Interesting article on rifles

[Dee S]

Found this article today, thought I'd share. I don't have a clue about African rifles since we bow hunt over there.

What Makes the Perfect Battery of African Hunting Rifles

Whenever I think about Africa and hunting, invariably my mind goes right to great African hunting calibers and rifles. Here are a few examples of fine African safari rifles.

www.fieldandstream.com

 

[Cervus elaphus]

Found this article today, thought I'd share. I don't have a clue about African rifles since we bow hunt over there.

What Makes the Perfect Battery of African Hunting Rifles

Whenever I think about Africa and hunting, invariably my mind goes right to great African hunting calibers and rifles. Here are a few examples of fine African safari rifles.

www.fieldandstream.com

Nah, can't imagine one of those bouncing around the tray of a 4 x 4 or bashing a few trees on the way through tight cover to a downed animal. If I was worried about a few dings in the woodwork, it would spoil the excitement of a hunt, and, I'd have a synthetic stock. Isn't the object of a hunt to enjoy, not worry about a bit of wear and tear on tools?

 

[Newboomer]

Perfect battery: 375HH, 375HH and 375HH. Barnes 235grTSX and Barnes 350grTSX. Gotcha covered for everything. Secondary battery: 375HH with above mentioned rounds and 6.5 CR with Hornady 143gr ELD-X.

 

[Nevada Mike]

for me the perfect battery looks like a 30-'06 and a .404 Jeffery. If I was hunting the Kalahari I'd take my 7mm RM. Sooo... horses for courses.

I think that, if you have a really nice rifle made, in 10 years of diligent use it will look like a well used quality rifle... you buy a rack rifle and in 10 years of use it will look like a beater. Life is too short...etc.

 

[Tra3]

Interesting article. Impressive price range. I imagine the buyers won’t hunt with them, though.

 

[Professor Mawla]

Perfect battery: 375HH, 375HH and 375HH. Barnes 235grTSX and Barnes 350grTSX. Gotcha covered for everything. Secondary battery: 375HH with above mentioned rounds and 6.5 CR with Hornady 143gr ELD-X.

But @Newboomer ,
What about elephants ? You need solid bullets for those .

 

[Professor Mawla]

My preferred battery would have to be :
- A .243 Winchester for the tiny ten
- A .338 Winchester Magnum for the plains game
- My .458 Winchester Magnum for dangerous game
- My Laurona 12 bore side-lock ejector

Or :
- A .243 Winchester for the tiny ten
- A .30-06 Springfield for MOST of the plains game
- A .375 Holland & Holland Magnum for the eland and the dangerous game
- My Laurona 12 bore side-lock ejector

Note : you COULD discard the .243 Winchester altogether and simply use solid bullets from the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum or the .458 Winchester Magnum for the tiny ten . For a one rifle battery , the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum is unsurpassed . I would personally feel quite comfortable using my .458 Winchester Magnum for the entire safari without any problems , whatsoever ( selecting appropriate bullets for each game animal ) .

 

[Trail Rated]

Nah, can't imagine one of those bouncing around the tray of a 4 x 4 or bashing a few trees on the way through tight cover to a downed animal. If I was worried about a few dings in the woodwork, it would spoil the excitement of a hunt, and, I'd have a synthetic stock. Isn't the object of a hunt to enjoy, not worry about a bit of wear and tear on tools?

Those Griffin & Howe rifles are beautiful, but considering that on a recent hunt I had to use my rifle butt as a walking stick as I clawed my way up a muddy riverbank, I think I’ll stick to my old sporterized Mausers et al.

 

[Newboomer]

But @Newboomer ,
What about elephants ? You need solid bullets for those .

Hadn't thought about ele. Solids might be more appropriate. Thanks for the mention, Sir.

 

[Woodcarver]

Nah, can't imagine one of those bouncing around the tray of a 4 x 4 or bashing a few trees on the way through tight cover to a downed animal. If I was worried about a few dings in the woodwork, it would spoil the excitement of a hunt, and, I'd have a synthetic stock. Isn't the object of a hunt to enjoy, not worry about a bit of wear and tear on tools?

