Bolt Action Cartridges Vs Double Rifle Cartridges

Aussie_Hunter

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This should be in an interesting conversation!

I am interested in everyone's responses on this subject.

Before buying my 458 Lott recently I spent quite a bit of time researching calibres, cartridges and the velocity and energy those calibres and cartridges possess/produce. One of my most interesting findings was that the 458 Lott has the same or slightly more muzzle energy than the 500 Nitro Express (factory ammo), I was a bit surprised by this.

Obviously double rifles are usually used at shorter ranges than bolt action rifles so the cartridge design/purpose is a little different but I think in most cases most people look at both options when purchasing a DG rifle? For a long time I was obsessed with buying a double rifle but could just never justify the cost of the rifle and in all honesty for the type of hunting I do a scoped bolt action rifle suits me much better in the end.

So whats your pick? Bolt or double? And why did you choose it? Because of the calibre the rifle is chambered in? Or because of the purpose? Or was it just because you wanted one? Did you base your choice on cartridge because of velocity and energy?
 
For me the double rifle was the next phase of hunting Africa. Almost like why does a bow hunter use a bow and not a scope rifle. If your objective is to shoot animals then a scoped rifle is a no brainer but as I, and I emphasize “I”, looked at what I really enjoy about hunting Africa, it was the stalk, it was watching the trackers, it was doing it like they did in the old days (almost) Could I get to 60-75 yards on plains game without being busted. On dangerous game it was much closer. If the hunt ended prior to getting from 200 yards to 60, so be it. I got the best part of the hunt done, (for me again) and I get to do it again.
 
It all boils down to preference of the operator , @Aussie_Hunter . Allow me to elaborate. My explanation is long , so you will forgive me .
During my career as a professional shikaree in Nagpur, India from 1961 to 1970 , l saw countless bolt rifles , some of which were excellent and some which left a great deal to be desired . I also saw countless double barreled rifles , some of which were excellent and some of which left a great deal to be desired.
The obvious advantages of a bolt rifle ( l am going to use the .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre pre 64 Winchester Model 70 as an example , to simplify things ) , is as follows :
1) Generally speaking , a bolt rifle is accurate out to greater distances than a double barreled rifle and lends itself to easier shooting with a telescopic sight .
2) A bolt rifle will provide you with decent results with a wide array of ammunition . For example , The Winchester Model 70 bolt rifle will provide decent results with Winchester Silvertip 300 grain soft point bullets AND Hornady solid metal covered 300 grain bullets. This is an extremely useful feature in scenarios , where the hunter may exhaust or lose his original supply of ammunition . In such a case , the hunter may need to make do with whatever brand of ammunition he is able to source locally .
3) The ability to hold anywhere from 3 to 6 cartridges in the shooter's magazine may very well save your life . Yes , l know that it is always the 1st shot which needs to always be placed accurately . However , we are not Gods . If God forbid , anything goes wrong ... more ammunition without needing to re load , is always a + point . 3 to 6 cartridges rather than 2 cartridges starts to look very attractive here. When we talk about culling large numbers of animals ( like elephant and cape buffalo culls in South Africa or wild boar culls in India ) , the bolt rifle with it's larger magazine capacity wins the day for obvious reasons ( of course , you are probably not a professional culler , but l was merely trying to illustrate another scenario where a bolt rifle is useful. )

