What’s your ideal Dangerous Game bolt gun?

A patriot, eh, Timbo? considering the "research" that Geoff Macdonald and others have put into the product, I'll stick with them.
 
Another view of the .50.
Thanks for all of the comments I have received from members regarding this rifle. :A Way To Go:
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geoff rath said:
A patriot, eh, Timbo? considering the "research" that Geoff Macdonald and others have put into the product, I'll stick with them.
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I can only go on direct experience and from what I've actually seen. But yes, Woodies are easily obtainable, well priced and if loaded within specs they work very well. So far three buffalo, and a number of PG haven't complained. (y)
 
Being a guide in Moz and Zim my preference leans to a .458 Lott in a CZ 550. I like the quick target acquisition provided by red dot sights, be it Trijicon, Aimpoint or Burris. Definitely have irons as back up though. I like that large capacity mag on the CZ's and its been proven the 500 grain bullet at 2150ft/sec is the benchmark for DG stoppers. For a guide you can't go wrong in that combo I think.
 
DaveL said:
Being a guide in Moz and Zim my preference leans to a .458 Lott in a CZ 550. I like the quick target acquisition provided by red dot sights, be it Trijicon, Aimpoint or Burris. Definitely have irons as back up though. I like that large capacity mag on the CZ's and its been proven the 500 grain bullet at 2150ft/sec is the benchmark for DG stoppers. For a guide you can't go wrong in that combo I think.
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Only gripes I personally have with that combo is the straight wall case and the belt on the Lott. If I where to go 458 cal it would be a 450 Rigby. Other than that the ballistics are great.
 
DaveL said:
Being a guide in Moz and Zim my preference leans to a .458 Lott in a CZ 550. I like the quick target acquisition provided by red dot sights, be it Trijicon, Aimpoint or Burris. Definitely have irons as back up though. I like that large capacity mag on the CZ's and its been proven the 500 grain bullet at 2150ft/sec is the benchmark for DG stoppers. For a guide you can't go wrong in that combo I think.
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I have a tremendous amount of admiration for the .458 Lott, having shot a lot of buffalo with it over a number of years.

When I retired from guiding buffalo I sold my old favorite Lott (an extensively re-worked CZ 550) to one of my best buddies who continues in the line of work.

In July of this year he was guiding two hunters on a buffalo hunt in Arnhemland (Northern Australia) for Trophy bulls.
On one particular day they surprised a youngish bull in very thick cover at short range.
The bull possessed no Trophy value and therefore my mate instructed the clients to slowly back away as there was no intent to shoot.
Whilst the retreat was in process the bull rushed the party from very close range.
My buddy got in-between the bull and the nearest client and fired his only chance at the end of the barrel down in to the head of the bull.
The shot had no apparent effect.
The bull's horns hit my bud on the right forearm and smashed it instantly in three places and knocked my bud to the ground. As the buff prepared to come back and finish the job my mate tried reloading and shooting again but found difficulty in doing that with only one operable arm remaining.
The bull came back in a flash and gave my buddy a severe "touch-up" goring him in several places causing some serious injuries from which he is only just now, some four months later, beginning to recover again from.

This anecdote is NOT to denigrate the Lott or any other cartridge mentioned in this thread only to remind us all that NO MATTER WHAT CARTRIDGE you choose to adopt the shot MUST go in the right spot for it to have any effect.

Postscript; the one shot my bud fired went just over an inch below the brain, through the top of the jaw and down in to the brisket but failed to connect with any vitals.

Apologies for the diversion from topic.
 
The Engineer said:
From my standpoint the thing I would look for is first of all a caliber you can shoot well. I have built up tolerance to recoil over the years but if the recoil causes a flinch your not going to scare DG to death with a close miss. I have always remembered a quote from Bill Jordan's book "Speed is nice but accuracy is final." The same applies to power vs. accuracy. It should be noted a properly designed stock is essential for recoil absorption without pain.

As I hand loader I have/do hunt with a lot of less popular and wildcat calibers. I do not do that when traveling by air as I may need a caliber that is obtainable in the local hunting area if my ammunition is lost as you run the risk of having ammunition confiscated if the headstamp caliber does not match the rifle caliber. For DG I would also prefer a lower pressure cartridge that is less likely to develop extraction problems.

With respect to sights, on a bolt gun I find low power illuminated reticle scopes in a foolproof and absolute return to zero mount essential. With that type of mount two pre-sighted in scopes can be taken and switched out if required.

The rifle itself must be utterly reliable. This mean not only must it always go bang when the trigger is intentionally pulled but the safety must also be robust to insure it does not accidently fire. In addition to reliably firing is must be very slick on the reload cycle. This not only means the bolt must operate slickly on the empty rifle but it must feed rounds reliably and slickly from the a large capacity magazine.

My current, and ultimate; rifle that meets the above criteria is a Heym Martini Express rifle in 416 Rigby. With handloads using 5744 powder I can have less recoil than a 30-06 if desired for practice. If you currently could not accurately should full 400gr loads you can handload 300gr or 350gr loads to the energy level of a 375 H&H for both practice and hunting. All of these handloads have shot to minute of angle accuracy in my rifle. This cartridge is also readily available in Africa and I have not see the extraction problems that some of the smaller cased 416s sometimes exhibit.

My scope of choice is a Zeiss Victory HT 1.6-6 with an illuminated reticle in Alaska Arms quick removable rings which allow the scope to be mounted as low as possible. With the bases machined into the Heym's receiver there is no potential for mount screw failures and the lever detachable Alaska Arms rings are rock solid and zero repeatable on installation.

The Heym Martini Express has a three position swing safety like the Model 70 that directly locks the firing pin. However, what has pleased me the most about this rifle is how it feeds from the 4 round magazine. The magazine is machined specifically for the 416 Rigby cartridge and is probably the reason this is the slickest cycling bolt gun in a DG caliber I have ever handled.

The Heym is a huge investment but I am glad I did so.
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Great reply.
 
Well I have a couple. A model 700 Mountain Rifle from The Remington custom shop in 375 H&H and a 700 Remington Safari in 416 Rem. My favorite though is a Kimber Caprivi 375 H&H. It’s extremely accurate less than 1/2 MOA at 100 yards with both 275 and 300 grain TSX.
 
Having shoulder surgery, I shoot .416R could use some load data for very light 300grn
(If I can get the powder here)
Thank You
 
To add my two cents for the "backup gun," I don't care what chambering the PH next to me has as long as they can shoot it well. I've been with the PH carrying a rusty Brno or CZ .375 full of solids, and felt as confident as I have with a PH toting a .500 double.
 
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For me there is a difference between use as a hunter and use as a backup/stopper. I think I prefer my 416 Rem bolt gun for DG hunting. If for big, thick-skinned DG backup, close range, stopping I suppose my 450 Watts (similar to Lott) bolt gun which is about the most I can handle quickly and accurately for first shot and follow up shots. I have shot some large caliber doubles and they seem a little muzzle heavy to me and I feel sluggish with them- but that's just me.
 
My biggest and most favorite DG bolt gun is an FN M98 Express Rifle, cal. 370 Sako Mag (9,3×66mm). She is fitted with a 24" sporter weight barrel, express sights, EAW mounting system and holds 5 rounds. She can launch 286 gr bullets at over 2500 fps and 250 gr at a useful 2750 fps. She is a slim and trim sporter with some serious power.
 
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