Plains game

[mitch4570]

Ok, who uses a double rifle for hunting plains game?

 

[mark-hunter]

Good question!

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

When is Rome or in this case Africa and one has their trusty double rifle,

My trusty Heym 88B in .458 Win with Trijicon SRO 1 MOA dot

 

[mitch4570]

Great photos Mark! You must really have that Heym dialed in. What loads did you use?

 

[Kevin375]

I had the opportunity to use a little bit my PH's double rifles.

In 2012, I shot my first giraffe with a Heym 88 in .470 Nitro express and Federal Trophy Bonded Bear Claw 500 gr. I really loved this rifle well balanced, not so heavy and so easy to shoot.

Later, I had the opportunity to use a Krieghoff in .375 H&H magnum. The rifle was nice to handle, but the regulation of its barrels was not good at all with 12 cm (almost 5") at 50 meters and the left barrel hit on the right of the right barrel ! The ammunitions used (PMP Soft Point 300 gr) where not the same used for the initial regulation so it might explains the result. However, I didn't try this gun with the initital load to see how the regulation was.
We shot several times 2 rounds to be sure about the result with these PMP and all shot landed in the same holes.
I killed with it a steenbok, a kudu cow and a black wildebeest cow.

Later, I handled it again and I had some problems. They didn't take care about their guns in this farm and the little mobile claw was so rusty, it became difficult to load cartridges into the chambers.

I would like a double rifle now. Hopefully a Heym in the near future.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

Great photos Mark! You must really have that Heym dialed in. What loads did you use?

I load this .458 Win with Cutting Edge Bullets' 470 and 420 grain Raptors.
My Heym regulates these at 2150 fps mv for the 470's and 2325 for the 420's.
I prefer H4895 powder since I obtain the above velocities with the powder compressed only a hair. This powder is also temperature stable.

Perhaps most important is to practice by excessive dry firing and off the sticks on the practice range!
I am a firm believer in correct training to the point that when shxt hits the fan, one's subconscious guides their physical and mental reactions.

PS: A good load in a good double will hopefully be accurate/well regulated enough for 100-yard shots. I have a Blaser S2 in .375 H&H which is at least a 200-yard double, if not more. I have yet to take her to Africa...

 

[mitch4570]

Totally agree about dry firing. At a club in linde Mi, we would do reduced course vintage HP matches. I would tell newbies the best place to learn how to use their sling was on the floor at home.

 

[SETH RINGER]

MY SON HUNTS WITH AN O/U .30-06 WITH EXTRA BARRELS IN 9.3X74R. HOPRFULLY HE GETS HIS SABLE IN A COUPLE WEEKS WITH IT.

 

[AZDAVE]

I have shot PG with a double. there are pictures in my hunt reports.
bush pig
Bush buck
golden wildebeest
Kings wildebeest
warthog
2x zebra
roan
eland
sable
Giraffe
suni
red diker

 

[Altitude sickness]

I load this .458 Win with Cutting Edge Bullets' 470 and 420 grain Raptors.
My Heym regulates these at 2150 fps mv for the 470's and 2325 for the 420's.
I prefer H4895 powder since I obtain the above velocities with the powder compressed only a hair. This powder is also temperature stable.

Perhaps most important is to practice by excessive dry firing and off the sticks on the practice range!
I am a firm believer in correct training to the point that when shxt hits the fan, one's subconscious guides their physical and mental reactions.

PS: A good load in a good double will hopefully be accurate/well regulated enough for 100-yard shots. I have a Blaser S2 in .375 H&H which is at least a 200-yard double, if not more. I have yet to take her to Africa...

I would not want AZ Dave or Mark staring down their double rifle barrel at me. Both shoot DR’s very well.

I’ve shot Marks Heym and his Blaser S2. Both are dialed in. His Blaser DR prints bullet holes the exact width of the barrels perfectly horizontally at 50 yards. The best regulation I’ve ever seen. If he ever sold it. It would be a killing machine for some lucky buyer.

 

[8 x 60]

If Roe count I sometimes use my 1926 Merkel 8mm

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Animals would need to be very abundant for me to try stalking plains game antelope with a fifty yard gun. But I'm sure it would work well enough ambushing at a waterhole or shooting from the truck. I shot one gemsbuck very close range that was trying to run me over. The rest (27 I think, including two warthog) were ~100-300 yards, with two animals way beyond 300 that I shot with my PH's long range setup.

 

[AZDAVE]

@Ontario Hunter with a well regulated double a 125yard shot isn't hard to do. But requires a lot of practice time and a lot of ammo down range. Then stalking skills are definitely tested.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Stalking is a much harder skill to learn than shooting 200-300 yards . And much more rewarding.
Plus your success rate goes down. Which means more stalks and enjoyment per dollar spent than racking up carcasses.