Africa
- Thread starter mackillan
- Start date
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Yes, but it will be difficult to fire both rounds from the same rifle.
Cartridges suitable for North American game of similar weight are perfectly suitable for African plains game. You should get an idea from your safari company of the type of country you will be hunting to determine the best bullet type. Typically ranges in Africa are within 150 yards, but there are exceptions. Africa is a land of extremes and you could find yourself in open savana or you could find yourself in tall grass or thick forests where the range is measured in feet.
Cartridges suitable for North American game of similar weight are perfectly suitable for African plains game. You should get an idea from your safari company of the type of country you will be hunting to determine the best bullet type. Typically ranges in Africa are within 150 yards, but there are exceptions. Africa is a land of extremes and you could find yourself in open savana or you could find yourself in tall grass or thick forests where the range is measured in feet.
I just got back from SA. A 7 mag or 300 mag will work fine. - dan
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
Either would be perfectly sufficient. Just use good bullets, like a Nosler Partition, and you'll have no trouble. 180's in the 300 or 160s in the 7mm.
Are you planning to take both, because it would be better to take a 375H&H or a 416 Rem, if you have one as a second rifle, rather then two equal but dissimilar rifles!
Why?
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
What Gibbsie said!
The gun I'm talking about is actually Mac's, and he asked the question....I'd opt for my two favorites, the 50/90 Sharps using 540gr. soft cast flat pts., and 105grs. of 1 1/2fg swiss. The other would be a 45/70 marlin loaded up with 420-480gr. Wide Flat Pts. at up to 2000fps, aftermarket extractor, larger loop, peep sight, firesight front.
Funny that you should mention this...
I have my first, and probably only, African hunt booked for next year. For my second rifle I was torn between a C.Sharps 1875 and a Guide Gun, both in .45-70, just because I like'em. African outfitters and PH's are not exactly ecstatic when you start talking about what they refer to as "novelty" weapons. They want to see nice accurate bolt guns in adequate calibers (like the calibers that were mentioned in the original posting). I haven't decided yet, but it's pretty clear that I will have to prove myself with either of these guns if I choose to bring one.
John
I wont be after buffalo or cats and the I want to use guns Im comfortable with like the 7mm mag, 257 wby mag, 300 win mag or the 45/70. I may go with a 375 Ruger if gemsbuck are tougher but I wouldnt have any use for a 416 rigby back here. A Kudu looks elk size and a gemsbuck looks moose size or a tad bigger.
I think anything from a .280Rem, 7mmRM, .30-06, any of the various .300 mags, .338WM would be ideal for African plains game, and there's about 30 other cartridges with similar terminal performance and ballistics that also fit into that performance category.
I also think if you are hell bent on taking a double rifle or lever action or Sharps then that is exactly what you should do, since it is your money and your hunt. Just shoot well when opportunity presents!
I also think if you are hell bent on taking a double rifle or lever action or Sharps then that is exactly what you should do, since it is your money and your hunt. Just shoot well when opportunity presents!
Kudu are elk size and down, but react like a whitetail when they are hit. Gemsbuck a bit smaller, are tough like an elk, and are lost more than other animals. Eland are the size of 2 cow moose. Of the two I shot one took the shot through both lungs and still ran 1/4 mile. The other was hit quartering toward and the bullet went through the shoulder to the offside hip and everything in between. It moved far enough take up a defensive position and wait for us. A second shot ended that. These were shot with a .375 H&H and 270 grain bullets. Both shots looked like misses to the PH, they didn't even flinch.
African antelope have a 2 chambered lung, and don't react to a lung hit the same way as our deer species do.
The only trouble with that is you can't take black powder on a plane, so unless you are going to cruise to the Dark Continent you would have to get the powder there.
Iffy proposition at best in some areas.
