What cartridge is most commonly used by PH's?

I have been wondering this for a while, what cartridge is most commonly used by Professional Hunters? Does anybody have any idea? I would love to know. I would guess .458 Win. Mag. or .458 Lott but I could be wrong.

Christian,

In my 5 hunts to Africa my PH's used 1-.458 Win, 2-.375 H&H, 1-.30-06, and 1- 9.3x62. In surveys done that ask this question, most will choose the .375 and if Big 5 hunting, often something larger, usually the .458 Win.

My RSA PH used the '06 when I hunted with him but recently took posession of a .458 Lott for the big stuff.

Going for trip 6 to Zim next June and taking my own 9.3x62 for game up to eland.

Christian,

According to the survey in Craig Boddington's book "Safari Rifles II" PH's personal choices for thick skinned games were as follows:

470 NE
416 (no specific cartridge)
458 Lott
458 Win
375 H&H

Had Craig included the Lott and Win in one listing as he did with the various 416s, the 458 would have been an easy second.

The book is a good read about todays rifles.

PH choices for the clients tended to lean toward the 375 and 416 and for good reasons.

I shoot a 470 as my DG rifle. The PHs on my last two trips both shot 470 Nitros also. The previous one shot a 500 Nitro. All were double rifles.

I have that book, it is a good one.

To amend my previous post had Craig combined the 458 Lott and 458 Win as he did with the 416s it would have been the number one choice.

Thanks for the replies. This is something that interests me greatly.

In my experience with Ph's that hunt dangerous game the .458 win was the most popular. At least at the time I hunted with them, I no that Vaughan has a .470 now and Leon had a .500 but not when I hunted with him. The other PH's I hunted plains game with didn't normaly carry rifles and I dont recall that any of them had heavy rifles.

Vaughan Fulton .458 Win
Ian Gibson .458 Win
Leon Kachalhoffer .458 Win
Richard Bell Cross .458 Win
Marius Versteer .416 Rem

I would say 375 H&H and 458--just due to aval. ammo.

I think that it all depends on what is available to hunt in their area. If dangerious game is not on the menue. Why carry a dangerious game rifle wrighing 12 lbs when a 300 win mag, 30.06 or the like could fill the bill?

Originally Posted by Kiwi505

I think that it all depends on what is available to hunt in their area. If dangerious game is not on the menue. Why carry a dangerious game rifle wrighing 12 lbs when a 300 win mag, 30.06 or the like could fill the bill?

If there is no fear of dangerous game on a hunting property in Africa, YOU WILL NOT SEE ME THERE! It's bad enough that I can't experience Kenya or Uganda in the old days, at least if there's dangerous game where I'm hunting I have that spine-tingling excitement while I am hunting. If My PH doesn't carry something .375 Holland & Holland magnum or bigger, I won't be hunting with him.

Perhaps, but beside the point.

Originally Posted by Kiwi505

Perhaps, but beside the point.

I know it was beside the point, but I had to say that.

Originally Posted by Double D

In my experience with Ph's that hunt dangerous game the .458 win was the most popular. At least at the time I hunted with them, I no that Vaughan has a .470 now and Leon had a .500 but not when I hunted with him. The other PH's I hunted plains game with didn't normaly carry rifles and I dont recall that any of them had heavy rifles.

Vaughan Fulton .458 Win
Ian Gibson .458 Win
Leon Kachalhoffer .458 Win
Richard Bell Cross .458 Win
Marius Versteer .416 Rem

Double D,
I dont carry anything in that range. My biggest rifle I carry is the .375H&H. But whats interesting to me is that lately, a lot of PH's has moved away from the 458 Win due to the lack of powder space..? I know they are taking their 458's and having them changed to 450 Rigby's. (I think thats right)

Either way I still think its enough gun ....for anything.

I sure cant argue with the .375, most of the animals I have shot in africa were shot with a .375. Sometimes you PH's have to sort out mistakes made by guys like me and if I was in your shoes I would feel more comfortable if there was a bigger hole in the end of the barrel.

Most of the PHs that I know use a 458 of some discription (mostly Winchester) with a few 375s and 416s as well.

Originally Posted by Christian Snyder

If there is no fear of dangerous game on a hunting property in Africa, YOU WILL NOT SEE ME THERE! It's bad enough that I can't experience Kenya or Uganda in the old days,

Certainly not in the old days but you can most certainly hunt Uganda today, even the wild northern Karamoja area.
Oh, and the PHs will carry a rifle 375 or larger.

Hi Christian,

As a PH myself, this is what I use:
Central Africa: 458 Lott with short barrel and synthetic stock ( because of the thicket all over) and 12 gauge for leopard.
Tanzania: 500 Jeffrey with 570 grains because elephants and hippos are plenty!!!!! and a 404 Jeffrey for plains games and a 12 gauge for leopard.
But you know I fired 2 rounds of my 500 on buffalo, one going away and one coming, and I fired one round of my 404 on zebra... It means that I shoot if I need to.
Cheers
christophe

In my experience, the cartridges most commonly used by professional hunters are the ones left by prior clients.

I HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF EMAILING AND PHONE CALLING AND AT THE LAST DALLAS SAFARI CLUB CONVENTION I ASKED AT NEARLY EVERY BOOTH WHAT THEIR PH'S CARRY. BECAUSE I THOUGHT IF I GO TO AFRICA AND LOSE MY AMMO THEN MAYBE I COULD BUY SOME OFF THE PH'S. TO ME MOST REPLIED 458 WIN MAG. MANY SAID 416 RIGBY AND 416 REMMINGTON. A FEW SAID 458 LOTT.

Not long ago I had the caprice of changing my rifle of 458 Lott into other of 460 Weatherby and many people said to me that it is much more manageable (as for regression) the Lott, and that more than one PH has "mania" to the powerful cartridge of Roy Weatherby.

Oscar.