If someone was going to Africa for the first time and buffalo was one of the species targeted, what is the lowest cost bolt action rifle available in a caliber fit for the task?

CZ 550 in 458 Win Mag or 458 Lott? They go for less than a grand.

Off the Shelf, CZ 375H&H or as above, one of the 458's.

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I don't own one but the Ruger Africans seem nice and a good value for the money. A little cheaper then the CZs too.

That's like wanting the cheapest suit to meet the Queen. Yes it can be done but don't risk your head. I'll play along. First off pick a cart known for feeding well like the 375 HH for example. Whatever rifle you pick if it was my neck on the line I would have a good smith inspect it and cycle a few hundred rounds quickly under duress and see how it feeds. Any hickups and back to the smith. I think the Kimber Talkeetna in 375 HH is my off the shelf pick for not too expensive feeding reliability combo.

Probably best to buy a CZ and have it worked over. If it's your first big bore, a 375 or 416.

Either a new Ruger Hawkeye in .375 Ruger or a used Whitworth in 375 or 458

Here are a couple of cheap suits:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Aucti....aspx?Item=246947835

http://www.gunbroker.com/Aucti....aspx?Item=246937921

Ed

for a grand or, you can have several choices ..
you get a couple more choices from 2k and down...

after 2k, the choices narrow.

me? just going for a single buff, and the fost of the rifle mattered? I'd get a cz in 458 lott, and sell it when i got back.

but the 375 or 416 ruger makes a decent rifle, for low dollars...

Your premise is flawed.

What you want is reliability, not economy.

George

quote:

Here are a couple of cheap suits:

Ed, when the topic turned to cheap, I knew you'd be chiming in!

A new Win Model 70 in 375 H&H would be my choice. MSRP is $1399, but I'm sure you can get it cheaper. .

About 2 or 3 weeks ago I bought a Whitworth in 458 for the amount of $489 from a gunshop here in Tucson. It actually appers as unfired as there are absolutely no brass signs on the rails or the boltface. Stock is perfect except for the solid rubber pad which I would replace if I were to use it. Feeds adequately as it is. I am probably the single person on this forum who seems never to have all these problems with new bigbores. I have had several new CZ's in mostly 375H&H and a 416Rigby. Have owned probably a dozen Mdl 70's in 375,mostly classics in both SS and Blue and never a bobble with any of them. This is my 3rd Whitworth with no problems. Have had a couple of M700 custom shop 458Wins again with no problems. I am probably totally different from most on this forum as I don't try every style bullet that exists. Mostly if they make a Nosler Partition that fits and Woodleigh makes a solid I'm done searching. In 8 safaris to Zimbabwe taking almost everything they offer except lion,and hippo and some of the lesser game I have never had a failure to feed or fire and a good part of my kills were one shot. About the only single failure I have had is with 2 Leupold 1.5 x 5 Vari XIII's. I had spare's in both cases. I guess in all my years of fiddling with guns I have just been lucky to find the good ones.

I have found that the Ruger Hawkeyes in .375 Ruger and .416 Ruger, with a minimum of tuning (if any), are really reliable rifles and very economical.

Heck, I couldn't stand it and just bought the Hawkeye someone referenced above, NIB, for $525. I dont' think you'll beat that... and I promise you that some buffalo in Africa will wish it didn't fit into my budget.

That said, George is correct. Reliability is paramount, but the guns I mentioned, in my experience, will perform with the best IMHO.

quote:

Originally posted by GeorgeS:
Your premise is flawed.

What you want is reliability, not economy.

George

Words of wisdom.

Not suitable for buffalo I guess but I know a guy that bought a $300 M70 pushfeed in .338 Win. He took it to Africa and it worked fine for everything up to eland.

quote:

Originally posted by chuck375:
A new Win Model 70 in 375 H&H would be my choice. MSRP is $1399, but I'm sure you can get it cheaper. .

adrian,

I'm with Chuck on this one!

A new Win M70 Safari would be my pick for your question:

http://www.winchesterguns.com/...mily=001C&mid=535116

Adrian,
I have never been to Africa and I dont claim I know anything about it...Though i have my rule which applys to everthing I invest my money into,
You get what you pay for, and like in buisness you eiether pay up front or pay in the end..

Just my outlook

Matt

I had to have several gunsmiths work with my CZ 550 a bunch, but it was really my own doing. Having a 375 H&H rechambered and rebarreled to 500 Jeffery is a non-trivial thing. It functions flawlessly and shoots sub MOA now, but it took three skilled gunsmiths to get it there. Still all told, I have less than $2000 into it, and it's a sweet thing ...

I am a would be first time buffalo hunter. After returning last year from my first safari for PG, I was hooked and was planning my return for buff. Somewhere about a month after I got back, I was tipped off that a M70 could be bought for like $1050, all said I think I was $1100 into it with shipping and paying a local gunshop $25 to handle the paperwork. I already had a Zeiss Conquest 3-9X that I got for I think $399 at Cabelas.

I also had someone suggest a 300gr A-Frame load to me. That load routinely results in one ragged hole, well under MOA.

The only thing I found a problem was that it wouldn't feed properly if I didn't crimp the rounds. All I've read and been told is with these large calibers is that crimping is a good idea to prevent the bullets from being shoved further into the brass upon firing. So now I crimp my rounds and no feeding issues.

I'm not averse to fiddling with my guns to make them more accurate or otherwise better, but I have no plans to touch this rifle short of lightening the trigger which I can do myself.

And after about 300 rounds that Zeiss scope is still going strong.

