FINALLY!!!

[Hyde Hunter]

Finding myself approaching the point of being in a pickle

1. My 9.3x62 has been in the shop since October for stock work and a bit of metal work on the extractor; I'm expecting it back soon, but who knows.
2. My 404J has a nice load with Hornady bonded DGX, but they're as hard to find as A Frames
3. My 280 AI has 2 nice loads, 160 A Frame (see point the 2nd) and 175 gr Partition (also see point the 2nd)
4. my 45-70 is ready to rock. I have about 30 or so 425 gr loads in the cartridge box, another 50 of those bullets in the box waiting to be loaded; and about 40 525 gr in the cartridge box.

As much as I like my 45-70 and can shoot it well, and i think it would be more than adequate for shooting conditions in Limpopo, that isn't the gun I want to bring.

sgt_zim, if it was me and I had the slightest inkling that my 9.3 might not make it I would work up a load for your 280AI very easy with the 155 or 160 Hammer Bullets I have taken 12 animals in Africa with only one shot each and only 3 recovered bullets they are great and the best thing is they are in stock always, very accurate, load work very easy

 

[sgt_zim]

sgt_zim, if it was me and I had the slightest inkling that my 9.3 might not make it I would work up a load for your 280AI very easy with the 155 or 160 Hammer Bullets I have taken 12 animals in Africa with only one shot each and only 3 recovered bullets they are great and the best thing is they are in stock always, very accurate, load work very easy

Heaviest Hammer I can put through my 9.5 twist 280 AI is 141 gr, I believe. I'm sure it would work, I just prefer heavier for caliber. One bullet that is in abundance is the NAB LR in 175 gr. That's what I'm really thinking about. A 1MOA load at even a modest 2650 fps would still let me reach WAY out there with that 0.648 BC

 

[Hogpatrol]

Heaviest Hammer I can put through my 9.5 twist 280 AI is 141 gr, I believe. I'm sure it would work, I just prefer heavier for caliber. One bullet that is in abundance is the NAB LR in 175 gr. That's what I'm really thinking about. A 1MOA load at even a modest 2650 fps would still let me reach WAY out there with that 0.648 BC

@sgt_zim You may want to run those numbers through a ballistic calculator. I shot those bullets in a 28 Nosler but they were going considerably faster (3100+)and a in a Benchmark 9 twist. Accuracy was good but not as good as Berger 168s.

JBM - Calculations - Stability

www.jbmballistics.com

 

[sgt_zim]

@sgt_zim You may want to run those numbers through a ballistic calculator. I shot those bullets in a 28 Nosler but they were going considerably faster (3100+)and a in a Benchmark 9 twist. Accuracy was good but not as good as Berger 168s.

JBM - Calculations - Stability

www.jbmballistics.com

You may be right. It looks as though Hammer has changed their recommendations. It wasn't very long ago, some time in 2023, that they recommended a 9 or 9.25 for anything heavier/longer than their 141 gr, and that had been the recommendation for quite a long time - I had looked at Hammers when I first bought my 280. Looking at their info right now in a different tab, it would seem the 160 gr shock hammer will stabilize in a 9.5 twist.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Keep working all of the first 3 points.. one of them will work out... The 4457 and rifle permit application can still wait a few months if youre not hunting until August.. I'd guess one of those items will come together with time to spare..

Or..

you could just go buy yourself a new rifle in a new caliber (maybe something pretty in 300 H&H or 375 H&H?)... and start fresh!

@mdwest
Or you could lend @sgt_zim one of your 35 Whelens. Dang close to and in some cases better than the 9.3x62.
Ha ha ha ha ha
Bob
Seriously things sound a bit grim over thar.
Bob

 

[sgt_zim]

@mdwest
Or you could lend @sgt_zim one of your 35 Whelens. Dang close to and in some cases better than the 9.3x62.
Ha ha ha ha ha
Bob
Seriously things sound a bit grim over thar.
Bob

I've already been offered the use of a 375H&H. Unfortunately, 90% of the population shoots from the wrong side of the gun, so my choices are a bit limited.

