The Ideal African "Light Rifle", that is the Question?

[uplander01]

Just looking for insight as to how other fellas view what they are carrying for a rifle in "wild Africa". I have an addiction to nice moderately priced custom rifles. But for the last 8-10 years it's been more or less an obsession for everything 375 and up. On the hand full of safaris I've been lucky enough to take my thought for a rifle is, why would you carry anything smaller than a 375, knowing that you can run into about anything at any given time? I'm conflicted, there are some really cool 7x57, 35 Whelen, etc on the market right now,.......all stuff that at one time in my life I thought I really wanted. Add to this I prefer to travel with 1 rifle, travel light travel easy, IMO. Anxious to hear your thoughts......

Thanks

 

[VertigoBE]

If you are intending to take only one rifle. And Dangerous Game is potentially on the menu, then your past decision making was correct. A .375H&H bolt action (or accurate double rifle, why not) scoped, is probably your best bet.

It also means that you have simplified your weapon choices so much, that you can go and pick out something really special in .375H&H.

 

[Certus]

As above, 375 H&H does it all.

 

[uplander01]

This is where my heads at. Difficult to get around it, a good 375, 404, 416 Rigby, built right isn't really more of a burden to carry than a 300 or 338 in an African style build (wood, sights, etc)

 

[RR 314]

The funny thing is I have two rifles that are the result of this exact same thought process—-and neither of them have made the trip to Africa. . Not even as a backup. Both of them are in a .375 chambering of some flavor. I buy way too many rifles and foolishly think they will all make the trip at some point, while most are relegated to roles as expensive hog rifles. I just had a light contoured .404 Jeff completed that will likely be relegated to the same fate. There is a.458 B&M on gunbroker now that I have absolutely no need for. I have thought that would be a perfect all day carry rifle even though I have several others that fit the bill. I’m proud of myself. I have finally made up my mind that I shall but no more rifles. . . forever. . One nice light .375 is all you need for a great trip. I just need to listen to my own advice.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

If dangerous game is on the menu, then .375 Holland & Holland Magnum is hard to beat.

If you’re only after plains game, then a .30-06 Springfield gets my vote.

7x57mm Mauser is also always excellent.

The 7x57mm Mauser (with 170-175Gr bullets) is perfectly adequate for any non dangerous game, barring eland and kudu (although I’ve successfully shot both these game animals with this caliber).

The .30-06 Springfield (with 220Gr bullets) is perfectly adequate for all plains game including eland & kudu (although novices would be better off with at least a .338 Winchester Magnum for these gigantic antelope).

The .375 Holland & Holland Magnum covers everything the globe might throw at you (including elephant although this caliber is very marginal for body shots).

Another very nice (but criminally underrated) all-purpose caliber is the 9.3x64mm Brenneke. It’s legal to use on dangerous game in Zimbabwe and Mozambique (and Benin while the country was free from the terrorism threats).

As my photographs above show I’ve personally experienced success first hand with the first three calibers. The 9.3x64mm Brenekke I very much regret to say… never came my way in Africa or Asia. Although I have hunted an Australian sambar with this caliber with excellent results.

 

[Beck]

The funny thing is I have two rifles that are the result of this exact same thought process—-and neither of them have made the trip to Africa. . Not even as a backup. Both of them are in a .375 chambering of some flavor. I buy way too many rifles and foolishly think they will all make the trip at some point, while most are relegated to roles as expensive hog rifles. I just had a light contoured .404 Jeff completed that will likely be relegated to the same fate. There is a.458 B&M on gunbroker now that I have absolutely no need for. I have thought that would be a perfect all day carry rifle even though I have several others that fit the bill. I’m proud of myself. I have finally made up my mind that I shall but no more rifles. . . forever. . One nice light .375 is all you need for a great trip. I just need to listen to my own advice.

Listen you can never own too many hunting rifles

 

[RR 314]

Listen you can never own too many hunting rifles

Perhaps. Just don’t clean them in the kitchen. . .

