quote:

Originally posted by Eagle Dad:
I already made the choice. I had a 404 Jeffrey built

Same here.

For 'across-the-species' use in Africa, there's none better than a .404 Jeffrey.

Lowest felt-recoil (per its original loading) than any other 400-magnum class cartridge - being essentially no worse than a .375H&H while still pitching a 400gn, .423-diameter bullet.

Easy peasy ... unless you're some sort of 'caliber snowflake' given to piss-ment of panties when felt-recoil exceeds the level of a mouse-fart.

By the way, John 'Pondoro' Taylor called Jeffrey's .404 THE elephant cartridge for Africa. Took oodles of 'em down too.

Says it all

quote:

Originally posted by surefire7:

quote:

Originally posted by Eagle Dad:
I already made the choice. I had a 404 Jeffrey built

+1. Dakota rifle (Safari) in 404 Jeffery. 8.5 lbs.

Having said that, the nicest wood on any rifle I own, is a Dakota Classic in 338 WM.

+1 on the Dakota. Mine is in 375 H&H. 8 1/4 lbs. in beautiful English walnut.

I thought 375 H&H would be a more common choice.

It would be interesting to know what D'Arcy Echols and David Miller make and especially for wood guns. I suspect the Echols Legend would be high in 300 Wby and same for Miller's laminated stock gun.

Another vote for the 404 Jeffery.

But since it is a wish list, a 400 H&H just for something a little different.

404 Jeffery

If I was going to Africa on an annual basis, a 375 H&H.

If I’m not heading to Africa regularly, a 300 Win Mag. Would be a bit more practical for the bulk of my current hunting situations.

I would get a lightweight rifle in .270 Winchester with fine line checkering in a beautiful French walnut stock.

Just the tiniest amount of engraving on the floorplate and receiver.

I would go ahead and get a 20ga side-by-side shotgun with a 28" barrel Imp Cyl and Mod with matching wood and engravings.

I know these aren't big bores, but I would want to get something that I could use every year.


BH63

quote:

Originally posted by BuffHunter63:
I would get a lightweight rifle in .270 Winchester with fine line checkering in a beautiful French walnut stock.

Just the tiniest amount of engraving on the floorplate and receiver.

I would go ahead and get a 20ga side-by-side shotgun with a 28" barrel Imp Cyl and Mod with matching wood and engravings.

I know these aren't big bores, but I would want to get something that I could use every year.


BH63

270 would be high on my list but for me the 300 H&H would get the nod. If for some reason the 300 H&H could not be done then it would be between the 270 and 375 and then a toss of the coin.

Although common, for an all-around rifle, the choice of a 30-06 would be hard to fault.

If i was primarily hunting in the US, a 30-06. If primarily Africa, a .375.

I went custom but synthetic stocks and have one of each!

9,3x62..
Would do everything I need with a 250grain bullet.

OR..

7x64..
Would do anything I need with a 150grain bullet.



But since this is posted on the big bore forum.
458 WM
Commercial Husqvarna M98
Keep the original safety, trigger and floor plate
Peep sight on the back bridge, barrel band, quality front sight.

A nice big gold engraved Safe / Fire on safety.


20-22" thick barrel and have it point like a shotgun.

quote:

Originally posted by 10generation:
If I was primarily hunting in the US, a 30-06. If primarily Africa, a .375.

+1

I started to post that you really opened a can of worms and doubt that you will two people to agree on that...but all the above beat me to it..For me and if I intended to keep it, would bore you to death, a 30-06..

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I started to post that you really opened a can of worms and doubt that you will two people to agree on that...but all the above beat me to it..For me and if I intended to keep it, would bore you to death, a 30-06..

I don't think a .30-06 would be boring at all. Unless a guy has the funds to afford multiple custom rifles in a bunch of calibers it pretty much leaves the choice to be a caliber that covers the most territory. An '06 certainly fits that criteria well.

338 WM. Nicely marbled english walnut. 24"medium weight barrel with a barrel band front sight and quarter rib. Dakota action. Rust blued. 14" lop.
9-9.5 LBS with a 2.5 X 8 Leopold.


