Well fellows, the time has flown by and in only two days, on Saturday afternoon, I'm heading back to Africa. This trip is to South Africa for plains game. My wish list is Blue Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest, Grey Duiker, Warthog, and Nyala, to add to my modest little trophy room. The only rifle that I'm taking is the little double rifle in calibre .303 British that I built a few years ago. It is shooting some very close groups at 100 yards and I plan to take everything with it. Retreever and Double Don are familiar with it as I had it at the Southern Side-By-Side, two years ago, and they both got to shoot it a bit. Look here for some photos, hopefully, of me, the rifle, and some critters, in about two weeks.

Have a great and safe safari and yes, i'll be looking forward to the photos.

Enjoy and safe travels!

Ron, Don't for get your ammo. Yea and "Make the Shot".

A sweet side by side to shoot.

Regards,

Mike

Have a safe and fun trip

What bullets are you using with the 303?
peter.

Mike,
I already have 50 rounds packed in a locked aluminum case, inside my suitcase. If I can't get it done with 50, I'll take up golf or tennis!

Peter,
I shoot the Hornady 174 grain round nose, at 2200 fps. I've killed two good-sized Russian Boars with it and it stoned them both with one shot each.

Ron, best of luck!

I really enjoyed the picture I've seen of you building that rifle. Quite the piece of craftsmanship. I can only imagine how it would feel to hunt Africa with a double made with your own two hands.

Please post plenty of pictures on your return!

Good Hunting,
Bob

I am still in SA...The weather is great here in Freestate.Just came home from a hunt in Eastern Cape. Back in DK next week.
Have a good hunt Ronvella

Ron, i would like to talk to you about your double rifle project.Can i e-mail you or pm you?

Good luck Ron! Keep us posted.

Big Will,
Feel free to contact me as you wish, but please wait until after Sept 14. I've got a lot of last minute stuff to attend to and today is my grandson's 17'th birthday as well.

Ron

Have a safe trip and may Diana smile upon your venture.

Nitro

Ron: Classic rifle and a classy trip. Have a ball!

Ron:

Happy birthday for your grandson.

Have a safe, successful and enjoyable trip, looking forward for the report of the hunt.
Wonder how the 303 will perform on game.

Malek

Good hunting/shooting and God's best

Ron;
From another Canadian have a great time.Looking forward to some pictures of what you get with the old 303.

Travel safe, and have a great hunt!

Well folks, we got back last night and the trip could not have been much better. As promised, here are a few of our many photos.


Took this nice Eland bull at 225 yards, at 1:00 pm on first day. One shot through left shoulder,
no exit but lungs destroyed and he went down within 30 yards. That's my wife Rosemary beside me.


Took this Grey Duiker at 95 yards at 6:45 am on day three. Bullet clipped off two 1/2" branches, was deflected about 2". Duiker ran into the thick brush. The little Jack Russell is named "Doumpie" and belongs to PH, Barry Vermeulen. It took Doumpie about 30 seconds to find my Duiker, dead as a mackerel, about 25 yards from where I shot him!


We got within 135 yards of this Blue Wildebeest, in the afternoon of day three. He was quartering to us. I hit him just in front of left shoulder and he took off into the brush with the rest of the herd. Doumpie found him, in short order, lying in the tall grass about 60 yards from where I had hit him. He was completely bled out.


This is a very nice Nyala bull that I took on the morning of day four. He was quartering away at 135 yards and one shot on left shoulder did the trick.


A decent, representative Red Hartebeest bull, taken on morning of day six. He was standing broadside at 145 yards. Shot took him on left shouder and exited on right shoulder. He ran about 60 yards and piled up dead.PH is Louis DuPlessis, a great one!



This is a pretty decent Warthog sow that I took on the afternoon of day six. She was broadside to us at about 120 yards. Shot broke a rib going in, took the top off of the heart, and broke a rib on the exit. She died where she stood.


I took this big old Warthog boar as he trotted across the trail in front of us on the afternoon of day seven. I didn't lead him enough and broke his back. A follow-up shot was required to finish him. Really heavy, massive tusks that are well-worn from years of rooting.

Great accomodations, home-cooked meals in liberal quantities, two great PH's, and lots of game. Nitro Safaris out of Kimberley, South Africa.

Some great trophies taken with a double rifle that you made! Wow, that has to be a very rewarding experience. Bravo and thanks for sharing.

Welcome back, Ron.

Congratulations on a great safari built on the fruits of you labors. What could be more rewarding ...

Ron

Fantastic effort from the moment you put file to metal through to proudly sitting behind your trophy to preserve the moment in history. Well done.

Now that you've had a chance to use your DR on an extended hunt, I'd be interested to hear what you thought about the .303 Brit on the larger plains game. Are you happy with the load/bullet combination you regulated her for and would you consider the 215gr Woodleigh's as an alternative.

Rhodes

DRSS

Ron

I am very happy for you. Looks like you had a great experience.
Very good old Nyala and Wartie.
Congrats !

Nitro

Ron,
like mentioned above,a job well done and with a rifle that you made,can't get any better

It looks like you made pretty good buddies with "DOUMPIE". Looks like you were quite happy with the double as well.
Very nice, all the way around.
Kidd

Great report & trophies. I really like the old warthog in the last pictures.

What action did you build the rifle on. Is there a thread on the rifle? could you please post some photos.

thanks

Ron, Way to go and those sweet doubles.

Mike

Nakihunter,
there is a complete report of the build on the "Building Double Rifles" page at NitroExpress.com".

That looks like it was a great trip Ron! Were the PH's surprised that this was a home made rifle? Any problems with traveling with a conversion?

Mike,
This was the first time that ANYONE had hunted there with any double. Barend and Louis were surprised at how well it shot and how well it performed. No problem at all in travelling with the conversion although I had all five required permits with me and they all stated the make and calibre.

Ron:

Good report, great pictures and Great performance for that old 303 I must say especially at those distances that the animals were shot at.

It must have brought you great feelings of satisfaction and pride in your work.




Malek
Good hunting/shooting and God's best

Pretty work Ron!!

Hope to see you at the Vintager's next week!

Ron: Wonderful trophies, well taken with that sweet double of yours. I just love it when the classic calibers of old continue to get the job done so efficiently more than a century later.
Lord, don't let Sabatti offer their small frame double in .303 ...

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
Ron: Wonderful trophies, well taken with that sweet double of yours. I just love it when the classic calibers of old continue to get the job done so efficiently more than a century later.
Lord, don't let Sabatti offer their small frame double in .303 ...

Bill, If I didn't have this .303, I'd have bought one of the Sabatti's in calibre 7x65R in a heartbeat! A real fine calibre in a $3000 double rifle. Buy it with both eyes open, so as to avoid one of the ones with the "Dremel Tool regulation", and you've got a sure winner!

Beautiful rifle, probably why the screen has a green tint.

Ron, now you've done it. I didn't know the Sabatti was available in 7X65R ...