Don Heath's 'All Round Rifle'

[Jack Stevens]

Holy 2018 Necro thread! …. But I’ll play.

* The rifle must be able to drive a bullet through to an elephant brain from any angle;

• The rifle must be accurate enough and flat shooting enough for use on plainsgame under local prevailing conditions;
• The rifle must be easy to shoot and absolutely reliable;
• A selection of bullet types must be available that are suitable for taking all size classes of game from dik dik to elephant efficiently;
• The cartridge chosen must be easy to reload, and economical to practice with;
• The scope should have a setting of 2x or below for use on dangerous game;
• The ammunition should not be so bulky as to preclude easily carrying 20 or 30 rounds;
• The rifle design should facilitate rapid follow up shots.

Don was clearly describing criteria that fit Rigby’s .350 Magnum, one of the great Old School “middle” medium bores. The middles comprise those cartridges that fall between the .30-cals and 300-mag class and the .375-cal class (H&H, Ruger, Weatherby, etc). Along with Rigby’s .350, other Old School middles include the .318 Westley Richards and Jeffery’s .333.

Today, useful middles in the .358 range would include the .35 Remington, .35 Whelen, .350 Remington Magnum, and the .358 Norma Mag.

Of rifles chambered for those cartridges, my Remington model 660, with its 20” barrel and weighing 8lbs, seems to fit Don’s criteria for accuracy and flat-shooting, lethality on dangerous game, and portability and ease of use in the field.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Holy 2018 Necro thread! …. But I’ll play.



Don was clearly describing criteria that fit Rigby’s .350 Magnum, one of the great Old School “middle” medium bores. The middles comprise those cartridges that fall between the .30-cals and 300-mag class and the .375-cal class (H&H, Ruger, Weatherby, etc). Along with Rigby’s .350, other Old School middles include the .318 Westley Richards and Jeffery’s .333.

Today, useful middles in the .358 range would include the .35 Remington, .35 Whelen, .350 Remington Magnum, and the .358 Norma Mag.

Of rifles chambered for those cartridges, my Remington model 660, with its 20” barrel and weighing 8lbs, seems to fit Don’s criteria for accuracy and flat-shooting, lethality on dangerous game, and portability and ease of use in the field.

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So is your rifle chambered on .350 Rem Mag?

 

[Gomer]

Holy 2018 Necro thread! …. But I’ll play.



Don was clearly describing criteria that fit Rigby’s .350 Magnum, one of the great Old School “middle” medium bores. The middles comprise those cartridges that fall between the .30-cals and 300-mag class and the .375-cal class (H&H, Ruger, Weatherby, etc). Along with Rigby’s .350, other Old School middles include the .318 Westley Richards and Jeffery’s .333.

Today, useful middles in the .358 range would include the .35 Remington, .35 Whelen, .350 Remington Magnum, and the .358 Norma Mag.

Of rifles chambered for those cartridges, my Remington model 660, with its 20” barrel and weighing 8lbs, seems to fit Don’s criteria for accuracy and flat-shooting, lethality on dangerous game, and portability and ease of use in the field.

View attachment 795701

View attachment 795702

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

I have both the 375 Ruger and 375 H&H. The 375 Ruger (Hawkeye FTW) is arguably the better hunting rifle. It’s shorter, with a 22” barrel and is a little bit faster in velocity. It points fast. It’s stainless/fiberglass and shoots impressively flat with 250gr bullets. I haven’t shot 270gr or 300gr beyond 200 yards, but those bullets eat up a lot of case. I do like the lack of a belt. It’s very accurate and has almost no recoil with the brake. I will be shooting it without the brake this week for the first time.

My 375 H&H is an M70 with a 25” barrel. Its much smoother and the H&H case probably deserves some of that praise. I like that it accommodates more scope mounting options. It wears Talley steel QD rings. It’s a much “nicer” rifle but it’s not the handier of the two and is arguably less durable.

Hi Gomer,

My M70 pre 64 (1954) 375 H&H all original 25" barrel, feeds the 4 rounds in the magazine, and extracts the fired cases as easy as if there were no cartridges. And is the easyest rifle I have to operate the bolt from the shoulder...To say the bolt opens and closes smoothly is to fall too short.!!!
It is the only M70 pre 64 in 375 I know. But if all do function the same, I don´t know any other rifle like these. PERFECT FOR HUNTING!!!

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

I bought this rifle in 1992 from a Southafrican Boer. I must say that right now the rifle is no longer mine...It is in the hands of a friend who deserves it!!

