Africa, caliber choices?

Although not hunting Africa anytime soon, I also went from a 1.5-5 to a 1-7 on my 375. With a bigger budget I would go a bit higher in magnification again.
 
Duncan Idaho said:
My vote would be for the 375. But, nothing wrong with the 7mm for any plains game. I was amazed at how many times I saw guides and rangers carrying a 270win as their "Do-All" rifle.

And yes, I know some countries often have minimum calibre restrictions for dangerous game but there seems to be a fair bit of leeway on using lighter cartridges even for the big animals. And, seeing so many 270s in Africa speaks volumes for the cartridge's performance.
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The .270’s ubiquity in Zim surprised me too.
 
I’m not any kind of African hunter but I put a Bausch and Lomb 2-7x32 on my 375. 4.5-15 on my 6.5x55 but still seem to shoot most deer on 4.5...

Buckmastr said:
Another thing to consider is your optics. Don't handicap your self with low power optics on both rifles. I would use a 3-9 on the 375 to be able to make use of it if the terrain proves to be more open then you expect. And some plains game is pretty small as well.
When I used a 375 on a plains game hunt, I used a 1.5-5 and felt I needed more scope then I had. I removed that scope when I got home and put on a 3-9.
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With respect to optics, the 2.5-8X on a M-70 .375 worked well for me in the Selous. Most of the time it was turned down to 2.5X, had that scope had a low end of 4X, my chances of successfully making a nice snap shot on a quartering away running warthog would have diminished significantly. The longest shot of the trip, about 250 yards on a wildebeest, didn't need greater magnification, but opportunities for longer shots could occur in Namibia or RSA. If you have a shot at a game animal at moderate range, under bright sunshine, but the animal is standing in the shadow of a tree of a rock, you might not be able to see him at low magnification, and this to me is what justifies a medium power variable on an African hunting rifle. My .458 wears a Nightforce 1-4X, and when things are up close and personal, the advantages of it's wide field of view can't be overstated. This is the scope that taught me the advantages of illuminated reticles; its disadvantage is that it is physically big and heavy for a low power scope, although a little extra weight on a .458 isn't much of a hindrance.

Ballistic considerations aside, the rifle you are familiar with and shoot well is the rifle to have with you. Hunting dangerous animals in challenging conditions with a rifle supplied by the PH is a bit of a crap shoot. That's how I discovered that double rifles weren't for me, despite practicing diligently with a fly weight double 12 bore loaded with slugs prior to leaving. This was a top quality British double rifle made early in the 20th Century, by John Wilkes and chambered for the .500 NE. The ammo consisted of 570 gr Xs over heavy charges of 3031 for 2150 fps, but pressure was high enough that the gun was stiff to break after firing, making reloading slow for the uninitiated.
 
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My .375s wear 3.5-10s and one a 3-9. The .458 that I shot more buffalo with than any other has a 2.5-8 on it and far more were shot on 8 power than 2.5.

The trouble isn't hitting the vitals, if you can hit a garbage can lid you can do that. The trouble is; getting a clear shot is a #####. It's more a matter of threading your bullet through the brush, making sure that your window corresponds with that gargabe can lid, and the black patch that you're trying to hit is attached to the same animal as the horns you want, and that you are both looking at the same buff in the first place. It's hard to miss branches that you can't see.

It ain't all blood on your bootlaces charges. ;) practically none of it is.
 
Option one gives you a back up for buff if something happens to the .416 but personally I would just use option 2. Stick a 160gr TSX in the 7mm mag and go for it.

The .375 and the 7mm would be a great option too, as would just the .375!

I someone pointed out, local guys there use the same common cartridges we do, and do just fine. If it works here for elk it will work there for plains game. I have shot game a s small as blesbuck with a .375 and 9.3x62 and damage was not bad at all, likely less than a faster caliber with with more frangible bullet.
 
Well, I think it's going to be 416 Rigby & 375 H&H... After all, it is Africa!

Things I plan on doing so both rifles are set up identically.

(1) Get a set of Alaska Arms QD rings for the 416 Rigby, to match the 375 H&H which already has them.
(2) Get my local gunsmith Gunco to install a Decelerator pad on the 375 H&H, to match the 416 Rigby which the previous owner had installed.

Unsure if I will have the same aftermarket custom bead installed on the 375 H&H which the 416 Rigby has. It sure is stands out in comparison to the little gold bead Ruger put on the RSM rifles...

The 1.5-5x20 Leupold Vari-X III on the 416 Rigby has the dangerous game reticle. The 1.5-5x20 Leupold VX3 on the 375 H&H has a multi-plex reticle. I'm good with that.

Cheers
Jay
 
I’d reccommdend a 2.5-8x36 over the 1.5-5 on your 375. I have both and I’d say the 2.5-8 is twice the scope in regards to brightness. The 8x might be nice for the plains game as well.
 
I shot a couple Impala, a blesbuck, Duiker and warthog with a .270 150g ram corelokts and nothing ran farther than 50 yards. I shot a wildebeest with a .300winmag 180g rem boattail only because my father had the .270.

I'd take the .375 for all of the above over the 7mm. You double lung it and bullet punches straight threw with minimal damage. .416 is a good choice for a Cape.
 
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