I just won the lottery from Serengeti Rifles for Serengeti rifle owners and I have $3900 credit for a new rifle. What should I order? I have about 10 rifles in calibers from 25-06 through 376 Steyr. Most are bolt actions. One of my friends thought I should get a 416 Rem but at 60 I don't think I will get to Africa many more time unless I win the big lottery. Serengeti has a new Tiger Cat made on a mini mauser I was thinking about a 204 ruger or a 223. I have a catalog with 2 loadings for a204 and 35 for a 223. This will not be a full varmit rifle as it will have a trim barrel on it and I will use it to practice and for fun. Let me hear from some of the members including scope and barrel twist.

Congratulations, that was an amazing piece of luck.

I'm not going to comment on caliber choice, but I will say this, the new "Tiger Cat" Serengeti builds on the Mini-Mauser is a thing to behold. It is just so petite, and yet everything is there. Very sweet. I believe they build them with a straight taper Featherweight barrel, and although I'm otherwise not a fan of the Featherweight contour (often too difficult to get to shoot), the fact they use a straight taper seems to help a lot in the accuracy department.

Is this the rifle for you?? Only you can really tell. However, I was impressed when I initially beheld a Tiger Cat, and I'm otherwise more a fan of heavy rifles.

- mike

Nothing's wrong with a .223. It certainly is easy to load for. Easy to shoot. Big variety of components available. Nice versatile target and varmint cartridge. If you don't feel like loading, you can get the cheapo Russian or milsurp stuff when you just want to bang away for a while. (That Russian stuff's cut way into my .223 loading.)

See if they will build you a 6.5 X 54. roger

One of those Serengeti's in .204 would be a talking piece no doubt!!! Not to mention the pleasure it would be to shoot varmints with!! Anybody can have a .223!! Get the .204 and have fun! You need loads??......get ahold of me and I'll give you more than enough loads to use in it!! But you probaly won't have to go further than the Accurate 2230 and Acurrate 2520 powders to get what will suffice! If you've some H4895 on hand that one will work also!! Wish i'd have bought your ticket from you!!! GHD

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:
See if they will build you a 6.5 X 54. roger

I'll whole-heardtedly second that ...on a 3" action.

22" barel with 8" twist, lightweight contour, barrel band and NECG sights with a 1.5-4.5x Nikon Monarch (I'm not a premo optics worshipper...) in a decent set of QR rings. A nice piece of trim english walnut with about 5/8" DAC and about 1.75" DAH (from boreline).

About the perfect deer/blackbear rifle for 250 yds or less.

If this is too exotic, try the same thing in a 250-3000 (shorter action) and 10" twist barrel. That would be VERY sweet too...

Their short action is perfect for a 7x57 or 257 check out the last page in the current rifle

I would buy something I could sell fast for as much as I could get out of it and take one of my other rifles on a hunting trip.

I like the sound of that little pee shooter.
can they make one in .250 savage, be a little more versital, or mabye that new 6.8 spc would do, great for varmints bet real good for deer too ! ...tj3006

My vote would be for a .257 Roberts or a .250 Savage.

6.5-284

A rifle that says Serengeti on it should be in .375 H&H. I know, I know, you may not return to Africa with it. But it is still an incredibly versatile caliber with bullets from 235 grains (for any light to medium game in North America or elsewhere) up to 350 grains, even 380 grains made by Rhino. In North America I think it would be great for bears, moose, elk and anything else with the smaller bullets (235 to 270 grain). Shooting a 235 grain bullet seems to give me less felt recoil than my 300 WinMag. A custom rifle may stay in the family for generations so think about your legacy as well.

I would opt for the TigerCat in .204 Ruger, Feather weight barrel, Dakota safety, and schable forend.

I would never pay the asking price for that rifle ($3899) but it looks like a very nice gun and something I would enjoy owning.

Terry

quote:

Originally posted by Wink:
A rifle that says Serengeti on it should be in .375 H&H. I know, I know, you may not return to Africa with it. But it is still an incredibly versatile caliber with bullets from 235 grains (for any light to medium game in North America or elsewhere) up to 350 grains, even 380 grains made by Rhino. In North America I think it would be great for bears, moose, elk and anything else with the smaller bullets (235 to 270 grain). Shooting a 235 grain bullet seems to give me less felt recoil than my 300 WinMag. A custom rifle may stay in the family for generations so think about your legacy as well.

I have a 375cal in a Serengeti Rifle. It is a 376 Steyr with a 23" Barrel and 270grain factory ammo averages 2695 FPS at 20 feet from the muzzle. I took it to SA last year to try it out on plans game and I like it a lot. I was using 270 grain Swift A-Frames at 2598 FPS. MY loads were 1-1/2grains below published max with Varget. If I get to go to Africa 2 or 3 more times I think this will be as much gun as I need. Where is Rambouillet located in France? My German wife is from a small village near the French town of Bitche.

quote:

Originally posted by 9.3x62:

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:
See if they will build you a 6.5 X 54. roger

I'll whole-heardtedly second that ...on a 3" action.

22" barel with 8" twist, lightweight contour, barrel band and NECG sights with a 1.5-4.5x Nikon Monarch (I'm not a premo optics worshipper...) in a decent set of QR rings. A nice piece of trim english walnut with about 5/8" DAC and about 1.75" DAH (from boreline).

About the perfect deer/blackbear rifle for 250 yds or less.

If this is too exotic, try the same thing in a 250-3000 (shorter action) and 10" twist barrel. That would be VERY sweet too...

I have selected a nice AAA piece of English Walnut for the stock

20 Tactical.. laupa brass!

I always wanted a petite rifle in 7MM TCU for whitetails. My next choice would be a 250 savage! Good for you!!!!

another vote for the 250 savage

7mm-08

After going back and reading the original starting post, I still stand firm in the .204 over the .223 HOWEVER!!! Did you ever think about a 7mmBR with that light barrel!!! Easy to load for!!! 28.5 grains of Reloader 7 and either the 120Hornady VMAX(varmints nightmare!! or the 120 Nosler BT(whitetails beware!!!) it is a little "one gun fits all" for varmints to whitetails!!! I wish I'd have won it!! SELL it to the next person in line!!! Then buy 3-4 rifles in various chamberings!!! GHD

I recommend the .223 Remington cartridge in a barrel with a 7 inch or 8 inch twist. Such a rifle would allow you to shoot varmint-weight bullets reasonably well, most likely with starting or medium loads. Then you could also have fun at longer ranges, out to 500 meters or more, with heavier match bellets. If long-range shooting isn't on your list of things to try, then a 10 inch twist would probably do everything for the next 5,000 to 10,000 rounds. This will be a trim and svelte sporter, so I'd recommend a reasonably trim, light (telesight plus mount not to exceed 1 pound), low-mounted, optically excellent telesight with solid consistent adjustments. No sense in putting two pounds of telesight and mount on a light sporter. After all, you are probably going to use this rifle for at least eighty per cent of your centerfire rifle shooting during the next five to fifteen years. If I understand your post correctly, this rifle will be all about fun. If your intentions for this rifle incline more to varmint shooting, the .204 Ruger cartridge is worth considering. And if you intend more general field use, with game ranging from squirrel to coyote, plus reasonable cast bullet capability, the .25 Copperhead (.222 Remington case expanded to accept .257 bullets weighing no more than 90 grains or so) is worth serious consideration. John Wooters developed his .25 Copperhead for general rifle recreation. I'd probably order a .223 Remington: plenty of cheap high-quality ammunition and components available to run through a barrel that will last a long time!