Professional Hunters - What rifle do you carry?

I just finished reading a book written by Diana Rupp, Ask the Namibian Guide, published by Safari Press 2013.

It was an interesting read but it was not quite what I was looking for. It did provide some insight into the PH's that provided responses to the written questionaire.

After providing a profile for each PH the book went on to ask a series of questions, for example:

"How should a prospective safari hunter go about a Namibian outfitter? to What is the weather like?

What rifle caliber do you like to see clients carrying when hunting with you?"

This last question got me thinking and on to the point of this post:

What caliber do you as a Professional Hunters carry in the field? along with bullet choice and weight, etc.

1) Plains Game

2) Dangerous Game

Interesting question.

Boddington surveyed 107 PHs about the rifles they used and what they liked for clients and shared the results in In "Safari Rifles II".

He broke it down in several categories and it included questions on bullets.

He also compared it to a survey he did in the late 80s for his first Safari Rifle book.

It would be interesting to compare Boddington's findings to Rupp's.

My Survey from personal experiences;
I. Gibson; 458WM, 416Rem & 30/06.
S, Taylor; 458Win
M. Taylor; 458Lott & 7x64
M. Stanton; 375H&H & 470NE
L. Stanton; 375H&H
J. Moore; 416Rig.
J. Johnston; 458WM.
P.Wellock; 416Rem.
M. Hully-muller;500J.
D. Littleton; 458WM
J. Taylor; 458WM.
P. Wood; 458Lott.
M. McCullam;416Rig.
B.Rowe;375H&H
A. Hunter; 416Rem.
E.Jankovch-Besan; 458Lott.
Pierre Hundermark; 458Ackley.

Originally Posted by Mike70560

Interesting question.

Boddington surveyed 107 PHs about the rifles they used and what they liked for clients and shared the results in In "Safari Rifles II".

He broke it down in several categories and it included questions on bullets.

He also compared it to a survey he did in the late 80s for his first Safari Rifle book.

It would be interesting to compare Boddington's findings to Rupp's.

Rupp really focused on what the PH's wanted to see "the hunters to carry" on Safari for plains game and Dangerous game.

I know it will all depend on where the PH is and if any Dangerous game is free in the area.

I never read "Safari Rifles" editions 1 or 2. Might just have to find these books.

But, apparently Boddington thought it was a good question to. I'd Like to know the thoughts of the AH PH's.

Originally Posted by classicsafari

My Survey from personal experiences;
I. Gibson; 458WM, 416Rem & 30/06.
S, Taylor; 458Win
M. Taylor; 458Lott & 7x64
M. Stanton; 375H&H & 470NE
L. Stanton; 375H&H
J. Moore; 416Rig.
J. Johnston; 458WM.
P.Wellock; 416Rem.
M. Hully-muller;500J.
D. Littleton; 458WM
J. Taylor; 458WM.
P. Wood; 458Lott.
M. McCullam;416Rig.
B.Rowe;375H&H
A. Hunter; 416Rem.
E.Jankovch-Besan; 458Lott.
Pierre Hundermark; 458Ackley.

Thank you for sharing your results.

My list

Zayne van der Merwe.......500 Nitro Express in a K gun Double
Martin Pieters .................470 Nitro Express in a British Double
Neil Duckworth................470 Nitro Express in a British Double but if he can steal his Dad's 505 Gibbs he will
Shaun Buffee..................416 Rigby in a CZ 550
Lindon Stanton................458 Lott in RSM

i received the book also and will start reading it this weekend.

Here are a few to add to the list.
Mark Sullivan .............. 577 NE - in a heym
Ivan Carter ................. 600 NE - in a heym
Trevor Lake ................ 458 Lott

Originally Posted by James.Grage

i received the book also and will start reading it this weekend.
.....

The Rupp book? If so, I would like to see what impression you are left with of some of the PH's after you read all their input.

I'll have another thread on this topic though.

K seeing that I am reading the thread I'll post..

I honestly do not care which DG caliber a client shoots as long as he is comfortable with it, to me bullet selection is the important one;

DG: Expandables, First choice would be Barnes Triple shock, Also Swift A Frame as well as North fork
Monolothic, Barnes, Woodleigh

From my side I have a 375 H&H in the old CZ ZKK model for pg which I would not trade for any rifle in the world it serves me well, this one fires any round going through my ammo box is like looking through a calidoscope (spelling!!!!)

My stopper is a 460 WBY, I like Barnes as well (t shock) as well as the Rhino all in 500gr, On Cats I use the woodleigh 550gr softs

Monolothic: Barnes as well as woodleigh but primarily the barnes,

My best always.

Jaco,

Same here:

1. Don't care what GD calibre the client is using - just have to be comfortable with it

2. Will also NEVER part with me .375 H&H ZKK602, but mine is in Brno (CZ the same) for plains game

3. "My Terminator" - .458WM, with 450gr GS Customs or still in the process 475gr Impala's for DG

Originally Posted by Jaco Strauss

K seeing that I am reading the thread I'll post..