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I recently read and re-read the article by Don Health entitled The "All Round Rifle" And Other Slippery Shibboleths'

In the article, Don discusses his requirements for the one rifle to do it all in Africa, which are briefly outlined below:

• The rifle must be able to drive a bullet through to an elephant brain from any angle;
• The rifle must be accurate enough and flat shooting enough for use on plainsgame under local prevailing conditions;
• The rifle must be easy to shoot and absolutely reliable;
• A selection of bullet types must be available that are suitable for taking all size classes of game from dik dik to elephant efficiently;
• The cartridge chosen must be easy to reload, and economical to practice with;
• The scope should have a setting of 2x or below for use on dangerous game;
• The ammunition should not be so bulky as to preclude easily carrying 20 or 30 rounds;
• The rifle design should facilitate rapid follow up shots.

In terms of cartridges he concluded that the 375 H&H was too long, the 9.3x62 was just adequate in power, and that the 376 Steyr was anaemic. He did write that if the 376 Steyr had been designed to fit a standard 30-06 length action instead of a short action it would have been 'the ultimate general purpose cartridge for Africa.

This brings me to the 375 Ruger. Is this the cartridge Don Heath had envisioned? Any thoughts?

Toting twenty to thirty rounds? Really? I'm not going to war. If I can't kill a buffalo with ten shots, I probably deserve to be stomped. I carry five 404J on the belt, a couple in my pocket and four in the rifle. I have killed three buffalo ... with four shots. When hunting pheasants I only carry a dozen shells at most. My Browning Pheasants Are Forever" upland vest actually has loops for 25 shells plus what's in the gun. Ridiculous! My plains game/deer 30-06 has six shot capacity and I may have that many more in my pocket. Deer hunting I'm usually wearing a daypack containing the remainder of a box of twenty.

 

[Jack Stevens]

So is your rifle chambered on .350 Rem Mag?

Yes.

 

[Jack Stevens]

Toting twenty to thirty rounds? Really? I'm not going to war. If I can't kill a buffalo with ten shots, I probably deserve to be stomped. I carry five 404J on the belt, a couple in my pocket and four in the rifle.

He was clearly referring to a culling belt. I have two. One holds 20-rds; the other, 30-rds.

These belts are a convenient, handy way to store and carry ammo at the ready, even if you’re not on a cull hunt.

 

[WAB]

Toting twenty to thirty rounds? Really? I'm not going to war. If I can't kill a buffalo with ten shots, I probably deserve to be stomped. I carry five 404J on the belt, a couple in my pocket and four in the rifle. I have killed three buffalo ... with four shots. When hunting pheasants I only carry a dozen shells at most. My Browning Pheasants Are Forever" upland vest actually has loops for 25 shells plus what's in the gun. Ridiculous! My plains game/deer 30-06 has six shot capacity and I may have that many more in my pocket. Deer hunting I'm usually wearing a daypack containing the remainder of a box of twenty.

I’m not sure you know who Don Heath was. He needed to tote 20 to 30 rounds of ammo. He wasn’t a sport hunter out for a single buff.

 

[SStomcat]

Holy 2018 Necro thread! …. But I’ll play.



Don was clearly describing criteria that fit Rigby’s .350 Magnum, one of the great Old School “middle” medium bores. The middles comprise those cartridges that fall between the .30-cals and 300-mag class and the .375-cal class (H&H, Ruger, Weatherby, etc). Along with Rigby’s .350, other Old School middles include the .318 Westley Richards and Jeffery’s .333.

Today, useful middles in the .358 range would include the .35 Remington, .35 Whelen, .350 Remington Magnum, and the .358 Norma Mag.

Of rifles chambered for those cartridges, my Remington model 660, with its 20” barrel and weighing 8lbs, seems to fit Don’s criteria for accuracy and flat-shooting, lethality on dangerous game, and portability and ease of use in the field.

View attachment 795701

View attachment 795702

I like the vest more

 

[Tdsmith517]

Toting twenty to thirty rounds? Really? I'm not going to war. If I can't kill a buffalo with ten shots, I probably deserve to be stomped. I carry five 404J on the belt, a couple in my pocket and four in the rifle. I have killed three buffalo ... with four shots. When hunting pheasants I only carry a dozen shells at most. My Browning Pheasants Are Forever" upland vest actually has loops for 25 shells plus what's in the gun. Ridiculous! My plains game/deer 30-06 has six shot capacity and I may have that many more in my pocket. Deer hunting I'm usually wearing a daypack containing the remainder of a box of twenty.

If you carry 20 rounds between your rifle, pockets, bag while deer hunting why is it unnecessary to carry that while hunting Africa? Some of the game can soak up some serious lead, even when mortally wounded. It is also possible to lose ammunition out of a belt slide/culling belt. Wouldn’t want to not have any extra.

