What Calibre to Bring on a One-Gun Safari?

[TOBY458]

Oh jeeze. I was only a couple of initials off. On that subject, he is, or at least was, very clear. He found it a reprehensible practice.

No worries! 2020 has affected everyone's vision a bit! (Pun intended). Haha!
It's amazing to me how much division there is on that subject. If done correctly, it is a very fun experience, and really the only way a person of limited wealth can get the experience of hunting a lion. But I know there are some outfits that do it the wrong way and ruin it for everyone.
At the end of the day, to me, a fence is a fence and an animal is an animal. No matter predator or prey.

 

[NWT]

@NWT
My PH must be a bit different than others with his loaner guns as his are also his personal weapons. All are Tikka rifles with swarovski Z6 scopes. and mainly hand loaded ammo.
Bob

Bob,
What Tikka model and caliber does your outfitter provide you with for your elephant and Buffalo hunts?
NWT

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bob,
What Tikka model and caliber does your outfitter provide you with for your elephant and Buffalo hunts?
NWT

@NWT
I know he has a375h&h but don't know about DG as we were after plains game.
Sorry c ant be more specific. My PH that was employed by by Harald uses a 416 rem mag for his DG hunts
Bob

 

[mikecatt13]

I didn’t read the article. I have been traveling with hunting Guns for 30+ years. I have always traveled with a substantial two gun case . Never have I been in a situation with customs , TSA or airlines where having two guns in my gun case was treated any differently than if I had only one gun in my case. This comment about only taking one gun vs two on a major expensive hunt has been brought up many times. Maybe if you are only hunting elephant or possibly Buffalo then one gun would probably work. If you are on a mixed bag hunt I would surely want a plains game rifle with me for the enjoyment. I will not hunt Buffalo or elephant again with a .375H&H nor would I want to chase plains game with a .416 ,.450 , .470 especially if I had filled out my DG tags on day one or two. The vast majority of outfitter’s loaner rifle/scope combinations I have seen from Africa to the Yukon are marginal at best. The scopes and rifles I have seen at these outfitters are normally abused and very poorly maintained . Also the ammunition the outfitters have are usually a mixed assortment of what has been left to them over the past 20 years. The Blaser idea doesn’t work for me at all either. Try going on a afternoon Buffalo or elephant hunt and realize your lunch break in a windy area has rendered your Blaser full of sand, and has made your Blaser uncooperative now that it has a fair amount of sand in the action. I believe a CRF DGR along with a backup DGR or plains game rifle makes ones trip more enjoyable and productive. It takes very little extra effort to pack two guns vs one. I don’t get the one gun scenario on these major trips . Look at the weight and size difference of a Pelican 1750 case vs. your single gun case. For me it’s a easy choice. A .416 Rigby and a .300 or .338mag in a two gun case and my own carefully selected ammo for each gun.

I tend to agree about one rifle vs having multiple in one case. The safaris I have planned I will be taking one rifle but would be taking two if my wife wasnt going and taking hers as well.

I am curious, however, at what makes you think a Blaser R8 is any more prone to operational issues when dirt is introduced than any traditional turn bolt?

 

[NWT]

MC13
Direct multiple experiences from DGR PH’s.
NWT

 

[steve white]

Another take on the problem--take what you have and shoot best, and RENT WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE WHEN YOU GET THERE. (like a heavy) I did that once.

 

[IvW]

No DG anything you shoot accurately from 7mm to .338...yes a 375 H&H will do but is not needed.

PG and DG 375 H&H with appropriate bullets is the best option make them 300gr....

DG only 375 H&H will do but something starting with 4 would be better espeicailly Buff and up....

Leopard smaller caliber PG calibers are just as effective, lion 375 H&H is about perfect......

 

[IvW]

One caliber for all 375 H&H is as close to perfect as you can get....

 

[baxterb]

Let the largest animal you intend to hunt be the guide for the one-gun answer. If it will cleanly take it, it will take everything smaller as well.

