The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting Is a Dakota 76Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
| Is a Dakota 76 | Login/Join |
| One of Us |
Is a Dakota 76 too tight of an action for dangerous game hunting in Africa? | ||
|
| One of Us |
Ah, no. Unless there is something wrong with the action on a particular rifle. And that would also apply to a Model 70, Mauser 98, Montana, etc. | |||
|
| Administrator |
It is bloody awful on dangerous game, and just as bad on any other game! Just ask the few hundred game animals we have shot with our two rifles built on this awful action.  | |||
|
| One of Us |
Thats really great to hear as i have quite a fondness of them. But, i was concerned that the tolerances might be too close for the muck/sand. | |||
|
| Administrator |
Well, we have used our rifles for so many years, in open trucks, covered in dust, and have never had any malfunctions. In fact, these seem to be working smoother now. | |||
|
| One of Us |
Mine have worked well for the last 10 or so trips. No problems with them for me, either, although I have not shot as many animals as Saeed.... | |||
|
| One of Us |
In Dakotas, I have used a 25-06, 338WM, 35 Whelen and 404 Jeffery for hunting and the last three in Africa. No problems, no complaints. However, I've only been on 7 safaris in Africa. | |||
|
| One of Us |
I have 2 Dakota 76s: .30-06 and .375H&H. Both function flawlessly. For dangerous game, my .375 H&H balances and points better than any other bolt action rifle I have owned. USMC Retired DSC Life Member SCI Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
|
| One of Us |
drongo, Do you have a Safari or African in .375? | |||
|
| One of Us |
What the hell do you mean by "too tight"? I think you'll find Saeed has shot 1000's of buffalo with a pair of them......  You could always get a Blaser  | |||
|
| One of Us |
I know how you feel. My 404 Jeffery Dakota Safari weighs exactly 8.5 lbs and the balance is the best of all of my big bores (40 cal. and bigger). Light weight and a joy to carry. 23" barrel. I really like the Safari over the African, but I have small hands. YMMV. Plus, it's a full pound lighter. | |||
|
| Administrator |
26 inch barrel, Leupold 2.5-8X scope and 3 rounds = 9 pounds. | |||
|
one of us |
Saeed's rifles are not very good! He never kills buffalo at over 600 yards because they are too tight, and not very accurate! ...................................................................  ....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith  | |||
|
| Administrator |
It is very hard trying to hunt with a professional hunter who likes to get really close! I remember once we chased a herd all morning, and left them as they bedded down for mid day siesta. We caught up with them in the after as they started feeding. We had to chase them through all sorts of korongos - we had a snake slither between us in one of them. As we came out of the korongo, we saw them far away across a clearing, about to disappear into another thicket. He put the shooting sticks up, and I said "they are a bit far". He said "too far for buffalo. The one walking to the left!" I fired a shot at him, and he ran off. We ran after him, and found him lying on the ground, stone dead. It was 270 yards. | |||
|
| One of Us |
The 30-06 is the Classic and the .375 is a Safari. I am 5'6" and have hands that are smaller than average. I had a .416 Rigby in the African and sold it because the grip was too thick for me. I also didn't like the mercury tube in the forestock. It made the stock too narrow and deep to hold comfortably under recoil. The action, however, was smooth and fed and extracted/ejected flawlessly. Just not a good fit for me. The .375 Safari is perfect. A Safari in 416 Rem would be my choice if I wanted a 416 bolt action. USMC Retired DSC Life Member SCI Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
|
| One of Us |
This | |||
|
| One of Us |
Dakotas are sorta the "anti-Blaser"! They actually work when required! | |||
|
| One of Us |
Dakota African in .416 Rigby and .450 Dakota never let me down in Africa. But now I use more a more utilitarian .416 Rem built on a Model 70 and McMillan stock as my daily DGR driver - Dakota's are too damn pretty to abuse in the African bush. ___________________ Just Remember, We ALL Told You So. | |||
|
| One of Us |
I have Dakotas and Blasers in the safe...they seem to get along just fine | |||
|
| One of Us |
Well you should hear the Dakotas laughing at the Blasers... ___________________ Just Remember, We ALL Told You So. | |||
|
| One of Us |
I hear them crying when the Blasers go hunting and they stay at home... | |||
|
| One of Us |
The other day I needed a Blaser. I was helping a stranded motorist change a tire and he couldn't find his jack handle. I bet the muzzle of a Blaser would have fit the jack perfectly... Blaser in German translates to - Shoud have bought a Mauser. ___________________ Just Remember, We ALL Told You So. | |||
|
| one of us |
Not necessarily. If you are already stuck with all that gorgeous wood and fine fit and finish, get a beater stock for it. Admittedly, I did not want to pay thousands for wood I would not use. That was the plan. The rifle below has a Dakota M76 African action. Formerly a .395/.416 Rigby (".395 Tatanka"), it is now a .423/.416 Rigby ("404 RIP"). I "stone-texture-painted" the MPI stock myself.  It was a .395 Tatanka then, and it went to Tanzania on the Saeed Expedition of 2010. It rode standing up in the bakkie's gun rack for a couple of weeks, strapped in with innertube rubber across the forearm. After that the rifle was re-barreled. I have not seen a need to re-paint the stock yet, bush wear is a proud thing don't you know? I could sand and re-paint anytime, might even make it look better.   Riflecrank Internationale Permanente. Incurable is spelled the same in French and English.  | |||
|
One of Us |
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Opus1: The other day I needed a Blaser. I was helping a stranded motorist change a tire and he couldn't find his jack handle. I bet the muzzle of a Blaser would have fit the jack perfectly... Seriously funny quote that. ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
|
| One of Us |