 

[Beck]

Perhaps. Just don’t clean them in the kitchen. . .

LOL

 

[CBH Australia]

@uplander01 the .375H&H makes sense and I’m hanging onto mine because I might need it one day. Well I hope I will.

I’m not sure what you are asking when you say “light rifle”

In part I’m thinking you want a lighter calibre and if you want a nice hunting rifle you might want lighter weight.

If I was building a moderately priced custom for Africa would opt for a .280a.i. In a blued walnut stocked rifle of a lightweight design. Thin barrel and appropriately proportioned stock.

I have a thing for 7mm’s . I am impressed by this cartridge and it’s a step up from the .280 or 7x64 that are both a step up from the 7x57 that has a proven track record.

If you want to be a bit more traditional or classic then the 7x57 will do it anyway.

I had a Tikka action fitted with a C/F wrapped barrel and fitted a C/F stock. It’s light accurate and effective. I would hunt plains game with it but it would look terrible in an African Safari hunting photo.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I don't like bolt actions as you know (yes, you can tear me to pieces later!) simply because too many people have too many problems with them, even in my little circle.
Excluding the R8 style which is the subject of some loading issues too on a parallel thread, that leaves doubles and the Ruger No1. I love them both, so if you have the budget why not go for a double in 375H&H, or 450/400? Perfectly good for anything with a LP scope or better still an RMR.
Or if you like a Ruger No1 in 375 H&H with a detachable LP scope?

 

[uplander01]

@uplander01 the .375H&H makes sense and I’m hanging onto mine because I might need it one day. Well I hope I will.

I’m not sure what you are asking when you say “light rifle”

In part I’m thinking you want a lighter calibre and if you want a nice hunting rifle you might want lighter weight.

If I was building a moderately priced custom for Africa would opt for a .280a.i. In a blued walnut stocked rifle of a lightweight design. Thin barrel and appropriately proportioned stock.

I have a thing for 7mm’s . I am impressed by this cartridge and it’s a step up from the .280 or 7x64 that are both a step up from the 7x57 that has a proven track record.

If you want to be a bit more traditional or classic then the 7x57 will do it anyway.

I had a Tikka action fitted with a C/F wrapped barrel and fitted a C/F stock. It’s light accurate and effective. I would hunt plains game with it but it would look terrible in an African Safari hunting photo.

I guess what I'm asking is ......if the average "light rifle" of tradition wood and metal configuration regardless of caliber weights around 9-10lbs, why not just carry a 375 or 404 (because they all weigh the same) all the time and shoot everything with it, if you encounter a big nasty, you aren't under gunned. The same principle could be applied to anywhere in North America where there are big bears. If you are hunting moose or blacktail, or even sheep for that matter, why wouldn't you be using some sort of 338 variant. I personally wouldn't want to be staring down the barrel of some 6.5 variant bullshit with a ballistic tip bullet at a hungry brown bear.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I guess what I'm asking is ......if the average "light rifle" of tradition wood and metal configuration regardless of caliber weights around 9-10lbs, why not just carry a 375 or 404 (because they all weigh the same) all the time and shoot everything with it, if you encounter a big nasty, you aren't under gunned. The same principle could be applied to anywhere in North America where there are big bears. If you are hunting moose or blacktail, or even sheep for that matter, why wouldn't you be using some sort of 338 variant. I personally wouldn't want to be staring down the barrel of some 6.5 variant bullshit with a ballistic tip bullet at a hungry brown bear.

A wise concept.

My predecessor, Yousuf Salauddin Ahmad (the first Chief Conservator of Forests of Pakistan and author of "With The Wild Animals Of Bengal") preferred to hunt Axis deer in the Sundarban mangrove forests with a .450/400 Nitro Express, because one never knew when one was going to cross paths with a Royal Bengal tiger or a saltwater crocodile.

