Classic plains game rifles and cartridges

Wyit76 said:
I plan to add a 375 H&H to my collection for DG and some of the bigger PG like eland. I know it is a favorite for the do all rifle of Africa but I've never been the one gun type.
As much as I love the No. 1 I have a hard time bringing myself to own one in larger calibers. I currently have one in 270wby and it is quite possibly the most unpleasant rifle I've fired. It may be better with rifle that have a slower recoil impulse but it does not put a good taste in your mouth for similar rifles.
I really wish ruger would add the 9.3 to their African line like they did the 35 whelen. That is a rifle that would undoubtedly find its way into my safe and on safari.
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The 9.3X62 are out there, can be hard to find.
I have one of the original left handed 375 Ruger Alaskans set up like the one above.

The African’s pop from time to time.


The Ruger No.1’s. I have a 458 Win Mag and a 450-400. Both needed a better recoil pad as do almost all Rugers. I installed a prefit 1” recoil pad and it made a world of difference. The other thing in heavier calibers the No.1 is not forgiving to poor shooting stance and balance. Make a mistake and the rifle lets you know it.
 
uplander01 said:
Buy a pre64 M70 in 375 HH and go kill everything you can afford.

I may be of a different mindset than many, I don't like having 40 rifles laying around. A 375 does everything well, they aren't big and heavy as some would have you believe, and the versatility between 270 gr and 350 gr takes care of literally everything. The tiny's are a different matter, especially if you want to full body mount, my buddy used a 22 hornet on a trip, but you need to hit them right with that or they will run run run.

I will only add, I have made shots with a 375, that could not have been done with anything smaller, maybe a 338. For example, I shot through a 4" tree limb to disable a blue wildebeest at 90 yards so I could put a second one in him. Had I not been shooting a 375 or larger, I would have went home without a blue, it was the last afternoon.
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I believe we definitely have a different mindset. Personally I like to tinker and I like having guns for specific tasks even if some of those tasks overlap. My antelope rifle is different than my elk rifle and both are different from my varmit rifle. I intend to add a 375 to my collection for DG and cross it over to larger PG when necessary but have no interest in shooting it for everything.
I also have no issues with not taking an animal due to a less than ideal shot. That just gives me an excuse to come back and try again in the future.
 
Garciamarquez1918 said:
The Ruger M77 Hawkeye in .275 Rigby. Classic looks, classic caliber but of course the same thing as the 7x57. They come up on Guns International from time to time.
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I kick myself for not jumping on one as soon as they came available. It is exactly what I am after but the flippers have nearly doubled the price on those rifles.
 
Bandera said:
The 9.3X62 are out there, can be hard to find.
I have one of the original left handed 375 Ruger Alaskans set up like the one above.

The African’s pop from time to time.


The Ruger No.1’s. I have a 458 Win Mag and a 450-400. Both needed a better recoil pad as do almost all Rugers. I installed a prefit 1” recoil pad and it made a world of difference. The other thing in heavier calibers the No.1 is not forgiving to poor shooting stance and balance. Make a mistake and the rifle lets you know it.
Click to expand...
The bush rifle is definitely a nice addition to the line up but I am not a fan of the laminate colored stock for an Africa specific rifle. I really want a classic piece of wood for the stock.
A No. 1 in a more manageable cartridge doesn't perk my interest some I will admit.
 
Wyit76 said:
The bush rifle is definitely a nice addition to the line up but I am not a fan of the laminate colored stock for an Africa specific rifle. I really want a classic piece of wood for the stock.
A No. 1 in a more manageable cartridge doesn't perk my interest some I will admit.












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Laminate doesn’t really fit the classic African rifle look. A traditional walnut stock would suit it much better. And I agree, a No. 1 really shines in larger, more traditional cartridges; smaller ones don’t have the same appeal.
 
Wyit76 said:
I kick myself for not jumping on one as soon as they came available. It is exactly what I am after but the flippers have nearly doubled the price on those rifles.
Click to expand...
Yeah if it pains you to pay more than it sold for originally it's no go. But I got mine for under the $3,000 limit you mentioned. It can be done! The other hurdle is that you have to have 275 brass -- which is fine if you want the 140 grain bullet that comes with the factory Hornady ammunition. But if you want something bigger you have to buy the ammo, shoot it and reload. (Maybe there's brass out there but I wasn't able to find any.)
 