Some disadvantages of a bolt rifle are :
1) The operator does lose a second or 2 in working the bolt . This vital second can determine a question of life or death if you are dealing with wounded dangerous game in thick shrub which may charge you . For most dangerous game , a skilled bolt rifle operator will probably be able to chamber a 2nd cartridge in time to get off a 2nd shot . However , in the case of having to follow up a wounded panther into the thickets , a bolt rifle is literally as good as a single shot rifle . This is due to the sheer speed of a panther ( and the fact that it always charges the hunter at very close range. ) , which makes it impossible for the operator to work the bolt of a bolt rifle in time .
2) Back during the time of my career ( 1960s ) many bolt rifles were prone to the occasional malfunction. Some common problems which l observed on many of the bolt rifles brought to India by my clients were as follows :
> Magazine follower springs were prone to breaking due to metal fatigue.
This was an extremely common problem on many custom rifles which were built on salvaged pre World War 2 Mauser 98 actions . I have even seen custom Holland & Holland rifles exhibit this problem , on 2 occasions .
> Magazine floor plates popping open due to the recoil from the 1st shot , dumping out all the remaining cartridges at the shooter's feet . This was usually caused by the coil spring being not heavy enough , or there not being sufficient overlap in the magazine catch. This used to be an extremely common issue on all the FN Mauser bolt rifles / Browning Hi Power bolt rifles , chambered in .458 Winchester magnum calibre.
This can also occur if the magazine catch is on the inside of the trigger guard and the recoil causes the shooter's knuckle to strike the magazine catch. I have even seen phenomenon occur on high end Westley Richards bolt rifles on 1 occasion.
> Extraction problems caused in push feed rifles , notably the post 64 Winchester Model 70 push feed rifles ( unless kept very clean . )

During my career , l have only seen 3 bolt rifle actions which NEVER exhibited any of these problems :
A) Pre 64 Winchester Model 70
B ) Brevex magnum Mauser
C ) Enfield 1917
Of course , in modern times , l fully recognize that MOST bolt rifles will never exhibit these problems at all. They have become extremely reliable thanks to modern manufacturing techniques ,
even push feed rifles like the Blaser Model R 8 .

Let us now talk about double barreled rifles . Some advantages of double barrelled rifles are :
1) With double trigger models , you have the option of getting off an instant 2nd shot. When dealing with dangerous game in the thickets which charges you at close range , you could really benefit from this feature. In particular , when the hunter is following up wounded panthers into the thickets ... a double barrelled double trigger rifle is indispensable and the only way to go .
2) A double trigger double barreled rifle guarantees you a 2nd shot without needing to depend upon any mechanical properties of the rifle . The separate trigger is like a separate rifle .
( This is the conventional view. I do not agree with it and l will relate why , below . )
3) The option to have a soft point cartridge in 1 barrel and a solid metal covered cartridge in the other barrel can be indispensable for dealing with gaur / cape buffalo .
3) Traditionally speaking , double barreled rifles could handle larger calibres than bolt rifles . Of course , today this is no longer the case , with calibres such as .500 Jeffery and .505 Gibbs being widely available .

The disadvantages of a double barreled rifle , are as follows :
1) Double barrelled rifles are extremely picky in the load which can be used in them , on account of the 2 barrels . Their manufacturers regulate them from the factory to produce accurate results in the rifle , when using 1 brand of ammunition . They will usually not ( unless you happen to be extremely lucky ) produce accurate results with other brands of ammunition. An an example , the head shikaree of my outfitters ( Allwyn Cooper Limited ) was a Hyderabaddi gentleman named Rao Naidu . He would use a double barreled .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre side by side rifle , built by Westley Richards in 1946. The rifle would only produce accurate results with old stock ICI Kynoch cartridges . When used with Winchester Silvertip cartridges , you could not use that rifle to hit the broad side of a barn . It just just too inaccurate.
Some times , even multiple batches of the same brand of ammunition will not produce consistent results in a double barreled rifle . I had a client who owned a German over under double barreled rifle , chambered in .458 Winchester magnum calibre . It was regulated for the old pattern Winchester ammunition ( which produced a velocity of 2150 feet per second with 500 grain bullets , when fresh . ) When he used some new pattern Winchester ammunition ( which had a reduced powder charge to produce a velocity of 2040 feet per second . ) in the rifle , the gun became monstrously inaccurate . Needless to say , if you are going to a far off place and you lose or expend your original stock of ammunition , you have little better on your hands than a big , expensive looking bludgeon. If you hand load your own cartridges , you will certainly need to be much more vigorous in your choice of loading components , than you would with a bolt rifle .
2) Generally speaking , double barreled rifles are not as accurate as bolt rifles for long range work . During my career , l have seen most double barreled rifles regulated for not more than 60 yards .
A novice can also learn to shoot a bolt rifle a little quicker than a double barreled rifle.
3) I have seen double barreled rifles chambered for rimless cartridges exhibit all sorts of problems , even the high end 1s from Holland & Holland , Auguste Francotte and Westley Richards. During the time of my career , the sad reality was that the only 2 large calibre cartridges being manufactured were the :
A ) .375 Holland & Holland magnum
B ) .458 Winchester magnum

