Your favorite 2 rifle and 1 shot gun combination

[Major Khan]

Good evening , gentlemen. As many of you know , l contribute regularly to these forums in the article section , ever since l joined almost 2 weeks ago. I will be writing another article on these forums in 2 days , involving rifle calibres.
But , before we begin , l would like to collect some data for this article from all of you gentlemen ( who reply to this post ) as to your favorite rifle calibres. However , if l merely said favorite rifle calibres , indeed it would be a very broad question to answer . So , l am going to set up some perimeters to this discussion .
For the purposes of this discussion , you must each list 2 rifles and 1 shot gun , the combination of which you consider to be your favorite battery for plains game , wing shooting and dangerous game . You can keep it simple , by just mentioning the calibres . Or you can ( hopefully ) be a little descriptive by referencing the make and models and your choice of ammunition.
Let us begin. I will start with my personal favorites .
Taking into account all the game of India ( dangerous or otherwise ) and the calibres which my clients would bring into India , during my career as a professional shikaree in Nagpur, India from 1961 to 1970 , my choices are :
Rifles :
1) A pre 64 Winchester Model 70 in .30-06 Springfield , using the 220 grain Remington Core Lokt soft point bullet
2) A pre 64 Winchester Model 70 in .375 Holland and Holland magnum, using both the 300 grain Winchester Silvertip soft point cartridge and the 300 grain Winchester solid metal covered bullet.
Shot gun :
12 calibre side by side shot gun made in Belgium with 3 inch chambers , twin triggers and and 28 inch long barrels ( left : full choke , right : modified choke ) . Ejectors would would be nice , but my own personal shot gun has extractors and l was never disappointed with it. This gun would use both shot for birds , and Eley Alphamax Lethal Ball cartridges, for mammals larger than a mouse deer ( which l would , and still do kill , with triple A cartridges )

I hope that you all will contribute to this thread .
Yours sincerely,
Major Poton Khan ( Retired )

 

[Bullthrower338]

470 NE double, loaded with 500gr Swift A-Frames
300 H&H pre-64 M-70 loaded with 180 gr Peregrine expanding
Remington Peerless O/U

 

[Major Khan]

470 NE double, loaded with 500gr Swift A-Frames
300 H&H pre-64 M-70 loaded with 180 gr Peregrine expanding
Remington Peerless O/U

Classic choices from my time.
A double barrel shot gun for wing shooting.
A bolt action .30 calibre for plains game
A large bore double barrel for ( what l assume ) is dangerous game.
Thank you for being my first commenter

 

[Bullthrower338]

Classic choices from my time.
A double barrel shot gun for wing shooting.
A bolt action .30 calibre for plains game
A large bore double barrel for ( what l assume ) is dangerous game.
Thank you for being my first commenter

I haven’t had much chance to wing shoot Africa much and never with my own shotgun. One day though I look forward to it.
My pre 64 has not made it over yet either as it got left at home because I took a Pre-64 30-06 that was gifted to my by a dear friend that left us recently. I did however hunt with a Ruger No.1 chambered in 300 H&H with the above mentioned Peregrine bullets and it was perfect. I shot steenbok to Roan with it and it was absolute hell on them all.
Cheers,
Cody

 

[Shootist43]

Poton, you asked a tough question. For DG I would choose a 404 Jeffery with my own handloads using a 400 Gr. Swift A Frame bullet traveling at 2300 FPS the firearm would either be a CZ 550 or a CRF Win. Mod 70. Then wanting to cover all sizes of PG I'd have to bring my 35 Whelen which is a sporterized Remington 03 - A3 with my handloads consisting of a Barnes TSX 225 Gr bullet at 2730 FPS. For a shotgun I'd bring a 12 Ga. Remington Model 1100 if semi-autos were allowed or a 12 Ga. Remington 870 Pump. I have smooth bore and rifled barrels for the shotguns mentioned. If I had a Benelli Golden Eagle, Id bring that.

 

[Major Khan]

Poton, you asked a tough question. For DG I would choose a 404 Jeffery with my own handloads using a 400 Gr. Swift A Frame bullet traveling at 2300 FPS the firearm would either be a CZ 550 or a CRF Win. Mod 70. Then wanting to cover all sizes of PG I'd have to bring my 35 Whelen which is a sporterized Remington 03 - A3 with my handloads consisting of a Barnes TSX 225 Gr bullet at 2730 FPS. For a shotgun I'd bring a 12 Ga. Remington Model 1100 if semi-autos were allowed or a 12 Ga. Remington 870 Pump. I have smooth bore and rifled barrels for the shotguns mentioned. If I had a Benelli Golden Eagle, Id bring that.