 

[SStomcat]

Toting twenty to thirty rounds? Really? I'm not going to war. If I can't kill a buffalo with ten shots, I probably deserve to be stomped. I carry five 404J on the belt, a couple in my pocket and four in the rifle. I have killed three buffalo ... with four shots. When hunting pheasants I only carry a dozen shells at most. My Browning Pheasants Are Forever" upland vest actually has loops for 25 shells plus what's in the gun. Ridiculous! My plains game/deer 30-06 has six shot capacity and I may have that many more in my pocket. Deer hunting I'm usually wearing a daypack containing the remainder of a box of twenty.

He also used a FN FAL rifle for elephant and buffalo culling and PAC's duties. These rifles used a detachable 20 round magazine.
I have seen many used by Indian armed forces even though they were reverse engineered and named Isaphore though the magazine capacity remained same.

 

[Jack Stevens]

I like the vest more

Well, there’s that way of carrying ammo too, or on a stock pack on the rifle that holds 5- or 6-rounds.

 

[Tdsmith517]

He also used a FN FAL rifle for elephant and buffalo culling and PAC's duties. These rifles used a detachable 20 round magazine.
I have seen many used by Indian armed forces even though they were reverse engineered and named Isaphore though the magazine capacity remained same.

Didn’t he commission Swift to make a special run of bullets to be loaded for the FAL’s for culling cows and calves? Or is that urban legend?

 

[Ontario Hunter]

If you carry 20 rounds between your rifle, pockets, bag while deer hunting why is it unnecessary to carry that while hunting Africa? Some of the game can soak up some serious lead, even when mortally wounded. It is also possible to lose ammunition out of a belt slide/culling belt. Wouldn’t want to not have any extra.

Well, for starters 30-06 weighs a lot less than 404J per cartridge. I shoot 165 gr out of my 30-06 and 404 = 400 gr bullets. The half box of 30-06 usually resides in my daypack simply so I always know where to find my ammo. I suppose if I hunted dangerous game with a daypack, I might throw a box of ammo in it too. Not interested in hauling around 3x the weight of a box of 30-06 hanging on my hips. Culling is different than hunting a single trophy. I'm a trophy hunter. As I said, I cannot picture myself shooting a buffalo ten times with 404J and still needing more ammo. Sure, it could happen. And I might get hit on the head by a meteorite.

 

[Tdsmith517]

Well, for starters 30-06 weighs a lot less than 404J per cartridge. I shoot 165 gr out of my 30-06 and 404 = 400 gr bullets. The half box of 30-06 usually resides in my daypack simply so I always know where to find my ammo. I suppose if I hunted dangerous game with a daypack, I might throw a box of ammo in it too. Not interested in hauling around 3x the weight of a box of 30-06 hanging on my hips. Culling is different than hunting a single trophy. I'm a trophy hunter. As I said, I cannot picture myself shooting a buffalo ten times with 404J and still needing more ammo. Sure, it could happen. And I might get hit on the head by a meteorite.

I can understand it I suppose. I just never go anywhere without a box. I have had the bottom metal pop open on brush and I lost the cartridges that were in it. I figured that the gun is usless without ammunition so I might aswell carry some extra. Same reason I have a 6 arrow quiver instead of a 3. Also lets me carry some judo points for grouse. I spent 12 years wearing farming bags with coils of nails and all sorts of stuff crammed in them. I don’t even notice the weight.

 

[PerH]

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hunters-guide-to-classic-african-cartridges-ganyana/1134600804

A fine little book by him and Haley to read .

Also the

9.3 x 62 Journal – This book is a must for all serious enthusiast who own or shoot the 9.3 x 62 Mauser Cartridge, and will become an important reference for the avid hunter of big game around the world who want to hunt with bullet to stop a charge! I

93x62journal.co.za

He also wrote articles used there .

 

[bimbo]

I hunted every game with my 9.3x74 R twin of 9.3 x 62.All the requirements will be inclusive in those two wonderfull rounds .

 

[Nkawu]

Here is a link to the article: 'The "All Round Rifle" And Other Slippery Shibboleths' by Don Heath

The ammo requirement seems more aimed towards the resident hunter who needs to add a ‘self-defence’ component when out alone: angry animals and dangerous people.

 

[bimbo]

Here is a link to the article: 'The "All Round Rifle" And Other Slippery Shibboleths' by Don Heath

The ammo requirement seems more aimed towards the resident hunter who needs to add a ‘self-defence’ component when out alone: angry animals and dangerous people.

Hunting field History say same