Being that both these cases are rimless , the double barrelled rifles chambered for these cartridges used to have a plunger type extractor ( similar to those found in the post 64 Winchester Model 70 rifles ) to secure these rimless cartridges. I have seen even a high end Holland & Holland double barreled rifle , chambered in .458 Winchester magnum , which had a cartridge get past the extractor , which took a great deal of effort to pull out .
On another occasion , l saw another double barreled side by side rifle , built by a German gun maker named Franz Sodia , chambered in .458 Winchester magnum , which was regulated for Remington ammunition . When used with Winchester cartridges , the rifle flat out refused to open anymore . It was as if the action had jammed. These rimless high pressure cartridges also frequently caused many problems in the double barrelled rifles in the long run , such as barrels separating near the muzzles after several firings , or the rifles developing a tendency to discharge both barrels , even if only 1 trigger was pulled.
4) Contrary to common beliefs , a double barrelled rifle CAN fail and it has happened in the Shikar field . I have seen a Holland & Holland Royal double barreled side by side rifle , chambered in .375 Holland & Holland magnum fail miserably in the field , during a royal Bengal tiger shikar . A piece of the left barrel's lock had broken and lodged under the gun's cocking lever , preventing my client from opening the gun . When the wounded royal Bengal tiger charged us , l had to finish it off .
5) The vintage double barreled rifles have softer barrels than their modern counterparts and thus are probably unsuited for use with monolithic modern bullets .


That said , modern double barreled rifles chambered in traditional rimmed cartridges are a thing of beauty . Use whichever you feel comfortable with , because your dream safari should be enjoyed with your dream rifle. If this is your 1st African safari and you have more planned in the future , then my advice would be this :
Take a good bolt rifle with a telescopic sight for your 1st safari . Enjoy your 1st safari and get accustomed to shooting African game with a bolt rifle. After that ( if you wish ) , you may " graduate " to a double barreled rifle .

I hope that l was of assistance. If you would like a more indepth analysis of which configuration may suit you , perhaps you will find this article which l had written helpful .
https://www.africahunting.com/threads/the-double-barrelled-rifle-function-versus-form.54527/
All the best.
 
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We have spoken about this topic many times and I have already given my opinion on this topic several times. It's more about the rifles that fire the two types of cartridges than the cartridges alone.

There is a practical attitude to the subject and there is a playful nostalgic one. Those who think and handle practically when hunting in Africa will go with a scoped bolt-action rifle. For a lot of reasons , they have nowadays the greatest chance on her side of being successful. If you are very tradition-conscious and you also are dreaming a little of old times , certainly you choose a DR. One must be aware that these old times no longer exist and that the hunting conditions that our predecessors had decades ago are disappearing more and more. If you are hunting with a DR you may have to adapt your hunt to your rifle and accept to be perhaps unsuccessful. So from my little personal experience. Everyone is free to choose his camp , we just want to point out a few problems.

Whether a DR makes more sense for the backup than an bolt action rifle is another topic.
 