Despite the difficulty , l really appreciate the effort that you have put forward , Shootist43 to provide me with the requisite data .
Let me summarize :
Light Rifle :
.35 Whelen in Remington 03-A3
Heavy Rifle :
.404 Jeffery in either a CZ 550 or a Winchester Model 70 .
Shot gun :
12 calibre Remington semi automatic shot gun .
Very good robust choices .

By the way , l never knew that Winchester makes a model 70 in .404 Jeffery . I only saw them listed on the company website in .375 Holland and Holland magnum , .416 Remington magnum and .458 Winchester magnum . Is yours a limited production item or a re barrelled piece ?

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

Poton
You know mine all too well . But this is an exciting survey !
Plains game rifle :
Control Round Feed Winchester model 70, calibrated for .300 Winchester magnum.
Dangerous game rifle :
.375 Holland and Holland magnum bolt operation rifle , built on a Brevex magnum mauser mechanism ( you know how l feel about this mechanism )
Shot gun :
My 12 bore Beretta over-under model s.686 special ( 70 millimeter chambers . Upper barrel : full choke . Lower barrel : Half choke )
PS : I am technically cheating a bit , but if you made it 3 rifles , then my third would be a 7 millimeter Remington magnum in a Remington model 700 bolt operation rifle .

 

[Shootist43]

My Winchester was converted from a 375 H&H to 404 Jeffery. I purchased the rifle off Gunbroker. However it was in fact another AH member that owned it before me that had all of the work done.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Mauser M98 in 404Jeffery, munitions from RWS with bullet softpoin 400gr (26g) or ZG47 in 9,3 x62, munitions from Norma with bullet ORYX 285gr (18,5g)
ZKK600 in 7 x 57Mauser ( 275Rigby ), munitions from RWS with bullet ID Classic 162gr (10,5g)
shotgun : Peiper Bayard from Belgium a 12 Ga

 

[Major Khan]

Mauser M98 in 404Jeffery, munitions from RWS with bullet softpoin 400gr (26g)
ZKK600 in 7 x 57Mauser ( 275Rigby ), munitions from RWS with bullet ID Classic 162gr (10,5g)
shotgun : Peiper Bayard from Belgium a 12 Ga

The .275 Rigby is a classic . My childhood hero , Jim Corbett used use as his panther rifle .
I love Belgian shot guns too. Here is my own. " Magnum 12 Bore DBBL Made In Belgium "

I have been using it from 1959 and it has NEVER failed me . I have taken every thing from grouse to 200 pound forest panthers with it and used it to back up clients , loaded with Eley Alphamax Lethal Ball cartridges .

 

[Ridgewalker]

This is tough because I only take my Montana Rifle Company CRF (Winchester Model 70 clone) in 375 H&H to Africa. I change the bullet and scope depending on what I am hunting. 300 grain for Cape buffalo, 250 for croc, sable, wildebeest, warthog, and most plains game. 300 solids for the smallest such as duiker, caracal, etc. 235 Barnes at over 3,000 fps worked OK on lions, gemsbuck, impala, also blue wildebeest, warthog, blesbok, etc.
I really don’t see why I need a second rifle, but if I took a second rifle, I guess it would be a 1950 CRF Winchester Model 70 in 30-06 I inherited. But the 375 H&H has seemed to work for everything so far that I’ve pulled the trigger on.
Shotgun, I’ll have to agree with Kawshik on the Beretta 686 12 bore. A tough light weight shotgun. If not the Beretta, then an old 3” 12 bore Remington 870. Utterly reliable! Fast second, third, fourth, fifth shots just holding the trigger down and pumping the action! “Spray and pray” method of self defense.

 

[Major Khan]

This is tough because I only take my Montana Rifle Company CRF (Winchester Model 70 clone) in 375 H&H to Africa. I change the bullet and scope depending on what I am hunting. 300 grain for Cape buffalo, 250 for croc, sable, wildebeest, warthog, and most plains game. 300 solids for the smallest such as duiker, caracal, etc. 235 Barnes at over 3,000 fps worked OK on lions, gemsbuck, impala, also blue wildebeest, warthog, blesbok, etc.
I really don’t see why I need a second rifle, but if I took a second rifle, I guess it would be a 1950 CRF Winchester Model 70 in 30-06 I inherited. But the 375 H&H has seemed to work for everything so far that I’ve pulled the trigger on.
Shotgun, I’ll have to agree with Kawshik on the Beretta 686 12 bore. A tough light weight shotgun. If not the Beretta, then an old 3” 12 bore Remington 870. Utterly reliable! Fast second, third, fourth, fifth shots just holding the trigger down and pumping the action! “Spray and pray” method of self defense.

