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.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I was formerly a stalker of elk and moose. Shot many of them and most less than 100 yards (never called one in and never shot anything over bait). I typically tracked them in snow. I also had the advantage of hunting alone in a familiar environment for game species that were very familiar to me. Africa is different. Plains game are entirely different critters, the plains are typically not heavy timber, no snow for tracking, an unfamiliar environment (often from day to day), and I'm required to hunt with a merry band (PH and tracker). Yes, it is much more rewarding to get up close and personal but that's not easily accomplished for plains game due to a variety of reasons. If a person has the time ( = $$$) to wait for the challenge of a shot at a +50" kudu stalking to fifty yards, then go for it. Unless it's a canned hunt the odds will still be stacked against putting one in the salt that way. Sure, I would prefer the more challenging very close shots, but a safari is still about having some success. For many it's a once-in-a-lifetime affair. Of course they will want to experience as much variety as possible. Limiting oneself to <100 yards likely limits the variety ... unless there's unlimited time to hunt. Dangerous game is different. The cost is extraordinary so the hunter is prepared to devote his entire safari to getting close for that one animal. I don't know too many guys who expect to devote an entire safari to getting one particular plains game animal. Sometimes a special kudu or particular exotic antelope. But again, those hunts are typically expensive for both daily rate and trophy fee.

 

[Altitude sickness]

You are correct stalking on the eastern cape of South Africa would be tough, but there are plenty of places where PG live that is very thick and you can get within 20-50 yards of them. You may have more blown stalks and less dead critters, but it’s definitely doable. You just have to pretend your bow hunting with a rifle in your hand. You tend to move a lot slower when you only have a bow in your hand.