I just got back from the range and on the drive home I got to thinking about what cartridge I would pick as the best big game cartridge ever. I have had different views over the years about which cartridge I would select but right now, at least for me, that cartridge would have to be the .416 Rigby. The cartridge design is pretty near perfect. It's big enough to maintain modest pressures and the .041 taper makes it feed like butter. Even at those modest pressures, it can propel a 410 grain bullet at 2300 fps which makes it incredibly effective on soft skinned game and with the right solids, it give impressive penetration on the heavier species as well. It's great medicine for buffalo and lion and while it might not be the ideal choice for an elephant, it will do in a pinch. It does require a magnum action but that is a good thing. At around 91/2 pounds, the recoil is very manageable.

That's my pick but I would love to hear yours. whether you shoot a bolt, double, or a single shot, what say you? What's your pick for the best African cartridge ever?

Dave

375 H&H. John Taylor thought this the best all around cartridge back in 1948. 61 years later, with all of the great bullets we have, it is better than ever. yes, there are better bullets for specific circumstances, but for general all-around use the 375 is hard to beat.

Actually, in 1912, this was pretty advanced technology. Cordite was quite sensitive to heat. They designed a bottle-neck cartridge to allow for easy extraction. Because of the lack of a hard shoulder to headspace on, H&H added a belt. One hundred years later we haven't done much better.

I would vote for the 416 Remington because it does everything the 416 Rigby does, but it lends itself to a trimmer rifle.

But now the 416 Ruger can do everything the Remington or Rigby do but in a standard length non belted case.

The low pressure of the Rigby is unimportant and its case is needlessly large.

The Remington is on its way to being pushed to the back of the shelf by the Ruger.

The Ruger is too new.

The 375 H&H is too small to be used in all situations.

The 404 is rare enough to be a near wildcat.

The 458 Win is short of capacity.

The 458 Lott is too big for all around use.

I am beginning to think that there is no best.

Dave,

For me its the 375 of some type. I won't go into all the 375's atributes because they have been pontificated about many times here. Its just the African equivalent of the '06. Your never wrong with it from duikers to Jumbo and it is very shootable for almost everybody.

Mark

After spending a day at the range with my buddies double. I would have to say that the very best is a 500 NE.

Just make sure you have a great taxidermist.

Dave.......I say 500/416...because it's a Rigby in a double.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

I shoot many of the big calibers, but I think that Mark is right about the .375.

.375 H&H

For all around use, including regular use on cape buffalo and elephant, I would choose the .416 Remington Magnum.

For all around use, as a secend rifle, I will "always" choose the 375H&H.

For trips that include elephant, it makes a good all rounder and can certainly do the job on jumbo if the heavy rifle goes tits up.

For trips that don't include elephant, it makes the perfect heavier rifle and has reasonable trajectory for longer ranges if the lighter flat shooter goes tits up.

JPK

quote:

Originally posted by GarBy:
Dave.......I say 500/416...because it's a Rigby in a double.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

I can't disagree with the guys who have selected the .375. It is truly a great cartridge. I just prefer something with more "punch".

Gary, I'll talk to you next week and well "git er done"

Dave

I agree with mrlexma that the 416 Rem is the best all around cartridge. With that being said I always have a 375 H&H with me as the light rifle if hunting in a DG area. I also always carry solids as you never know when that once in a lifetime elephant will stroll by.

BigB

I choose the 375 and it is the best reason of all... If your ammo turns up lost or missing every camp has some 375 ammo there or can get some real quick from an adjoining camp...


Mike

I agree with those who chose a .416 Rem. Mine is accurate and will do anything a .375 will do and more out to 200 yards or so and I'm not generally inclined to shoot farther. Haven't worked with it, but guess I could get comfortable to 300 yds. or so.

I choose the 416 Remington.The 375 H&H is its partner and the two primary cartridges I use in East Africa. My 300 Win. rounds out my battery. With these three, I've taken oribi to elephant.

I must agree with the .375 contingent, One safari to Zambia. Shot sitatunga 180 yards kafue lechwe 277, puku 304, lion (first shot) 18 yards, leopard 22 yards. Never shot a buff or ele with one but I think enought people have to call it simply adequate.
Chipolopolo

I am surprised why so many people thinks that the best african cartdrige must be a big bore.

Africa is HUGE, and if you are not hunting DG you will not need a 416 caliber.

But other than that, I think that a light handy carbine in 9,3x62 with a bunch of softs and solids will be a much better all arounder for the whole african continent than a 416....

L

Reddy375, I must agree and it seems your post is becoming appropriate for more and more posts.

378 Weatherby!







Ed

Whatever I happen to be hunting with at the time!

As long as I'm hunting, its good. All of us seem to be a bit anal about a "best" cartridge here.

If BEST means: reliable killer of many types/sizes of animals -

I say for double rifles it's 450/400 3" by Jeffery. It can have .41 mag 200 grn

pistol bullets loaded into it up to 400 grain solids for Jumbo. For bolt rifles

I propose a wildcat using the 416 Ruger brass necked down to .41 caliber so it

can use the exact same collection of bullets the afore mentioned 400 Jeffery can use.

Best Africane big Game cartridge - 375 H&H no doubt.

Best dangerous game cartridge - I would opt for a good double in 500 NE that would make me happy.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:
What's your pick for the best African cartridge ever?

Dave

The one I shoot the best. In my case a 375 H&H in Mod70 Pre64 Winchester.

Jack absolutely positively no wildcats, if ammo lost you have an expensive club..
This is my opinion... Had my baggage with ammo get lost...

Mike

I want the best for the biggest, A .416 Rem or Rigby will do that job fine. Good shooting.

The low pressure of the Rigby is unimportant and its case is needlessly large.