Wyit76 said:
I believe we definitely have a different mindset. Personally I like to tinker and I like having guns for specific tasks even if some of those tasks overlap. My antelope rifle is different than my elk rifle and both are different from my varmit rifle. I intend to add a 375 to my collection for DG and cross it over to larger PG when necessary but have no interest in shooting it for everything.
I also have no issues with not taking an animal due to a less than ideal shot. That just gives me an excuse to come back and try again in the future.
Click to expand...
I could see that point of view, I used to be that guy, at one time I had about 20 rifles for personal use, I'm not a collector. My mindset is just where I ended up after being over there 5 times, mostly wilderness hunts, dealt with coming up on lions at close range, surprised by elephants, and stumbling into buffalo at really close range in the thick stuff....I'm not willing to have anything less than a 375 in my hands over there. Similar to how I would feel if I was hunting Blacktail Deer in Alaska knowing that you were almost certainly going to have to deal with a large bear sooner or later. If you are game farm hunting without those sorts of factors, it would be nice to carry around a nice little light rifle.
 
Wyit76 said:
Howdy all. I am currently on the hunt for a dedicated PG rifle for my fist trip to Namibia in 2027. I am a mountain hunter, mainly mule deer and elk. So all of my rifle set ups are modern styled, newer chamberings lighter weight and a lot of carbon fiber and plastic. I am wanting a classic rifle to take to Africa, something worthy of being passed off through the generations to continue making those memories. I know similar questions have been asked both nothing specific to what I am after. Let's be honest also, the only thing more fun than buying a new gun is debating the best gun!

Here are some of my requirements. A wood stock, chambered in a cartridge pre 1960, capable of the majority of PG (I will likel put a 22 hornet or similar together for the tiny 10), properly head stamped brass must be available factory loaded ammunition is not a requirement, a bolt that locks on safe, and sub $3500 for the rifle not including optic. Unfortunately I am in the wrong tax bracket for a new Mauser or Rigby. New rifles I am currently looking at are the Sako 90 series in 6.5x55 or 30-06, Ruger Hawkeye Africa in 270 or 35 whelen, Winchester M70 in 270 280 rem or 30-06, and the Weatherby Mark V in 257 weatherby mag. I have also been looking online and at local gun shows for either a ruger or winchester in 7x57 or some sort of 300 H&H but have not found one I fancy, yet. I am open to other considerations for rifles and chambering to look into. I am also open to building a rifle if someone has recommendations for a gunsmith who specializes in classic style rifles.

I know that any of my current hunting rifles would work for what I intend to do but that isn't the point. Africa has always been romanticized to me from the writings of a bygone era. I want something that capitalizes on the nostalgia of wild Africa. Please feel free to bring up your favorite cartridge I may have overlooked and make suggestions on rifles worth looking into!
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I'll leave your choice of rifle make and model up to you but I just wanted to discuss a specific cartridge.

I consider the "golden age" of safaris in Africa to be approximately the years 1900 to 1960. To me, during this period, two American cartridges had an impact on safari hunting in Africa: the .30-06 Springfield and the .405 Winchester. The .405 faded away but the .30-06 became a classic African cartridge. It is still widely used by resident hunters in southern Africa.

Also during this period, several notable Americans used the .30-06 in Africa. Here are a few that come to my mind:

• Theodore Roosevelt and Kermit Roosevelt
• Stewart Edward White https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stewart_Edward_White
• Osa Johnson -- The Martin & Osa Johnson Safari Museum https://safarimuseum.com/
• Ernst Hemingway
• Robert Ruark https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Ruark

Because of this, and me being an American, I wanted to use the .30-06 cartridge in Africa. I took a Ruger M77 Mk II in .30-06 on my second trip to South Africa for plains game, in the northern part of the Limpopo Province, way back in 2002. The rifle may not be a classic but the cartridge certainly is one!

1767709116005.jpeg

Ruger M77 Mk II .30-06 Springfield [RSA 2002]
handload: 220 gr Woodleigh RN at 2460 fps MV
Limpopo Bushbuck on a bank of the Limpopo River​

And speaking of Osa Johnson:

1767709331241.jpeg

Osa Johnson with her custom Griffin & Howe 1903 Springfield in .30-06.

1767710481550.jpeg

Osa takes a lion with her custom 1903 Springfield in .30-06.
(Photo Credit: Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum)
source: https://www.nrawomen.com/content/osa-johnson-always-in-the-thick-of-it​


After I returned from my trip in 2002, I purchased a second Ruger M77 Mk II in .30-06. Just for fun, I had my gunsmith customize it to loosely model it after Osa's Springfield rifle.

1767709929609.png

1767709954829.jpeg

Ruger M77 Mk II .30-06 Springfield​


By the way, if you haven't seen it already, you might want to take a look at my thread about Osa Johnson's Mauser Type A 9.3x62 rifle. And, yeah, I freely admit that I've got a little bit of a "thing" about Osa Johnson. :love: ;) Here's the link to the thread:

Osa Johnson's 9.3x62​


(5 minute video)​


Anyway, all of this has just been a suggestion. I wish you good luck in finding the classic cartridge and rifle combination that's right for you and your preferences.

