The Perfect Plains Game Rifle

[Philip Glass]

Definitely not hard to knock off all the fur on a klippy… their hides will fall apart if you just look at them funny… for every well mounted klipspringer, there are two that look pretty ratty…

For sure. Mine was shot fine with a solid but it was hot. They skinned it immediately and put it in a cooler but I still had a bit of slippage. Tricky one.

 

[Philip Glass]

It is a fun discussion and thank you for posting it.

 

[AZDAVE]

Plains game using 250-320 gr bullets depending on what is being hunted tiny ten to giraffe
Bolt gun 9.3x62
Single shot 9.3x74
Double 9.3x74

 

[Rare Breed]

Most of my plains game hunting has been done (so far) with two calibers:

.30-06 Springfield loaded with 220Gr Remington Core Lokts
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7x57mm Mauser loaded with assorted 175Gr soft points (currently, I am using the 173Gr Sellier & Bellot SPCE factory load)
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If I could set up one “Plains Game Exclusive” rifle, it would have to be a .338 Winchester Magnum built by Griffin & Howe on a Springfield Model 1903A3 action with a 25” Douglas Premium barrel and a Grade 5 Turkish walnut stock (cheek piece included). It would have the factory two piece striker replaced by a titanium striker. It would wear a Weaver K5 telescopic sight on quick release mounts. And have an India rubber recoil pad fitted.

If I had to choose a commercially manufactured rifle, I’d personally be very happy with a Mauser Model 98 Diplomat chambered in 9.3x62mm Mauser.

275 Rigby which is the same as 7x57

 

[dchum]

I think a 30-06 is pretty perfect for the job. I believe a 300 win mag is even better, but I notice so only so after 350 yards.
Being that I don’t shoot past 400 yards, I just don’t need the extra horsepower. Especially because I prefer a small light weight packaged rifle. Like my Ruger #1 with its short 22 inch barrel and 2 inch action.

Barnes TTSX gives me confidence to shoot large antelopes from any angle And wont blow up the little guys (that bad) like my steenbok seen below. I would shoot a klippie with it most likely. Hunted for one last safari in Namibia but passed on a little ram.

It’s important to note I have not hunted in true dangerous game areas. (No pachyderms or bovines) just leopards and hyena haha… so I felt fine with only a 30-06. I will probably one gun with a .375 in a DG area.

 

[Tanks]

375H&H.

Because you never know when that trophy DG animal is going to walk out in front of you.

That assumes there is quota available and the outfitter is willing to let you shoot it instead of someone that would be paying at least 7 days of daily fees in addition to the trophy fee.

 

[sgt_zim]

The answer for PG starts and ends with 9.3x62.

Any other cartridge answer is just wrong.

If you need more reach than a 9.3x62, then the answer to that is just learn how to stalk in closer.

 

[Wiley64]

It is undoubtedly the 375… as solids work great for tiny 10 and the expandables will handle anything else

 

[Red Leg]

I don't think there is actually a perfect chambering. For a pure PG hunt I am using something other than a .375 - not that it doesn't work well in that role. On those hunts I previously have used a .338, 300 Win Mag, 30-06, and .275 (7x57). All worked just fine. Force me to pick one and it would likely be the .338, though I could be convinced it was the .300 - or the '06 - or the .275.

I think the perfect rifle is more about the rifle itself and less about the actual round it shoots.

 

[CBH Australia]

If I had to buy a common rifle right now to take on safari for Kudu it would likely be Tikka T3X in .300Win. $700 and will outshoot and out kill (Barnes TTSX 180g) anything in that price range. It will not malfunction like many of the $4000+ custom guns I've seen on safari.

Now for your second question it is undoubtedly a .375 shooting solids. Klipspringer is the easiest animal I know of to damage beyond repair. Aim for the last rib and hope for the best!

I would happily take a Tikka on any hunt where it is configured for the purpose. (Scope/chambering)

My .300wm would be suitable and my .280a.i. Would be capable and my .308 maybe adequate.

My .375H&H is a CZ550

 

[One Day...]

If you need more reach than a 9.3x62, then the answer to that is just learn how to stalk in closer.