EZ

quote:

Originally posted by eezridr:
338 WM. Nicely marbled english walnut. 24"medium weight barrel with a barrel and front sight and quarter rib. Dakota action. Rust blued. 14" lop.
9-9.5 LBS with a 2.5 X 8 Leopold.


EZ

A good bit of gear for sure.

I always thought a 22-23 inch 458 win mag on a Mauser action that held 6 would be awesome. Dark-ish wood, bead front sight with a single standing shallow v sighted at 50 yards. Shoot 480 woodleighs and call it a day. Ozhunter has one very much like this if memory serves...

I almost found this rifle 4-5 years ago at the DSC convention. I was not on a Dakota action but a Kimber of Oregon action.
Only issue is the LOP was 13.5" which was a killer for me. It was a very well done custom.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike McGuire:

quote:

Originally posted by eezridr:
338 WM. Nicely marbled english walnut. 24"medium weight barrel with a barrel and front sight and quarter rib. Dakota action. Rust blued. 14" lop.
9-9.5 LBS with a 2.5 X 8 Leopold.


EZ

A good bit of gear for sure.

All of you are wrong; one rifle can't possibly fill all the niches you might encounter, as well as THREE of them will.
So, you will need a 275 bore, a 375 to 404 of your choosing, and a large bore double rifle, of 45-50 caliber. (Ok, a bolt if you must)
Small bores and shotguns are just tools like hammers, so buy those off the rack and when they get worn, throw them away.
Choosing just one rifle is unnecessary and boring anyway.

quote:

I would get a lightweight rifle in .270 Winchester with fine line checkering in a beautiful French walnut stock

I would have to go full Jack O'Conner on it.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
All of you are wrong; one rifle can't possibly fill all the niches you might encounter, as well as THREE of them will.
So, you will need a 275 bore, a 375 to 404 of your choosing, and a large bore double rifle, of 45-50 caliber. (Ok, a bolt if you must)
Small bores and shotguns are just tools like hammers, so buy those off the rack and when they get worn, throw them away.
Choosing just one rifle is unnecessary and boring anyway.

I could do it easily with the 375.

We know the 375 works on the big stuff, which I have never shot.

But on smaller stuff I have used the 375 and with big numbers. Sometimes with reduced loads where spotlight shooting each night and thus lots of shots.

For most of my shooting life I have tended to have multiple rifles in the same calibres. The rifles would be a different configuration.

Again, I have not shot the big stuff but unless you have a lot of money you won't be shooting much of the big stuff. I remember the late Allen Day had problems with a 458 rifle in Africa so use his 300 Winchester with 180 grain Winchester Fail Safe bullets and said two of his quickest buffalo kills ever. Of course if you could shoot 20 or 30 buffalo with a 300 Winchester and 458 Win then the 458 would show up as being better.

From memory Elgin Gates used the 300 Wby on everything.

Not sure what top end wood has to do with caliber..Beautiful guns come in all calibers..I would choose a caliber based on what I intended to hunt, where I intended to hunt, with the gun..Personally I would go for a all around rifle, and that would probably be a 30-06 or a 375 I guess..

Two take-down bolt action rifles, one in 300 H&H and one in 400 H&H.

I am having a 'top drawer' .404 Jeffery built. Full on custom with GMA action, 23" PacNor barrel, French Walnut, extended tangs, Folding/removable Rigby style rear ring sight, QD mounts and a Leupold VXIII 1.5 - 5 scope. Being delivered next Spring. I'm stoked.

Here is a look at the maker's website: Beuhler Custom Sporting Arms

I was torn between a 7 X57 and the .404... but I have a nice 7mm RM custom, so I opted for a DG rifle.

Alec Torres,

Sounds super fine.
Any firm getting the W. J. Jeffery representation in Oregon has got to be good.

Rip ...

That Beuhler website looks very good. I agree with RIP, any link with Paul Roberts' Jeffery brand must be good.

My only criticism is their African 5 rifle battery. I cannot see the 243Win as an African caliber. I wish they had picked a 6.5X54MS or 6.5X55 Swede with 1:7.5 twist for 160 gr bullets as a classic African small bore. No 7X57 for an African 5 rifle battery?

The 416 Rigby is a great caliber and probably the best all round DG caliber but for a 5 rifle battery, I would have preferred the 404 Jeffery. After it is a Jeffery.

