What if?

[SS hunter]

You could go back to when you were 20-25 years old and have a rifle built for you to hunt the world. What would your decision be?
Not only cartridge but also the rifle itself?
Knowing that a lot of the cartridges that we enjoy today were not even in the pipe dream then.
I ask only because I hope that we can possibly give guidance to our younger generation through our own experiences.
What would you recommend to a 20-25 year old who has dreams of hunting the world?
I, personally have not been able to hunt the world. But I have moved to a state, only to become a citizen of said state for hunting privileges only.
I hope that the people here can give some insight to the younger generations on what would be the “better” choices.
I was asked by my grandson about what I would do now versus what I did then, I told him that I would need to think about it for a while and would get back to him.

 

[Russ16]

For non dangerous game a high quality super accurate 300 win mag.

For dangerous game the same thing in 375 H&H.

Neither cartridge is going away. Both are extremely versatile.

 

[SS hunter]

For non dangerous game a high quality super accurate 300 win mag.

For dangerous game the same thing in 375 H&H.

Neither cartridge is going away. Both are extremely versatile.

Thank you for your input!
For a very little background- I am in the process of building a rifle that I want to use to hunt an Elephant or 2,3 or more! I have a couple of rifles already up to the task, but they are not quite what I want to use for my hunt. So I am building one. Why? I don’t know!!

 

[Russ16]

I think if you’re shooting multiple elephant that’s a different question. The gun for that isn’t a gun to hunt the world. It’s a specialist.

 

[meigsbucks]

Excluding dangerous game, a 24” barreled .30/06. Probably a M70.
For DG: A .416 Remington. Once agin a M70.

 

[SS hunter]

Very true! And there is the problem!
I truly believe that there is not a do it all cartridge available today that will be able to perform all tasks asked of it. So now we are faced with having at least 2 rifles. What are they? Do we have to have a DG rifle only and one for everything else? Or can a DG rifle be realistically used for anything else that we pursue? This is just a thought process that is going through my brain as I try to convince myself that I really do need to complete this build. Now as I consider my answer to my grandson, I don’t think so! I don’t like what I am saying right now!

 

[Andrew62]

I would want the Winchester Stainless Classic in .375H&H!

 

[SS hunter]

Maybe some perspective should be given;
It would be the 1980’s when I was his age.
Of course we didn’t have the internet back then, just magazines if you were lucky enough to be in a town that carried anything but adult content! I think that I am leaning toward the 30-06 model 70 that I gave him as a Christmas gift last year and just informing him that IF he wants to hunt DG, that he will absolutely need to be nice to me and hope that he can inherit one of mine!
Thoughts?

 

[Hornedfrogbbq]

I bought a .300 win mag...Browning BAR. I might change the eifle make and model but I think you can handle most things with it. For DG, I'd have something bigger.

 

[R eight]

What I considered a great rifle over 40 years ago and what I consider a great rifle now are two completely different beasts.

However, the main problem with your proposal is that someone ( especially this someone) with just 25 years under his belt would not have had the intellectual maturity to take advice from an old barstard like me.

I reckon my life would have been pretty boring without my numerous and adventurous mistakes.

 

[mark-hunter]

You could go back to when you were 20-25 years old and have a rifle built for you to hunt the world. What would your decision be?

Brand new, CZ 550 safari magnum in 375 H&H.

If you are 20-25 year old, and you are surrounded by various options, fancy cartridges, short magnums, every year something new, bla, bla, etc, etc, then focus on 375 H&H in more detail.

You will see in time that only 375 H&H is truly universal caliber, with factory ammunition available world wide.
While other caliberss can be "universal" and effective as well, ammunition supply for them is variable, and not constant.
Moreover, many nice, ground breaking modern magnums, shot magnums, etc faded away.
No more ammunition at all.
But, 375 H&H stands steady and available since 1912.

With 375 H&H you can hunt tiny ten, and elephant, and everything in between.

I mentioned the CZ 550 at the beginning, which would be my choice if I had more sense when I was at that age.

This rifle by now is phased out.
If you can, buy it second hand.
Or optionally buy ZKK 602 in same caliber. (the one I got)

Both rifles are magnum length action, something that modern factories do not produce today, and you will get true classic.
Because there is no more produced magnum lenght action, modern factories improvise with short magnums.
Then, ammunition availability comes in question, and ammunition factories more often then not, do not produce after sometime

If you want to play "modern sportsman" then buy Blaser R8, and change the barrels as you wish.
Blaser have full set of caliber options for every type of hunting.