Those Griffin & Howe rifles are beautiful, but considering that on a recent hunt I had to use my rifle butt as a walking stick as I clawed my way up a muddy riverbank, I think I’ll stick to my old sporterized Mausers et al.

Wood can always be repaired/replaced. And that syn stock is just butt-ugly for the 10 months a year it spends on display. Wait, that would be an oxymoron, displaying a syn stocked rifle?!?

Life's too short to hunt with an ugly gun

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Found this article today, thought I'd share. I don't have a clue about African rifles since we bow hunt over there.

What Makes the Perfect Battery of African Hunting Rifles

Whenever I think about Africa and hunting, invariably my mind goes right to great African hunting calibers and rifles. Here are a few examples of fine African safari rifles.

www.fieldandstream.com

@Dee S
I couldn't imagine a more classic set up than the 7x57, 300 H&H and the 404. You have a look bases covered in a classic rifle.
All that is missing is a Griffin & Howe in 35 and 400 Whelen for American game. They would disappear as quick as they could be made.
Bob

 

[BeeMaa]

One rifle, two calibers.
Blaser R8 in 375H&H and 300WM.

Truthfully...375H&H would do it all, but having the 300WM would be nice for Leopard and smaller antelope.

Reality...Mrs BeeMaa and I may be going to Africa with two rifles that are both 375H&H.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

One rifle, two calibers.
Blaser R8 in 375H&H and 300WM.

Truthfully...375H&H would do it all, but having the 300WM would be nice for Leopard and smaller antelope.

Reality...Mrs BeeMaa and I may be going to Africa with two rifles that are both 375H&H.

@BeeMaa
You and @CoElkHunter seem to have the same problems with your keyboards.
Every time you type in 35 Whelen it seems to come up 375H&H. I'm just being nice and pointing out this problem as it seems to happen quite a few times.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bob

 

[CoElkHunter]

@BeeMaa
You and @CoElkHunter seem to have the same problems with your keyboards.
Every time you type in 35 Whelen it seems to come up 375H&H. I'm just being nice and pointing out this problem as it seems to happen quite a few times.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bob

.2............................4.............................3

 

[krish]

Everybody have a pet caliber. Mine is 340 wby.
Since I aquired it in the 90's i have always wanted a 375 wby. I got that finaly last year. My OPINION 340 or 375 wby with either 500jeffery or 505 gibbs will be the best combination for 2 rifle African adventure. As both of them can compliment each other Totally.
Krish

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

.2............................4.............................3

@CoElkHunter
I like that mate but you are still having trouble with that key board or maybe the effects of the vaccine.
When I was at school we counted
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9.
Maybe it's a Colorado thing the odd counting.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bob

 

[Cervus elaphus]

.2............................4.............................3

Yep, that's my optimal caliber for small game (wishful thinking perhaps). I do miss my BSA Monarch, although the stock was ugly, the rest of it wasn't. How about a rifle with interchangeable barrels, e.g .308 and .243 or other calibers with similar cartridge lengths - what would that take?.

Wood can always be repaired/replaced. And that syn stock is just butt-ugly for the 10 months a year it spends on display. Wait, that would be an oxymoron, displaying a syn stocked rifle?!?

Life's too short to hunt with an ugly gun

I like them ugly, brutish, industrial but functional as hell like my old Monarch. BSA should have left this one on the drawing board and stuck with the Hunter/Majestic build.

 

[BeeMaa]

@Cervus elaphus we need to bring you up to speed.

Our friend @Bob Nelson 35Whelen has a hot hate for the 243WIN. And we like to bust his chops.

 

[Woodcarver]

I like them ugly, brutish, industrial but functional as hell like my old Monarch. BSA should have left this one on the drawing board and stuck with the Hunter/Majestic build.

This...

Is no more functional hunting as this-

No one with any taste would prefer the former to the latter


Did that convey the proper snobbishness?

 

[Trail Rated]

Did that convey the proper snobbishness?

No question one is more beautiful than the other. I have a different kind of snobbishness, in that the most I have ever paid for a firearm was $600, and I usually pay far less. I’m still a wood-and-blued-metal guy, but I search out old, neglected rifles that no one else wants, fix them up to my specs, and shrug off any dents and scratches. Here’s my own version of a “custom” 7x57, in which I have invested maybe $250.