Thanks, RIP.

Yes. A 7 x 57 would be a very good choice for a light rifle.

I believe that Reto may have built some of the rifles for Jeffery. Nice rifles all.

One reason that I choose Beuhler was that he builds the entire rifle (less action and barrel blank, the other was he is in Southern Oregon and I can get there fairly easily.

Some killer rifles on here!

As I most likely will never see Africa again, it would be an classic Rigby Highland Stalker in 7x57 for European Red Stag and Roe deer.

Takedown 400 H&H. Deep extended magazine, ghost ring rear, QD scope, somewhat protected front sight. Scope would be a 1-4x. The case would hold all needed tools and accessories. Ammo in a small case which could be on its own or inside the gun case. I'm not convinced I need beautiful wood. If so, an auxiliary stock of synthetic. For beating around the bush. Packy

No nexus there to my mind.

I'd swap out the stocks on all of my wood stocked rifles for better ones, except for those that already have top end wood!

Boomstick, when grow old, you will not want that big bore, and more than likely you will hand it down soonest, more likely a 222 or a 250-3000, will be your gun of choice and you will be lucky to walk to a deer stand. Body changes do take place and old age ain't for sissys..but enjoy your drama while you can!

Ive been blessed more than anyone I know but the devil is just around the cornor I know that.

I guess I'd pick the 338 WM. It has served me very well in the past and I probably would not need any other rifle for the hunting I intend to do from now on.

Mark

Atkinson, thank you for your ever wise advice. Hmmmm... To retort to your retort, I know what it is like to almost die. I ended up in the hospital for 40 days about 3 years back. I'll spare everyone the details, but a surgeon of 30 years said he never seen anyone go through that and live. The head nurse told me she thought I was going to die. When I started to recover, she did not recognize me and cried when she found out that I lived. I am back to my normal self, that is to say a large man of 240 lbs. looking back to when I was rehabilitating and walking a block was all I could do, I get it. You would not want a big boomer when you are frail, but I would not want to hunt or shoot if I was in bad shape. When I am weak and old, I would want to shoot something like a 257 Roberts or a 250-3000 because I like the designer. I work a physically demanding job that keeps me in pretty good condition as long as I don't get injured. Last year I had a knee injury that kept me out for 6 months. I could have bad luck and get injured and not be able to shoot big bores, but that is a bunch of if's. I think my kids would want the gun I used in my prime and not so much my fall back rifle. A 400 Whelen can be loaded down quite a bit. One reason that I like the 400 caliber. Maybe I should have a matching pair of rifles in 400 Whelen and 257 Roberts in pretty stocks so I can shoot the Roberts when I am old and so I don't develop a flinch. I want another wildcat in 400, but I would not give it gorgeous wood.

The Devil is around the corner from us all. Some call him Murphy or Darwin or Karma, but he is there. But we have to live as if he isn't there or he wins.

Now I am dreaming of a matching pair of rifles in Bob and Whelen. Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Boomstick, when grow old, you will not want that big bore, and more than likely you will hand it down soonest, more likely a 222 or a 250-3000, will be your gun of choice and you will be lucky to walk to a deer stand. Body changes do take place and old age ain't for sissys..but enjoy your drama while you can!

Ive been blessed more than anyone I know but the devil is just around the cornor I know that.

375 H&H
9.3X62

Boomstick, that tells me a lot about you, you didn't just lie down and die, you charged Hell with a glass of water and survived..

So until that day comes we will just have to endure Hydell.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:

So until that day comes we will just have to endure Hydell.

Now that is funny.
+1 for Ray

- Mike

Thanks Atkinson. I just remembered how my doctor could not stop smiling and shaking his head once he saw me. He did not recognize me when I recovered. I've been thinking about that combo I mentioned above. In still thinking about it. I have some wood that I want to see if it will work. It is catalox or royal Mexican Ebony. I brought back a stump large enough to make two rifles.
https://www.cookwoods.com/blog...-royal-ebony-katalox

I would have a barrel that was “not” bored/rifled....As I “may” be tempted to shoot this museum piece! Maybe I’m just too practical! memtb

Big bore and something to use most of the time?

416 Ruger

Something smaller for NA?

338 Win Mag