 

[Pondoro]

As Mark-Hunter said... I bought a ZKK 602 in .375H&H in my late twenties. It is the rifle I have taken most game with..from springbok to elephant (though lately I have better rifles for ele..).

The versatility of this cartridge is astounding..some careful work made the action very slick..and its 5 down the mag. I restocked mine to get rid of muzzle jump..perfect now..

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Same guns I have today: two military rifles in classic but historically durable calibers, 30-06 Springfield 03A3 and 404 Jeffery on 98 Mauser. They were good them, good today, and good for foreseeable future. Timeless.

 

[Gomer]

What I considered a great rifle over 40 years ago and what I consider a great rifle now are two completely different beasts.

However, the main problem with your proposal is that someone ( especially this someone) with just 25 years under his belt would not have had the intellectual maturity to take advice from an old barstard like me.

I reckon my life would have been pretty boring without my numerous and adventurous mistakes.

I sure didn’t listen. Unlike many on the forum, I was first starting to hunt 25 years ago. I did not grow up hunting, but was an avid fisherman. I went to college where hunting and fishing opportunities were everywhere and it didn’t take long for me to get the itch. I read every issue of RifleShooter I could get a hold of. A cadre member of my ROTC detachment told me to buy a 308 or 30-06 and learn to shoot. I didn’t listen.

Instead, I saved all of my extra money and bought a pair of Winchester M70 Classic Stainless rifles, a 7mm Remington Magnum and a 338 Winchester Magnum. Ammo was expensive, so I bought a 22-250 to practice with (should have bought a 223).

So, if I were to do it over again, I’d suggest an M70 Classic Stainless Featherweight in 30-06. Have it bedded into a McMillan Edge Compact, and a Leupold 6x36 in dual dovetail mounts and low rings.

 

[baxterb]

I would have never sold my M70 375

Had I been a rich man I would have bought a WR 375 exactly like the one in the late 90s printed catalog. Other than early Rigbys I think the layout/design is the pinnacle of what a bolt gun should be.

 

[MTJumbo]

All good advice. If your grandson is going to hand load cartridges, then there are more options. The 375 H&H Mag can be and is a one rifle to use for dangerous game and for plains game. As you know from this website that African game have thicker skin. Not only that, animals as the Oryx have a layer of areolar tissue under the skin which holds extra water. Another hydrostatic layer. Altogether, this is the reason that some plains game is harder to kill than the Whitetail deer in NA.
A good deep penetrating solid should work fine for elephant. Softnose heavy for caliber works for the first shot on buffalo and then follow up with solids. 300 grain to 350 grain. Swift, Woodleigh, A-Square. I do use Barnes, but that is because I have several hundred of them. The 375 H&H can be loaded to shoot at 3000 fps muzzle velocity for lighter grain bullets and at 2400-2500 fps for the heavier loads. I have four 375's sighted in to 1" at 100 yards and my only problem is my eyesight. Check the ballistic tables for a projectile traveling at 3000 fps at the muzzle and sighted in at around 200 or so yards and then extrapolate the rest of the bullet drop. Plains game out to 350 yards will be point of aim for a kill shot. The lighter calibers are OK, but you might be out of luck if you do not have a large enough gun for a buffalo or hippo that breaks out of the bush and charges you while you are hunting a dikdik with a 257 Weatherby magnum. Your life is in the hands of a good PH. Be prepared to defend your self if a grizzly bear charges you on your deer hunt. Best of Luck

 

[Betterinthebush]

Dakota 76 .416 Rigby for Africa

Winchester M70 .338WM for the rest of the world (and Africa).

 

[deewayne2003]

10+ years ago I decided to put together my “travel rifle” for my first international hunt and wanted it to be hell for stout, powerful and handle anything short of Dangerous game.

Ruger 77 MKII Stainless - .300Win

Cut & recessed crown
Spiral flute barrel
Rifle basics trigger
Black cerakote finish
Hogue stock

Originally topped with Vari-XIII 4-14x40; recently upgraded to VX5HD 3-15x44 fire dot ZL2