One more thought. Sometimes you can find a rifle on the Classifieds here that has been sorted out. Might cost more but may end up cheaper in the long run than a new one that may turn out to have feeding or other function issues. It dies seem some have been fortunate to find new rifles that functioned flawlessly.

For reference, here is a poll I started a while back.

Mig weld a bolt onto a 45-70 Marlin.

Best laugh I had all day

Can we make it a bolt on instead? I want the option of taking it off. I'd love that for mine.

quote:

Originally posted by adrian4444:
If someone was going to Africa for the first time and buffalo was one of the species targeted, what is the lowest cost bolt action rifle available in a caliber fit for the task?

If you are buying new and not planning on having any custom work done then the 375 or 416 Ruger is hands down the winner.

Not my first choice, but a Zastava would work and would be a decent base with a bit of smoothing.

I think you have it as the Mark X or Rem 798 there in the USA.

I had the same feeding issue with a Model 70 and found that there was a small protrusion in the magazine upon which the un-crimped brass would hang up. 10 seconds with a Drimel tool and I had no further problems.

quote:

Originally posted by 7MMNut:
I am a would be first time buffalo hunter. After returning last year from my first safari for PG, I was hooked and was planning my return for buff. Somewhere about a month after I got back, I was tipped off that a M70 could be bought for like $1050, all said I think I was $1100 into it with shipping and paying a local gunshop $25 to handle the paperwork. I already had a Zeiss Conquest 3-9X that I got for I think $399 at Cabelas.

I also had someone suggest a 300gr A-Frame load to me. That load routinely results in one ragged hole, well under MOA.

The only thing I found a problem was that it wouldn't feed properly if I didn't crimp the rounds. All I've read and been told is with these large calibers is that crimping is a good idea to prevent the bullets from being shoved further into the brass upon firing. So now I crimp my rounds and no feeding issues.

I'm not averse to fiddling with my guns to make them more accurate or otherwise better, but I have no plans to touch this rifle short of lightening the trigger which I can do myself.

And after about 300 rounds that Zeiss scope is still going strong.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:

quote:

Originally posted by adrian4444:
If someone was going to Africa for the first time and buffalo was one of the species targeted, what is the lowest cost bolt action rifle available in a caliber fit for the task?

If you are buying new and not planning on having any custom work done then the 375 or 416 Ruger is hands down the winner.

No doubt about that Phil, as usualI agree 100% with you..

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:

quote:

Originally posted by adrian4444:
If someone was going to Africa for the first time and buffalo was one of the species targeted, what is the lowest cost bolt action rifle available in a caliber fit for the task?

If you are buying new and not planning on having any custom work done then the 375 or 416 Ruger is hands down the winner.

No doubt about that. As usual I agree 100% with you Phil...

I too, am with Chuck. M70 Winchester would also be my choice.

I would definitely try to find an Interarms Mark X, preferably a Whitworth, in either a .375 or .458. I'd rather have the .375 and have owned one. These gun are well made with classic Mauser action, nice safety, controlled feed, usually very nice wood in a British style stock design for easy use of iron sights, and just shoot darn good. Most come with express sights.

Mike

Howa 1500 in 375 Ruger.

quote:

Originally posted by adrian4444:
If someone was going to Africa for the first time and buffalo was one of the species targeted, what is the lowest cost bolt action rifle available in a caliber fit for the task?

This is a pre-64 Model 70 Winchester in caliber .375 Taylor, fitted with a straight tapered Douglas barrel, 24" long, .800" at the muzzle, 14" LOP to Pachmayer pad.





These are two targets fired at 100 yards, using a 4X Unertl Falcon scope in Buehler mounts. I think the one wild shot in the five shot group can be attributed to me.





This rifle has not been accurized in any way, so there is more accuracy potential to be realized.

This rifle can be yours for $950.00, shipped to your FFL dealer in the lower 48.

If the goal is truly least expensive then the Howa in 375 or 416 Ruger should be considered. Overall they are as reliable as most other production rifles. Whether or not that is reliable enough is an argument I'll stay out of.

Why not think of it in an other way. "What is the cheapest parachute I can find I want to go sky diving for the first time and don't want to spend too much money..." If the reason you want a rifle is to Hunt & Kill an animal that can kill you in a few seconds flat think twice about saving money. Also I have NEVER purchased a cheap rifle an later NOT regretted the move. Get a nice rifle shoot it a lot and have fun.

Brad

If the budget is tight I would suggest looking for a second hand gun. Better a sound, reliable rifle with scratches, scrapes, and bruises than a pristine, shinny rifle you can't rely on.

How about a Browning Safari FN mauser action in 458. I still see solid examples going for 1-1.5K. The 375s seem to be harder to come by.

Dogtags?

the question does say what is the lowest cost rifle fit for the task. It doesn't say what is the cheapest rifle on the market. But what is the lowest cost rifle fit for the task. It seems some have stated he wants a piece of junk. That is not the question though.

quote:

Originally posted by GeorgeS:
Your premise is flawed.

What you want is reliability, not economy.

George

Absolutely! And that's why you should look for a Whitworth in .375. Then go out an shoot the world in confidence.

quote:

Mig weld a bolt onto a 45-70 Marlin.

HMMMMM, On the same thought !
How about a " 45/70 Siamese Mauser ".
http://www.gunbroker.com/Aucti....aspx?Item=245772414

I've read that it can be safely " Handloaded " @ the upper levels,same as the Ruger.
(I.E. : RUGER NO.1 45-70 CAN SAFELY be loaded to 60,000 psi+)

You might also consider trying some of the new " Cutting Edge Bullets ", as well.



PAPI