What gun do Professional Hunters like to use?

[tigris115]

I was wondering if there's a specific rifle type or caliber that the average African PH prefers to have by their side in an area with free roaming, healthy populations of dangerous game. I've seen bolt rifles a lot but some swear by doubles for their 1-2 punch so idk.

I'd especially love to get input from any real PH's on this site.

 

[KAROO WILD Safaris]

I carry a 416 with red dot sight as back up in DG territory. I prefer a bolt action as I believe they’re more versatile over varying distances. Although not as fast as a double, I believe the first shot, shot in a charge scenario is by far the most important. I hardly ever carry a rifle when I’m hunting PG as I like to have my hands free and trust my client to get the job done. But have a 7x64 if needed.

 

[KAROO WILD Safaris]

I was wondering if there's a specific rifle type or caliber that the average African PH prefers to have by their side in an area with free roaming, healthy populations of dangerous game. I've seen bolt rifles a lot but some swear by doubles for their 1-2 punch so idk.

I'd especially love to get input from any real PH's on this site.

Also. As a PH you can’t be concerned about bumps and scratches on your rifle and with the price tag of most doubles, I would be.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

I carry a Merkel 500N.E. Even comes out when going into thickets after a wounded Bushbuck.

 

[sestoppelman]

Not a PH, but have hunted with several and their rifle choices are wide and varied. First PH in Tanzania carried a Steyr Mannlicher S in .375. Next PH in Botswana used a double in .458 Win, then next was an old pre 64 in .375 with side plates pinned to the grip on both sides, this in Zim.
Next up in Namibia PH carried if anything at all a 9.3x62, his other PH used of all things a Ruger 77 (push feed) in .338 Win mag!
Then in RSA my PH carried a .30-06 on PG hunts and uses a .458 Lott on DG.
Last time in Namibia another PH used a BRNO in .375 mag.
So one can see that their tastes are just as individual as ours.

 

[Neil Molendyk]

On the two plains game hunts I've had the pleasure of having the Ph did not carry a firearm, on both occasions I used their firearm, in both cases it was a Ruger Hawkeye in 300 Win Mag. On the DG hunt I took, the two PH's I had along, they both carried BRNO 602s in 458 Lott, both with reflex style red dot optics. Of note, the two PH's had never met before, one was with the Safari Outfitter that I had booked my hunt with, the other was employed by the concession area holder I think. He may have been a PH that was building up DG experience.

 

[mdwest]

The most common PH rifle I have seen when hunting around DG or hunting DG is a CZ in 375HH...

I’ve also seen a 416 Rigby (also a CZ) a 470 NE and a 500 NE...

But far and away the most common rifle I have seen is a CZ 375

 

[BeeMaa]

I was wondering if there's a specific rifle type or caliber that the average African PH prefers to have by their side in an area with free roaming, healthy populations of dangerous game. I've seen bolt rifles a lot but some swear by doubles for their 1-2 punch so idk.

I'd especially love to get input from any real PH's on this site.

Are you interested in becoming a PH?
The tools of a PH and a client are very different.
Because the needs of the two are very different.

It’s not ver often I’ve seen a PH with a scoped rifle.
Where a client rarely has a rifle without one.

Also caliber selection is a major point.
I’m making a generalization here....
A PH on a DG hunt will most likely have a stopping caliber at or above 458 caliber.
A client hunting DG will usually have something at or below 458 caliber.

Most PH’s I’ve meet have CZ/BRNO or Win M70 CRF rifle.
The #2 rifle I’ve seen is a DR in a stopping caliber.
Of course there are exceptions, but that’s what I’ve seen.

 

[Nhoro]

Not a PH myself but I use a CZ 550 in 458 Lott for guiding/walks etc. Lots of friends who are PH's in Zimbabwe and this is what I can recall-

1x 500 NE double Rigby
4 x CZ 550 458 Lott or Ackley
1x 458 Lott Winchester Model 70
1x 458 Dakota don't know the action
1x 450 Rigby -I think it is a Dakota action but not sure
2 x 458 Lott but don't know the action
1x CZ 550 in 416 rigby
1 x 416 remington unknown action.

 

[mark-hunter]

My PH (two hunts) does not carry rifle during PG hunt. But he has a double rifle 416, for DG hunts as his stopping rifle.

 

[IvW]

Brno ZKK 602 375 H&H, Brno ZKK 602 500 Jeff, 12ga/9.3×74R or 12ga/12ga poormans double with brenneke slugs the last two for leopard.

In doubles I would prefer 500 NE by Heym, Krieghoff or VC.

I am currently drooling over a Krieghoff double rifle drilling 500/416 NE or 500 NE barrels over 12ga with insert for 9.3x74R, 7x57R and 22 Hornet....I can dream at Christmas....

