What Defines a DG Rifle?

[86thecat]

Is a dangerous game rifle anything that will usually dispatch the animal, or is a DG rifle what a PH carries and relies on to handle business when things go sideways and it needs to work every time?
Lots of game up to and including elephant have been taken with black powder round ball, Martini Henrys, 303 fmj, bow and probably spear.

In an age of guided hunts, backed up by a professional carrying something that begins with a "4" or larger a client could probably get away using a 30-30 loaded with solids and survive.
So, I guess a 30-30 rates as a DG rifle now?

 

[Sabre]

I always kind of laugh to myself when such a big deal is made about caliber. My preference is to use enough gun to take an animal down quickly and not put the PH or myself at risk.

However, here is why I think it's funny. People see no problem with someone wanting to bow hunt every animal on the planet. They will even exalt that person like some kind of hero for such a big accomplishment as taking a buffalo with a bow. Yet, someone says, I want to shoot a buffalo with a 30-06, or god forbid a .308, and they are the dumbest most irresponsible person that has ever lived.

You can't have it both ways. If a 30-06 or a .308 isn't strong enough to kill a buffalo and is dumb, irresponsible, and reprehensible, well, then so is a bow. And some will readily say both are bad. But there are more that will say that a bow is ok and a medium caliber makes you a trash human.

 

[Mekaniks]

any caliber that meets the required energy or size requirements....

 

[375Fox]

Even though I think this is something of a troll post I’ll bite. The definition of a DG rifle is subjective but for starters I’d say it’s the legal minimum but then it’s combination of the cartridge, a reliable rifle, and the hunter’s experience with the rifle. A true DG rifle shouldn’t need have a PH’s rifle compensate for what yours isn’t. Will a 30-30 kill a buffalo with the right bullet in the right place? Yes. Could it take a couple days and create a dangerous situation? Yes. The buffalo I’ve shot with 375 H&H have been good shots and all were dead within 100 yards. If I needed to follow them up I was confident in rifle and bullets I was using. Without question a lot of DG has fell to poachers bullets and military cartridges but a lot has been wounded too.

AK bullet recovered from elephant skull at bottom. Wound fully healed.

Poacher’s slug from 12 gauge homemade shotgun from buffalo. Badly infected but healing.

 

[86thecat]

Not meant as troll post.
Appreciate your definition, based on factual experience. Was hoping to hear the opinions of those who have "walked the walk".

 

[franzfmdavis]

any caliber that meets the required energy or size requirements....

This is the most useful definition in my opinion because the word “required” connotates a standard which is dependent upon the location but which cannot be circumvented.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

It's a rifle of sufficient caliber to be legal AND acquires quickly (scope or iron sights) AND holds at least four rounds that cycle flawlessly. I personally don't buy into double rifle, especially for client. PH maybe because he will be the last resort at very close range. Fast acquisition means the rifle fits perfectly and is on target the instant it comes to shoulder. Scopes mounted too high can mean hunting for the crosshairs when angry animal is incoming. If the stock is too short, the hunter is looking up the barrel during quick shot rather than through the iron sights = shot fired over the animal. Or the scope knocks his eye out. Hunter should also not be shooting more gun than he can handle. I cannot count the number of YouTube videos I've watched where the second shot fired rapidly out of a double gun cannon goes wild over the buffalo's back or a foot behind it.

Appearance should not factor into the equation ... at all. If that engraved 416 bruiser with XXX walnut doesn't cycle consistently or has too short LOP, it's not for you. Great for shooting paper or hanging on the wall but no one should be hunting dangerous game with a pretty but poor fitting "I can make it work" rifle.

 

[roklok]

.375 H&H or bigger, 100% reliable, iron sights, if scoped scope is easily removable, safety locks bolt shut when on safe, stock properly fits.

 

[Bejane]

troll post for sure. It's the min calibre listed for dg animals as defined by the game/parks/wildlife authority per country. Most places 375 is min

 

[grand veneur]

Is a dangerous game rifle anything that will usually dispatch the animal, or is a DG rifle what a PH carries and relies on to handle business when things go sideways and it needs to work every time?
Lots of game up to and including elephant have been taken with black powder round ball, Martini Henrys, 303 fmj, bow and probably spear.

In an age of guided hunts, backed up by a professional carrying something that begins with a "4" or larger a client could probably get away using a 30-30 loaded with solids and survive.
So, I guess a 30-30 rates as a DG rifle now?

