Booked a Tuskless Ele and Buff Hunt fall 2012. Bringing my 450 3 1/4 and a scoped .375H&H. Thinking that "if" my double has problems should I have a .400 class rifle as a back up...
Thans for the advice

Bob: Great question. The .375 H&H can and will kill ele, but has limited stopping power and a small margin of error as it does not carry nearly as much momentum as a larger cartridge. Pragmatic answers are the 416's and the 404 Jeffery. Are you going to be in town? Stop by, would love to see the finished .375 and hash this through. Be well Bob, --George

In my opinion, a back-up rifle is imperative on any safari.

The .375 H&H with solids is a fine choice.

George

Sell the .375 and get a scoped .416 with detachable mounts. Cow Ele are nasty and more prone to charges. I will never again use a .375 on Ele. You want something that will turn or stun and drop the Ele if the brain is missed. JMO.

quote:

Originally posted by GeorgeS:
In my opinion, a back-up rifle is imperative on any safari.
George

George is spot on, every hunt or safari should have a backup rifle capable of finishing the mission at hand. If it's scoped, have a backup scope as well.

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by GeorgeS:
In my opinion, a back-up rifle is imperative on any safari.

The .375 H&H with solids is a fine choice.

George

The only change for me would be that the 450 would be the back up for buff and the 375 the back up for tuskless elephant.

465H&H

With tuskless and buffalo on the menu, I plan on my .450NE double with a .416 Ruger alaskan carrying a 2X leupold in QD rings as backup. Should be about the perfect combo for any situation that I may encounter.

I understand your question and your situation.

On my third safari, where elephant was my main objective, I took a .500 A-Square as my primary and a .416 Rigby as a back up.

The .500 did the job on the elephant, and I shot some plains game with the .416.

Having the .416 along was a great comfort.

quote:

Originally posted by GeorgeS:
In my opinion, a back-up rifle is imperative on any safari.

The .375 H&H with solids is a fine choice.

George

George

On what basis do you say this? Surely most hunters on short stay safari firing a minimum of shots on ele and buff are not going to experience failure of their double or bolt gun. Can understand hunters of old with long safaris and sustained shooting needing backups and probably more so in case of damage in boats and other porterage but the modern hunter is hardly operating under these conditions. If it is a case of mechanical failure or damage in use, how often is this likely to happen?
Or are you promoting a backup in case of damage or loss in transit? In this case how often is this an issue?

I would have though the risk of needing a back up would be far out-wayed by the hassle of carting another firearm around. Of course most PH's will have backups to use in event of a rare problem (if it is rare?).

All else failing I agree with you that a 375 H&H with solids would be a perfectly adequate versatile backup.

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
are you promoting a backup in case of damage or loss in transit? In this case how often is this an issue?

It is quite common, particularly on transit fights through Jburg to places like Harare.

quote:

I would have though the risk of needing a back up would be far out-wayed by the hassle of carting another firearm around.

No hassle...and yes...always a good idea.

Since it is 99.99% sure that a back-up rifle will be IN THE SAME GUN CASE as your primary, a back-up is of NO USE if the case goes missing.

I always take a minimum of two rifles to Africa and have had only one incident; scope mount screw gone loose on first trip. Have seen the following happen to hunting partners:

1. Aluminum scope mount fail on a .416 (large bore rifles need quality steel mounts and rings, preferably QD style). There was no field solution. Hunter used my back-up.
2. The magazine floorplate on a new Dakota .458 would pop open on the first shot when the magazine was loaded. Duct tape was the field solution (looks great in all the pics ) . Hunter never fired the rifle with a full magazine on the range prior to coming out.

Thanks for all the sound advice......It still leaves me with two minds about a backup rifle. I've always brought a backup rifle or shotgun whenever I hunt but for the life of me I cannot remember ever having to use one....Soooo do I really need a back up of similar calibre.... I have been looking at a lot of .416 rigby's on line, (the AHR's are very compelling) and currently I'm investigating the possibility of re-barreling a .375H&H to the New .400 H&H.
As all ways going through these motion is half the fun...

Ask the outfitter if a loaner is available. Take the 375 anyway.

My theory on having the "backup" rifle is not so much one of having to use it because of loss/damage to my primary gun.

It is more along the lines of a golfer choosing the right club for conditions. I want to carry my double but have my scoped .416 close at hand if the necessity arises for a longer or more precise shot.

Best of both worlds!

quote:

Originally posted by JCS271:
With tuskless and buffalo on the menu, I plan on my .450NE double with a .416 Ruger alaskan carrying a 2X leupold in QD rings as backup. Should be about the perfect combo for any situation that I may encounter.

Agree, that's a great combination for an African menu.

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
On what basis do you say this?

Scopes go bad.
Stocks break.
Ammunition has pressure problems.
Locks go bad.
Ejectors go bad.
Guns fall into rivers.

Africa happens.

George
P.S. I am left-handed. The outfitter never has a proper LH rifle to loan.

quote:

Originally posted by GeorgeS:

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
On what basis do you say this?

Scopes go bad.
Stocks break.
Ammunition has pressure problems.
Locks go bad.
Ejectors go bad.
Guns fall into rivers.

Africa happens.

George
P.S. I am left-handed. The outfitter never has a proper LH rifle to loan.

So that really just leaves the AK47, I wonder what Mr K himself could come up with for a 'reliable' DG gun?

P.S. I'm a lefty too but never made the transition to LH rifles.

Bob: you are getting some great advice (and as usual a sound airing of views!) In a backup rifle in particular would steer you away from arcane cartridges, recommending instead the .416 Rem or Rigby, the 404 Jeffery, or the 458 Lott.

When my dad and I were in Zimbabwe in '09 my 600OK was my primary for Cape buffalo and my scoped .416 Weatherby was back up for buff and used for all of my plains game.

When we go to Namibia for tuskers this November, I'll take either the scoped 416 WBY again or scope the 600OK as backup for my 600NE double.

Primary guns will go in separate cases from back-ups. our suitcases will each have ammo for all of the rifles in case one suitcase or one rifle case is "lost".

When I go again i will have a second rilfe along with me. When I went in 2007 the firing pin spring in my rilfe gave up the ghost, and gave me a failure to fire more than once. One time was when the KUDU I had been watching for about 30-40 minutes finaly decided to step out from behind the mopane. This was the only broadside chance I had at him fromabout 250 yards. I'll tell you that click is the loudest sound in the world when it happens. I got lucky in that he then made a turn 90 degrees straight up the hill, and gave me a shot through the spine while he was walking straight away after I re-cocked the bolt.

This rifle had never given me any issue prior to that hunt, and at the time only had about 600 rounds fired.