I am looking to buy a big bore rifle, but I am having trouble deciding on a caliber. This rifle will be for cape buffalo and possibly griz someday. I was looking at the 375, but wondering about the possibilty of a heavier caliber that will have ammo that is commonly available should I ever get seperated from my luggage. I would appreciate all advice any of you can give me. Thanks!

I always prefer the .416Remington over any .375 as it will do everything better. Ammo is available worldwide.

P. Jilek,

I always advise clients to buy a 375 H&H for their first big bore. It will shot as flat if not flatter than the 30-06 and is adequate and legal for all DG. The bigger bores may be better as fight stoppers but as all around rifles for Africa I don't think there is a better choice than the 375. Once you use the 375 you may decide you's also like something bigger but starting with the old 375 is a wise choice.

On more than one occasion a client has gone from his deer rifle to a cannon for his first DG hunt with very poor results.

Mark

The .375 H&H is probably the most widely available, next is probably .458 WM. Lion hunter is correct that .416 Rem is available in the large cities. Most camps have a .375 H&H and/or a .458 WM. I would suggest you shoot some of the big bores and see what you are comfortable with. Anyone of them from .375 H&H up will do what you are talking about. I prefer the .458 WM because the ones I own are accurate and if you reload can be used for a variety of game. The same can be said for the .375H&H. Find one that you shoot well, bullet placement is the most important, by far. By the way, I have 3, .375H&H for sale and one .458 WM. if you are interested.....Tom

If you only intend to hunt Africa once then the 375 H&H or Ruger is a good choice..

If you intend to hunt Cape Buffalo and Africa more than once I would opt for a 416 Rem or Ruger..A 300 gr. bullet at 2900 FPS, a 350 gr. at 2650 FPS and a 400 gr. at 2400 plus FPS is hard to beat as an all around caliber if recoil is not a problem..I personally think that anyone that can shoot a .375 can handle the recoil of a .416..

I would second what Ray says about the 416s. For an inexpensive intro, the 416Ruger would be tough to beat and is quite handy in the short, relatively light platform.

If you are a handloader, though, you might go one notch better than the 416 Rem. The 416 Rigby is also a 'long' magnum, but it will let you load a 350 grain bullet to 2800fps without any problem. That is a better all-around load than even pushing a 300 grain bullet to 3000fps. Why? The .416 350gr Barnes TTSX bullet has a .444 BC and catches up to the light 300 grainer at long distance. It becomes a bullet that is great from anything from buffalo out to hartebeest and impala at longer ranges (200-400 yards). Later you can use it for elk and bear. Reasonably priced rifles can be found in the CZ 550 model, just a couple hundred $ more than the Ruger.

Anyway, they are all great choices: standard length 416 Ruger in a 9lb package (with scope), long-length 416 Rem, and long-length and fat 416 Rigby (10.5lb packages with scope). They are all workhorses and provide an extra margin by putting down a buffalo a little faster than the 375s. In fact, the 350 grain .416 at 2800fps hits with the energy of a 458 Lott, and then some. Just make sure you are using bullets with guaranteed penetration. Recoil is comfortable: after all, it is only a 350 grain bullet and feels nice when looking down the barrel at game.

My first DG rifle is a 416 Remington and I love shooting it. My addiction to heavy hitters has gotten so bad that I have almost quit shooting smaller calibers. I only shoot other guns now while I impatiently wait for the 416 to cool down. Yes I am aware something is terribly wrong with me but I really enjoy it.

Not everyone goes off the deep end like I did and they don't like the recoil. The 375 Weatherby is worth looking at if you aren't sure about going to a 40 something. It can shoot 375 H&H in a pinch and you can get 350 grain bullets for Nyati. If the recoil is too much then you can reduce loads until it is comfortable and still have a heavy hitter. The 375 Ruger and 375 RUM are also a great choice but may be hard to find across the pond.

One thing I would definately try to do is shoot someone elses big bore if possible to see how you like the recoil. Another bonus is once you learn to shoot a DG caliber a 300 Magnum becomes wimpy and you will shoot them like a boss. Here's hoping you get a 48" buff and a great trip. Cheers!!

I can't comment on the Grizzly aspect but for Africa, the .375 H&H is a very good choice. However, if you want to go a tad larger, I'd suggest the .416 Rigby or the .404 Jeffery.

I'll add that there's a WHOLE LOT more to felt recoil than just calibre. Stock design and weight are at least as equally important and if you choose the right firearm, you shouldn't struggle with the recoil and if for some reason you do, you can always put a mercury tube recoil arrestor in to cure the problem.