Your ideal 3 gun & 3 cartridge trio to hunt all things Africa.

[IvW]

I'm unfamiliar with the last two, are they both rimmed cartridges for doubles/single shots?

Yes these would be my first choice....
If they have to be bolt actions(I use a bolt 500 Jeff as my preferance for DG as opposed to a double) it will be....

500 JEFF BRNO ZKK602
375 H&H BRNO ZKK602
7X57mm BRNO MOD 21 or 7x64mm Brenneke BRNO ZKK600

 

[deewayne2003]

Well 2 of my three have already been to Africa......

.470ne double(Sabatti) with RMR 1 MOA sight - Plenty of power for DG and with the RMR sight it is effective far beyond typical DR range; I'm confident out to 150yds with this rifle... took this tuskless at 11 paces.

BRNO ZKK-602 .375H&H - Just so much versatility in this cartridge being able to load from 235gr-350gr bullets; with the ability to hunt anything from DG to PG.

Ruger M77MKII Stainless .300win - This rifle was built as my travel rifle, I wanted something dependable and able to hunt anywhere on earth but still not break the bank incase it gets lost/stolen in travel.
Cut and recrown barrel, spiral flute barrel, black cerakote all metal, Timney trigger, Hogue Stock and Leupold 4-14x

 

[Inkgardener]

Ruger #1 .300 H&H

Rigby Big Game .416 Rigby

Rigby Rising Bite .450 NE

If shotgun is included in this premise, instead of the .450 Nitro…

Rising Bite 28 gauge

 

[DG&Doubles]

450Rigby

375 H&H

300 H&H

450Rigby for DG, especially elephant, buff and Hippo. Unrivaled penetration. Solids can be used for the Tiny 10.

375 H&H can obviously be used for both, PG and DG, but adds a bit if range to your arsenal. Whereas I consider the 450 a stopper and am not using it for anything over 50m. Preferably 25.

300 H&H Great all round PG and Leopard cartridge.

 

[Arizona Bob]

Heym 88B 500NE
Pre 64 Winchester 70 .375H&H
Pre 64 Winchester Model 70 7X57

 

[Challer]

500/416 in the K gun (20G barrels as well)
375 in the R8
30-06 in the R8 or BBF 97

 

[CBH Australia]

Living in Australia you have Buffalo of your own that could justify the use of a double. I'm hoping to hunt in Australia one day and take a Buffalo with my Merkel.

Correct, it’s just that I am about 2000 miles from Darwin and haven’t been there yet.
Due to accessibility of prime hunting concessions the cost of guided hunts is over 10k in our money.
Driving to the nearest city to fly to Darwin would be an all day event by the time I checked into accommodation in the evening.

I’m ok with all that it’s just not my time yet.

 

[BryceM]

.470 NE Heym Double
.416 Rigby in CZ550
.300 WM in pre-64 Win Model 70 or custom rifle/action

Only the first one isn't in the stable yet.

 

[Ruraldoc]

Buffalo/Lion Rifle Model 70 Safari Express in 416 Remington tuned by Dennis Olsen

Small Bore: Dakota M76 in 30-06
Tuned and accurized by Hill Country Rifles.

Stopping/elephant rifle:

Brno 602 in 458 Lott tuned by a retired Louisiana Gun Smith.

I own these and I can’t think of anything in Africa that one of them can’t handle. I actually sold my 470 double because I think my bolt actions cover everything.

Although I would consider another double if the right one came along.

 

[odonata]

1. The options must include one big bore double rifle (>.0.40), one large bore bolt action (0.375 and up) and one small bore bolt action (under 0.375).
3. Choices must include 3 rifles (no single rifle with switch-barrel configuration wizardry).Choices must be either rifles that you currently own or are within reasonable grasp of owning i.e. No Holland & Holland doubles unless you are that guy.

What would your trio include?

Because I'm a left-handed shooter, I'm a little more limited in my caliber selection (without going custom) than most shooters. I have some great selections in my safe for the small bore rifle but they're all falling block single shots so they don't meet the OP's requirements. Because of that restriction, I would choose my Steyr CL II in 30-06 for my small bore selection.

That might be a little larger than I would have wanted for the low end but it's a pretty versatile round with a solid reputation. I currently have this one setup to shoot a lighter 139gr bullet so that's probably a good alternative for the Ruger No. 1 RSI in 275 Rigby that I would have liked to have chosen for this spot.

My large bore rifle would be an African classic: A left-handed Winchester Model 70 Safari Express in 375 H&H (bottom).

If I wanted to, I could take the LH Sako 85 Hunter in 30-06 (top) instead of the previously chosen Steyr. Both of them are really nice rifles that I think would work equally well for plains game.

The big bore double >0.40 requirement is where I run into a bit of trouble since I don't currently own one (my LH Ruger M77 MkII in 458 Win Mag would be my big bore bolt choice). If I bought a used double, I might have to take a plane to the right-handed stock and shave it into a neutral one since I shoot ambidextrously (I prefer shooting left because of my less than perfect right eye not because I'm left-handed).

