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Hi all, Had a guy come over the other day to get a rifle built. He said he`s heading to Africa [Namibia I think he said]in a year and NEEDS a stopper rifle. He wants a 470 Nitro or possibly a 500. I asked him what permits he was getting and he told me just the "normal plains game stuff". HMMMMM! Seems like when I first went to Kenya in the mid 50s the rifle of choice for the plains stuff was a 375 H&H for the all-around hunting or about anything else that was accurate and idiot-proof. I remember Dr. Fronk carried a 458 something or other. Maybe a Win mag. but that was for the Buffs and the stuff that bit back. I carried my Mod 70 458 on a later trip too.I also remember the back up rifle was an old beat-up 30-06. Now I`ll make whatever the guy wants but my question is:: Have the animals gotten harder to kill in the last 30 years or so? Last time I went I took my 264 Mag and a 375 H&H. Didn`t need anything else as I didn`t have the permits for the dangerous stuff. You tell ME?? Aloha, Mark When the fear of death is no longer a concern----the Rules of War change!! | ||
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Plains game? 338 winmag or 376 steyr, in a light, but weighted toward the muzzle rifle. jeffe opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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Dear Jeffe!! My thoughts exactly!! Aloha, Mark When the fear of death is no longer a concern----the Rules of War change!! | |||
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I occasional get the customer who, in my opinion, over does it when choosing a caliber for a particular game animal he is hunting. I think most of these folks just don't want to take a chance and find themselves "under gunned" in case they got an opportunity for something bigger and meaner, or, they were to accidentally come upon something bigger and meaner...  If it's a once in a life time hunt, then he is probably looking for nothing more than a little added security, or, bragging rights with his buddies... | |||
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I'd ask him if he really thinks he can actually go out and practice with that cannon. He'll never hit anything if he flinches 6 inches before he even pulls the trigger.  | |||
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I agree with BOTH Malm and Montana. A "Once in a lifetime" hunt would be shame to waste not having enough gun but, on the other hand, if recoil is so bad as to make accurate shots impossible? Well, There is another problem. Not only for him but the P.H. too. Kinda like the Dr in Hawaii that came over to have me mount a new scope on his new rifle. Rifle was a new Weatherby Mk5 in 378 WBY. For Axis deer? Well? OK? The scope was an early Tasco 3x9. At the time I was doing the same for three members of a Filipino family going to hunt the same place[ Lanai] but they had bought Savage 110s in 270 Win BUT were putting on Leupold 3x9s. Guess who filled their freezers?? Aloha, Mark When the fear of death is no longer a concern----the Rules of War change!! | |||
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Mark, I think if one reads AR long enough there is no question that the game has gotten harder to make die in the last 30-40 years Now, I can plead guilty to using an over sized rifle for some game, but I was wanting to see its effect on them or it was all I had at the time. However, it seems from what I read that game has gotten harder to kill with BETTER bullets! I haven't noticed any difference. Hit them right with a decent bullet and they are dead. They cannot be deader than dead. | |||
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I know I will NEVER get to Africa. but were I to go, I believe I'd take a 7x57mm with 175-grain Nosler Partition bullets and either a .375 H&H or a .416 Rigby for the big stuff...... "Bitte, trinks du nicht das Wasser. Dahin haben die Kuhen gesheissen." | |||
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Dear African Hunter-- When I was heading out the last time ? Or the time before--can`t remember and decided to take my 264 Win Mag I loaded up two boxes of H-Mantle 150 gr bullets and also took a box of 140 Sierras for the exact same reason as you. To see how they would work on the tougher animals. Found that the Sierras worked just fine as long as [like you say] bullet placement was done properly. FUNNY? The same thing held true for the H-Mantles that cost me about 1.00 ea and Sierras were 12.00 a BOX! Aloha, Mark When the fear of death is no longer a concern----the Rules of War change!! | |||
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On my last trip I was overgunned.....with my 300 H&H.....next time it'll be a 280 or 30-06 for plains game. That said, if I went to a smith to have him make me a 470 capstick or a 416 whizbanger then that's what he should make me.....and quote the job accordingly. He didn't come to you and ask you opinion of choice of caliber.....just to make what he wants..... You should smile and just make it for him. It's frankly not at all relevant if he can shoot it.....that's HIS choice.....and he made it. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." Winston Churchill | |||
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