Limit all shots to 250 yards.

Easy

 

[Tanks]

Another take on the problem--take what you have and shoot best, and RENT WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE WHEN YOU GET THERE. (like a heavy) I did that once.

As a lefty I would hate to rent a right handed big bore that is cast on instead of cast off. Not to mention other issues like LOP, comb height, etc..

 

[Tanks]

Let the largest animal you intend to hunt be the guide for the one-gun answer. If it will cleanly take it, it will take everything smaller as well.

Limit all shots to 250 yards.

Easy

I would not want to use my elephant gun on a target at 250 yards, let alone a 100 yards especially if using a double rifle that is regulated at much shorter distance.

 

[tedthorn]

For plains game I wouldn't miss a lick with a 30-06

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Very good artical but there needs to be a correction on your dates on the introduction of the 404 Jeffery @Kevin Thomas. It was in producttion well before the commonly held, but wrong date of 1909 with its first known release add being in 1905 with probbable rifles in use in 1904. A full history (or as full as presently known doccuments may provide) on this wonderfull old cartridge has been colated in this thread here https://www.africahunting.com/threads/the-404-jeffery-history-and-related-information.56662/
View attachment 372938

I think the same as Von Gruff.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

My proposition 9,3x62Mauser or 404Jeffery.

 

[Happy Myles]

For a one rifle safari it depends a little on what and where I would be hunting. You cannot go wrong with a 375 H & H. If your firearms do not show up your borrowed rifle will probably be a 375, or an 06 if only after plains game. Decades ago, my first Africa trip I took three rifles, a 300 H & H, a 375, and a 416 Rigby to Zimbabwe. I only used the 375 for everything. That was the last time I took three rifles, for me two are plenty. I had hunted all over Africa many times before focusing on South Africa for indigenous plains game like the Tiny Ten, Blesbok, Bontebok and so forth.Took only my 300 Win Mag. Taking 42 animals in a month. An 06 would have been fine. someone canceled a Timbavati buffalo hunt at the last minute so I borrowed a 375 an took a 46 inch buff with one borrowed round.
As someone mentioned, borrowed ammo may well be a catch all accumulated over years. I was headed for one of my trips to the C.A.R. and on airport arrival the Air France clerk noticed one of the trips legs did not show I was traveling with firearms. She stated I could not take any of my rifles even though the other seven round trip legs showed them, I indicated obviously they had just missed the one leg. She drew herself up and stated Air France did not make mistakes! I borrowed a 375 on arrival. it was beat up and the collection of ammo gave me misgivings, I had one of the most successful hunts ever! One round exploded on a Western buffalos shoulder and it charged. My second round dropped it instantly. Turned out the buffalo had been previously wounded by poachers. We found a truck battery terminal lodged in its neck. I still have that homemade bullet.
the 375 H & H is a great cartridge But I usually take my 300 Win Mag and my 416 Rigby. Kindest Regards

 

[baxterb]

I would not want to use my elephant gun on a target at 250 yards, let alone a 100 yards especially if using a double rifle that is regulated at much shorter distance.

That’ll make for some skillful hunting then... ;-)

 

[WAB]

I have used a .458 Lott on a buffalo/PG hunt where all shots would be inside 150. I used a .375 on a buffalo/PG hunt where shots had the potential to stretch a bit on PG. If elephant are on the menu I would be hard pressed not to take the Lott even if it cost me on PG opportunity.

Talley QD mounts are so good, I would be totally comfortable switching between irons and optics for elephant and PG.

 

[Newboomer]

I like two guns, my 375HH with Barnes 350gr TSX for dg and Barnes 235gr TSX for whatever else and either my 7RM with Barnes 160gr TSX or 6.5Cr with Hornady 143gr ELD-X for pg.
Three trips to RSA and I've never had a problem with guns or ammo. By taking two I can choose what to carry for the day's hunt. Where I hunted in the Eastern Cape there was no danger fo running into dg unless we went up north on a special quest.