Sitting in the Addis Ababa Sheraton and looking at the custom rifle threads got me thinking about the next rifle. You've seen my 404J, with the left over portion of the stock blank (yes, Duane did send it to me and not Forrest and not Clay and not jjs and not no one else got it) I'm having my 9,3X62 restocked by Grifnee in Belgium.

Which leaves me with what do I now need for a long range plains game rifle? A Kalahari rifle. First off, which caliber? Next, which action? I know there are some opinions out there and it's all your fault I'm doing this.

8x68s on a M98, 26" barrel - #2 contour

Hi Wink,

Tell us a bit more about what you are looking to achieve - style of the rifle and Gunmaker...

If you wish to stay with a classic chambering and wood stocked rifle then the 300 H&H might be nice.

Action - Brno ZG 47 DSB or a new small ring Granite Mountain.

How about something like this:

Here's a little (right at 6.3 lbs without scope) 98 Mauser that is done in a German/Austrian style (I guess??). I've since taken off the receiver sight (installation of which luckily required no cutting of the stock) and put Tally mounts and qd rings with a 1.5x5 Leupold scope. I also put a quarter-rib express rear sight. It is 8x57JS and shoots better than 1.5" with factory ammo (and better with Nosler partition 200 grain handloads at 2550 fps) and is good to go for PG and all U.S. hunting (except maybe the great bears?).

I think we are on to something - 8mm German caliber:
8x57
8x60
8x64
8x68

I have a 8x57, but think it's a little slow for long range shooting.

How far do you want to shoot?

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeG:
How about something like this:

Here's a little (right at 6.3 lbs without scope) 98 Mauser that is done in a German/Austrian style (I guess??). I've since taken off the receiver sight (installation of which luckily required no cutting of the stock) and put Tally mounts and qd rings with a 1.5x5 Leupold scope. I also put a quarter-rib express rear sight. It is 8x57JS and shoots better than 1.5" with factory ammo (and better with Nosler partition 200 grain handloads at 2550 fps) and is good to go for PG and all U.S. hunting (except maybe the great bears?).

I like that style of stock, but am also getting partial to the Mauser sporter stocks that have a half circle on the back only and smooth the rest of the stock.

THe 8X68s has its merits, but 1939 may be too modern and bullet selection is not as great as a .308 diameter. Still, it's a good cartridge and fits in a standard Mauser without any acrobatics. Something to think about. If I went metric I could also consider the 7 X 64, one of the most popular calibers in Europe and one of the few Euro metrics for which US ammo manufacturers make factory rounds.

Absolutely! 7x64!

I was going to build a light weight 7x64, but decided instead to recontour my FN Mauser 7mm 26" down to #2 (from a #5), add a lever floorplate release and straighten the bolt - and restock in rosewood.

I thought this was a thread from our overlords telling us what to do.

Faced with the same question I chose a .300 H&H on a 1909 action with a 25" barrel built in the style of a pre-war English rifle.

Caliber: You know your instinct is to go with a .30 caliber and the Holland & Holland version will not leave you wanting in that department. Interestingly, there has been a resurgence of interest in that round.

Rifle: For a rifle you will carry and handle a lot there is no better choice than the single shot falling block. They provide the ultimate combination of balance, strength, handling, reliability, and accuracy.


A 300H&H single shot rifle with a 27" barrel:




The falling block is a classic design. You would be in very good company:

7x64 and 8x68 are great choices. With the 8x68 the gun cannot be to light and is ideally handloaded as only Norma makes a good A-Frame load.

What next???
Go out and use them in Africa. I know your there often enough.

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:
What next???
Go out and use them in Africa. I know your there often enough.

That is definitely the plan. Right now I've got some plastic stocked rifles that can do it all (300 WinMag, 416 Rigby)but I still find the old-fashioned rifles much more attractive.

quote:

Originally posted by Wink:

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:
What next???
Go out and use them in Africa. I know your there often enough.

That is definitely the plan. Right now I've got some plastic stocked rifles that can do it all (300 WinMag, 416 Rigby)but I still find the old-fashioned rifles much more attractive.

What about that lovely 404?

300 H&H, 25" barrel, standard length large ring prewar Oberndorf military or commercial action, extended bottom metal, British style stock

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:

quote:

Originally posted by Wink:

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:
What next???
Go out and use them in Africa. I know your there often enough.

That is definitely the plan. Right now I've got some plastic stocked rifles that can do it all (300 WinMag, 416 Rigby)but I still find the old-fashioned rifles much more attractive.

What about that lovely 404?

I had to proof the barrel after bringing it back to France and the intellectuals at the proof house somehow managed to rip off the butt pad at the toe. I was not happy, only 6 rounds shot through the rifle (plus the two at the proof house). It is now being repaired by the same person who is going to manage the 9.3 X 62mm project, to be restocked by Leon Grifnee in Belgium, and I'm having him do the Holland & Holland style breakdown. If you've seen it you know it allows you to unscrew a single action screw (the front screw) and pull the barrel and top half of the action out very quickly. So my two sweethearts are at the shop.

quote:

Originally posted by Austin Hunter:
8x68s on a M98, 26" barrel - #2 contour

Hey, that's my rifle!



M

I like this option best but I would do a high velocity flanged cart.

quote:

Originally posted by Grenadier:
Caliber: You know your instinct is to go with a .30 caliber and the Holland & Holland version will not leave you wanting in that department. Interestingly, there has been a resurgence of interest in that round.

Rifle: For a rifle you will carry and handle a lot there is no better choice than the single shot falling block. They provide the ultimate combination of balance, strength, handling, reliability, and accuracy.


A 300H&H single shot rifle with a 27" barrel:




The falling block is a classic design. You would be in very good company:

Checkout this one

Frank Wesson Action

http://www.steveearleproducts.com/longrange.html

http://www.steveearleproducts.com/midrange.html



http://www.steveearleproducts....ngrangepictures.html

http://www.assra.com/feature-n...er_december-2004.htm
" The combination of dropping block and tall side walls make this an extremely strong action, yet with the back action lock, it is surprisingly compact.
This action should be suitable for building a rifle for virtually any centerfire rimmed cartridge ever made to be fired from the shoulder ".

My vote would be for the Midrange model ; " 375 H & H Flanged ".

PAPI

They're coming out of the woodwork now!

When you say "Kalahari rifle", I think of game as large as Gemsbok, Zebra, Wildebeast, and Hartebeast. A proper 300 H&H would do the trick in the Kalahari and closer to home for you as well.

I've used 300 Mags and a 338 in the Kalahari and preferred the 300s. I'm in the process of building a 300 H&H on a ZG47 action and have high hopes that it will be sweet enough I can get rid of some other 300 Mags (H&H and Win Mags) that I own along with my 338. I want to trim my battery a bit but would really like to reduce the number of cartridges for which I'm handloading.

.30-40 Krag, the Kalahari Krag.


In France you have one of the world's most accomplished gunmakers, Joel Dorleac.
Dorleac & Dorleac

After looking at the other posts with examples of rifles by Joel Dorleac, I guess I should consider having him do my next rifle.