Not that you guys didn't already know it wasn't a "true" DGR. It is an African Sheep Rifle, truly, excelling on moose/elk/bison etc, and PG, but a potential liablity on DG. I never likened it otherwise, but it demonstrated that fact to me last night as a reminder.

At my last range session before my trip, on the second to last shot with that particular rifle (which was shooting like a dream!!), a little piece of spring steel that holds the box magazine to the floor plate failed under the recoil. The rifle is temporarilly a single shot, as it will not feed from the magazine.

Fortunately, I live and work just a couple minutes from a very reputable gunsmith...Martini and Hagn...and I was able to drop it off this AM for them to fabricate a replacement part. (Begging Bill Leepers forgiveness for this act of infidelity...I just can't spare the time to drive an hour to your place buddy!).

Lesson learned...zebra = Yes, cape buff = No (unless real DGR is out of commision).

In terms of DGR's generally, (and recognizing that I never intended this to be a DGR, but the lesson is valid regardless), one cannot make a silk purse from a sow's ear.

Cheers,
Canuck

Chris,
lessons learned?
better to break HERE than there...

roll of ducktape in the duffle bag!

jeffe

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
Chris,
lessons learned?
better to break HERE than there...

roll of ducktape in the duffle bag!

jeffe

Oh yah. After one initial expletive, I felt a sense of relief. A few shots later and it could have happened right in the middle of sorting out a tricky situation in the long grass.


Canuck

It'll work out!! You'll have the time of your life(until the next one ) but for the sake of us here, please take extra cards for your camera. Train a tracker in it's use and let him take photos for our enjoyment.

366T...no worries, after benefitting from many, many vicarious thrills on this site over the years, I'll being doing my darndest to reciprocate.

I've got a couple Gig's worth of cards for my main camera, and a Gig for the backup camera....plus 6 hours worth of video tape.

Cheers,
Canuck

quote:

Originally posted by Canuck:
366T...no worries, after benefitting from many, many vicarious thrills on this site over the years, I'll being doing my darndest to reciprocate.

I've got a couple Gig's worth of cards for my main camera, and a Gig for the backup camera....plus 6 hours worth of video tape.

Cheers,
Canuck

Thank you very much!!!!! I'm glad to hear!

Do I understand this correctly the problem is with a bolt action rifle for DGR? Not the 416T.

I guess I'm a piker - I only have 1 gig of memory for my ONLY still camera!

However I do have a spare firing pin, extractor and scope for my M70, and spare string, peep, sight, D-loop, silencers... well spare everything for the bow!

See ya in Amsterdam, Canuck!

The problem is with the 416Taylor, which Chris is bringing as a second spare.

His primary is a 470Mbogo, then my primary is a 416 Rem, then his backup is the Taylor.

Since we are 2x1, my primary can be his first backup.

Don only a gig! I'm sure Canuck will share!!

We have the exact same still and video cameras, so compatibility won't be an issue!

We are both planners.

Cheers,
Canuck

UPDATE: With many thanks to Ralf Martini, the rifle has a temporary band-aid (fabricated part) on it and will be fully functional for the trip. I am a happy dude.

On a side note....Martini and Hagn have an interesting little shop. One could easily spend hours in there, ooohing and aahhhing at the completed rifles and WIP's. Hagn was working on one of his falling blocks while I was there...what a piece of wood it had on it. A real beaut.


Canuck

yeah, I want some clarification, this is your last ditch backup because of function worry not cartridge deficiency right?

why is this a temp bandaid, do they have to make another more stout part later or is there going to be re-engineering involved?

sounds like we should expect great pics. I'll be looking forward to it.

Red

Die Ou Jagter, your right. It's a little unclear here.
Nothing wrong with the 416 C-T as a DG chambering, it's just on the very low end of a long list. Canuck's trouble could've happened in a rifle chambered for anything.
Come to think of it, the 416 is the only rifle in his arsenal with a brand-new magazine follower, tested by a gunsmith no less!

Hey guys,

Sorry for the lack of clarity. I assumed everyone had been following my threads re: my Africa arsenal and that my comments were self explanatory.

I am taking a Ruger Magnum in 470 Mbogo as my primary rifle, and my custom 416 Taylor as my backup/PG rifle.

My 416T is built on a Browning BBR action, which is Browning's old ripoff of the Weatherby action, with the 9 locking lugs on the bolt, 60deg throw, etc, etc.

No-one here has given me much grief over taking this Push-Feed Browning on a DG hunt, but I think we all know it isn't the ideal DGR. If it was my primary rifle, I assume I would have heard all about it.

Anyway, the point of this thread was just to let people know I had some last minute trouble with my 416 Taylor, and that said trouble has re-enforced the point that a Browning BBR does not make a great DGR (ie. one can do better ).

The BBR has a detachable box magazine that clips to the floorplate. One side is a catch that a tab on the magazine clips under, the other side is a spring steel loop that exerts pressure on the magazine to hold it in. Its not a very strong system. Anyway, the former broke under recoil and the spring steel loop would force the magazine (clip) out of place, thereby changing the angle to the chamber and causing the round to jam when you tried to feed it.

This crappy little part is definitely a point of weakness and could easily have broken on the hunt, hence my comment about it not being the best choice as a reliable rifle for DG.

Ralf did not have a replacement piece for the BBR (who would in a small town in Canada???), so I asked him to fabricate something that would make-do. So he did. I call it a "band-aid" because it isn't the original part, and because it does not allow me to remove the magazine...she's stuck there until I get back from Africa and can get the proper part in place. But it'll work just fine for the trip...no doubt about that.

The calibre is definitely not the issue. This baby shoots like a hot damn and has plenty of oomph for buff. BUT, I don't think I'd completely trust it if all hell broke loose...not that I am hung up on controlled feed or anything, just that this magazine set up clearly ain't designed to stand up.

Hope that helps clear it up!


Canuck

quote:

Originally posted by Canuck:
On a side note....Martini and Hagn have an interesting little shop. One could easily spend hours in there, ooohing and aahhhing at the completed rifles and WIP's. Hagn was working on one of his falling blocks while I was there...what a piece of wood it had on it. A real beaut.


Canuck

Congrats on the fix!
My aside note. I'm kinda glad I'm not close to those two. My temptation limiter has a breaking point! Conicidently it corrolates with my bank account!

Good hunting!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the clarifacation.