 

[sgt_zim]

Time until departure to Johannesburg, RSA:
Weeks: 23
Days: 5
Hours: 21
Minutes: 50

 

[sgt_zim]

Just in case there are any other nerds out there, just put in your own date on the 1st line, run this in powershell

$ddate = "8-17-2024 6:20PM"
$africa = ((get-date $ddate ) - (get-date)) | select days,hours,minutes
$days = [int]$africa.days
$weeks = [math]::Floor($([int]$africa.days/7))
$days = $days % 7
write-host @"



Time until departure to Johannesburg, RSA:
Weeks:`t`t$weeks
Days:`t`t$days
Hours:`t`t$($africa.Hours)
Minutes:`t$($africa.Minutes)
"@

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Time until departure to Johannesburg, RSA:
Weeks: 23
Days: 5
Hours: 21
Minutes: 50

@sgt_zim
But who's counting
Bob

 

[Hunt anything]

As it gets even closer it will seem as if the clock and calendar will be either stopped or going backwards. The anticipation is a wonderful part of the approach of a safari.

 

[sgt_zim]

A new scope. At the top are some Speers for getting on paper.

In the middle are 258 gr Shock Hammers.

At the bottom are 286 gr A Frames.

Hammers and Swifts starting at 58 gr of 2000MR, 10 shot ladders for each from 58 to 62.5 gr.

IDK why all of the MFGs specify such short COAL. Hammers are set to 3.30", A Frames to 3.32"

Let's see what we get. Range report tomorrow afternoon or Sunday.

Oh, yeah.

Time until departure to Johannesburg, RSA:

Weeks: 16
Days: 0
Hours: 22
Minutes: 27
Seconds: 6
Milliseconds: 527

 

[sestoppelman]

View attachment 601711

A new scope. At the top are some Speers for getting on paper.

In the middle are 258 gr Shock Hammers.

At the bottom are 286 gr A Frames.

Hammers and Swifts starting at 58 gr of 2000MR, 10 shot ladders for each from 58 to 62.5 gr.

IDK why all of the MFGs specify such short COAL. Hammers are set to 3.30", A Frames to 3.32"

Let's see what we get. Range report tomorrow afternoon or Sunday.

Oh, yeah.

Time until departure to Johannesburg, RSA:

Weeks: 16
Days: 0
Hours: 22
Minutes: 27
Seconds: 6
Milliseconds: 527

They want their loads to fit any rifle, you can tailor them to fit YOUR rifle.

 

[McKenzie Sims]

cant wait to see the report once you return!

 

[D.M.V]

Word !

 

[fourfive8]

The hardest part is slowing down time once you get there

 

[mark-hunter]

Congrats on making decision. Great choice of rifles, and solid choice of animals, although i suspect you could add some additonal animal of opportunity.!

 

[Ontario Hunter]

A question on foot gear.

I have a nice pair of heavy-soled Merrills and a pair of vibram-soled Justin lacers. The lacers aren't great hiking boots, they're kinda heavy. But they have 10" heavy leather uppers.

My issue on finding boots is I wear 13B or 14A. I'd like to get a pair of Courtneys, but I imagine they'll flop around on my feet like my under armour slides.

Don't worry much about fancy boots. Typically not rough country for those animals and usually the stalk is not far from the vehicle. You do NOT want high topped laceup boots. Too hot and heavy. A pair of medium uppers hiking boots are fine. I wear Georgia Boot "Eagle Trail" lightly insulated hikers. SUPER comfortable and very reasonably priced. Laces were junk (paracord crap) but the rest of the boot held up well till I walked the treaded soles flat. Lots of guys hunt Africa in running shoes and seem to do okay. Not for me though. Take two pair. Wear one on the plane and the other in checked bag. You need an alternate pair in case boots get wet or have a blowout.

 

[sgt_zim]

Congrats on making decision. Great choice of rifles, and solid choice of animals, although i suspect you could add some additonal animal of opportunity.!

The A Frames are for an "animal of opportunity." A buff bull would blow my budget for this hunt, but a cow won't.

I've heard so many good things about Hammers, I decided to give them a go. When I did the COAL measurement with them, it came out to 3.385". I've stuffed them down to 3.30.

When I measured the Swift, with ogive on lands, it came out to 3.45". I measured that 4 times. I've set them to 3.32"

I probably should have set them both at about 3.35 or so.

And I may yet for the Hammers. I'm told they don't engrave heavily, so pressure is a bit lower than indicated by either GRT or QL. 2000MR 62.5 gr is about as much powder as I can fit in the case at 3.30" COAL without getting to a compressed load.

 

[MLindsay]

I use 200 grain Hammers in my 35 Whelen. I have taken a zebra, hyena, some impalas and a couple of deer. Extremely accurate and devastating on animals

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Your animal of opportunity should be kudu. Don't come home without one. They are fun to hunt. In fact, my advice would be to forsake all others ... at least until after you have taken a nice kudu. The geography where I hunt kudu is more "interesting" and they are extremely wary. And of course, kudu are a spectacular trophy.