 

[tigris115]

Are you interested in becoming a PH?

No. I'm musing a story about a person who becomes a PH.

 

[chashardy]

My PH in SA only carried a rifle on the days we were hunting buffalo and he carried a 450-400 double. The owner/outfitter joined us after I shot my buffalo and we were tracking it. He carried a 500NE double.

 

[fourfive8]

You'd need a fairly large sample size to get a fair picture.

But, I've seen PHs carry: Ruger bolt 416 Rigby, Ruger bolt 450 Ackley, Ruger bolt 450 Watts, CZ 550 458 Lott, CZ 550 458 Express, Winchester 70 416 Remington Mag, Winchester 70 375 HH, Mauser bolt 375 HH, unk Double rifle 500 NE.

 

[Professor Mawla]

For Problem Animal Control work , I prefer :
1 ) A .458 Winchester Magnum ( a custom piece which is built on a Winchester Enfield Model 1917 action , with a contoured French walnut stock and a 25 inch Douglas Premium barrel ) - For hunting rogue Asiatic jungle elephants , Gaur , Asian sloth bears , marauding Royal Bengal tigers , marauding Asiatic leopards and crocodiles .
2 ) A Laurona 12 bore ( 2 3/4 inch chambers ) side-lock ejector double barreled side by side shotgun - For spooring wounded Asiatic leopards .

Someday , I aspire to own a side by side double rifle in 9.3x74 mm Rimmed ( preferably built by LeBeau Courally ) .

 

[tigris115]

Speaking of shotguns for leopards, how effective is the use of buckshot on them? I've heard varying opinions.

 

[baxterb]

If the PH in your story:

1) Is the first in his family to hunt, he'll shoot a worn out BRNO 458 that he got second-hand from the game department;

2) Is of a line of PHs, he'll shoot a Rigby 416 for a bolt, or an Evans 470 for a double - these only when acting as a PH - otherwise he will shoot everything with a Rigby 350 or 9,3x62 - depending if he is from British or German lineage.

3) Is a man of taste and simplicity, a Rigby 416;

4) Does more elephant hunting than anything and finds himself all-too-often cleaning up his client's mess, a 458 Win Mag - one he had made by a lower-cost (read non-British) firm, but is otherwise 100% reliable;

5) Is over 6' and 220 lbs., he'll shoot a 577 Nitro;

6) Is a double rifle devotee and has a soft spot for the black powder guns his father used, a Rigby 450 Nitro (because it spanned black to smokeless powder);

7) Is an American who lived his dream of becoming a PH - a 375 H&H or 458 Win - either in a Model 70 - with a nod to the 375.



That should help ;-)

 

[tigris115]

If the PH in your story:

1) Is the first in his family to hunt, he'll shoot a worn out BRNO 458 that he got second-hand from the game department;

2) Is of a line of PHs, he'll shoot a Rigby 416 for a bolt, or an Evans 470 for a double - these only when acting as a PH - otherwise he will shoot everything with a Rigby 350 or 9,3x62 - depending if he is from British or German lineage.

3) Is a man of taste and simplicity, a Rigby 416;

4) Does more elephant hunting than anything and finds himself all-too-often cleaning up his client's mess, a 458 Win Mag - one he had made by a lower-cost (read non-British) firm, but is otherwise 100% reliable;

5) Is over 6' and 220 lbs., he'll shoot a 577 Nitro;

6) Is a double rifle devotee and has a soft spot for the black powder guns his father used, a Rigby 450 Nitro (because it spanned black to smokeless powder);

7) Is an American who lived his dream of becoming a PH - a 375 H&H or 458 Win - either in a Model 70 - with a nod to the 375.



That should help ;-)

Definitely first in the family.

The story I'm going with is this Japanese salary girl in her 20's who's sick of the corporate culture and yearns for something greater. Through combing some books, (bookstore, book fair, whatever.) she fascinated with African big game hunting and it goes from there.

For her first real PH gun, that can come from her teacher's bloated battery as his days of trekking the Jesse have passed.

 

[baxterb]

Definitely first in the family.

The story I'm going with is this Japanese salary girl in her 20's who's sick of the corporate culture and yearns for something greater. Through combing some books, (bookstore, book fair, whatever.) she fascinated with African big game hunting and it goes from there.

For her first real PH gun, that can come from her teacher's bloated battery as his days of trekking the Jesse have passed.

Ah, very good. Have her know Danish or Swedish due to her overbearing father being an ambassador and have her run across the books of Natasha Illum Berg - what better inspiration for a young girl seemingly out of her own time who wants to trod the red earth??

By the way - Natasha uses a 458 Lott named Ishmael

 

[Wyatt Smith]

So a safari Kill Bill?