In French Indo-China. it was common for the rubber plantation owners to hunt deer and wild boar with the 10.75x68mm Mauser (invariably a French ManuFrance Rival rifle), because one never knew when they would come across an Indo-Chinese tiger, leopard, Seladang, Asian sloth bear or jungle elephant. Because they figured (very wisely too) that it's safer to be over-gunned for small game than to be under-gunned for large (and potentially dangerous) game.
.

 

[grand veneur]

I guess what I'm asking is ......if the average "light rifle" of tradition wood and metal configuration regardless of caliber weights around 9-10lbs, why not just carry a 375 or 404 (because they all weigh the same) all the time and shoot everything with it, if you encounter a big nasty, you aren't under gunned. The same principle could be applied to anywhere in North America where there are big bears. If you are hunting moose or blacktail, or even sheep for that matter, why wouldn't you be using some sort of 338 variant. I personally wouldn't want to be staring down the barrel of some 6.5 variant bullshit with a ballistic tip bullet at a hungry brown bear.

When it comes to using only one rifle, as know, the biggest expected game will determine the choice of the rifle and caliber. In this case, a rifle caliber 375 H&H Magnum would be the smallest that would be considered, but bigger and even very much bigger can also be used without any problems. Rifles caliber 416 or similar are perfect for something like this, but you can also use a much bigger caliber as long as you are able to shoot with such a scoped rifle at longer distances. I have also shot plain game with various big bore rifles, including my rifles caliber 460 Weatherby Magnum or 500 Schüler. The latter are certainly not ideal for something like this, but it works. Rifles caliber 416 or similar are almost ideal for this purpose, in all cases for a client.

For the same reason, outside of Africa I hunted primarily with rifles caliber 340 Weatherby Magnum or 9,3x64 Brenneke.

 

[uplander01]

<-------You and I sir are thinking alike.

 

[Mountaineer]

My son and I have settled on a light weight 375 h&h bolt action (8lbs total) and a 458 win mag DR (9lbs total) as the hunt everything rifles for us.

 

[RR 314]

This is one I had built and referenced above. I understand many do not like carbon fiber and synthetic. LAW action, Echols stock. Proof barrel. No irons. Still think it would be a great one rifle safari piece.

 

[CBH Australia]

I guess what I'm asking is ......if the average "light rifle" of tradition wood and metal configuration regardless of caliber weights around 9-10lbs, why not just carry a 375 or 404 (because they all weigh the same) all the time and shoot everything with it, if you encounter a big nasty, you aren't under gunned. The same principle could be applied to anywhere in North America where there are big bears. If you are hunting moose or blacktail, or even sheep for that matter, why wouldn't you be using some sort of 338 variant. I personally wouldn't want to be staring down the barrel of some 6.5 variant bullshit with a ballistic tip bullet at a hungry brown bear.

Agreed, I’m not going hunting in BrownBear territory with a 6.5 Manbun either, and no ballistic tip or mono going to stop a charge.

I guess the .375H&H while it’s not a stopping cartridge it’s a fairly big cartridge with manageable recoil,

For me I still want a cartridge light enough that I can shoot it accurately. That applies to my hunting in general and if I need to take a large or dangerous animal.

 

[IvW]

My light plains game rifle is 7x57mm.
Medium plainsgame it is 9.3x74R or 375 H&H.
Longer range mountains 7x64mm or 7x65R is my favourite.

Dg

375 H&H
404 Jeff
50 Jeff

 

[WyoBull]

If DG is not on the menu then I take what I use here in the US which is my Remington 700 SS in 7mm RUM. I shoot Barnes bullets exclusively in it, hand loaded for the game I am hunting. For example, the last hunt for PG I worked up a load using the 160 gr Barnes TSX. It worked great.
Since then my favorite load for it here in the US where my shots are typically much further, I use the Barnes 145 gr LRX. I even have loads down to 110 gr Barnes TTSX worked up that I can use for longer range coyotes on windy days, which we have a lot of here in Wyoming.
If DG is on the menu as well as PG, it is my Winchester Model 70 375 H&H with Barnes 300 gr TSX bullets.