I chose a Double for my first Cape Buffalo Hunt due to pure nostalgia, I went in knowing that the choice may result in the opportunity of the bull of my dreams walking away unscathed because of my limitations with my gear. The hunt was done exactly as I had for so many years dreamt of. On foot, in the bush with express sights. I was fortunate that everything went perfectly and my PH Dave Langerman made all the right moves as I ended up with a bull of a lifetime in my eyes. There most certainly are bigger bulls killed and will continue to be taken but I am elated with mine and will never regret a moment of that hunt. If I were hunting the flood plain of Mozambique, I would probably make a different choice in rifles as the shots tend to be longer there. If I had it my way, I’d let all the rifles in my safe have a go at a buff, but I’m used to not getting my way(just ask the barmaid at the pub), so I have to choose who gets a turn on a limited hunting budget.
Cheers,
Cody
 
We have spoken about this topic many times and I have already given my opinion on this topic several times. It's more about the rifles that fire the two types of cartridges than the cartridges alone.

There is a practical attitude to the subject and there is a playful nostalgic one. Those who think and handle practically when hunting in Africa will go with a scoped bolt-action rifle. For a lot of reasons , they have nowadays the greatest chance on her side of being successful. If you are very tradition-conscious and you also are dreaming a little of old times , certainly you choose a DR. One must be aware that these old times no longer exist and that the hunting conditions that our predecessors had decades ago are disappearing more and more. If you are hunting with a DR you may have to adapt your hunt to your rifle and accept to be perhaps unsuccessful. So from my little personal experience. Everyone is free to choose his camp , we just want to point out a few problems.

Whether a DR makes more sense for the backup than an bolt action rifle is another topic.
I understand all this but I was more asking the question, what rifle chambered in what cartridge did you buy and why? And I am sure there will be a lot of different responses because of what different hunters went with for a million different reasons and that's what I am interested in. If it was bought purely just because that's what you admire and you wanted to hunt with it practical or not and you are/were willing to spend the time practicing to become more proficient so you can hunt with it successfully then cool i'm all for that! As @Bullthrower338 's response, went with a double rifle for his first buffalo even though that gives up a lot of shot opportunity and lets say makes the hunt more challenging, a double is what he wanted to hunt with. As I said in my initial post a double was something I always wanted (preferably a 500NE) but in the end practicality and budget got the better of me so I went with a scoped bolt rifle but still managed to obtain that scoped bolt rifle in a calibre similar in power to the 500NE.
 
I was a scoped, bolt gun fellow and thought a double rifle and open sights were relicts of the past and a bit of curiosity by modern standards. I now own a double rifle with two barrel sets, a quick release scoped 9.3x74R and open sighted 470NE. So what happened? Well, I went on a Water Buffalo hunt in NT armed with my trusted Blaser R8 in 375H&H. While I was up there I got an opportunity to handle some double rifles. It was the first time I actually had a chance to examine a double in real life. The rifles were two humble Merkels, one in 9.3x74R with a red dot sight and an open sighted one in 470NE as well as a southpaw stocked VC chambered in either 500NE or 577NE. Much to my surprise I found the doubles to be wonderfully balanced guns and the shallow V open sights of the 470NE quick and accurate. I had a shot at a target with it and like it a lot. Later that day I shot a buffalo with that rifle, fell in love and just had to buy a double. Calibre choice was relatively simple for me. A big rimmed nitro cartridge and a medium sized rimmed one. The choices considered were 30R Blaser and 9.3x74R as well as 470NE and 500NE. Since back then I did not yet handload the 9.3x74R won on ammo availability although I was leaning towards it anyway. For the large chambering I was completely undecided. I got to shoot both the calibers from same model rifles while ordering my gun. The recoil felt pretty much the same to my shoulder but return on the target was somewhat slower with 500. I couldn’t decide. I ordered the rifle and we agreed I would let them know about the chambering a bit later. I ended up going with the 470 for no particular reason. Both seemed like a good choice but I had to pick one. While I could have also ordered a rimless chambering instead of the rimmed one I could not see the point of doing so. I believe such rifles can be made reliable and I would not necessarily shy from a second hand one so chambered but it seemed completely pointless to order a custom made one in a rimless calibre. I now like doubles as well as bolt guns. Last year a completely unneeded Winchester M70 in 416Rem followed me home and I invited it in. I like it and I think it’s a decent gun but my double feels far more special, it just handles so well. Then again I suppose it should, it has a custom fit stock and cost as much as the rest of my guns combined.
 
