The recoil and weight problem does not always apply if you are a big guy then a big rifle/calibre is no problem.
My Swedish friend Christer makes a 375 look like a BB gun and when he shoots his 470 NE it looks like a 9,3X74R
Personally I do not give a dang how heavy or how much recoil I will use and carry what I want, Maybe when I am 50 then I will think different but until then having a big gun is nice and fun.
That being said Big guns take allot of time getting use to but if you can master them I would like to think that they give you an extra edge, JMO.

Cheers,

Andr�

I also Posted this in the African Hunting forum but thought I might also get help here:

I am now working in the Pafuri Triangle and conducting extensive expeditions of up to two weeks, self supporting, in the bush. I have been using my 375 ruger safari express as my carry gun but am now looking for something larger as I had some pretty hairy encounters with elephants on the last trip and after a couple of close encounters am not sure that I have been carrying enough rifle for the "last second" type shot I may encounter up there. The elephants in this region are very harrassed with breeding herds coming down from Zimbabwe and prone to aggression. Also, grass is high and thick and most encounters with buff/lion are at very close range. I have been using my own loads of 350g fmj's at 2390 which gives me about the performance of 416 rigby or 458. I would like to go with a bolt action rifle, for capacity and price. I would like to keep the price under $2000 new or used in good condition. Also, though, would like a good looking rifle. I have been very happy with the look and feel of the ruger for the past eight years. Any sugestions? Someone suggested the 577 tyrannasaur but I have never seen one of these rifles.

Thanks in advance for the help

There can be the the proplem of too much gun also. One that the weight and recoil makes its it is not useable on a everyday basics.

A rifle above the 10 to 11lb ranges gets to be a real chore to haul around every where day after day. The real big cals need the weight to dampen the recoil. If your getting the vel you say out of your 375 with 350s it is plenty of gun. Moving up to a 416 or 458 well given you a little more bullet weight but most likely no more penitration.

Being able to control your weapon and place your shots is more important the size and caliber.

.

Alf,

The simple fact is that when you get the pee scared out of you, there is no such thing as too much gun.

As someone on the African forum suggested, the obvious choice is the 458 Lott. The most available and cheapest-to-shoot big-big bore.

.

Alf,

It is always difficult to decipher from these posts what is actually being stated or the essence of the question(s) asked.

He asked for recommendations of a bigger gun, so I still think the Lott is the logical answer. Whether he would use it or a handgun, carry it, leave it in the Cruiser, whether it will weigh 7 lbs. or 11 lbs., who knows?

I opted for the 416 Rem for a lot of reasons, but I still think the Lott would be better in a life and death situation.

Thanks Alf,

As you are aware, most of those guys are carrying R1's these days. I would guess that of all the others I've worked with most carry the 458 winchester of which I am not a big fan for a variety of reasons. The ruger I carry now is a bugger to carry because of weight when loaded(I just did for ten days, with a 25kg pack and other stuff). It was heavy, but I found the steadiness of the rifle good, I shoot it well etc. I understand shot placement is critical. I have just passed my SKSDA shooting. Nevertheless, we had a couple of very close encounters because of grass height and I am wondering about going up a notch. Regardless of all other aspects, the 375 is the bottom of the range for 5-10 metre shots on charging DA's and under any circumstances these would be the ranges when I would pull the trigger....

You are also right about summer, we really don't work much there then, not because of the heat but because of grass height, buff and lions....

Just to show you how stupid I am, here is a pic of me crossing the Luvuvhu after my team had crossed while I was on a ledge. Big crocs everywhere. It might explain why I'm interested in going bigger....


ok, now I realize that I don't know how to insert a picture here....

I'll see if I can figure out how and post it.

You need to open an account at one of the photo hosting sites, upload your photos there, then link to them.

Here is your photo:


George

Thanks George,

will do.

Wonderful country.

Where I in that situation, I'd carry a 500 S&W in a shoulder holster. A 400 gr, .50 solid at 1900 fps is probably pretty decent Lion Medicine.
As for a Rifle, I think the best answer is a Winchester m70 in .458 Lott with a Synthetic stock( carbon fiber if available), #3 contour barrel, Lepold 2.5X compact scope and a VERY efficient Muzzel Brake. If built by a Competent Smith you can get the weight down to 8.5 -9 lbs maybe even less. Remember this is a packing Rifle that will be carried much more than it will be shot and you'll only shoot it two/three rounds max. I built one of these for a NT Buff hunt in OZ and it was a dream to carry. Kicked like hell but so what!-Rob

From a practicality, cost and recoil perspective, the best caliber for your situation is a 416 Rem or Rigby. It is the first step up from the 375 H&H, and a big one. The Lott will not offer any advantages in the field over these, and the increased bullet selection and flatter trajectory may come in handy.

Robfunbuilder,

by chance do you still have that rifle..........

Berger,



I have got a stainless sythetic M-70 in .458Lott. I simply bought a stainless M-70 in .375H&H and had it rebarreled to .458. The cheapest drop in stock that will hold together is a Houge full length block beded overmold. (I know cheeeeezy) but it works. I then topped it with a set of XS ghost ring sights. Fairly simple fairly cheap and the whole rig weighs in at just 9 Lbs. I've had three of these built I can have them done for around $1600.oo complete and they really shoot well!



My gun has a Brown precision stock on it now as I couldn't stand the Houge! My two buddies who have the others are keeping the Houges as they love them from a functional stand point.



It's possible that there is a spare sitting around if you're interested..

If you already have a Ruger in 375H&H, then why not think about a Ruger in 458 Lott? Then if something like a fireing pin broke in one gun, you might be able to just switch bolts and be going again while you wait for a parts order? just make sure they look different so you won't get ammo mixed up or something.
Just my thoughts, no actual experience here.

I agree, just get another Ruger in .458Lott. You already know the rifle intimetly, a 500gr soft/solid @ 2400fps is a stopper & managable in the big Ruger. Yes, weight is a problem, but 10# unscoped should be managable.