Soundbite...

It is a great soundbite, true enough on most game farms and in some biotopes such as jesse, or dense bush ... but really misleading for free range hunting in some other biotopes (Karoo, Kalahari, grass plains, grass deltas, etc.).

The 1920's days are gone when you could approach wild PG to 200 yards across wide open areas. Even in Africa...

Nothing wrong with the 9.3x62, I just used it to collect these two "decent" specimens, but the soundbite (aside from sounding a little, hmmm, shall we say patronizing) is just a bit shallow in real experience.

I was happy with my choice of 9.3x62 for my 2025 trip to Africa, but it was knowingly chosen for dense bush.

The .300 Wby was a much better choice in 2022 for another "decent" Cape Kudu in the vast open alpine grasslands of the Karoo.

I much prefer Red Leg's more flexible and less dogmatic approach to the question, and I do not think that he (or I for that matter) need to "just learn how to stalk in closer"

 

[One Day...]

I don't think there is actually a perfect chambering. For a pure PG hunt I am using something other than a .375 - not that it doesn't work well in that role. On those hunts I previously have used a .338, 300 Win Mag, 30-06, and .275 (7x57). All worked just fine. Force me to pick one and it would likely be the .338, though I could be convinced it was the .300 - or the '06 - or the .275.

I think the perfect rifle is more about the rifle itself and less about the actual round it shoots.

I agree.

I have personally evolved to thinking that the logical progression is something along the lines of:

.25 (OK, .275 was king) for light PG and most MG (mountain game)​

.30 for most PG​

.35 (OK, .375 is king) for Eland, Buffalo and carnivorous DG​

.40 / .45 / .50 for large herbivorous DG​

Whether it is .25/06 or .257 Wby, or .30/06 or .300 whichever Mag, depends on species and biotopes. For example .30/06 is perfect for dense cover Kudu, but .300 is more appropriate for open range Cape Kudu.

I did have my .33 period, and I still own a Dumoulin .338 and a Mark V .340, but I think that modern heavy weight bullets such as the AFrame or TTSX have really upgunned the .300 deeply into what was .338/.340 territory, although for close range deep forests Elk the .338 still reigns, and for longer range Yukon Moose the .340 still reigns, but I found them needlessly powerful in Africa for all but Eland, although there is no arguing that they bridge the .30 to .40/.45 power gap just as well as the .375 does, with better ballistics to boot.

Or for those who are having a fling with metric calibers, the same logic applies to 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or to 6.5, 7.5, 8.5, 9.5 (OK, 9.3 is king), 10.5

 

[farmer_john]

I cannot afford the high cost of travel to and from Africa to only seek one animal.
But if I could spare that much time and money to bag only one specific African animal, my choice of particular caliber and style of rifle design (scoped repeater, express sighted double or whatever), would depend on the size and tenacity or lack thereof known to whatever the specific animal was.
That, combined with the geography and foliage conditions waiting for me at my chosen destination.

With that, I no longer care to risk my firearms with the creeps who work within the international airline industry.
So, my choices are somewhat limited.
If I lived somewhere in Africa and could lawfully own several rifles, my battery would begin at .22 Hornet scoped repeater through .450/400 NE 3” express sighted double (Side by Side).

Whats the issue with the airlines? I have limited experience traveling with firearms.

 

[375Fox]

Whats the issue with the airlines? I have limited experience traveling with firearms.

There isn’t. However, it is more limited on firearm friendly routes and will likely add some costs for permits or an extra firearm fee and also possibly additional times claiming and rechecking rifie you wouldn’t need to do with regular luggage. It really depends on the route and the country. Traveling with firearms isn’t difficult, but traveling without firearms is easier.

 

[R eight]

There isn’t. However, it is more limited on firearm friendly routes and will likely add some costs for permits or an extra firearm fee and also possibly additional times claiming and rechecking rifie you wouldn’t need to do with regular luggage. It really depends on the route and the country. Traveling with firearms isn’t difficult, but traveling without firearms is easier.

That’s true. But it can also be argued that travelling without any luggage is also easier….until you need a change of clothes.