I was a scoped, bolt gun fellow and thought a double rifle and open sights were relicts of the past and a bit of curiosity by modern standards. I now own a double rifle with two barrel sets, a quick release scoped 9.3x74R and open sighted 470NE. So what happened? Well, I went on a Water Buffalo hunt in NT armed with my trusted Blaser R8 in 375H&H. While I was up there I got an opportunity to handle some double rifles. It was the first time I actually had a chance to examine a double in real life. The rifles were two humble Merkels, one in 9.3x74R with a red dot sight and an open sighted one in 470NE as well as a southpaw stocked VC chambered in either 500NE or 577NE. Much to my surprise I found the doubles to be wonderfully balanced guns and the shallow V open sights of the 470NE quick and accurate. I had a shot at a target with it and like it a lot. Later that day I shot a buffalo with that rifle, fell in love and just had to buy a double. Calibre choice was relatively simple for me. A big rimmed nitro cartridge and a medium sized rimmed one. The choices considered were 30R Blaser and 9.3x74R as well as 470NE and 500NE. Since back then I did not yet handload the 9.3x74R won on ammo availability although I was leaning towards it anyway. For the large chambering I was completely undecided. I got to shoot both the calibers from same model rifles while ordering my gun. The recoil felt pretty much the same to my shoulder but return on the target was somewhat slower with 500. I couldn’t decide. I ordered the rifle and we agreed I would let them know about the chambering a bit later. I ended up going with the 470 for no particular reason. Both seemed like a good choice but I had to pick one. While I could have also ordered a rimless chambering instead of the rimmed one I could not see the point of doing so. I believe such rifles can be made reliable and I would not necessarily shy from a second hand one so chambered but it seemed completely pointless to order a custom made one in a rimless calibre. I now like doubles as well as bolt guns. Last year a completely unneeded Winchester M70 in 416Rem followed me home and I invited it in. I like it and I think it’s a decent gun but my double feels far more special, it just handles so well. Then again I suppose it should, it has a custom fit stock and cost as much as the rest of my guns combined.
You are making me want to buy a double again! haha
 
This forum does that... ;-)
 
I understand all this but I was more asking the question, what rifle chambered in what cartridge did you buy and why?

That is not so easy to answer because now after decades of DG hunting , I have a gun-safe full with (nearly !) all was i need.

Before I did it I had zero experience. You can't learn it in books or through stories in a forum , that didn't exist in my early days. So you don't know which kind of rifle you really need. I shot my first buffalo in Malaysia with a combined rifle caliber 12/70-9.3x74R and my first buffalo in Africa with a rented rifle caliber 375 H&H Magnum. After this first little experience I dared to shot 3 buffalos in Africa with a rifle caliber 10.75x68 , also a marginal cartridges for hunting buffalos. The need or desire to buy an DR never came to me at the beginning because I have never seen the benefits. I was looking rather for success , and then I quickly noticed that I had an advantage with an scoped bolt action rifle. In the meantime I hunted buffaloes with a rifle caliber 416 Rem Mag rifle and even once 11,2x72 Schüler. In the end I only used rifles caliber 460WM or 500 jeffery for buffalos and elephants. The reason for the increase in caliber was that i could understand that big bores have a better effect that smaller bores , especially if the shot is not always where it should be. If you hunt a lot early or late something will go wrong. One is often lucky that it went well for the first time , but do not believe that it goes on like this. There are two big bore DR caliber 577NE and 600NE in my gun-safe. I practice with it regularly but I still don't know what , how and where I want to shoot it.