By too tight i mean that the receiver tolerances are so close as to be a problem in field use. You see with modern CNC equipment and all of us requiring bench rest accuracy in our hunting rifles action tolerances of some guns are too tight. Borden and Defiance just to name a few have loosened up their machining for field use non bench rest, Stiller hasn't learned their lesson yet. If you have a chance pick up a Dakota and compare it to a Winchester it is noticeably tighter in every regard form bolt to safety. Compare again a North Carolina gun to a pre 64 and you will notice a difference. So why you may ask did this question come about? Once upon a time on the morning of a lion hunt I asked my hunting buddy if he had cycled all of the rounds he was to use thru his weapon and his response was no. In so trying one of the rounds in his magazine would not feed into his camber, it had a small burr on the case mouth. I tried it in mine gun and it would not feed either. Later in camp the PH dropped it in his Bruno and no problem, in she went. Now I know this was the camber and not the action, but it is symptomatic of the problem. I go to several Tactical shooting matches per year and at everyone someones weapon refuses to run right because of dirt, grit, grime, mud or some such that we as hunters encounter in the field; especially on multi day/week safaris. I know how the weapon is lubed can contribute to some of these issues. Maybe Im over thinking things? Although Ive never been accused of thinking too much. Thanks all for your insight and sharing. | |||
|
| Administrator |
I actually like rifles to have tight specs. In fact, we always use readers made to our minimum specs. In this case my two 375/404 which are built on the Dakota 76 action, have tight chambers, and the dies have been cut from the same drawings. I have used some brass 15 times and they still being used. I loose one every now and then due to cracks on shoulder, but the rest are still usable. That old saying of not using brass loaded more than once on dangerous game does not stand with us. | |||
|
| one of us |
...............OH! you shot him up close Huh? .................................................................... ....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith | |||
|
One of Us |
Make sure you get the bedding done right, which may, and likely will, mean get it re-done. I well remember a guy in camp in Namibia whose Dakota 76, in .450 Dakota caliber, upon firing, split and splintered the wood behind the tang. May as well have been a club after that. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
|
| Administrator |
All bedding jobs should be done right, or you are going to have problems, regardless of action. I only had am MPI stock left that fits the Dakota action, and it really was not made for the particular action I had. The bottom of the magazine sticks out from the stock. I did not have any bedding posts, so made my own from brass, just to fit that action in that stock. I used a Titanium bedding compound, and bedded all the action, plus the solid shank of the barrel just ahead of it. That action became part of the stock, and despite all the rough handling on safari, it still works. | |||
|
| One of Us |
I have seen quite a few split stocks from the heavy kickers. The problem is most do not check their action screws for tightness and the dry environment in Namibia only magnifies the problem. This is not some unique issue to Dakota. ___________________ Just Remember, We ALL Told You So. | |||
|
| One of Us |
I don't agree with that. Yeah, the wood stock is pretty. But it is the design and contour of the stock that makes it point so well. The beauty is in the functioning and performance in addition to the English walnut. Not hunting with a Dakota because you might get some dings in the stock is like not driving a Porsche because it might get dirty. I buy Dakotas because of the way they work. Therefore, I use them. If the stock gets dinged, well, that's just another memory. When I hold (my wife says "fondle") my rifles in the living room and the memories of hunts come flooding back, it is even more enjoyable because the rifles are special to me. No stainless/synthetic rifle gives me the same feeling. That's just me. I guess a double rifle would be even more special. Damn! Now I have to get one! USMC Retired DSC Life Member SCI Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
|
| One of Us |
Come spend a month in the bush in Nambia with me some time. Please bring your finest rifle with you. I can bet at the end of the month you wish you have brought your beater with you... Taking your fine gun into the bush for a month of culling and working is like hitching a trailer to your Porsche 911 GT3 RS and taking it through the outback. ___________________ Just Remember, We ALL Told You So. | |||
|
| One of Us |
Surely the best time to check your rounds for a DG hunt is before they leave the reloading bench (and country)? Or at least that is what Blaser owners do  Back on topic, do Dakota make their Tupperware PH model in left hand configuration? Formerly Gun Barrel Ecologist | |||
|
| One of Us |
Yes they do. | |||
|
| One of Us |
I have had 4 of mine over in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Cameroon, and Zambia for well over a month total time each, as well as a Merkel .470. They do have some character marks and when I rebarreled the rigby I had it refinished... but I would take them in a second to anywhere again but the rainforest. I brought them to use them. Heck, the .30-06 is a 100th anniversary gun. They are the most dependable rifles I have, and to paraphrase a bad line from Jim Shockey, I have staked my life on them. As someone on here says, life's too short to hunt with an ugly gun. | |||
|
| One of Us |
I am rough on guns and gear. I have been getting Wayne AHR to do semi custom work on my guns - everything but the stock. Then beating the gun up and sending it back to be refinished and restocked with nice wood. Then repeat the process if needed. My 375 H&H (AHR/CZ) after 44 days between zim, botswana and burkina was pretty beat up but functional. Burkina was tough on guns. Most guys I know who do serious culling swear by their blasers. This includes guys who did not like them but after using them a fair bit to cull have become fans. I need to hunt with my double. Mike | |||
|
| One of Us |
Are you rough on them because you are having to finish off Beib's blasered Moose all the time? | |||
|
| Powered by Social Strata |
 | Please Wait. Your request is being processed... |
|
Visit our on-line store for AR Memorabilia