Had a visit from my old friend Pierre Van Der Walt a few days ago & he gave me a copy of his latest book 'African Medium-Game Cartridges' & I've just finished it............... It's a terrific read & if you're a gun nut or a reloader then this is a must have on your bookshelf.

His previous book 'African Dangerous Game Cartridges' is incidentally equally good.

I haven't looked but think he told me both are also available in Kindle but as a bottle of malt & some good Portuguese port played a part in the evening, I'm not 110% sure of that.

We have about 10 copies of the print version of the DG Ctgs book in stock ...

I tried to buy this book from Safari Press at DSC and they had sold out of it pretty quick. I meant to get back over and put it on order, but forgot. This ought to be a good one, for every African big bore, there were probably 100 medium bores sold, doing the bread and butter work for farmers and ranchers. They were and are some great cartridges, hopefully this book will renew some interest in bringing some of them back!

I just went online to order it and the synopsis says it covers the CURRENT popular medium bores for Africa. Oh well....

How many pages does it take to say 375 H&H Magnum?

Amen! Reinvent the wheel or just simplify things and use a .375 for everything.

There is a third volume Large Game Cartridges. It is not available in USA yet. It will be reprinted in 2020. The fourth volume is African Small Game Cartridges to be reprinted in 2019.

I have Medium Game Cartridges and Dangerous Game.

I do enjoy them. He researches the history of Cartridges well and independent of many well known secondary sources.

However, I think he gives the Medium Game Cartridges a np it of short shaft wanting to cap them on 550 pound game. Hundreds of elk killed with 270-300 Win Mag attest that these cartridges are just fine. In addition, he insist, incorrectly, that a Model 70 is a standard (30/06) leagnth action whose magazine box will not house 375 length cartridges. I think this has to be an editors failure. The Win Model 79 and Remington Mag boxes handle 2.85 length cases fine. See page 275.

Here is the review I wrote on it for Man Magnum magazine:

"A number of years ago, the late Dr Don Heath who was research and development manager for Norma Ammunition in Sweden invited Pierre Van Der Walt and I to visit their plant in the charming little town of Amotfors; Pierre wrote up the story for MAN Magnum, and I for African Hunter. It was the first time I had the pleasure of meeting Pierre, and his company added a lot to the experience: firstly his vast knowledge on all things firearms-related, his appreciation for history and quality craftsmanship, and especially his keen sense of humour.

A couple of years after that, I was privileged to write a review of Pierre’s classic tome, African Dangerous Game Cartridges, which has become the definitive bottom line in modern African ballistics. And about a year ago, Pierre let it be known that the follow-up volume, African Medium Game Cartridges, was in its final stages. Needless to say, I have been looking forward to getting my hands on a copy ever since.

Apart from the vast wealth of knowledge that both books contain, they are conspicuous by their high-quality format and hundreds of colour photographs. Certainly anyone who keeps a library of Africana with hunting and firearms titles will be looking for that information in a well-presented, easy to read and lasting format – such as will appreciate in value over time - and Pierre’s books do not disappoint.

African Medium Game Cartridges is the second in a planned series of four titles, which will span the subject from big bore to small bore, and it is also the first comprehensive reference book on Africa’s medium calibres ever attempted.

This book, like its predecessor, is not limited to a basic overview of cartridges. Pierre starts out with subjects such as application ranges, bolt action lengths, bullet, cartridge, and propellant classification, correct nomenclature, optimum impact velocity bands, velocity to charge ratio, and many more topics that we all need to learn more about. He covers characteristics of expanding bullets and terminal ballistics, and explores terminal performance, from Taylor’s Knock-Out Theory to controversial ideas like hydrostatic shock and the energy dump theory. Pierre’s extensive knowledge is such that we have a definitive “mythbusters” exploration of what is and isn’t.

Want to know about secondary projectile explosion effects, Ackley’s Bridging Theory, Kvale’s Bullet Hesitation Theory, Steiger’s Propellant Abuse Theory, and many other ballistic phenomena? Read chapter five.

The book then examines, in depth, 39 cartridges that have been used on Africa’s medium game species: from the 6.8 Remington Special Purpose Cartridge to the 7.65 x 53 Argentine Mauser. Each calibre is meticulously studied from a number of complimentary angles: the history that led to its inception, the unique characteristics that make it noteworthy, ballistics tables, reloading tables, advice on handloading the calibre, and application bands for the different bullets available. To cement its place as the reference book on these calibres, Pierre’s reloading data encompasses African, American, Australian, and European propellants.

Interspersed throughout are a plethora of load data summary tables for the different cartridges, cartridge diagrams, and 380 full colour images.

African Medium Game Cartridges is 478 pages of history, data, and and experience from the man who gave us the .458 African, and to whom even the cognoscenti turn for information and advice about African firearms and ballistics. The glossy presentation, hard cover format, and crystal clear illustrations make it as much a coffee table book as a reference manual, and
It is a must-have for any real library on Africana, firearms, ballistics, or hunting.

African Medium Game Cartridges is available for US$75.00 plus shipping from Pathfinder Book Publishers, info@pathfinder-publications.com, or visit the website www.pathfinder-publications.com."

Agree. Very well researched and written. Extremely informative. I have read nearly every book on this topic. All are very good.