It is easier for me after all to say what IMHO you need to start nowadays for hunting DG : a scoped bolt action rifle caliber 416. I would only buy an double rifle in second intention and that in a caliber 458 or 500NE , and always carry by hunting with a DR an scoped bolt action rifle with me. In this case you are still armed when an unexpected situation arises.
 
That is not so easy to answer because now after decades of DG hunting , I have a gun-safe full with (nearly !) all was i need.

Before I did it I had zero experience. You can't learn it in books or through stories in a forum , that didn't exist in my early days. So you don't know which kind of rifle you really need. I shot my first buffalo in Malaysia with a combined rifle caliber 12/70-9.3x74R and my first buffalo in Africa with a rented rifle caliber 375 H&H Magnum. After this first little experience I dared to shot 3 buffalos in Africa with a rifle caliber 10.75x68 , also a marginal cartridges for hunting buffalos. The need or desire to buy an DR never came to me at the beginning because I have never seen the benefits. I was looking rather for success , and then I quickly noticed that I had an advantage with an scoped bolt action rifle. In the meantime I hunted buffaloes with a rifle caliber 416 Rem Mag rifle and even once 11,2x72 Schüler. In the end I only used rifles caliber 460WM or 500 jeffery for buffalos and elephants. The reason for the increase in caliber was that i could understand that big bores have a better effect that smaller bores , especially if the shot is not always where it should be. If you hunt a lot early or late something will go wrong. One is often lucky that it went well for the first time , but do not believe that it goes on like this. There are two big bore DR caliber 577NE and 600NE in my gun-safe. I practice with it regularly but I still don't know what , how and where I want to shoot it.

It is easier for me after all to say what IMHO you need to start nowadays for hunting DG : a scoped bolt action rifle caliber 416. I would only buy an double rifle in second intention and that in a caliber 458 or 500NE , and always carry by hunting with a DR an scoped bolt action rifle with me. In this case you are still armed when an unexpected situation arises.
What make/brand is your 600NE? Is it a double rifle or a single shot? Id love to be able to fire a 600 one day just for the experience.
 
Double rifle Auguste Francotte , built 1926 , boxlock Greener , double trigger.

If I had the choice between the two for hunting , I would choose the cartridge 577NE. The 600NE cartridge is oversized and doesn't seem to be necessary to me. It was also not at the beginning of the 20th century.
 
I have had a 500 nitro express double and used it on Cape Buffalo and Australian Buff, but now I use a scoped 505 Gibbs Bolt rifle, briefly, I loved the double, but felt to restricted with long range shots, eg, on a large Scrub Bull, he was out at least 120 yds and the front sight basically blocked out the front half of his body, and on the cape Buff, it was a walking shot at 80 yds without a rest, and I wasn't happy with my bullet placement. I for 30 years had a scoped 460 Weatherby , and loved the fact that it would flatten anything, and was accurate out to 200 yds, but unfortunately I sold it to get the double. Which brings me to the CZ 550 Safari Classic 505 Gibbs I have now, it has taken a handful of buff, bullet placement is no longer a problem, at longer distances, and it certainly hits a lot harder, than the 500 nitro express.
 
I have had a 500 nitro express double and used it on Cape Buffalo and Australian Buff, but now I use a scoped 505 Gibbs Bolt rifle, briefly, I loved the double, but felt to restricted with long range shots, eg, on a large Scrub Bull, he was out at least 120 yds and the front sight basically blocked out the front half of his body, and on the cape Buff, it was a walking shot at 80 yds without a rest, and I wasn't happy with my bullet placement. I for 30 years had a scoped 460 Weatherby , and loved the fact that it would flatten anything, and was accurate out to 200 yds, but unfortunately I sold it to get the double. Which brings me to the CZ 550 Safari Classic 505 Gibbs I have now, it has taken a handful of buff, bullet placement is no longer a problem, at longer distances, and it certainly hits a lot harder, than the 500 nitro express.
Yep pretty much the same reason I ended up with a bolt action 458 Lott, like I said practicality got the better of me. For some reason I love the idea of a open sighted double in 500NE again not sure why I am obsessed with that cartridge but I also understand the limitations of them and as I said at the start of this thread the 458 Lott matches the 500NE so I have the power I was looking for anyway, not quite the diameter but I am happy to look past that side of things. Where did you hunt buffalo in Australia? Did you end up with a good bull?
 
