The Perfect Plains Game Rifle

[Rumrunner]

This is about like asking a group of Harley riders what is the best motor oil. Couple dozen different answers and none are wrong.
I think the best plains game rifle is the one that is adequate for an Eland, but more importantly you are confident in that first shot. For me it is my 7mm Weatherby magnum. I can use different, more appropriate, weight/make bullets for different animals. Although what is adequate for an Eland will harvest any of the tiny 10. I really enjoy the different opinions and thoughts.
For me it is Mobil 1, 20W-50.

 

[mark-hunter]

If eland and giraffe go in plains game department, then caliber is 375 H&H.
CRF action rifle.
ZKK 602, CZ 550, Winchester M70, Dakota, Mauser DWM, Park West, etc

 

[318AE]

Feel like I didn’t ask my question right. Assume you are only going to Africa after the one plains game species, and what would your perfect rifle be for that?

You’ll find a lot of responses here on AH are like the Ruger custom build post. People don’t always answer the question asked.

For bushbuck in the riverine thicket, my favorite rifle is my WR 318 double.

 

[318AE]

Oh, also, 35 whelen is best for everything!

 

[High Country Hunts]

I recently had very good results in South Africa Eastern Cape using 30-06 and 165 grain Barnes TTSX on 7 different plains game critters from the small frame springbok to water buck and kudu.
Rifle - Custom FN Mauser 98

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Only one gun for everything: WWII 30-06 Springfield 03A3. I have shot several moose, elk, deer, coyotes, grouse, impala, blesbuck, blue wildebeest, warthog, springbuck, gemsbuck, kudu, waterbuck, black wildebeest, nyala, red lechwe, Barbary sheep, one rattlesnake, and probably a dozen blackflies and mosquitoes.

 

[RR 314]

Hard to beat a solid shooting .300. These are two of my favorite rifles that would fit the category and neither have made the trip. . .

First is a .300 Jarrett by Speedy Gonzales. Followed by a custom .340 Wby built on an Ed Brown 704. Both are well under 1/4 MOA. I think the Jarrett by Speedy will make the next go around. Some scoff at shooting turkey with a rifle, but the Jarrett has several under its belt with no meat loss. Most PHs don’t like neck shots . . . but they are effective.

 

[375Fox]

Feel like I didn’t ask my question right. Assume you are only going to Africa after the one plains game species, and what would your perfect rifle be for that?

I think the problem with that question and therefore the answers is there’s a big difference between hunting North America and Africa. You might go elk hunting or whitetail hunting with one tag in your pocket, but Africa you go hunting. If it’s on quota for the area and you want it, you take it. You pick a rifie that’s perfect for the range of animals you are looking for not a particular species.

 

[Warren Knudsen]

My favorite Africa “plains game”;
eland, zebra, kudu, etc., down to Klipspringer, steinbok, duiker etc., (and everything in between) rifle is the Brno 602 Magnum in caliber .375 H&H with@ 4 power scope, mounted low over the bore in strong steel rings.
When I use the camp rifle with its variable power scope, I just set it on 4x and leave it from sight in day through the last day when I turn it back in after each safari.

I have used also a similar rifle in .30-06 with 220 grain Hornady round nose soft point bullets to great affect.
But, the .375 remains my favorite for the above things (and here in Alaska as well).

Fantastic photos Velo Dog,

 

[Surgeon1]

300 Mag with heavy bullets. A 300 Weatherby I built over 40 years ago has hunted 5 Continents before I retired it 21 years ago. Aggressively machined with a A&M Barrel and Brown Precision Kevlar stock at
6#4oz has taken too many to count elk, deer antelope, at least 5 bears, 3 sheep, 4 Shiurs moose, 4 Moral Stag, and the list goes on. Then took it out of retirement after 21 years and changed to my favorite Leica scope and a new load for it (Swift 200gr A-frame at 2850). Off to Uganda in March and it accounted for 10 species (9 one shot kills). This gun along with nine others in either 300WM or Wby
were built by my brother and myself as light weight sheep rifles in 1985. Its first test was in Mongolia in fall of 85 with 2 Moral stag and an Ibex. After some hard use and in and out of a scabbard on a horse
at least a thousand times and now with new glass at 7#14oz it's as close to perfect all-around medium hunting rifle as I can ask for! With a vault full of great guns, I'll put this was work horse up against any of them in capability.

