which gun for africa

hey
i own the following rifles.
1-husqvarna 1640 in 6,5x55 accurate too 400 yds+
2- ruger 77 all weather in 3006 accurate to 300 yards and sending 180 gr nosler pt @2800 fps + fedaeral high energy loads!!
3-an old husky in 8x57s accurate to 200+ yds very dependable gun
4. brno 602 in 375 H&H sending 260 gr nosler pt or accubond 2700 fps+ accurate to 200-300 yards.
i want to hunt plain games gemsbock and maybe kudu and not eland.
which gun should i bring with my self?.
best regards
daniel

Originally Posted by daniel paydar

hey
i own the following rifles.
1-husqvarna 1640 in 6,5x55 accurate too 400 yds+
2- ruger 77 all weather in 3006 accurate to 300 yards and sending 180 gr nosler pt @2800 fps + fedaeral high energy loads!!
3-an old husky in 8x57s accurate to 200+ yds very dependable gun
4. brno 602 in 375 H&H sending 260 gr nosler pt or accubond 2700 fps+ accurate to 200-300 yards.
i want to hunt plain games gemsbock and maybe kudu and not eland.
which gun should i bring with my self?.
best regards
daniel

If you take the 375 H&H, there will be no second guessing the decision. You will not be undergunned. Never know what you may run into

I would take the Ruger 77 30-06 with the 180 Noslers....it will flatten anything you are talking about hunting. By the way, welcome to the website!!!

The 30 06 will do the job for the animals you intend to hunt.

The 8 x 57 would be my 2nd choice and the 375 H&H the 3 rd

Sell them all and buy a 458 Lott, those animals are tough

Actually any of the rifles you listed would work fine, take your favorite that you are most comfortable with.

And welcome to the site.

Any of the rifles you mentioned will work. I would give the nod to the 30'06 only because of the huge array of ammunition. Find a premium 180 gr that your rifle likes and don't look back.

Take the .30-06. Too few Americans can shoot a .375 as well as a .30 or 8 mm caliber. The '06 with 180-grain bullets will take down cleanly every species you mentioned.

Bill Quimby

Hey bill
you are right about 375 !! it isen't easy to shoot claybirds with this caliber( i usually use my win 94 and 3030 for this purpose and usually the rifles in 375 are cumbersome and heavy a gunbearer was often used to carry it the american calibers are made for sportmen who can walk a day long with his own gun on his shoulders and 3006 is a caliber reknown for it's capabillity.i may bring some 3006 loaded with 220 gr barns or wood L solid, in case if it would be needed they will surely penetrate more than a 375 my 6,5x55 with 155 grain fmj army rounds can penetrate ½ meter wood.i don't know a lot about 375, because i haven't used it for hunting nor shooting claybirds yet,
regards
danny

Daniel the .375 is anything but heavy and clunky, unless you want it to be. I have packed mine for about 3 decades when guiding and it is far from clunky. It has a McMillan fiberglass stalk, 23 inch barrel and express sites. It has a coating applied to the metal surfaces so wit will withstand the north country better........rain, snow, sun, mud, sand, ice....all the same day.

It weighs just over 8 pounds with 4 rounds in the chamber and a 1.5-5 Leupold with quick detach rings mounted. Without the scope it is closer to 7 pounds. It handles quickly and is a joy to shoot.

I don't think anything more about shooting it than I do a .30-06. If you shoot a .375 a lot and really get use to the rifle it is not a big deal to handle the recoil. They just aren't that bad, especially since most rifles in that chambering are a pound or two heavier than mine.

The 06 is a good choice for you, but any of the rifles you mentioned would get the job done. Scandinavians use that little 6.5 all the time for those little moose which are a lot bigger than the gemsbuck and kudu. Good bullet in the right spot and they are in the salt.

I love the Husqvarna 1640 actions.

Hey Kelly
i am sure 375 is a very nice round. you are right about the rifle. mine is a brno 602 with the original stock. the recoil is not a real problem if it is directed to the shoulder and not the face like my rifle do. i have had some thinking about shortening the barrel to 23 inches and put a nice classic stock on it, but i have to struggle with my beloved wife because she believes i abuse the family budget for my guns and hunting. mine dosen't kick more than a 7½ pound 12 gauge slug loads. yes indeed husqvarna 1640 is a real delight to shoot and mine in 6,5x55 is a real accurate rifle out to 400-500 yards.
best regards
danny

...The 30/06 will take care of any plains game you will encounter! I agree with Kelly 100% if you practice with a 375H&H and get used to it - to me it is damn near second nature to pick it up and fire it!! Either one will do the job but the 06 would get my nod!!

They actually had a non-Big 5 hunt on "Tracks Across Africa" this week on the Outdoor channel. The show was about plains game hunting in Namibia and South Africa. And Craig Boddington said he likes a 30-06 or a 7X57 as his favorites for plains game in Africa.

I think your 8X57 would be interesting for the big stuff!

I like the 375 H&H very much! But think shooting at a once in a lifetime 6" steenbok at 300 yards is going to cost you. The 30-06 will get the steenbok with easy. The 375 H&H only in a skilled rifleman's hands.

I know Peter H. Capstick was very fond of the notion of a one rifle safari featuring the .375 H&H for everything.

Michael, you are in a very bad spot. You have the necessary rifles for Africa 30-06 and 375 great two rifle package. Thus you have no excuse for buying a new rifle for Africa.

i would love to buy a nice custom made rifle in 416 rigby and maybe a nice double in 470 too, but if i do so!! i am afraid my wife will shoot me with either my 3006 or 6,5x55 or maybe the 8x57 i am lucky she can't shoot well with my 375 H&H
danny

Daniel you are not alone my friend. My wife shoots way too well with just about anything in the rifle rack up to and including her favorite .338 Win. Mag. which she liberated from me some 20 years ago.

Fortunately she does not like shooting my .340 Wby or my fairly light weight .375 H&H. There is a god!

In all honesty though, I have decided to not purchase anything larger. I was going to get a .416 again (I have had several Taylor's and Rigby's and .458's over the years) but I just do not need one. My .375 is an old friend and when I point it at things they go down. If the day ever comes that I win the Lotto 649 in Canada or a long lost uncle leaves me enough coin to go for ele or lion, well...........I will be able to afford another big bore and have a reason for getting it. The choice then would be a double in either .470 or .450-400 and another one to play with in North America chambered in 9.3x74R.

Daniel,

The ZKK 602 in 375 H&H Magnum is overall rifle to take the game you intend shooting , its a optimum caliber from a 235 to 300 silvertips and the latest Win. Failsafes would give astounding performance , choose the right bullets and you would have a fine trophy to your collection.

Happy Hunting !!!

Monish