Got a couple of great big bodied bulls, plus Aaron shot a bull over 100 inches with it. Hunted with Aaron Corbett from Australian Outback Buffalo Safaris out of Katherine. Highly recommend.
 
Got a couple of great big bodied bulls, plus Aaron shot a bull over 100 inches with it. Hunted with Aaron Corbett from Australian Outback Buffalo Safaris out of Katherine. Highly recommend.
(y) booked a hunt with him for 2021 just 2 days ago!
 
Yep pretty much the same reason I ended up with a bolt action 458 Lott, like I said practicality got the better of me. For some reason I love the idea of a open sighted double in 500NE again not sure why I am obsessed with that cartridge but I also understand the limitations of them and as I said at the start of this thread the 458 Lott matches the 500NE so I have the power I was looking for anyway, not quite the diameter but I am happy to look past that side of things. Where did you hunt buffalo in Australia? Did you end up with a good bull?

In the case of my two double rifles , I only came on these rifles by hazard and relatively cheaply. Initially I was looking for a DR in a practical caliber like 450NE , 470NE , various 475NE or 500NE.

Now I have the two very big bores , and no regrets. It belongs to the collection of an old big game hunter !:)

A DR caliber 500NE is IMHO a good choice.
 
Got a couple of great big bodied bulls, plus Aaron shot a bull over 100 inches with it. Hunted with Aaron Corbett from Australian Outback Buffalo Safaris out of Katherine. Highly recommend.
@Baz 500 hoping everything works out to come over and hunt with you and Aaron and smash some Buff with our 505s! Aaron speaks highly of you and your abilities with a big bore.
Cheers,
Cody
 
I would be happy to shoot a 400/350 DR or a 350 Rigby magnum BR... for my DG rifle I chose a .404 Jeffery in a longer Mauser 98 action. Since I do a lot of shooting with SxS shotguns, I do LIKE double rifles but I have to draw the line somewhere.
 

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Grz63 wrote on roklok's profile.
Hi Roklok
I read your post on Caprivi. Congratulations.
I plan to hunt there for buff in 2026 oct.
How was the land, very dry ? But à lot of buffs ?
Thank you / merci
Philippe
Fire Dog wrote on AfricaHunting.com's profile.
Chopped up the whole thing as I kept hitting the 240 character limit...
Found out the trigger word in the end... It was muzzle or velocity. dropped them and it posted.:)
Fire Dog wrote on AfricaHunting.com's profile.
2,822fps, ES 8.2
This compares favorably to 7 Rem Mag. with less powder & recoil.
Fire Dog wrote on AfricaHunting.com's profile.
*PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS FOR MY RIFLE, ALWAYS APPROACH A NEW LOAD CAUTIOUSLY!!*
Rifle is a Pierce long action, 32" 1:8.5 twist Swan{Au} barrel
{You will want a 1:8.5 to run the heavies but can get away with a 1:9}
Peterson .280AI brass, CCI 200 primers, 56.5gr of 4831SC, 184gr Berger Hybrid.
Fire Dog wrote on AfricaHunting.com's profile.
I know that this thread is more than a year old but as a new member I thought I would pass along my .280AI loading.
I am shooting F Open long range rather than hunting but here is what is working for me and I have managed a 198.14 at 800 meters.
That is for 20 shots. The 14 are X's which is a 5" circle.
 
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