Which Second Rifle?

[dchamp]

Tough choice, for me it’s a coin toss between the 6.5 & .318. If you have alresdy taken the .375H&H to Africa then consider leaving it at home this trip and take both the 6.5 and the .318. That would make for a great comparison of the two, both with heavy for caliber bullets, on Plains Game.

 

[professor]

What an incredible problem to have. Wow.
Whichever you choose is sure to be a joy to utilize.

 

[19_A_CPT]

318 gets my vote.

 

[TXdawg]

Wow, what a predicament to find oneself in!!! All are wonderful, but I’d have a hard time leaving the 318WR at home.

 

[318AE]

318….

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Take the rifle with most  personal history attached. I would never consider hunting anything anywhere (except dangerous game) without the WWII Springfield Dad fixed up in 1962. He handed it to me two years later when I started hunting. Since then it's taken thirteen elk, seven moose, probably a hundred deer, a few coyotes, and all but two of thirty plains game. I'm sure there are/were better rifles made, but only one with my history attached.

 

[steve white]

Just take 3 hunting and you can include both the 318 and the 6.5! Good taste in armament, BTW, and if you get tired of owning the Mannlicher, you could always PM me...

 

[meigsbucks]

.318

 

[Tom Leoni]

Wow! Thank you for the replies, gentlemen! So far, the .318 seems to be the favorite by far, with the 6.5 in the middle. Surprised that there's zero love for the double--perhaps too iffy a caliber with the lead bullet?

 

[Uncontrolled_round_feed]

That 318 just has the charisma

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

318WR but I do like the double

BUT, hear me out, it’s a little radical and an unorthodox idea; but you COULD always take a fellow AH member solely for gun mule purposes thus allowing you to shoot each of your springbok with a different rifle from those 4. I might know a volunteer …

 

[MontanaGrant]

318 years plus be my choice as it is the classic choice. However you wouldn’t go wrong with the 6.5 either.

Obviously the answer is to pick one, then use the other one on the next safari!

 

[mauserhunter]

The mannlicher or mauser would be great, I'm a mauser guy so 318 for me.

 

[D.M.V]

+1 on the 318

 

[steve white]

Wow! Thank you for the replies, gentlemen! So far, the .318 seems to be the favorite by far, with the 6.5 in the middle. Surprised that there's zero love for the double--perhaps too iffy a caliber with the lead bullet?

The black powder models are just a little too slow in the velocity for DG--for PG, a bit limited by effective range? If it had been a nitro express velocity, it would have gotten votes, especially given iron sight pre-condition.

 

[franzfmdavis]

Take the rifle with most  personal history attached. I would never consider hunting anything anywhere (except dangerous game) without the WWII Springfield Dad fixed up in 1962. He handed it to me two years later when I started hunting. Since then it's taken thirteen elk, seven moose, probably a hundred deer, a few coyotes, and all but two of thirty plains game. I'm sure there are/were better rifles made, but only one with my history attached.
View attachment 616328

That is awesome…i hope you have a family member that will (eventually) inherit it and all its history

 

[Zambezi]

Tough choice, for me it’s a coin toss between the 6.5 & .318. If you have alresdy taken the .375H&H to Africa then consider leaving it at home this trip and take both the 6.5 and the .318. That would make for a great comparison of the two, both with heavy for caliber bullets, on Plains Game.

This.

I'm sure your .375FL has had it's fair share of Africa and it's not needed for DG on this trip... just a thought.

 

[AZDAVE]

Tom
That 375 H&H is a fantastic rifle!

oh Back to your question: My vote in priority order for you back up to the H&H.
1. the double
2. 318
3. 6.5

 

[chashardy]

Tom,
What? You aren't taking a Chapuis Ifisi as your first rifle????

 

[Tom Leoni]

Tom,
What? You aren't taking a Chapuis Ifisi as your first rifle????

@chashardy -

No, I have a strict policy of "my own hunts, my own antique rifle collection." I've spent a lifetime (in my own small way) collecting good vintage English rifles--plus the occasional Germanic piece. So my policy is not to spend my own money on a hunt unless I can do so with a rifle near or over 100 years old.

Corporate hunts? You'd have a hard time prying me from the Iphisi!