What fascinates me is that you and l chose the exact same rifles , Ridge Walker .
A Model 70 in .30-06 Springfield
And
A Model 70 in .375 Holland and Holland magnum.
How interesting. Maybe my tastes are not so obsolete after all.

 

[IvW]

If I could:

500 NE 3 1/4" regulated with 570gr bullets @ the same pressure as the 3" which should give 2250Fps
9.3x74R/7x57R Bergstutzen with another set of 12ga barrels.

 

[Major Khan]

If I could:

500 NE 3 1/4" regulated with 570gr bullets @ the same pressure as the 3" which should give 2250Fps
9.3x74R/7x57R Bergstutzen with another set of 12ga barrels.

The 9.3 variant you listed used to be a very popular double barreled rifle calibre brought by my clients from continental Europe. I would think such a rifle with twin triggers , 24 inch barrels and no automatic safety , to be the perfect tool for going after wounded panthers , in the thickets. Since l didn’t have 1 , l always made do with my 12 calibre Belgian side by side shot gun , loaded with Eley Alphamax Lethal Ball cartridges . To it’s credit , the gun never let me down and was accurate out to 30 yards .
You are also my first commenter who exclusivities chose double barreled rifles .
Fascinating.

 

[Newboomer]

As of now: Win 70 375HH Safari Express with 235g Barnes TSX for pg. Barnes 350g TSX for dg. Second rifle is a Win 70 7RM with Barnes 160g TSX. Both crf. Shotgun is a Remington 870 12 gauge pump with multiple barrels and removable chokes.
These are subject to change, however. I am waiting on a 404 Jeffery from MRC and for my CZ 9.3x62 to get out of the shop. Will have to see how they perform.

 

[Major Khan]

As of now: Win 70 375HH Safari Express with 235g Barnes TSX for pg. Barnes 350g TSX for dg. Second rifle is a Win 70 7RM with Barnes 160g TSX. Both crf. Shotgun is a Remington 870 12 gauge pump with multiple barrels and removable chokes.
These are subject to change, however. I am waiting on a 404 Jeffery from MRC and for my CZ 9.3x62 to get out of the shop. Will have to see how they perform.

I absolutely love your choices . The .375 Holland and Holland magnum Winchester Model 70 is my favorite dangerous game rifles of all time . The 7mm Remington magnum is a personal favorite of mine , second only to the .30-06 Springfield .
Remington model 870 shot guns are very popular in Bangladesh among hunters.
Do keep us posted about your updated rifle choices when you have a chance to try them out.

 

[Ridgewalker]

What fascinates me is that you and l chose the exact same rifles , Ridge Walker .
A Model 70 in .30-06 Springfield
And
A Model 70 in .375 Holland and Holland magnum.
How interesting. Maybe my tastes are not so obsolete after all.

Poton, the shotguns were very hard for me to decide. I had an L.C. Smith SxS 12 bore I inherited from an old uncle. I carried it until he died, then passed it on to my nephew who loves the history of it. It was much heavier than the Beretta 686, but was an excellent duck gun in its time when I could use lead pellets for duck hunting.
I do have 3 SxSs at present which I hunt upland birds with. An AYA #2 12 bore used mostly behind my GSP for pheasants, an Arrietta 20 bore for forest grouse and quail, and another 20 bore Fox which has been cut off and it is a death ray on rabbits.

 

[Red Leg]

Interesting question - If going on a dangerous game (buffalo) and plains game hunt, which I have done several times, I prefer a .375 H&H 300 gr bullet for both. I have used both the TSX and A-Frame with complete satisfaction. Both are totally reliable. I have used a custom .375 on a Belgian Browning action, a Blaser S2, and my current favorite, a Blaser R8 (twice). I find a second rifle merely adds weight, and I have taken everything from Suni to Cape Buffalo with 300 gr SPs or solids.

Were I to return for a pure plains game hunt, I would either bring a .338 Win Mag with 220 gr bullet or my R8 with .300 Win Mag barrel and 200 gr bullet. Worldwide, a quality rifle in 300 Win Mag and a 180 or 200 gr bullet is hard to beat.

The only "shotgun" that I have taken to Africa was my William Evans Paradox that was built just before WWI. I stood at a waterhole in Namibia and rolled two warthog for leopard bait with the 740 gr bullets and then shot a small mountain of sand grouse as they came for water.

However, I do travel a lot to hunt waterfowl and pheasant around North America. My favorite airline gun is a Connecticut shotgun 12 bore with 3-inch chambers, 32 inch barrels, and choke tubes. Unlike my Golden Age guns, it is replaceable. Over the last fifteen years, it has taken many hundreds - probably thousands - of ducks, geese, pheasant, and sharptail grouse. It will accompany me to the Eastern Shore of Maryland in a few weeks.

