Do you have your ideal rifle or are you still looking for it?

[steve white]

This will surprise no one amongst the regular inmates, but my quest is over and I have found happiness with the Blaser R8

It covers anything I need with .22 LR, .223 Rem, .257 Wby, .300 Wby, .375 H&H and .458 Lott pipes.

I have even been poaching my wife's R8 battery for dense vegetation and medium range. I initially bought the .270 Win and 9.3x62 barrels for her (she does not like shooting past 200 yards and is a recoil-sensitive petite), but I am now trending on using "my" barrels for longer range hunts (open plains, open mountain ranges) and using "her" barrels at "bush range". It works wonderfully well.

The more I use the R8, the more I understand the old wisdom "Beware the man who only has one gun. He probably knows how to use it!" (attributed to Thunder Ranch founder Clint Smith).

The thousands of .22 LR rounds I shoot annually with the R8 (I shoot a few dozen rounds almost weekly on my own 100 yd range at home) have done wonders for my shooting form. It is a rare day when I do not get 100% hits on the 2" plate at 100 yd standing from the quad sticks, and often enough they group neatly in half the plate (a.k.a. 1 MOA), and the practice has translated flawlessly to the bigger calibers when I bolt them on the R8.

To me, in addition to all the usual reasons to select and stick with the R8 (trigger, ergonomics, universal accuracy of barrels, ability to bring 3 calibers to Africa in <62" <50 lbs. Pelican, reliability of detachable scope mounts, etc. etc. etc.) the ability to practice endlessly with the very rifle that will kill a Cape Kudu on the next ridge, or stop a Buff or Ele in its track, is the great unsung quality of the system. I mean, seriously, who shoots their .375 or .458 thousand times per year? No one, right? You can if you shoot a R8...

As to the Mauser extractor and CRF debate, it is as obsolete as writing letters with a Mont Blanc fountain pen, although I continue to enjoy both but recognize their being a thing of the past

Yes, I continue to think that a pair of matched Rigby Stalker in 7x57 and 9.3x62 would be quite something to grace the rifle rack, but I have already re-sold a number of lovely rifles (double, kipplauf, bolt) and have no regret whatsoever. Matter of fact, I plan to continue to empty the safes and convert the $$$ into more actual hunts. It finally dawned on me that hunting in Africa is even better than compensatory gun buying

Now you see, this should be moved to the Gun Safe thread. Instead of buying twice the size of safe, you could reduce it all down to the one original safe by buying an R8 with extra barrels...lol. But for me the buy once cry once is at the outer edge of out of reach financially.

 

[MS 9x56]

I love the near fanaticism of the Blaser crowd.....not meaning it in a dick way so please don't take it that way, but that brand inspires a lot of emotion, there seems to be no middle ground. I used to sell them when our agency had the line, I appreciate what they are but I'm not into them at all. I would also never pay what they want for them. I can attest to the fact that the majority of their sales happen in very small regions in the US, mostly Texas and the SE. Michigan is the meat & potatoes of my territory, and I think I sold about 5 R8's annually for 3 years in a row. I'll sell the same amount of Chapuis Double Rifles annually if that tells you anything.

I am not so sure as I don’t know anyone who actually owns a blazer.

 

[Green Chile]

I love my R8 in 300 win mag. It is fast and accurate and easy to handle. My 375 barrel is heavier profile and handles differently. I’m just not used to it yet. I have a second heavier R8 but I usually have a 416 barrel on it.

I’m a definite fan of the R8 platform and have a rimfire barrel setup just like my 300 win mag for it like @One Day...

 

[SFRanger7GP]

My ideal rifle is my Rigby Highland Stalker in 30-06. I ordered it with a few extras added to make it personal for me. If I ever return to Africa, it will be for plains game so I don't have much need for a 375 or larger anymore. On a different extreme, I have found a nostalgic joy hunting with TC Encore rifles since they have made their new comeback.

Safe hunting

 

[Slickshooter]

My perfect rifle I’ve used for DG is a Mauser M98 in 416 Rigby. I have 2 buff and a dry land hippo under my belt with it and to me it’s near perfect. I own a Montana 1999 Professional Hunter that holds 5 down in 416 Rigby that I want to say I like better but haven’t killed anything with it yet.

 

[Green Chile]

5 down in a 416 Rigby is impressive. You’re ready for war.

 

[Jefferry404]

Yep, I have 3 ideal 375H&H, 2 ideal 404 Jeffery and 2 ideal 416 Rigby!
Will be adding 1 ideal 375H&H, 1 ideal 404 and 1 ideal 416 Rigby.
Obviously, I have the “ideal” rifle

 

[Green Chile]

Any details? What makes them ideal for you?

 

[mdwest]

Since we are talking 375 H&H class of rifles. I recently acquired a Ipshisi Chapuis double in 375 that I am currently developing loads for and starting to become attached to for my 375.

When you find something it likes, please share. I may use that as a starting point for load development for my wife’s 375 iphisi.