A DG rifle is everything you wrote, namely a rifle that kills this species of game as quickly as possible and can also stop it if something goes wrong. What kind of rifle and what caliber is another topic that we have discussed many times without reaching a consensus. Everyone who hunts DG should normally use such rifles, regardless of whether he is a client or a PH. Unfortunately, the reality is somewhat different nowadays, as every client has to be accompanied by a PH, so that many people do not longer ask themselves whether something could go wrong with their unsuitable tool, no matter what it is. With their guardian angel they can play with this various tools and toys on big game with a relative safety and why not shoot DG with rifles in calibers that are far from suitable for hunting this game.

 

[BeeMaa]

First it must meet the government criteria by being of sufficient caliber (9.3mm/.375” in most cases) and there can also be energy requirements. Some of the energy requirements are based on the game being hunted. These requirements are specific to the area you are hunting so make sure to consult your PH.

Everything else is subjective. CRF/PF, iron sights/ scope, wood/synthetic, traditional bolt action/straight pull/single shot/double rifle…the list goes on. Do as you please, but be sure to let your PH know what you intend to bring. How the hunt is planned could be altered for the type of rifle used.

What I’d say it that the rifle needs to be reliable 100% of the time. Just as important is that the client using it needs to be incredibly proficient with its operations and fastidious about the maintenance.

 

[grand veneur]

The law makers rightly set with right a lower limit on caliber to prevent people from shooting at DG with anything. However, it failed to take into account that many other things are used to try to kill DG, things that fall far short of this lower caliber limit. For this reason I have to agree with the thread starter that the definition of a DG rifle is, at the point of view of a client, a very vague term.

 

[zephyr]

Bell shot Eles with a 275 and Buff with a 256
So I guess theoretically a DG Rifle is what ever you feel comfortable with or have in hand

 

[Bandera]

There are several things define a DG rifle.

The legal to hunt with caliber.

• We all know these calibers.
• Calibers set to help keep hunters from doing dumb things.

What the hunter uses, his rifle of legal caliber.

• Proper fitting rifle
• Caliber that Hunter can handle the recoil
• Caliber 9.3 / 375 and up.
• Caliber that Hunter can shoot well.
• Dead nuts reliable.

What the PH uses, the problem solver.

• Big enough caliber to sort things out when the hunter messes up the shot.
• Big enough caliber to stop or turn a charge.
• Big enough caliber to put the hunter at ease.

Let’s face it, if your PH is carrying a 22LR, you would not feel confident in him backing you up. You might feel pretty confident that you might get knee caped if things go bad. In which cases things went from bad to worse for you.

 

[Luvthunt]

What’s a troll post?

 

[TTundra]

A DG rifle is....

A rifle that your friends are afraid to shoot or a rifle they shoots just once and says that's enough for them...

 

[Hunting Hitman]

Push feed win…

HH

 

[Rare Breed]

Is a dangerous game rifle anything that will usually dispatch the animal, or is a DG rifle what a PH carries and relies on to handle business when things go sideways and it needs to work every time?
Lots of game up to and including elephant have been taken with black powder round ball, Martini Henrys, 303 fmj, bow and probably spear.

In an age of guided hunts, backed up by a professional carrying something that begins with a "4" or larger a client could probably get away using a 30-30 loaded with solids and survive.
So, I guess a 30-30 rates as a DG rifle now?

I would say all “stopping rifles” are DG rifles but not all DG rifles are stopping rifles. Also joules or force produced can also define a DG rifle as many countries use to define what can and cannot be used to hunt DG. Also leopards, DG can use as little as a 7x57 yet all the rest should not. I like to think of the following nothing but my POV…a 375 is a great DG caliber…it is not a good stopping caliber meaning if you are being charged by a buff or elephant it would not be my caliber of choice! Give me a stopping rifle in 470-500 NE please

 

[thriller]

Push feed win…

HH

Bob is going to get you

 

[dogcat1]

I always kind of laugh to myself when such a big deal is made about caliber. My preference is to use enough gun to take an animal down quickly and not put the PH or myself at risk.

However, here is why I think it's funny. People see no problem with someone wanting to bow hunt every animal on the planet. They will even exalt that person like some kind of hero for such a big accomplishment as taking a buffalo with a bow. Yet, someone says, I want to shoot a buffalo with a 30-06, or god forbid a .308, and they are the dumbest most irresponsible person that has ever lived.

You can't have it both ways. If a 30-06 or a .308 isn't strong enough to kill a buffalo and is dumb, irresponsible, and reprehensible, well, then so is a bow. And some will readily say both are bad. But there are more that will say that a bow is ok and a medium caliber makes you a trash human.

Not to be argumentative, but I will say it - a bow or a .30-06 or .308 is no way a good idea on buff, lion or elephant. Yes, they will eventually kill, but we are sport hunters, not torturers and we have options to use a better, more powerful caliber with great energy and great penetration.

No, you are not a trash human, just not the wisest if you pick the tool that is not suited for the sport at hand.