Africa, Australia, hunting rifle calibers?

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emerson

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I’ve been checking out cull hunts online. I doubt I will ever be able to afford trophy hunting overseas, but I realized that I have prepared for many things in my life that didn’t seem possible when I began. Over the years starting preparations years before opportunity came to pass has set me up for success. So, first, caliber choices; I want common calibers that I would probably buy 2 of the same rifle in. Reading up on plains game there is a range of options, but 375 is overkill for most, and at the bottom end if I am able to step up to more intense animals. Also, I need something that I can shoot 100s or thousands (like my present Savage ‘06) through for handling familiarity and accuracy practice before I plan to go anywhere. A reasonable quality tool used daily trumps the best money can buy that is only handled on special occasions. I want to focus on the experience if I get overseas, not the “perfect” rifle, caliber, load, etc. I’m not looking to be the African equivalent of an tactical operator mall ninja.
So, 2 common calibers in the same rifle to cover whatever I might need?
My thinking is 300WM and 458WM or 458Lott. I would use the 300 for everything here, like I do my ‘06 now. Rifles, my Savage ‘06 is like a great starter long term relationship; comfortable but quite basic. I’ve got a CZ 375 in a B&C which is a bit heavy but otherwise solid. Maybe trade it off for a 300 or 458... I like stainless synthetic rifles. I appreciate walnut and blued, but a night of romance is spent with my wife, not my guns.

Many on here have hunted and lived overseas so what do you think? Quality, cost effective, straightforward. My thought is overseas shooting factory ammo sourced locally is simpler and plenty dependable enough.
 
Iffen it the calibre doesnt end in H&H its prolly not worth going ;)
.270 Win, 7x57 , 300 WinMag, 375H&H .
Seriously though, I have never gone, but the mystic of the H&H Legend would be calling.
Have fun before, during and please share as this progresses.
Rob
 
I think that .30-06 is a very popular plains game and deer calibre and it you have one use it.

458 is fairly common. .375H&H is a long way up from an 06 in hitting power though.

You could get very similar winchester M70s in .30-06 and 375 H&H or 458WM for practice though

I think also the 180gr .30-06 and I think the 300gr 375H&H have a very similar trajectory

Scrummy
 
This is a long term process. Having watched friends and work buddies suffer unexpected tragedies, or just work until they are infirm to support a big scale “lifestyle”, I want to avoid that if I can. Living smaller and getting overseas a couple times works for me. My well used Savage ‘06 is at best a $500 rifle in its present form. I could just reload $2K worth of ammo for the 375 instead of buying anything, and borrow anything bigger from the PH if needed. They are likely to have a rifle very similar to a CZ 550. Already feeling ahead; talking things out does help.
 
In my reading online cull hunts come up relatively quickly without a lot of notice. Being able to jump on a plane in a few weeks without feeling unprepared is the goal.
 
Emerson,
I wish you the very best of luck in fulfilling your desire.
I spoke to an outfitter from Namibia a few years back about caliber choices for plains game.
Without hesitation he said 300 win shooting either 180 or 200 grain quality bullets.
Now having shared that, it depends on the plains game you are going to hunt. Eland being a little tougher might need the 300 win for a one shot dead right there ending, but I think you will be fine shooting your '06.
As long as you shoot it well, and you take the right shots. Your PH will help make that decision. You can always talk to your outfitter about gun rental to keep your costs down.
Good luck
 
I like your thought process - I worked my "days" away - would be nice to reminisce about a hunt like that - do not do that for time spent working!! A couple comments, perhaps - a miss with a 458 Win Mag gets you the same result, as a miss with a 243 Win. Too many very successful hunters used 7x57, 30-06, 9.3x62 and 375 H&H. Don't confuse a guided hunter's job, with the guide's job - their cartridges / firearms are probably different, as a result. Learn to shoot that this cartridge to be fired is the only one that counts - it is for all the marbles - don't usually get to shoot "strings" or "groups". I have never been on a cull hunt, but would expect rapid firing at times - would be a mistake to be switching from shorter 30-06 length bolt throw to a longer "H&H" throw - I know for certain that the 1/4" difference feels just barely shorter than a mile!!!
 
I too have been dreaming of hunting other countries around the world and have a battery of rifles that could handle several contingencies.
I had booked a trip to South Africa for plains game a couple of years ago that didn't happen due to life's challenges. I was taking my 338-06 and the wife her 7mm-08.
Today, I have a nice matched pair of lh Sako's in 6.5x55 and 9.3x62 that'll go if/when we can re-book the hunt. This will cover everything from springbok to eland. If I was to take just ine rifle, it would be my 9.3 and I could use the wife's 7mm-08 for smaller antelope. Or I could take my 376 Steyr. I have a great, accurate load with the 260 gr AccuBond that will work on everything.