Locally, I use 20 and 28 bores for most of my quail and and dove shooting.

IF, I had the time and resources to spend a month or two on the African continent; a full bag license in some place like Tanzania; and a couple of weeks to spend in South Africa bird shooting, I would bring the R8 with .375 and .300 barrels, and the CS 12 bore.

 

[Major Khan]

Interesting question - If going on a dangerous game (buffalo) and plains game hunt, which I have done several times, I prefer a .375 H&H 300 gr bullet for both. I have used both the TSX and A-Frame with complete satisfaction. Both are totally reliable. I have used a custom .375 on a Belgian Browning action, a Blaser S2, and my current favorite, a Blaser R8 (twice). I find a second rifle merely adds weight, and I have taken everything from Suni to Cape Buffalo with 300 gr SPs or solids.

Were I to return for a pure plains game hunt, I would either bring a .338 Win Mag with 220 gr bullet or my R8 with .300 Win Mag barrel and 200 gr bullet. Worldwide, a quality rifle in 300 Win Mag and a 180 or 200 gr bullet is hard to beat.

The only "shotgun" that I have taken to Africa was my William Evans Paradox that was built just before WWI. I stood at a waterhole in Namibia and rolled two warthog for leopard bait with the 740 gr bullets and then shot a small mountain of sand grouse as they came for water.

However, I do travel a lot to hunt waterfowl and pheasant around North America. My favorite airline gun is a Connecticut shotgun 12 bore with 3-inch chambers, 32 inch barrels, and choke tubes. Unlike my Golden Age guns, it is replaceable. Over the last fifteen years, it has taken many hundreds - probably thousands - of ducks, geese, pheasant, and sharptail grouse. It will accompany me to the Eastern Shore of Maryland in a few weeks.

Locally, I use 20 and 28 bores for most of my quail and and dove shooting.

IF, I had the time and resources to spend a month or two on the African continent; a full bag license in some place like Tanzania; and a couple of weeks to spend in South Africa bird shooting, I would bring the R8 with .375 and .300 barrels, and the CS 12 bore.

Your answer is most insightful . I am familiar with with both the .300 Winchester magnum and .338 Winchester magnum. They are exceptional calibres , capable of taking the largest sambhur .
My best friend and shikaree partner , a German American named Tobin Stakkatz used to use a Belgian Browning .423 Mauser bolt rifle , and it helped him put down 40 panthers and hundreds of wild boar .
I agree that the .375 Holland and Holland magnum is the ideal rifle for a one rifle shikar / safari . I see that many modern bullets exist for it which weighs even heavier than the standard 300 grain .
Your Browning rifle... Was it one of the older models with the bolt guide ?
I like 3 inch cartridges myself for geese , as well in my 2 shot guns.
The Belgian side by side has fixed chokes , but the German Wischo semi automatic shot gun has Wisco choke tubes

 

[Bullthrower338]

Interesting question - If going on a dangerous game (buffalo) and plains game hunt, which I have done several times, I prefer a .375 H&H 300 gr bullet for both. I have used both the TSX and A-Frame with complete satisfaction. Both are totally reliable. I have used a custom .375 on a Belgian Browning action, a Blaser S2, and my current favorite, a Blaser R8 (twice). I find a second rifle merely adds weight, and I have taken everything from Suni to Cape Buffalo with 300 gr SPs or solids.

Were I to return for a pure plains game hunt, I would either bring a .338 Win Mag with 220 gr bullet or my R8 with .300 Win Mag barrel and 200 gr bullet. Worldwide, a quality rifle in 300 Win Mag and a 180 or 200 gr bullet is hard to beat.

The only "shotgun" that I have taken to Africa was my William Evans Paradox that was built just before WWI. I stood at a waterhole in Namibia and rolled two warthog for leopard bait with the 740 gr bullets and then shot a small mountain of sand grouse as they came for water.

However, I do travel a lot to hunt waterfowl and pheasant around North America. My favorite airline gun is a Connecticut shotgun 12 bore with 3-inch chambers, 32 inch barrels, and choke tubes. Unlike my Golden Age guns, it is replaceable. Over the last fifteen years, it has taken many hundreds - probably thousands - of ducks, geese, pheasant, and sharptail grouse. It will accompany me to the Eastern Shore of Maryland in a few weeks.

Locally, I use 20 and 28 bores for most of my quail and and dove shooting.

IF, I had the time and resources to spend a month or two on the African continent; a full bag license in some place like Tanzania; and a couple of weeks to spend in South Africa bird shooting, I would bring the R8 with .375 and .300 barrels, and the CS 12 bore.

Beautiful shotgun Joe!