Did you receive it yet, lavaca?

quote:

The nice thing about it is out to 300 yards, everything is simple. With a 400 grain bullet, dead on at 100, I'm 6" low at 200 and 21" low at 300, which is not a problem on sizeable game. That said, I don't want to shoot it beyond that, or even beyond 200 yards on smaller game, which is what prompted the 7mm.

I use a different sight-in system. With a 350gn TTSX at 2820fps
it is 2.0" high at 100yards
then 0.5" high at 200 yards
only -6.7" low at 300 yards
and -20.3" low at 400 yards.
That allow one to shoot oribi at 200 without a worry as in the picture above, and anything like a hartebeest, wildebeest, or eland, a person can stay 'on hair' out to 400 yards. That is as flat as anyone ever needs in Africa.

However, when looking down the road 10 years, maybe sooner, I am considering the following:
2.0" sight-in 100 yards, CEB-tipped 307gn at 2700fps for an easy recoil
-0.1" low at 200 yards
-8.9" low at 300 yards
-25.7" low at 400 yards.
That is still close to being 'on hair' at 400 yards with the larger antelope, and the load can be managed with a little 416Ruger. If the rifle were accurate it would still handle oribi, Tommy, and impala at any practical range out to 300 yards. The bullet should be good for buffalo, and I don't do elephant.

Brandon:

It's here. I just can't seem to connect with my FFL to pick it up. I'm off this weekend to try to put a nilgai in the freezer, so it will be next week sometime.

Tanzan:

That's pretty impressive. If you are 2" high at 100, where are you at 25 and 50? Just curious.

That's what I like about sighting dead on at 100. If I recall, I'm less than an inch low at 25 and just about dead on at 50, but I check every year. Not enough to worry about in any event and I certainly take more shots under 100 than over 150.

Lavaca,

At 25 yards it is -0.2" (practically speaking, that is dead on for 25 yards)
At 50 yards it is +0.8"
At 75 yards it is +1.6"
and as mentioned at 100 yards it is +2.0.
Practically, that is 0", 1", 2" for 25, 50, 100 yards.

It's max height is +2.1" at 125 yards while it starts to settle down on its way to 200 and 300 yards targets.I use JBMballistics and set the target radius to 2.1". Depending on the bullet speed and BC, that usually gets 1.9, 2.0, or 2.1" high for 100 yards, and I have enough trouble just trying to get the scopes within 1/4" accuracy at that range.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Well, I'm committed to a 7mm. Weatherby. Smallest caliber I've ever taken to Africa and smallest caliber I've ever hunted with since I was ten years old. Help me convince myself I'm not making a huge mistake.

OK, I'll work on the convincing/reassuring. First off the disclaimer. I don't even have a 7mm Weatherby but have over 25 years going with the STW. Close enough, same thing a few yards farther out. Depending on the load they might trade places. I'm just as prone to the intuitive thought that bigger oughta be better as the next guy, but pure observation on over a lot of game animals up to moose and elk hasn't portrayed it as a sickly cousin. If anything the exact opposite is true. For your purpose a 160 Accubond is as good as any, and it will smack elk sized things and blow wound channels so big you will wonder what 1/2 mm more bullet was supposed to do better. If you are gutsy enough to try a 140 you'll really see something on the smaller stuff.

Don't be too shocked if your Weatherby isn't the greatest shooter with Accubonds or any other boat-tail. On the other hand it might, and they still make Partitions.

I have a number of big bores and have hunted with all of them...but if were talking a one gun walking safari from the North Pole to the South Pole via Africa I would pick the 30-06 with 200 gr. Noslers and a box or two of GS Customs flat nose solids..I really would..I have never regretted or had any reason to wish I had a larger caliber when I hunted with the old 06..truly I havn't. For that matter Ive never found the 7x57 with good handloads lacking. These two calibers may not be the best choice, but they'll do if need be, so about any of the above mentioned calibers can surely do the same...

OK, Ray, you take a 30-06 with 200NP,

I'll gladly take a 338WM with 225TTSX on a walk around the world.

But limit this walkabout to Tanzania and Masai land, and I gravitate back to a 416, either a 350TTSX at 2825fps in a Rigby case, or a 307gn CEB in a Ruger case for an easier carrying rifle.

Buffalo appreciate our giving them a little extra respect. The 338 can work pretty well, even an 06, but they are on the light side. As Roosevelt would have said, 'Carry a light rifle [~Ruger Alaskan], but use a big cartridge.'

If I could only have one rifle, it would be my .416 Rem. Mag. built by Wisemann. I shot a coyote with it last weekend. Tried to paste a pic, but couldn't.

Brandon:

I picked up the McWhorter today. Very nice, solid rifle. Can't wait to get it scoped and to the range.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Brandon:

I picked up the McWhorter today. Very nice, solid rifle. Can't wait to get it scoped and to the range.

So.....how did it go.....?

I've been swamped and still don't have a scope on it. Also, haven't quite decided on a scope. Torn between a Z5 and a Zeiss. Love Swaro's but the Zeiss is quite a bit cheaper and I'm not sure whether it's worth the difference.

416,
I for that, but I may want to borrow your 338 or 416 at some point...

I like a big bore in Tanzania even for plainsgame, as one can always stumble on a pissed off buffalo or elephant wearing a wire on his foot...

Most of this post was more about whacha could get by with IMO, if you had to because all of us would have a big bore and a med bore handy in Masailand, its just the smart thing to do, and hopefully one picks a PH that can shoot..Thats something that's assumed by most, and it may not be the case at all, I know a number of PHs that can't shoot big bores all that well...

Ray,

I agree with you, but I've only made my PH shoot a couple of times. I try to avoid it.

As far as what rifle you have in your hand in Masailand, it really makes a big difference where you are. If elephant or buffalo are about, I really want to carry my .416. Even if not hunting buffalo.

Had lunch with Paddy Curtis in Simanjiro and he was hunting with Bob Fontana back when Bob got killed hunting lesser kudu. Paddy killed the buffalo, just not in time. Bob was carrying a light rifle, although I don't think he got a shot off anyway.

Out on the plains, where there is some visibility, I'm comfortable with a light rifle in my hand if a tracker has my .416 close by. You just need to cognizant of the terrain and elevation -- an occasional korongo.

In the thick stuff, I carry my .416, which is why I've shot almost all of my game with it including the small stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Well, I'm committed to a 7mm. Weatherby. Smallest caliber I've ever taken to Africa and smallest caliber I've ever hunted with since I was ten years old. Help me convince myself I'm not making a huge mistake.

You are not.

I have shot many game animals, including an eland at over 500 yards, with various 270 wildcats.

Bullet placement is more important than size.

Thanks, Saeed. Logically, you know something is true, but it helps to hear from someone with actual experience.

lavaca: Sorry for not timely answering your question about the Swarovski Z-5s from a few months ago, but yes I love them and they are the 44 mm scopes. I ordered custom turrets from Outdoorsman's in Phoenix for each of them and they will now dial up and shoot close to 800 yards, which is much further than I want to, or that I am willing to shoot.

MOst of my trips to African have been with a 416 Rem or 404 and a 338 Win...but I feel the need to deviate from time to time, always have..

Caliber varity, if nothing else, adds to your personal knowledge of guns and ammo. and being a nasty bullet digger gives you a lot of knowledge that non bullet diggers only suspect!

UEG and Ray,

Thanks for the responses. Those custom turrets seem incredible, although I don't see a need to shoot beyond 4-500 yards unless someone is shooting at me.

Ray, I agree. I just have to keep tinkering and then (at least before this time) I've always gone back to a .300 or .30-06.