Right now I’m just blowing through a few boxes of Hornady DGX factory loads (what it was regulated for from the factory) to build up a dedicated brass pile.. it shoots surprisingly really well with the factory ammo. At 50 yards the bullets are no more than an inch apart, and aren’t crossing… so I may just stick with it… but… I’d really rather develop a TSX or A-Frame load for it if I can get those to shoot just as well and keep the velocity high enough that it makes sense..

 

[Jefferry404]

Any details? What makes them ideal for you?

Thanks for asking!
They all have: Turkish or French walnut, integral barrels or quarter ribs with express sights, pre-64 or double square bridge actions, grip caps, dark bluing. Euro “trash” detachable scopes…
The 375 H&H is my favorite, the Rigby my second.
Although u would think at 71, I would have more sense…

 

[Green Chile]

Thanks for asking!
They all have: Turkish or French walnut, integral barrels or quarter ribs with express sights, pre-64 or double square bridge actions, grip caps, dark bluing. Euro “trash” detachable scopes…
The 375 H&H is my favorite, the Rigby my second.
Although u would think at 71, I would have more sense…

Sounds like you built up some nice customs. Any photos of them to share?

 

[Brandon.Gleason]

I'm relatively sure I've the "perfect" all around safari rifle in an AHR upgraded CZ550 in .375 H&H, topped with a Swarovski Z6i 1-6EE scope. It's digested numerous loads from 250-350gr with great accuracy and not much fuss on load workup. It's comfortable to shoot and pleasant to look at. The only real "upgrade" I'd like to pursue one day is the addition of a walnut stock to compliment the current B&C kevlar stock it lives in. With matching rifles in .300 Win Mag (Swarovski Z6i 2-12x50) and .458 Lott (Kahles Helia RD), I really have no need to go look for another rifle. Although, a CZ 527 in .22 Hornet or .222 Remington would be a nice way to round out the middle of the bottom, with an existing CZ 457 .22LR (Swarovski Z3 3-9x36) as a great training rifle.......

 

[WAB]

Where's the photo? Sounds great.

The lower rifle. The top rifle is Bliksem, a custom M70 in 7x57.

 

[Jefferry404]

Sure,
375 pre-64

7mm rem mag, companion to the 375

7x57 Mauser action

3 Rifle Battery: 404J GMA, 375H&H GMA, 30-06 GMA (the last 2 a pair of Turkish and the GMA are John’s “slim” actions)

My pair for Africa: 9.3x62 and 7x57 on GMA g33-40 actions from a single piece of Bastogne

And not least, my practice rifle, 22LR Brno action, holds 5 down!

Sorry for being so long winded…
But you asked
Best
Steve

 

[baxterb]

Sure,
375 pre-64
View attachment 736687
7mm rem mag, companion to the 375
View attachment 736690
7x57 Mauser action
View attachment 736688

3 Rifle Battery: 404J GMA, 375H&H GMA, 30-06 GMA (the last 2 a pair of Turkish and the GMA are John’s “slim” actions)
View attachment 736691

My pair for Africa: 9.3x62 and 7x57 on GMA g33-40 actions from a single piece of Bastogne

View attachment 736697

And not least, my practice rifle, 22LR Brno action, holds 5 down!
View attachment 736694

Sorry for being so long winded…
But you asked
Best
Steve

Nice. Is that 22 a Wiebe?

 

[Jefferry404]

Not Duane’s. Same smith as the bigger rifles. He thought I should have a full size rifle for practice.

 

[Green Chile]

Beautiful guns with a lot of intentionality in the design and execution. Fantastic.

 

[Jefferry404]

Thanks for the kind words.
These and their brethren were my therapy when I was working. Now, just my pleasure.

 

[375Fox]

I own other rifles but this Sako 85 kodiak in 375 H&H or it’s almost twin in 300 win seem to be the only rifles I reach for when I go to Africa. They’ve both accounted for a lot of game.

 

[Scott CWO]

Every time I tell myself I’m done… I come up with a new application and discover I have a void…

There was a great deal on a 22-250 recently… I didnt own any 22 center fires other than a handful of .223/5.56 AR’s…

I realized if I ever go prairie dog hunting that out of the 60 odd long guns that are owned between me and the wife, that we don’t have a single appropriate rifle in a proper chambering…

So I bought the 22-250..

Mind you that in 56 years I’ve never hunted p-dogs… and I have no future plans to hunt them…

But by God I’m prepared now! lol..,

I did the same thing with a shotgun a few months ago…

I’ve got a safe full of 12 and 20 ga options… but I had recently been on a dove hunt where the guy next to me was shooting a wonderful little 28 ga… so I decided my 20ga was no longer adequate… and went on the search for a nice 28…

I didn’t find one that day… but did come across a great deal on a 16ga sxs… and thought to myself “that would be a perfect pheasant gun! I don’t own a 16ga!”

So I bought it…

Been killing pheasant all my life without ever owning a 16ga before… but by God now I’ve got a 16ga pheasant gun lol..

I've got prairie dogs for you...