 

[uplander01]

Don’t know that there’s such a thing as perfect but this rifle would have to be close. Mauser 98, 338 win mag done by Gary Goudy and Herman Waldron.

 

[Kevin375]

It's complicated to choose only one rifle when you are a gun enthusiast.
But I would say my old Blaser R93 in .300 Winchester magnum is seldom a mistake when plains game are involved. It is a proven plains game killer and several people who used it love it too.
It is accurate, light, well balanced and I trust it at 100 %.

All animals above were shot with Nosler 220 gr handloaded.
But in the past, I used Nosler Accubond and Swift Scirocco 180 gr extensively with complete satisfaction.

 

[skydiver386]

It hasn't made the trip to Africa yet because it's a recent purchase, but my CZ550 in 30-06 with 165 grain Barnes X bullets.

 

[BeeMaa]

Feel like I didn’t ask my question right. Assume you are only going to Africa after the one plains game species, and what would your perfect rifle be for that?

I think the problem with that question and therefore the answers is there’s a big difference between hunting North America and Africa. You might go elk hunting or whitetail hunting with one tag in your pocket, but Africa you go hunting. If it’s on quota for the area and you want it, you take it. You pick a rifie that’s perfect for the range of animals you are looking for not a particular species.

This is the answer you are looking for. It's not very often that one goes to Africa for just one animal. The exception might be leopard, but even then the client will be hunting animals to hang as bait. Even if you do, the chances of running into another absolute trophy animal is above average. This is also the reason that many hunters take a two rifle battery. The variety of game and opportunity to hunt them is absolutely incredible. And don't get it twisted, the PH's first job is to keep you safe. Their second job is SALESMAN.

This is not North America, it's Africa and things are very different.

 

[Yaseen]

Small game, I use a Tikka 22-250, and on larger game, .308 SAKO all the years. It works perfectly for me.
For my Buff, I used my Winchester 375H&H. I have a .458WM, which I plan to use on my Elephant.

 

[Hedge774]

I'm a fan of ambidextrous single-shots and one of my favorites is my Ruger No. 1 chambered in 9.3x74r. I like shooting a rimmed cartridge in a falling-block rifle & I think it would be a challenge to hunt a kudu with one.

With a Minox ZA-5 1.5-8x32 scope on it & bullets from 184~285 grains, I think I could enjoy hunting a variety of plains game with this setup.

I picked up my No. 1 in 9.3x74 yesterday. I haven't gotten it to the range yet, but the way it handles and shoulders is amazing!

 

[Hedge774]

I have limited experience on PG compared to you gentlemen, but my favorite rifle for impala is a Howa 1500 HS Precision in .308. Tough as nails and shoots much better than I can. It's accounted for 4 limpopo rams with one shot each. It has a Leupold VX3 HD 3.5-10x40 in DD rings and mounts. Ammo was good ol' Winchester Super X 180 grainers. Kinda plain, I know, but to me it's like an old Craftsman tool. It works when you need it to and doesn't break!

 

[mdwest]

My go-to PG rifle is a 308 shooting 168gr Barnes… good for everything as small as bushbuck to everything as large as zebra and blue wildebeest.. plenty of range on it for most African terrain, and plenty of power on it for any reasonable game shot at reasonable distances…

If I knew I was purposefully chasing much bigger PG like eland or giraffe I’d opt for something bigger… probably my 375…

If I were purposefully chasing the tiny guys I’d opt for my 375 shooting solids.

 

[oscar1975]

If I had the money to spare, I would like to prepare for this purpose the 1973 Voere 2165 8x68S that I have in my gun cabinet, fit it with a good multipurpose scope and a tumhole stock.

 

[Beck]

Sako AV .300 Weatherby or Steyr Manlicher in 8x68S