The rub....

After reading all of this and understanding it, I have come to the conclusion that-

1. We over think this entire subject.
2. The .375 HH and the .416 Rigby or Rem are fine for everything.
3. Nearly every .30 cal is perfect for Eland and down.
4. A .270 or similar is fine for everything Eland and down with good bullet placement.

And, no amount of caliber knowledge replaces practice with your gun.


PS - Blasers will kill African game....

I am taking one of my instant death ray guns on my next safari.

They apparently evaporate the atmosphere on the way to the target.

Upon arrival, they inflict instant death.

They are available over the counter, but apparently only I have discovered them.

Or perhaps only I know how to use them.

I have found that it is necessary to practice a great deal with them, and to make sure that the pointy ends of the death rays strike the animal in a vital zone.

I may, or may not, file a hunt report.

I fear that the game fields will be depopulated if word of these death dealing instruments gets around.

Sir:

Your death ray gun sounds a lot like my.270 Win.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
Sir:

Your death ray gun sounds a lot like my.270 Win.

Shhhhh . . .

quote:

I have found that it is necessary to practice a great deal with them, and to make sure that the pointy ends of the death rays strike the animal in a vital zone.

There's always a catch....

I have come to love my 35 whelen on plains game...very mild recoil, flat shooting and superb results on tough game such as zebra, roan etc

quote:

Originally posted by reddy375:
I have come to love my 35 whelen on plains game...very mild recoil, flat shooting and superb results on tough game such as zebra, roan etc

+1

That about sums it up!

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
Agree. Very well researched and written. Extremely informative. I have read nearly every book on this topic. All are very good.

The rub....

After reading all of this and understanding it, I have come to the conclusion that-

1. We over think this entire subject.
2. The .375 HH and the .416 Rigby or Rem are fine for everything.
3. Nearly every .30 cal is perfect for Eland and down.
4. A .270 or similar is fine for everything Eland and down with good bullet placement.

And, no amount of caliber knowledge replaces practice with your gun.


PS - Blasers will kill African game....

Obviously you are talking out of experience.

I will go even further.

I have shot every plains game animal, including eland, with various 270 caliber rifles.

If game laws allowed it, I would use my 30/404 on everything.

Including buffalo and elephant.

And I am absolutely, positively, certain, every animal would die just as if shot with a larger caliber.

One only need use proper bullets, and make sure he places them in the right place.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ijl:
The book then examines, in depth, 39 cartridges that have been used on Africa’s medium game species: from the 6.8 Remington Special Purpose Cartridge to the 7.65 x 53 Argentine Mauser. QUOTE]


If I read you right, does the list of cartridges stop at the 7.65 x 53 Argentine Mauser as the "biggest"?

If so, what about the 8 mm, .338 and .358 Calibers?

It does not cover medium bore cartridges. By Caliber is address the 270 cartridges, then the 7mms, and finally the 30 cals with the 303 British and 7.62X39 type cartridges torn in the last chapter with .308s.
The 7.65x53A is the last and largest by caliber (not case and bullet weight) addressed.


There are no 8mm (7.92 or .323) and above cartridges discussed in Medium Game Book.


The true medium bores 8mm-9.3 are obviously being reserved for African Large Game Cartridges that should be released in the US Market in 2020. He did cover the 9.3s and 375s in Dangerous Game, so I am curious to see if those cartridges get included in the Large Game Volume.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
Agree. Very well researched and written. Extremely informative. I have read nearly every book on this topic. All are very good.

The rub....

After reading all of this and understanding it, I have come to the conclusion that-

1. We over think this entire subject.
2. The .375 HH and the .416 Rigby or Rem are fine for everything.
3. Nearly every .30 cal is perfect for Eland and down.
4. A .270 or similar is fine for everything Eland and down with good bullet placement.

And, no amount of caliber knowledge replaces practice with your gun.


PS - Blasers will kill African game....

Obviously you are talking out of experience.

I will go even further.

I have shot every plains game animal, including eland, with various 270 caliber rifles.

If game laws allowed it, I would use my 30/404 on everything.

Including buffalo and elephant.

And I am absolutely, positively, certain, every animal would die just as if shot with a larger caliber.

One only need use proper bullets, and make sure he places them in the right place.

Pretty bold statement Saeed.
For yourself I believe this is probably true.
What are your preferred 30 caliber projectiles?
Would love to hear your opinion of the Nosler accubond and the Hornady ELD-x heavies on game.

Looking at both the Nosler Accubon and the Hornady ELD X, both seem to be jacketed bullets.

And I personally would never use jacketed bullets for hunting today.

My preference would be mono metal hollow points.

Or second choice would be solid shank bullets like the Trophy Bonded Bear Claws.

Great book but disappointbo 318 WR, 333 Jeffery...

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
Amen! Reinvent the wheel or just simplify things and use a .375 for everything.

AMEN! I have a Westley Richards 500-450 double rifle that I'm thinking of getting JJ or Arron Little mono-block a pair of 375H&H flanged barrels in to make it into a nice light double rifle for all hunting, in North America, and Africa. That would be a very nice rifle made to about 8 lbs with 24 in barrels, and set up for irons, and scope!

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I enjoy reading books, there is always something interesting in any of them.