Convince Me I Am Wrong

[Quaticman]

Is a nicely balanced double rifle chambered in .450/400 Nitro Express just about the best medicine for Buffalo there is?

 

[Major Khan]

It does acceptably well with it's 400 grain bullet . " Best " is a matter of perspective .

 

[Newboomer]

Too many variables in the field to determine "best".

 

[WAB]

I’ll stick to my Lott with a 1-6x on it. I can ‘thread the needle’ with it, and it provides a major thumping when it gets there.

 

[spike.t]

Just go buy it....

 

[CoElkHunter]

If I won the lottery I’d buy it, but until then I’ll shoot my WM and Lott CZs. I guess this is my BEST for now?

 

[CAustin]

It will absolutely get the job done. If you have the chance to get one all I can say is why NOT!

 

[chashardy]

Not sure about "best" but that is a very good buffalo gun. It's what my PH carried when I hunted cape buffalo in Limpopo two years ago. I carried my 375 H&H double.

 

[Tanks]

If that's what you have it sure it is. Definitely better than any smaller caliber.

If buying though, I'd go up to .450 or .470.

PS. Before the usual suspects jump in to explain how with proper placement their .22 can kill buffalo and no one needs a bigger caliber, let's assume the guy knows how to shoot.

 

[One Day...]

Is a nicely balanced double rifle chambered in .450/400 Nitro Express just about the best medicine for Buffalo there is?

It does acceptably well with it's 400 grain bullet . " Best " is a matter of perspective .

I am with Major Khan, WAB, chashardy and Tanks on this one.
The .450/400 will certainly kill them very dead, but it is marginal to STOP them.
Sure, a brain shot knows not the caliber that sent it (.275 did wonders for Bell), but not all shots reach a brain and wrecking havoc with the machinery (the Taylor KO factor, etc.) still helps...
.470 or .500 are a lot more versatile (kill & stop) for the heavies...

Before the usual suspects jump in to explain how with proper placement their .22 can kill buffalo and no one needs a bigger caliber, let's assume the guy knows how to shoot.

Amen!

 

[Tanks]

...
.470 or .500 are a lot more versatile (kill & stop) for the heavies...

If you are going to include the .470 then might as well include the .450 as they are two peas in a pod. Though a lot more factory ammo options on the .470.

 

[One Day...]

If you are going to include the .470 then might as well include the .450 as they are two peas in a pod. Though a lot more factory ammo options on the .470.

Absolutely!
Ammo indeed less common though - is not Hornady about the only regularly available .450 option? - which is what leads me to generally recommend .470 or .500 because of Barnes, Norma and Federal loads, in addition to Hornady's...
Many will say "better bullets" and I will also add "better chances to get a load that regulates in the rifle"...

 

[Art Lambart II]

Absolutely!
Ammo indeed less common though - is not Hornady about the only regularly available .450 option? - which is what leads me to generally recommend .470 or .500 because of Barnes, Norma and Federal loads, in addition to Hornady's...
Many will say "better bullets" and I will also add "better chances to get a load that regulates in the rifle"...

Who are you and what have you done with Pascal, he never stops with a 3 sentence reply.

 

[Tanks]

...
Many will say "better bullets" and I will also add "better chances to get a load that regulates in the rifle"...

Though if one reloads then bullet issue is a wash once one has enough brass and the dies. Again though easier to procure the .470 brass and dies.

 

[yhc]

Though if one reloads then bullet issue is a wash once one has enough brass and the dies. Again though easier to procure the .470 brass and dies.

Unless you arrive at your safari destination and notice your ammo didn’t make it to the final destination....

The following is an excerpt from Craig Boddington’s article. https://www.safariclub.org/blog/tale-two-450s

“If you’re looking for a double rifle that will be used mostly for buffalo, then I think the .450/.400-3” is the way to go. It certainly has plenty of power for elephant, but the .450/400’s strongest suit is buffalo. On the other hand, if you intend to concentrate on elephant, then the .450-3 1/4” may be a better choice. Of course, you can always follow the crowd and get a .470 or take a step up and get a .500.”

Regards,

 

[Tanks]

Unless you arrive at your safari destination and notice your ammo didn’t make it to the final destination....
...

That's a myth. People talk about it all the time as a possibility, and that is all it is. With the volume of international travel, the odds of your particular luggage not making it are about the same as your plane going down more or less.

I take on an average of four (well used to, canceled two so far ,two more coming up) international trips a year. Have yet to get any luggage lost since I was 15 (when I started traveling alone internationally). Once in Turkey, a few years ago, my Tuffpak got put on a later domestic transfer flight and arrived a few hours later. Not a big deal. That was the only glitch.

Mostly I use wildcat cartridges, I don't sweat the rare possibility that my luggage with ammo won't make it. The firearms have a higher chance of getting stolen.

Now, I do take precautions and try not to do flight transfers in places I don't trust (for example no stopovers ever in Italy). My luggage is also sturdy so it is not going to get ripped up by the luggage systems.

 

[WAB]

That's a myth. People talk about it all the time as a possibility, and that is all it is. With the volume of international travel, the odds of your particular luggage not making it are about the same as your plane going down more or less.

I take on an average of four (well used to, canceled two so far ,two more coming up) international trips a year. Have yet to get any luggage lost since I was 15 (when I started traveling alone internationally). Once in Turkey, a few years ago, my Tuffpak got put on a later domestic transfer flight and arrived a few hours later. Not a big deal. That was the only glitch.

Mostly I use wildcat cartridges, I don't sweat the rare possibility that my luggage with ammo won't make it. The firearms have a higher chance of getting stolen.

Now, I do take precautions and try not to do flight transfers in places I don't trust (for example no stopovers ever in Italy). My luggage is also sturdy so it is not going to get ripped up by the luggage systems.

It’s rare but it did happen to me once. My ammo arrived 3 days late on a trip to Zambia.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

That's a myth. People talk about it all the time as a possibility, and that is all it is. With the volume of international travel, the odds of your particular luggage not making it are about the same as your plane going down more or less.

I take on an average of four (well used to, canceled two so far ,two more coming up) international trips a year. Have yet to get any luggage lost since I was 15 (when I started traveling alone internationally). Once in Turkey, a few years ago, my Tuffpak got put on a later domestic transfer flight and arrived a few hours later. Not a big deal. That was the only glitch.

Mostly I use wildcat cartridges, I don't sweat the rare possibility that my luggage with ammo won't make it. The firearms have a higher chance of getting stolen.

Now, I do take precautions and try not to do flight transfers in places I don't trust (for example no stopovers ever in Italy). My luggage is also sturdy so it is not going to get ripped up by the luggage systems.

Do you have properly head stamped brass or how do you deal with it?

 

[Tanks]

Do you have properly head stamped brass or how do you deal with it?

I have never been checked for head stamps on ammo. Just counted. Some of my rifles have dual head stamps e.g. ."300 RUM / .500" MDM others do not.

 

[Frederik]

For a hunter who would love a double and can use it it is a very good double it can kill anything is not as heavy as other doubles if you are going to carry it all day long. Recoil is mild to fair and in the end it is more important where you place that 400gr bullet. Plus you have the luxury to put a second shot in as quickly as you can get lined up again.