i do like the idea of having a few options like a heavy for hunting in heavy bush, and a longer reaching caliber for the times when that is needed.

sadly my expirence regarding africa is very limited so far, but the idea is not new by any means, quite a few of the old time travellers had multi barrel solutions or a 3 gun battery to deal with what they thought nesseary.

also as a gunmaker i like the technial solutions behind the idea

my idea towards a perfect two barrel gun would be a double with two barrel sets, one a 500 NE the other a 450/400 NE.

best regards

peter

i think there is an aplication for a 21 day safari in somewhere like massailand or where you are mixing ele /and plainsgame , then of course who doesnt like the odd evening out for birds -

saeed you are right regarding the ammo restrictions , most outfitters will organise shotgun ammo for you in camp - that would be impossible to travel with.

i think the ultimate set would be something heavier , in the 450 range , something in the 300 range nice and flat shooting and then a set of 20ga barrells -

in a lot of the big game areas there is a limited amount of plainsgame anyway and often no birds so multi barrells would me a moot point.

Several points:

1. A person can't take two guns of the same caliber into South Africa. Of course, the word caliber is used in two different ways unfortunately. One interpretation would be a specific cartridge and the other would be bore size.

2. If you take a switch barrel gun, be sure that any extra barrels have their own serial number. Encore and Contender barrels aren't serial numbered while Blaser barrels are.

Since a lot of my fun in going to Africa revolves around trying a new gun or cartridge, I always like to take at least two but will readily acknowledge that one, a 375 H&H Magnum or similar, is all that is really needed. That said, though all my Africa hunting has been with a switch barrel gun, I've never switched barrels in Africa.

I don't know about the 2 caliber restriction but don't people routinely take their Blasers? On my next trip I almost certainly will.
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

I go the other way, to insure that I do have something to use, and I take two identiocal rifles in the same caliber, shooting the same load.

Makes life infinetly simpler.

A very sensible approach, Saeed.

I have a Verney-Carron double with two barrels. I ordered it for use in the USA so the barrels I chose were 7x65R and 9.3x74R. Although I have never hunted Africa, I would think a double rifle with two barrels like 300H&H/375H&H or 375H&H/450-400 would be handy there.

It would be pretty easy to sell me a DR with barrels in 9,3x74R and 450 #2. Throw in a set of 20 gauge barrels with chokes and call me happy.

Rich
But it's okay to have a rack full.

quote:

Wouldn't you always have the wrong barrel assembled when you needed the other?

Mike

Exactly! The only time this might be handy is if you were changing areas from DG area to a plains game only area. Srewing around changing barrels on a typical mixed bag hunt would be a nightmare and recipe for a mayor fuck up. It's a neat idea and I had a switch barrel myself but never even ordered the second barrel. A second rifle is far more practical.

Mark

Mark,
Laura duPlooy, was trying to clear a guys guns there in Lusaka one year, we came in together, he had a "k" gun with a shotgun barrel. What a disater that was for her to sort. I'll never even think about it for just that reason.

Steve

The only time I take two is when I can't take three.

I like switch barrels - and more especially the Blaser - because they make such small packages.

If it was my choice, I would take at least a dozen rifles!

But, in this day and age, that is not very practical.

So I do what I think best suits me. And take identical rifles instead.

i frequently go with my pair of berretas in 3006 and 9.3x74 with an extra set of 20 ga bbls. never have had any trouble bringing them or ammo in, including in zambia. the 06 bbls are very accurate and get used for smaller stuff, the 9.3 for larger and the 20 ga bbls are a lot of fun to do a bit of bird hunting with. the double break down into a smaller case that is easier to handle and goes through the baggage line & handlers better

I haven't taken mine to Africa, yet. You might consider one of these a Mauser Model M03. Mine has a 404 Jeffery barrel and a 375 H&H barrel.



Americase now makes a two barrel case that matches the Mauser case.