My gun

[tiss kocovsky]

OK, so I hope this isn't as controversial as I am imagining it will be. Here goes. What rifle should I bring?
Rem 742 woodsmaster in .30-06 semi auto (my beloved deer rifle
a .300
a .338
a .375
I am going to be hunting kudu, gemsbok, warthog, wildebeast, zebra and impala. Is it true that I MUST use a bolt action? Any suggestions on bullet make,weight?
Tiss
Go Badgers!

 

[greyfox]

What country? Most (that I'm aware of) ban semi-autos.

 

[spike.t]

http://www.southafrica-newyork.net/consulate/importing fire arms.html not sure how flexible they are but one of the SA boys will let you know. i was surprised to see semi auto shotguns and pump action ones on the no no list....................just found it says you can take a semi or pump shotgun into SA if you make an application with motivational letters to central firearms register at least 30 days in advance

 

[BnC 04]

Of your list of cals, I would feel comfortable with anyone of them for the game you listed but I would lean towards the .338 just for personal preference.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Your 30-06 is staying home.

After that, toss the coin or pick the one you shoot the best. They will all do the job.

Again, which one shoots best drives this. But;
Bullet make: I use Barnes TTSX. There are other good bullets.
Bullet weight: Medium to heavy for caliber.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

As mentioned you're .30-06 is staying home. All of the other calibers listed will certainly work fine. With Kudu/Gemsbok being the largest game on your list, I'd go with the .300 (WM I presume) shooting 180gr bullets for a nice flat hard hitting round.

As always, I'd recommend whatever shoots best amongst the North Fork Bonded cores, Swift A-Frames or Barnes TTSX. A secondary bullet choice that I'd hunt confidently with would be Nosler Partitions.

 

[Frederik]

.338 win mag with 225gr TSX you will be able to shoot any plainsgame from any angle except for eland and giraffe works like a charm if you can shoot it well and handle the recoil.

And yes forget about about semi autos too much hassle.

 

[bassasdaindia]

338 or 375 both will perform flawlessly

these 2 are my favorites for PG , i use 250g in my 338 and 270g in my 375

 

[Nyati]

.338 with a premium bullet like Swift A Frame would be my recommendation.

 

[enysse]

To me there is not much difference between the 300 Win and 375 H&H in recoil. I own all three on your list.

Find a gun that fits you though, all 3 can kick in a light weight gun. My CZ 550 375 H&H feels the same as my Browning A-Bolt 300 Win Mag

 

[Divernhunter]

I used a 338win mag with 225gr Swift A-Frames with great effect, All but one were one shot kills and the one was my fault. My 2nd rifle was 30-06 with 150gr TTSX bullets but I never used it.
My daughter used a 257Roberts with 120gr Swift A-Frames for all one shot kills.
Ours was a plains game hunt with 20+ animals and some monkeys added.

The semi auto is not allowed in SA and I would take the 338win mag and the 300win mag as my 2nd rifle. I would use 225gr and 165gr Swift A-Frame bullets respectfully.

If you reload I can send you some data I worked up before I went. I wanted the most speed with accuracy.

 

[James.Grage]

I also use the 338WM with 225 gr barnes bullet.

also the 375 would be my second choice of your battery.

While you could apply for a permit to take your 30.06 into Africa, i think you will have issues getting the permit. So go with your other option that you are comfortable with.

I would go with a pre-approved 520 SA application for option #1 or #2 for rifle. I like to have my permit ready when i am at the Joberg airport.

 

[bassasdaindia]

there is no need for a 30-06 and a semi auto as well .

I haven't used my 30-06 for 10 years,it has become my 17 year olds rifle for PG here in SA

338 and 375 and you are more than covered.

 

[sierraone]

I have read somewhere in the past that .338 s are not allowed through LHR because English law considers them to be sniper rifles (as in .338 Lapuas). Those of you that travel with guns through London may can confirm or deny this.

 

[buffybr]

I wouldn't hesitate to use my .300 Weatherby with 168 grain or 180 grain Barnes TSX or TTSX bullets to hunt any of the animals that you listed.

 

[ActionBob]

Some advice I got was to stick with calibers that are popular in Africa just in the odd case your ammo got lost in transit.

30-06, 300 WM, 300 H & H, 375 H & H are all very popular and most outfits would have ammo at the lodge or able to get it. I suspect they might have 338 as well but just never paid attention to that one. As mentioned, there are some quirky rules so best to avoid all possibility of problems. Personally I would go with a 300 win mag or 375 H & H unless you have a specific desire for a 338. Unlike a deer camp in the States, no one will ridicule you for shooting an Impala with a 375. They do it all the time. And with lighter bullets, you can get ballistics similar to your 30-06. I used Hornady 270 grain SP RP Superformance shells with great success. My wife shot a 30-06 with 150 grain GMX and her animals got just as dead. We both had 80% one shot kills and that 20% was shot placement, not caliber.

If you have all those you listed in a bolt gun, pick the one you shoot the best and like the most. But if you are buying one, ask yourself if you will ever shoot a buffalo or dangerous game that might require a 375 as a minimum. I bought a new Winchester model 70 in .375 H & H and love it, it is accurate and I'm covered for the future.

I had only auto and pump rifles so had to buy new guns for Africa.... The rest of the story is that you may get people inspecting your guns at the airport who don't know what they are looking at. They might think a pump is an auto. So keeping it simple and common is best. We had two people in two different airports ask to see and confirm we had the bolts removed. And they confirmed the serial numbers on the guns AND the bolts. They are used to looking at bolt guns.... You can take single shots and doubles as well, and lever actions. A simple little thing is to have your gun laying in the case with serial number up, on the gun and bolt.... Makes it a lot easier to deal with when you are in a busy and cramped space showing an inspector on a little shelf and trying to keep from dropping everything over the edge. Common sense but I never thought of it and no one warned me.

 

[Biggdawg]

my 300 wm with 200gn barnes lrx was devastating on the game you have listed so i would say the 300 with a barnes. as others have said no go on semi auto

 

[Red Leg]

Don't even pine for that semi. The .300 or the .338 will handle your list with ease. I personally love the .338, but one probably sees more .300 win mags as PG camp guns than all others combined.

 

[buckcurtin]

Used 300WM shooting trophy bonded bear claws 200 grain with great success on these very animals.

 

[matt85]

id vote for either the 300 WM or the 375 H&H. (personally id take the 375 H&H)

-matt