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I am planning DG hunt in2010 and would like opinions on caliber and models. Big four is what I'll be chasing. Live your dreams Joe | ||
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Welcome. Your very best bet is to peruse the African Hunting forum for suggestions. The denizens of this forum will suggest rounds like the .416 Rigby, .458 Lott, .470 Mbogo, .550 Magnum, .600 Overkill, etc. Without knowing your budget or experience level with big bores, my base recommendation would be a Winchester Model 70, Ruger RSM, or CZ 550 in .375 (H&H or Ruger) chambering, with a 1.5x-6x or 2.5x-8x scope in quick-detach rings. George  | |||
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King, If you are wise, do what George suggest above and do not, I repeat - do not - start chasing that rabbit. THere are at least 500 threads and at least 10,000 posts on this subject. What George just wrote you is the best advice you will get. I would only add - Practice with whatever gun you have. Practive until you can hit 6" targets off hand at 100 yards. After you have fired 500 rounds, you are ready to go. | |||
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The 375 is a good all around round for African game. It is suitable for both DG and PG, assuming you will be taking some PG on trip as well. But I will go out on a limb since you say you will be chasing the big 4 that you have the budget for a 458 lott for DG and a smaller caliber for any PG desired. Good Hunting,  | |||
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I've got a CZ 550 in 375 in the hands of gunsmith Dennis Olson as we speak. He is just bluing up a new sight he milled for me and it'll be sent back along with the other modifications he has made to the rifle. Run a search on him, King. He is quite well thought of for his ability to get a rifle up and running and totally dependable for the sort of application you are considering. | |||
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GeorgeS's advice is rock solid for someone in your shoes. As is dogcat's that you should practice until you are good with your rifle and then keep practicing and then practice some more! If you were more experienced with rifles suitable for African dangerous game hunting - meaning, if you could be sure that you are able to handle the recoil of a bigger bore - I believe that you would be better served with a .416 or .458 for buffalo and elephant. But the "ifs" in my previous sentence are big ones! Good luck! Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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Kingsalmon, George has given you some good advice, and you will notice that every example he offered was built on a CRF (Control Round Feed) action. That is a must for a DGR (Dangerous Game Rifle). No DGR should every be built on a Pushfeed action! My choice in a bolt rifle would be the CZ 550, chambered for the 404 Jeffery or the 458 LOTT, or the Ruger RSM 416 Rigby, or 458 LOTT. ....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith  | |||
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George's advice is solid; however, I tend to agree with mrlexma and mac... if you can handle a .416 and elephant is on the menu, it would be a better choice IMO. Good hunting! On the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of ten thousand, who on the dawn of victory lay down their weary heads resting, and there resting, died. If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch... Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son! - Rudyard Kipling Life grows grim without senseless indulgence. | |||
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I would have to cast my vote for a CZ in 416 Rigby. You can easily launch 400gr bullets at 2450fps. Second choice if you are recoil hardy, same rifle in 450 Rigby. I got my buff last December with a 500gr Swifr A-frame soft point at 2400fps and a Barnes solid follow up at the same velocity with NO issues.a Rich | |||
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While a great round, it would not be my choice for a specific DG rifle. Like George said, any of those factory rifles will do in 416 & up. It will depend on your recoil tolerance & how much you shoot, but for me, the 416rem, 416Rigby or 404jeffery are great one rifle rigs for DG & PG or as a DG rifle w/ a 375h&h or 9.3 for backup & PG. LIFE IS NOT A SPECTATOR'S SPORT! | |||
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I like the CZ550 as well. I've got one that's been customized by Wayne at American Hunting Rifles (AHR). Like everyone else has been mentioning, I'd say a 375 H&H if you're recoil shy, or a 416 (or whatever flavor) if you're more accustomed to recoil. A two gun battery wouldn't be bad either; a 375 H&H because ammo is available everywhere in Africa, and a 416 or 458 because an elephant is mighty big. This might come off as blasphemy to some of the traditionalist, but a Ruger Hawkeye Alaskan in 416 Ruger might be an excellent option for you. ____________________________ If you died tomorrow, what would you have done today ... 2018 Zimbabwe - Tuskless w/ Nengasha Safaris 2011 Mozambique - Buffalo w/ Mashambanzou Safaris | |||
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The BEST bolt rifle for dangerous game is a Blaser R93 Safari in either .375 H&H or .416 Remington. End of story. Dave DRSS Chapuis 9.3X74 Chapuis "Jungle" .375 FL Krieghoff 500/.416 NE Krieghoff 500 NE "Git as close as y can laddie an then git ten yards closer" "If the biggest, baddest animals on the planet are on the menu, and you'd rather pay a taxidermist than a mortician, consider the 500 NE as the last word in life insurance." Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading (8th Edition). | |||