I honestly do not care which DG caliber a client shoots as long as he is comfortable with it, to me bullet selection is the important one;

DG: Expandables, First choice would be Barnes Triple shock, Also Swift A Frame as well as North fork
Monolothic, Barnes, Woodleigh

From my side I have a 375 H&H in the old CZ ZKK model for pg which I would not trade for any rifle in the world it serves me well, this one fires any round going through my ammo box is like looking through a calidoscope (spelling!!!!)

My stopper is a 460 WBY, I like Barnes as well (t shock) as well as the Rhino all in 500gr, On Cats I use the woodleigh 550gr softs

Monolothic: Barnes as well as woodleigh but primarily the barnes,

My best always.

Plains Game - CZ 550 .375 H/H with 250gr Sierra Gamekings, 270gr Federal Powershoks and 286gr PMP solids.

Dangerous Game - CZ 550 .375 H/H with 300gr DGX, 300gr DGS, 380gr Rhino's and 286gr PMP solids.
- CZ 550 .404 Jeffery with 400gr DGX and 400gr DGS.

Awesome guys, (since you're reading it! )

I never even thought to ask before. I had assumed that the fellow leading the way and standing beside me when I was hunting would have chosen an adequate rifle and cartridge. It's his life to, after all.

I'm reading AGAIN!!! we often get asked these questions in a Avery direct way, and do recommend if needed.. good topic must be I'm still reading it!!!

My best always.

Originally Posted by classicsafari

My Survey from personal experiences;
I. Gibson; 458WM, 416Rem & 30/06.
S, Taylor; 458Win
M. Taylor; 458Lott & 7x64
M. Stanton; 375H&H & 470NE
L. Stanton; 375H&H
J. Moore; 416Rig.
J. Johnston; 458WM.
P.Wellock; 416Rem.
M. Hully-muller;500J.
D. Littleton; 458WM
J. Taylor; 458WM.
P. Wood; 458Lott.
M. McCullam;416Rig.
B.Rowe;375H&H
A. Hunter; 416Rem.
E.Jankovch-Besan; 458Lott.
Pierre Hundermark; 458Ackley.

In which countries do these fellas practice their craft?

Two PH's I had in Namibia each carried a 300 Win Mag. for plains game. And two different PH's in RSA carried 338 Win Mag. for plains game.

Originally Posted by Jaco Strauss

K seeing that I am reading the thread I'll post..

I honestly do not care which DG caliber a client shoots as long as he is comfortable with it, to me bullet selection is the important one;

DG: Expandables, First choice would be Barnes Triple shock, Also Swift A Frame as well as North fork
Monolothic, Barnes, Woodleigh

From my side I have a 375 H&H in the old CZ ZKK model for pg which I would not trade for any rifle in the world it serves me well, this one fires any round going through my ammo box is like looking through a calidoscope (spelling!!!!)

My stopper is a 460 WBY, I like Barnes as well (t shock) as well as the Rhino all in 500gr, On Cats I use the woodleigh 550gr softs

Monolothic: Barnes as well as woodleigh but primarily the barnes,

My best always.

Jaco...there's is a video of an elephant hunt on Kwalata's website. I belive that is you in the video carrying a JP Sauer rifle. Is that yours? Just wondering what caliber that was and what you think of the Sauer rifles? They are not the traditional dangerous game rifle in that the have a detachable box magazine which DGR's don't have....Thanks

Brickburn, your question seemed clear, but the answers maybe not so much.

Most answers have given you a name and one gunm and most of the guns are really dangerous game guns, and charge stoppers at that. I'd expect any PH hunting in an area which potentially has dangerous game to carry one of these - maybe as small as .375, but more likely something with a 40 calibre or bigger class. In my limited experience, if there is no possiblity of dnagerous game about, a PH will normally carry something a bit more "user friendly." A PH I hunted with in South Africa carried an open sighted .416 in areas where we might run into buffalo or lion, but carried a scoped .25-06 the rest of the time. He hit a running baboon at about 300 yards with the latter - would have surprised me even more if he'd been able to do that with the former! Equally, a PH in Zim helped me out with an impala I'd shot- we tracked if for about 500 yards, and when it jumped up right in front of us, he finished it off with his .458 Lott (I tried, but he was way faster!). Both his ears (and mine) and his shoulder suffered more than he would have liked, and had we been somewhere without dangerous game, my guess is he would have carried something more manageable.

So lets focus on the plains game side of the equation. Would all of the PH's mentioned still use 40 or 50 or even 60 calibre rifles in areas where there was no chance of danagerous game? If not, what would thhose same PHs like to use?

It is my old man's rifle in a 375, on that specific hunt it was stacked with 340gr Rhino monolithic....

Very sweet shooting rifle:-):-):-)

My best always

Obsessed No that one is not me just looked, it is my old mans rifle though, I was off doing something fun !!!!!!!!!

My best always

seem to have not many answers, as the question asked is what calibre the PH would like to see clients carry for the hunt they were doing. most answers are what the PH carries.....