The Ultimate Dangerous Game Rifle

Looking forward to your report and feedback on the Montana .404!!

Especially the actual weight of the rifle!

Reliability, function and enough power down range to complete the job on DG in a dangerous situation.
So maybe thats a double rifle. Never handled one. I guess the early doubles were born of necessity and the early chamberings were big bullets running at lower presure than can be run in modern rifles.
Then there is the people who say CRF is the go to.
I have a .375H&H in CZ550 just because they make them. Its my one safari rifle in the safe because i can. I would like more but hoping to put this to use first on Buffalo one day. (Africa PG cull hunt is 8 weeks away then what next?)
I owned a .458wm considered chambering it to a Lott but sold to fund the .375i read that a .375 is DG minimum but not considered a stopping rifle.
If I need CRF DG stopping rifle then maybe the Lott given it can use the Wm cartridge too.
Maybe the .416 or the like is enough, id like to try some.
In todays market with affordable reliable bolt action rifles out there is CRF critical?
Tikka dont do a DG chambering but mine seem to function smoothly and effectively for comparison sake.
And then there are Blaser offering straight pull in suitale chamberings. Time for @Red Leg to chime in.

Newboomer said:

I hadn't considered my 404 Jeffery as the perfect dg rifle but if it works anything like my M70 Safari Express 375HH I will feel quite confident facing any creature on earth. I've loaded up some Barnes TSX 400 g with 69 g of 4064. That's a couple g below max. Should be quite effective.
I talked to MRC the other day and they are waiting on the rear sight. The one that came in was drilled wrong so they had to reorder. Said my rifle should ready in about two weeks.

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I thought I rememberd you placing an order with MRC at a show, but I couldn't remember the caliber or the show.
The 404 will be perfect for DG.

I saw an ad in the SCI magazine for the MRC 1999 Safari Elite Series being unveiled 1 December 2019.
Interested to see what they are gonna do...

I have about 30 years of practical experience with DG hunting in very different countries of Africa and Southeast Asia , and that with very different kind of rifles and cartridges. That's why I also allow myself to submit a comment on the subject.

The tradition and a certain flair for "Out of africa" can influence the choice of many , but surprisingly , is this choice almost ideal. Nothing can replace rifles with very robust bolt actions with CRF or classic DR. There we are again by the Mauser action or similar , or the classic boxlock or sidelock action of the DR. However , the latter are a chapter apart.

Heavy cartridges often have to be pulled out of the chamber very quickly and that in a hot climate with the risk of overpressure. Here is the very strong claw extractor of the Mauser action or similar again of advantage. The heavy strains that these DG rifles are sometimes exposed on the terrain are also known to us.

Regardless of the cartridges , I warn about all these very modern rifle action systems cited in some postings. Whether all these rifles , and their Push Feed actions or with too weak extractors , will last for a longer time like all the classic rifles that we know , is questionable.

For me it would be a .404 Jeffery, CRF of course. Made by-any number of companies: Montana, CZ, Heym, etc. I’d want an oil finish, I don’t care for glossy stocks. Wood doesn’t need to be fancy, a little figure is fine. Scope would of course be in QD mounts, 1-6 power or there about. Zeiss, Leica, S&B or Leupold with objective no larger than 32mm. German #1 or #4 IR. Weight would be on the heavy side.

Ive never owned much less shot a DG rifle so the above description is all in my imagination and could change if I ever do own one.

ultimate dg rifle
i own it
My ultimate dangerous game rifle, is the one i have most faith in and shoot well
Blaser R8 in 416 rem mag

Tally-Ho Hunting Safaris said:

ultimate dg rifle
i own it
My ultimate dangerous game rifle, is the one i have most faith in and shoot well
Blaser R8 in 416 rem mag

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What? I tbought it would have to be a CRF or Double

If i were the hunter
I would probably go for my trusty 375h+h interarms. Never fail gun and nice to shoot
But honestly im hard pressed to let my blaser out of my hands

Tally-Ho Hunting Safaris said:

If i were the hunter
I would probably go for my trusty 375h+h interarms. Never fail gun and nice to shoot
But honestly im hard pressed to let my blaser out of my hands

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Ah Ha, A classic CRF .375H&H .
Goodo, i kinda like traditional and cant really afford the Blaser. In Australia its probly around 10k with 2 barrels. While i likr nice stuff its a lot of money to carry in the field.