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using what as a standard to measure by, Dave? | |||
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Thanks to all for the response. To clarify, I have a mod. 70 in .300WSM and if I would shoot plains game that is the gun I am very familiar with. I also have a mod. 70 in .270 that I use for deer so I suppose a mod. 70 in .416 would interest me. I like the better accuracy of bolt as opposed to a double(although a double is faster). Make the first shot count, right? Also, if I got another mod. 70, it would probably shoot like my others. I am not familiar with the CZ550 but will check it out. Thanks. Live your dreams Joe | |||
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It takes down so you can carry it in a small case. It shoots perfectly right out of the box. It has a superb trigger. They are deadly accurate. The Blaser saddle mount is one of THE BEST SCOPE MOUNTING SYSTEMS ON THE PLANET. When you put it back together it goes right back to zero. The straight pull bolt is faster then most any conventional bolt action. The finish is very tough. Is that enough? For the traveling hunter, nothing comes close to an R93, period, the end. Dave DRSS Chapuis 9.3X74 Chapuis "Jungle" .375 FL Krieghoff 500/.416 NE Krieghoff 500 NE "Git as close as y can laddie an then git ten yards closer" "If the biggest, baddest animals on the planet are on the menu, and you'd rather pay a taxidermist than a mortician, consider the 500 NE as the last word in life insurance." Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading (8th Edition). | |||
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All these things are true. It's just...just...just that it looks so hokey.  Indy Life is short. Hunt hard. | |||
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A lot of PH's carry the .458 Win mag. The one I just hunted with has carried a push feed .458 Win for twenty five years, and is still very much alive. The recoil is very similar to a .375. Good powders and good factory loads make it a formidible caliber in the right hands, and CRF, contrary to what many say, is not a necessity, as many PH's will tell you. Intimate familiarity with whatever you carry is, however. | |||
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If there was any one answer to this question, what else would we talk about? Lots of good choices out there, and many of them need some attention regardless of how good they are. ------------------------------- Some Pictures from Namibia Some Pictures from Zimbabwe An Elephant Story | |||
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Well said... | |||
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For all four I would sujest the 458 Lott. | |||
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bolt design not caliber i think is the topic | |||
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[Emphasis added.] ------------------------------- Some Pictures from Namibia Some Pictures from Zimbabwe An Elephant Story | |||
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If you can live with a Push feed action, then I have to throw my 10 in with Dave on this one. In this case the Blaser is about as good as a pushfeed bolt rifle gets. 
However, I also have to go along with INDY as well! ...............  ....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith | |||
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Our Mike P. [retreever] is in Tanz right now. He brought his 450 #2 FAMARS double & his .375 H&H belted mag bolt action. NO AMMO arrived even though he packed it. There's plenty of .375 H&H belted mag ammo to be found within AFRICA Mike tells us, so the hunting started on time. It's reported that there's plenty of .458 Win Mag in AFRICA too, but it's not as easily obtained as the .375 stuff is. We've heard this before many times. When I get it together and go I'll take two rifles, one will be a .375 H&H belted mag bolt action for SURE. The other choice is to take either a .458 Win Mag or the 458 Lott which chambers and fires .458 Win Mag round with NO ill affects. Jack OH GOD! {Seriously, we need the help.} | |||
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Today that is a very good choice of large and smaller bolt rifle back-up! The 375 H&H has always been the best choice for a one rifle safari. As you basicly state the fact that ammo is available for at least one if the 375 H&H is the second rifle, and of all the larger bolt rifles the 450LOTT is the most useable because of the ability to use two different cartridges. As of now, the 458LOTT is getting almost as good as the 458 Win Mag as far as avaliability goes, but the 458 Win Mag ammo being the back-up, ammo wise, makes the Lott rifle the best choice for the big boy in Bolt rifles, in all cases! .....................  ....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith | |||
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I was wondering... How hard is it to find 9.3X62 ammo in Africa? Dave DRSS Chapuis 9.3X74 Chapuis "Jungle" .375 FL Krieghoff 500/.416 NE Krieghoff 500 NE "Git as close as y can laddie an then git ten yards closer" "If the biggest, baddest animals on the planet are on the menu, and you'd rather pay a taxidermist than a mortician, consider the 500 NE as the last word in life insurance." Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading (8th Edition). | |||
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Ruger .416 Rigby. Hands down it is the best choice, best made bolt gun today. | |||
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