The case of the .416 Rem is to small to use 450 grns. bullets - if you want to simulat Normas new PH line.

But otherwise you are quite right: there is no best given the fact that that the individual recoil resistance is too different from person to person.

AFRICAN Big Game cartridge, as in cartridge for African hunting? Not a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but day-to-day grunt work in Africa?

.375 H&H.

Can't really see anything else that can be a one-gun proposition for one who lives and hunts in Africa, not as a guided client or a PH, but as an African of whatever colour you may like.

Try and get your hands on .416 Rem Mag ammo, or even .416 Rigby, in most any place in Africa, outside of a very few select countries...

I lean towards the 9.3 X 62 and a toss up with the .375 H&H for the perfect African "all rounder". These two are not all that bad here in North America either, so it lets you shoot them a lot more on the average. More shooting is always more fun!!

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

Put me down for 375 H&H. If I had to give up all my big bores save one, that would be the one left. Why? I have more confidence in it than any other.

For me it would be the .416 Rem. It will do dangerous and plains game no problem. The .375 H&H would be my second choice.

45/70....

the one you have in your hands when the moment of truth is there and to know where it shoots

6 drams 12 bore dbl rifle

quote:

Originally posted by retreever:
Jack absolutely positively no wildcats, if ammo lost you have an expensive club..
This is my opinion... Had my baggage with ammo get lost...

Mike

Hi Mike,

I was referring ONLY to the killing ability for the widest collection of beasts, NOT AT ALL to ammo availability.

I will have a rifle that can fire .375 H&H belted ammo on any hunting trip that I go on as a precaution because

it is true, ammo lost for a rifle of uncommon caliber is NOT going to be replaced quickly enough "out there".

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:
I just got back from the range and on the drive home I got to thinking about what cartridge I would pick as the best big game cartridge ever. I have had different views over the years about which cartridge I would select but right now, at least for me, that cartridge would have to be the .416 Rigby. The cartridge design is pretty near perfect. It's big enough to maintain modest pressures and the .041 taper makes it feed like butter. Even at those modest pressures, it can propel a 410 grain bullet at 2300 fps which makes it incredibly effective on soft skinned game and with the right solids, it give impressive penetration on the heavier species as well. It's great medicine for buffalo and lion and while it might not be the ideal choice for an elephant, it will do in a pinch. It does require a magnum action but that is a good thing. At around 91/2 pounds, the recoil is very manageable.

That's my pick but I would love to hear yours. whether you shoot a bolt, double, or a single shot, what say you? What's your pick for the best African cartridge ever?

Dave

Dave what I get from you post above is, you are far more interested in what the cartridge will do on the largest game! If that is the case then I would go even larger.

However, if you are thinking what would actually be a one rifle for everything, then I would be prone to pick the 375 H&H cartridge in a well made CRF bolt action rifle, with good Ierons sights, and a QD scope that returns to absolute zero!
The 375 H&H ammo is available in every country where hunting is allowed, and though it is not needed for the smallest game, with proper bullets it does little meat or hide damage. It if light for the largest game, but again with proper bullets will take them quite nicely, and for the mid range size animals, it has a flat enough trejectry to work for all them regardless if in tight bush, or open veld. The recoil is mild, and accuracy is good in good rifles, and is an easy rifle to learn to shoot well.

In my opinion, the 375 H&H cartridge in a properly set up rifle is a one rifle for the world, from titmouse to mastedon!

NOW! if you would allow me a battery of three cartridges and rifles..............

quote:

Originally posted by Lorenzo:
I am surprised why so many people thinks that the best african cartdrige must be a big bore.

Africa is HUGE, and if you are not hunting DG you will not need a 416 caliber.

But other than that, I think that a light handy carbine in 9,3x62 with a bunch of softs and solids will be a much better all arounder for the whole african continent than a 416....

L

Bravo! I think you make a seriously insightful point.

quote:

Originally posted by BigFiveJack:
If BEST means: reliable killer of many types/sizes of animals -

I say for double rifles it's 450/400 3" by Jeffery. It can have .41 mag 200 grn

pistol bullets loaded into it up to 400 grain solids for Jumbo. For bolt rifles

I propose a wildcat using the 416 Ruger brass necked down to .41 caliber so it

can use the exact same collection of bullets the afore mentioned 400 Jeffery can use.

Jack,

It already exists; it’s called the .40 Newton and was designed in the 1913-1915 era.

The .375 Ruger/.416 Ruger brass is a perfect match for all .30 Newton derivative cartridges; case requires shortening from 2.568” to min 2.515”/max 2.520” OAL, then run through the full length resizing die and you’ll have the perfect match to a Newton factory drawn cartridge case.

It seems one Model 1916, First Model, Newton rifle was produced in late 1919/early 1920 with the originally designed .400” bore/.408” groove segmental rifled barrel. Newton named his cartridges after the bore diameter vis-à-vis the US norm of groove diameter hence the name .40 Newton. Sure would love to have that puppy but doubt I could afford it!

And another 1-4 Model 1924, Second Model, Newton rifles (aka: Buffalo Newton rifle) were produced sometime between 1926-1929 using sleeved barrels with .403” bore/.411” groove square cut rifling designed for use in .405 Winchesters.

So take your pick or go with the Brit style barrel with a .400” bore/.411” groove barrel which would most likely match your .400 Jeffery.

Though originally factory rifle cartridges, as Newton died in 1932 and his last factory closed that same year, all Newton cartridges now typically fall within the wildcat cartridge lineup.

Correctly headstamped brass for the .40 Newton is occasionally available from Quality Cartridge. Or roll your own using the Ruger brass.

Hope this helps.

Jim

"One rifle, one planet, Holland's 375"