For an “all around DG gun” it must be bigger than .375 so I’m going with .416. This is because to be all around it must be suitable for elephant and most will shy away from .375 for ele. If you have a .416 (or similar) that you can shoot well then it can be used on your DG Safari for PG as well. I shot a Red Lechwe with my .416 and it didn’t do too much damage.
Of course if you want one gun to do it all then it could be the R8!
I am thinking my Africa battery going forward is my R8 in .375 Ruger and my .470 Kreighoff with a red dot sight for shooting further than I could with iron sights. So I’m leaving the .416 out at this time.
Regards,
Philip

I’m very happy with my M-70 in .458 Lott. Very accurate and absolutely hammers everything I hit with it. It shoots well with glass and irons using the Talley QD system.

The Ultimate Dangerous Game Rifle? Has to be the John Rigby & Co. 416 Rigby. Tradition, reliability (Mauser 98 Magnum Controlled Round Feed) and craftsmanship in a beautiful rifle.
I have to confess a bit of bias since I just bought one!

chashardy said:

The Ultimate Dangerous Game Rifle? Has to be the John Rigby & Co. 416 Rigby. Tradition, reliability (Mauser 98 Magnum Controlled Round Feed) and craftsmanship in a beautiful rifle.
I have to confess a bit of bias since I just bought one!

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Congratulations.
And by the way...pics or it didn't happen.

chashardy said:

The Ultimate Dangerous Game Rifle? Has to be the John Rigby & Co. 416 Rigby. Tradition, reliability (Mauser 98 Magnum Controlled Round Feed) and craftsmanship in a beautiful rifle.
I have to confess a bit of bias since I just bought one!

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That last statement allows you all the bias you care to share. Congrats on a dream rifle!

BeeMaa said:

Congratulations.
And by the way...pics or it didn't happen.

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Look for my post "Just joined the big bore Club" in 375& up. Pics are there

chashardy said:

The Ultimate Dangerous Game Rifle? Has to be the John Rigby & Co. 416 Rigby. Tradition, reliability (Mauser 98 Magnum Controlled Round Feed) and craftsmanship in a beautiful rifle.
I have to confess a bit of bias since I just bought one!

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all true, only downfall is the calibre in 416 rigby, not my favourite and not nice to shoot

Well I am a double guy, just love how they shoot and just come to the shoulder like a fine shotgun on quail. However DG are a tad bigger than quail. Years ago a friend let me shoot his 500 NE Merkel and I was hooked, over the last 10 years I have owned 16 different doubles and my 450/400 VC is my favourite big bore and 9.3 Mid bore. I shoot a 500 or so rounds a year out of my doubles and am very comfortable with irons and shoot them well. I have a red dot that I am experimenting on my 9.3. The 450/400 in truth is all I will need in a DG rifle. it regulates with swift Aframes at 2145fps and the northfork solid at 2125, both hits the same POI.

However since the title of this thread is for the "Ultimate DG rifle" If money was no option or they were willing to let me field test for say 40 years mine would be a Rigby Rising Bite 500NE double with simple border engraving, color cased action, and a stunning english walnut stock that I could add dents and scratched for years of adventures.

"Best" rifle is completely subjective, however for a client the rifle would be a 9.3x62/74 (where legal) or a 375 H&H/Ruger/Blaser or a 404 Jeffery, whichever the client can shoot the most accurately in a variety of circumstances/distances with both a scope and open sights. The PH, the biggest portable Howitzer they can "expertly" use to stop DG in their tracks, 458 Lott or bigger. Submitted subjectively

A Single shot Ruger No. 1-H Tropical in .416 Rigby...Because If it's Danger you really want? Hunt a proven killer with just one shot...Be perfect or be dead...and practice reloads until your fingers bleed..

Ralph Martini made 375 on BRNO action, not ideal for elepHant but not many people hunting elephants on here anyhow, 350 gr solid would do the job if needled