Just my ramblings and my two cents... Cheers! Bob F. :)
 
Last edited:
.275 Rigby/ 7x57 and .300 HH is all a person needs for Namibia. If dangerous game is on the menu, then .375 HH
 
Wyit76 said:
One that I have been looking for going on 2 years now. They are rather hard to find in good condition and when they can be found they demand a premium. It is absolutely at the top of my list though.
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Then pick one up in good old 30-06, 300 h&h or 270 win and go have fun(y)
 
Wyit76 said:
Howdy all. I am currently on the hunt for a dedicated PG rifle for my fist trip to Namibia in 2027. I am a mountain hunter, mainly mule deer and elk. So all of my rifle set ups are modern styled, newer chamberings lighter weight and a lot of carbon fiber and plastic. I am wanting a classic rifle to take to Africa, something worthy of being passed off through the generations to continue making those memories. I know similar questions have been asked both nothing specific to what I am after. Let's be honest also, the only thing more fun than buying a new gun is debating the best gun!

Here are some of my requirements. A wood stock, chambered in a cartridge pre 1960, capable of the majority of PG (I will likel put a 22 hornet or similar together for the tiny 10), properly head stamped brass must be available factory loaded ammunition is not a requirement, a bolt that locks on safe, and sub $3500 for the rifle not including optic. Unfortunately I am in the wrong tax bracket for a new Mauser or Rigby. New rifles I am currently looking at are the Sako 90 series in 6.5x55 or 30-06, Ruger Hawkeye Africa in 270 or 35 whelen, Winchester M70 in 270 280 rem or 30-06, and the Weatherby Mark V in 257 weatherby mag. I have also been looking online and at local gun shows for either a ruger or winchester in 7x57 or some sort of 300 H&H but have not found one I fancy, yet. I am open to other considerations for rifles and chambering to look into. I am also open to building a rifle if someone has recommendations for a gunsmith who specializes in classic style rifles.

I know that any of my current hunting rifles would work for what I intend to do but that isn't the point. Africa has always been romanticized to me from the writings of a bygone era. I want something that capitalizes on the nostalgia of wild Africa. Please feel free to bring up your favorite cartridge I may have overlooked and make suggestions on rifles worth looking into!
Click to expand...
I also favor modern rifles, but a wood stocked beauty in 7x57, 30/06, 300 H&H or 9.3x62 would be wonderful!

Something about the 7x57 has always appealed to me, but if eland and giraffe are on the list, I would favor the 9.3x62. As a bonus, it’s a very reasonable plains game rifle in a DG area. The eland I took didn’t seem overwhelmed with the 208 gr LRX’s fired out of my 300 PRC. My PH did indicate that they considered the 300 PRC on the small side for eland. Adequate, but certainly not excessive.

Enjoy your search!
 
Probably not what you are wanting to hear, but ...

Went through the same scenario, half a lifetime of hunting ago. Now I have a closet full of a small fortune of rifles that hardly get used. Yes, there are a couple of "classics" in there that should be passed down thru the generations - the question always being, will those generations even care.

In your position, if you were me (experience speaking), I'd go out and find a classic wood stocked .300 Win (30-06 would be close second), spend the extra cash on good glass, and you'll have the most effective plains game tool you could ever hope for. You'll never regret that choice.

And I'm betting you'll still have a few bucks left over for some special hunt or animal. I have always been fascinated with the big Lord Derby Eland - but my bank account doesn't accommodate that right now. Interestingly, take your calculator into my gun closet - start adding, and there it would be, in the form of a lot of cash spent on custom guns, now worth .25 cents on the dollar
 
I am looking at just the cartridges.
7x57,8x57,30-06, 300 H&H and 375 H&H. I know that there are many others these are just my picks
 
I really like the Brno 21 and 22 rifles in both 7x57 and 8x57. You can really get some great performance out of the latter with 200gr bullets if you reload. A Brno ZG47 in .30-06 would also be excellent. You can find a nice one of these and have enough left over in your budget for a great scope. Maybe a Schmidt & Bender Klassik 3-12x42 or something similar. Even a Klassik 6x would make for a nice, reliable and lightweight setup on a 21H.
 
Wyit76 said:
I believe we definitely have a different mindset. Personally I like to tinker and I like having guns for specific tasks even if some of those tasks overlap. My antelope rifle is different than my elk rifle and both are different from my varmit rifle. I intend to add a 375 to my collection for DG and cross it over to larger PG when necessary but have no interest in shooting it for everything.
I also have no issues with not taking an animal due to a less than ideal shot. That just gives me an excuse to come back and try again in the future.
Click to expand...
Exactly.

Life would be boring if I could only have one rifle.
 
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