Your 30-06 and 375 H&H would be a great pair as you already have them and are familiar with both.

I too, like the idea of matching firearms and scope set ups to breed familiarity and confidence.
A matching pair of stainless/synthetic rifles in 30/06/300 Win Mag and 375 H&H would be a nice option; just may be a little tougher to find. Possible with Browning and Sako, perhaps with Winchester. Not sure about others anymore as I have not been looking.

Best of luck in your quest and adventure, when you get to go!
 
For your purposes I couldn't see any better solution than getting 2 Ruger rifles- a 300WM (or 7RM or 30-06) and a 375 Ruger. You could finish them each off with a McMillan stock and have 2 excellent rifles that you could hunt the world with. I would also top them with identical scopes of good quality.
 
depending on what you want to hunt.

in Aus there's all sorts of feral game ranging from pigs to water buffalo and camels.
id go with a .30-06 for the smaller stuff and a 9.3x62 or .375 H&H for the bigger stuff.
 
Personally I’d stick with your .375 H&H. Have done the Africa part of your trip a few times, and always brought the H&H as my all around rifle from 100lb plains game and pigs to big five. .375 H&H is the .30-06 of wild Africa, and the .30-06 is the .30-30 of Africa in my mind.

It’s easier to haul one rifle when traveling, with a couple loads. Carry heavy hard bullets (up to 380gr), moderate and .30-06 trajectory longer range all around loads (260gr Accubond) and you’re set. Can throw in a solid load if you think that’s necessary or plan on Elephants.

Anything else is a nice to have, and really adds less to your experience than you might expect. I can see the place for a nice little 6lbs range stalking rifle in 7x57 range rounds, and would have used that frequently. But I liked having one rifle, it was simple, and I never felt under, or overgunned.
 
I happened into a cull while in Namibia. It was a drought and they had to shed animals for the others to survive.

Gemsbok, Kudu, Impala sized critters. The airline had lost my rifles for a couple of weeks so I used a borrowed Voere (sp?) 9.3x62 with a crappy half foggy scope on it.
I like the round and have used one many times in my own rifles, so it was no big deal.
It was a meat shoot, so neck and head shots only or the owners would not be happy. So long shots (300+ lets say) were generally not taken.

Shot several dozen head that day and after that many shots, I was happy with the 9.3 sized recoil and the effective put down ability of the 286 gr bullet. An 06 sized round would have been fine as well.
It was a pleasant long day except for the heat stroke at the end of the day LoL.
 
Farshot - You make very good point about the multiple shots that occur when culling. I have shot too many times (on a firing line, at a range) with "tough guys" and their very expensive stuff, $4 a-piece cartridges, who seem to be done after two or three shots. Probably fine for the one or two shots on a deer or moose hunt. Culling stories always seem to involve dozens or more in a few hours. Maybe cartridge selection is about how well one does on the 20th shot in an hour?
 
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I did culls in Zimbabwe, and I just used downloaded .375 H&H, same rifle again. I get not everybody handloads however.

I have been forced to appreciate simple, multi use tools in what I do, as the option for more gear often isn’t there weight and bulk wise. One good tool simplifies a journey and is rather a joy in a way. A .375 H&H of carry-able dimensions is annoying because you really don’t need any other rifles, they’re just slightly more convenient here and there, but rarely truly better. But like I said, I can see the argument for one medium-heavy rifle and one very light stalking rifle too.
 
I was on a cull hunt in RSA and used the outfitter's Musgrave .308 Win. with South African 150 grain SP ammo. It put down Blue wildebeest (sub-200 yards) and female kudu (pushing 400 yards) like nobody's business.
On Eland cows I used the PH's Sako in .375 H&H (with supressor) and my 404 Jeffrey. They all work as long as shot placement is good.
For plains game, you can't go wrong with a 300 WM. a 30-06, a .270 or a 7 x 57.
 
Before going to several African nations I had the expectation that the 375 H&H would be the mainstay. After bouncing across much of west and east Africa, I was amazed at how few 375s I actually saw. I was even more amazed by the number of guides and trackers that carried Husqvarna 270s.
 
I have to agree I saw more .270s than anticipated. Need some context, were you in open big five areas or private land? On the South African private land plains game operations, it was basically a smattering of classic North American elk rifles, my brother borrowed a .300 Wby. And in a couple areas of open Zimbabwe it was only .30-06, .375H&H, .458 Lott, and 12g I encountered in use. Southern Botswana was the same as Zimbabwe.

In South Africa (West Cape, Limpopo, Namibia border) it was like being in Alberta fast rounds were the norm, the country is open, scrubby, and relatively flat. As a huge fan of the 7x57 I did note it was not the stalwart I secretly wanted it to be. Never saw a 9.3 in use by a PH either.
 
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