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Originally posted by Biebs:

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50 yrds is for guys who do not shoot their DR's much Big Grin

I seem to remember you needing my Dakota African :-)

Yea needed a pigeon killer

Now now Biebs...thats one classic double...

I've taken two rifles for different varieties of game and only one time did I need the second due to an accident in Tanzania with the primary rifle. Although it is easier to travel with one and I have been doing this in my last half dozen hunts (the .600 works well on plains game as well as big game) I understand if something goes wrong I will not be hunting or using the PHs rifle.
Cal

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Lately I will take 3 - two bigger rifles .416 and .375 and a plains game .30-06 or .300 plus a couple of shotguns! Far too many I know but what the heck!

Planning a DG Zim hunt next year and will take a .470 open sights and a scoped .375 plus a couple of shotguns for evening grouse and dove....

Oh and a fly rod too .....

In all the hunting trips I have had away, many using boats, planes, helicopters, or just very long tramps into the hunting area, I have never had a firearm fail me, and these have been hunts where there is no backup firearm available.

I have had one instance of a scope fogging in snow conditions (Kahles) but it was temporarily dried out and still usable. The rifle had open sights so not all would have been lost had the scope not been serviceable. As many of our rifles do not have open sights now, we will usually take a spare scope and suitable screwdrivers or allen keys to replace a damaged scope when on extended hunts.

I can understand those wanting to take two firearms where a large bore and smaller bore are required for the range of game being hunted but can't follow the reasoning to take two doubles, one as a backup, when one of the very reasons doubles are promoted over other firearms for DG or any game for that matter, is that there will always be at least one shot available in the event of a broken hammer or firing pin spring.

Although not an ideal situation, a double with only one barrel available is as good as a bolt action, or should be according to the exponents who can reload a double quicker than a bolt

Of course a broken top lever spring buggers a double completely but then a bolt gun can't function either with any one of the springs in the bolt or trigger assembly broken.

In terms of guided hunting anywhere in the World I'm sure a backup firearm can be supplied by the outfitter or guide, I'd be quite happy using anything if I had a problem with my own rifle rather than lugging spares around.

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
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In terms of guided hunting anywhere in the World I'm sure a backup firearm can be supplied by the outfitter or guide, I'd be quite happy using anything if I had a problem with my own rifle rather than lugging spares around.

As a lefty, I prefer to have my own rifle. So, I take two.

A couple of notes:

If taking two rifles, one can be a double but the other one ought to be a bolt rifle since it can be carried by a tracker or stored in the truck with a full magazine and an empty chamber. Very quick to get into action and you, the hunter, need only deal with one caliber of ammo (why four down or better bolt rifles, rather than three down rifles, are all but required for a safari, imo.)

I am a lefty and lefty rifles are rare as hen's teeth, especially when you need one NOW. If the quarry is a deer I could use a righty rifle, without satisfaction but with success. If the quarry is DG then it is just dumb, imo. Some may write that charges are rare and that the PH will save your bacon, but charges aren't that rare and the PH is only human. I have personally stopped two elephant charges. I have hunted elephants quite a bit, but you don't know if that charge is coming the first day of your first DG hunt or maybe never. Been bluff charged countless times too, and those can turn into real charges quick, for no reason apparent to the hunter or PH.

Usually, IF there is a spare or camp rifle you might be able to use, or a camp manager's or appy's rifle you can barrow, it is anything but a reliable, good condition rifle, the spare or camp rifles I've seen were retired from regular service for good reason. Ammo availability is also an issue. At best someone thought ahead and there are a couple of boxes of suitable softs and solids, but likely it is mismatched collection of left overs. That applies to ammo for appy and camp manager rifles too. I have stayed in seven camps. One had spare rifles, a couple had appy's and/or managers who had rifles. Some had nothing.

I have had scope issues on a safari, but on safaris always bring a spare scope and the tools required to change out, if any. I prefer QD mounts and the second scope already sighted in, so a couple of rounds is all that is needed to verify the No2 scope is good to go.