If I wanted to get a left-handed double, affordability would probably be a priority. Picking a specific caliber might not be an option if I'm buying used. Fortunately, all of the big rimmed >0.40 cartridges that I've looked at appear to be adequate for anything I plan to point a rifle at. So today, the choice would be a left-handed Chapuis chambered in 470 Nitro Express for $10,500 for sale at Champlin Arms in Oklahoma.

30-06, 375 H&H and 470 NE seems like a pretty good selection that would cover a lot of scenarios.

 

[ve7poi]

500NE merkel 140ae replaced 470ne
404 Jeffery Winchester 70 crf rebarrel from 416 rem mag
270win mod 70 (1948)
Why have all of them and they just work

 

[375Ruger416]

I’m afraid I can’t play by your rules. I enjoyed my first African safari this year with a bolt action in 300 PRC in Namibia.

After much deliberation and patient waiting, my travelling rifle has finally arrived at the dealer. Just in time for the Canada Post strike (sigh). I ordered a Blaser R8 in 375 H&H and a 223 barrel for practice +\- varminting. Once I get hands on, and assuming I like it, it will be my traveling rifle going forward.

So, for me, at the moment - one gun for Africa Blaser R8 in 375 H&H shooting 300 gr Barnes TSX. Barring extreme good fortune +\- an own use permit I do not expect to hunt anything bigger than buffalo. Even still, I could do it all with the 375 H&H. I do expect to add a barrel for plains game in 7 RM, 300 WM, or a J Sip and Sons barrel in 300 PRC for a two cartridge hunting combo if the rifle lives up to its billing from our colleagues here on this forum. If not, it will go down the road and I will continue traveling with my Gunwerks Nexus in 300 PRC shooting 208 gr LRX. For a DG rifle, I would be looking for a CZ 550 or Win Model 70 in 375 H&H or 416 Rem or Rigby. A Kimber Talkeetna would also tickle my fancy.

A double rifle doesn’t appeal to me. I would rather use a bolt action rifle and think many of us occasional African hunters would be better served by a bolt action DG rifle similar to the hunting rifles we use the most. In fact, if I could, I would limit myself to bolt action rifles with three position wing safeties to keep the manual of arms standard. However, the benefits of traveling and hunting with a Blaser were too many for me to ignore and we shall see if they live up to the billing.

 

[Killo]

DOUBLE RIFLE : LARM 450/400
BIG BORE: Park West 375 H&H Dark Continent Take Down
UNDER 375: Dakota 300 H&H

Forgot to add
Everything Left Handed!!!

 

[Houston Bill]

My choices:

DR - Rigby Shikari in 500 NE
Large caliber bolt action - Remington Custom Shop 375 RUM
Small Bore bolt action - Fierce 7mm PRC

I own all the rifles but the Shikari won't arrive until 2025. The 375 RUM and the 7mm PRC are tack drivers and I have a lot of confidence in them and have shot game all over the globe with these rifles.

If I could change your rules I might substitute my Heym 88B in 450/400 for the large caliber bolt action. I love to hunt with doubles.

 

[CZDiesel]

I’m going to go with what I got! And with these three I will wade into a herd of Tusked Cow Elephant, face down Cape Buff, and take nine planes game including Kudu and Bush Buck and hopefully Sable on the Save this coming July…

Big Bore - Winchester Custom Shop 458 WinMag

Large Bore - Winchester Pre-64 375 H&H

Small Bore - Winchester Pre-64 300 H&H

These are the three!

 

[Northern Shooter]

I’m going to go with what I got! And with these three I will wade into a herd of Tusked Cow Elephant, face down Cape Buff, and take nine planes game including Kudu and Bush Buck and hopefully Sable on the Save this coming July…

Big Bore - Winchester Custom Shop 458 WinMag

Large Bore - Winchester Pre-64 375 H&H

Small Bore - Winchester Pre-64 300 H&H

These are the three!

View attachment 649738

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A Winchester guy I see, nice rifles!

 

[BeeMaa]

375H&H Blaser R8
300WM Blaser R8
257WBY Blaser R8

Apologies for being boring, but my needs are modest. I'd rather spend the money on more hunting trips.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Only Inaccurate, unreliable rifles are boring.

 

[Fatback]

I don’t own a double and really have no interest in owning one in the future. So based on what I currently own the big bore would either be my 458 Win or 404 Jeffery. The medium bore would be my 375 H&H. I’m having a hard time deciding on my small bore. I’ve got a 300 win mag, 30-06 or the new to me 7PRC I just picked up. All of these rifles are left handed Winchester M70s, some of them have been re-barreled into their current configurations. Lots of choices to consider for sure. Always fun to ponder these type of questions. Here is the 458 with a Matesi 2 buffalo from early September.

 

[Inkgardener]

Ruger #1 .300 H&H

Rigby Big Game .416 Rigby

Rigby Rising Bite .450 NE

If shotgun is included in this premise, instead of the .450 Nitro…

Rising Bite 28 gauge

My 3 ideal cartridges that are realistic…

Ruger #1 .300 H&H
Winchester M70 .375 H&H
16 gauge double sxs