Until this past weekend I have never had a rifle issue. But this past weekend I was standing by the truck at 0:dark:30 trying to load my 257R bolt rifle and head into the marsh after a MD sika deer when I managed to hook my sleeve on the safety and de-cock the rifle with the bolt open. No hope of re-cocking by hand. I missed that hunt and had to drive home to get a spare - 1st time in 20yrs I haven't brought a spare rifle - go figure!

JPK

Another factor I am starting to reflect on is the anticipated hunting conditions. Since this is an early season hunt there is a likelihood we will see at least some rain. Having an alternative to the double that would be more weather resistant might be desirable. Kicking around the idea of taking a CZ550 in .458 Lott that Wayne Jacobson worked on . . . synthetic stock, Gunkote finish, NECG peep site. Plenty of horsepower but in a package that would more impervious to adverse weather. Certainly another factor to consider.

I've never found travelling with two rifles to be one bit harder than with one. Two rifles in a case isn't any worse than one, and two serial numbers on a permit isn't any heavier than one. If there is a charge per rifle, the additional cost isn't even a rounding error compared to the total.

Typically one of them will be a .375 and the other bigger or smaller depending on the hunt itself. My last trip to Mozambique had me leaving the .375 at home and taking a .458 and a .300.

Its more about covering more ground than a having a spare to me; but it hasn't escaped my notice that a .375 is spare to anything, and typically a scope will move from one rifle to the other if even a bit of thought was given to that possibility.

I had one failure in Africa when my CZ .416 picked up enough sand in the bolt that striker couldn't drop. Luckily that happened when attempting to shoot a snared buffalo in Zim. That one was cleared back at camp, in the meantime I used my horribly improper pushfeed Remington 700 in .375.

I had a firing pin break while deer hunting with a 35 Whelen, and finished that trip with a .270 I had behind the seat. Things can happen, and the chances seem to increase when real money is spent on the trip.

quote:

Originally posted by JPK:
... I managed to hook my sleeve on the safety and de-cock the rifle with the bolt open. No hope of re-cocking by hand.

375 and double

Mike on an early season wet hunt I would take that Lott as well. Unless your enjoyment of the hunt will be greatly reduced by the use thereof. What I mean is that sometimes I have an obsessive desire to use a particular rifle on a hunt and don't enjoy the hunt as much if I use another rifle. Don't know if you suffer from this disease. And if i have 2 with me indecision and doubt creeps in about which one to use the next day.I took 2 once to Dande and often went to sleep confused about which one to take in the morning....haha. Good luck and have a great trip

Mike, on my last safari for elephant in the Caprivi I only took my double. The PH had a .375 if I needed for a longer shot on Roan, etc.

Twice I have brought only a double rifle. A third time I never took the 375 H&H out of the case. Other times I brought three rifle and used them all.

Early in the season as you are going you will not be able to see far enough to use a scope in most cases.

However if one owned a takedown Duane Wiebe 500 that would be a nice second rifle.

Or even more classy would be if one owned 450-400 3 1/4" Boswell from the same period to match that 500 Nitro.

I ultimately landed on taking two rifles, a double and a bolt. The bolt I am taking in case the weather ends up being nasty. The bolt is a .470 AR built on a Win M70 receiver in an Accurate Innovations laminated stock set up with with a peep sight. The double will be my Heym .500 NE. I have really enjoyed playing with the .470 AR. I get 2200 fps with 500 grain Woodleighs and the recoil is very modest.

Have fun!!!!

Have a great trip. What camp you staying in. I used to love pedza the most. Are you hunting with buzz

Yes, hunting with Buzz. We will start hunting out of Kurunga and see how things go in the East and then adjust from there. Pedza is nice, but my favorite camp has to be Mururu.

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..... The Boswell shot five right barrel shots into one ragged hole in the bullseye, three left barrel shots into a group about one inch to the left, one shot near the right barrel group and one flyer that about two inches high that was me not paying attention.....

Mike

Is it possible the crown on the left barrel needs a little attention to clean up the fliers?

Just a thought......

No, the flyer cannot be blamed on anything but operator error I am afraid.