Dangerous game scopes

machinistbutler said:
Where and what are you planning to hunt?
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The first trip will be plains game, up to kudu and eland I'm hoping. The second, I'm hoping to take a mature buff, and that's the dream goal. Leopard are cool, cross and hippos are cool, but if I'm spending 10 gas and can only get one, it's Cape.
I have a contact in the Kalahari which means for plains game, 3-18 scope lol. I'll definitely have a scope on the 9.3, I'm just debating if I need MORE than what I already have
 
tokguy said:
Never wanted to play the 'Dangerous Game' for the most part. Don't like roaming around with things that want to eat me.
But Buff is another deal... logically I know they will stomp me quite handily or gore me another hole. But I am Ranch raised and against logic I am not scared of Bovines in the same way most folks are... been doing a little more reading on it and am already spending the money from the next Oil Boom LoL.
Thanks for the input all. Been following this with interest.
Regards
Tokguy
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I'd put Cape up there with Dangerous Game lol, I read a lot of Capstick as a kid. That said, this might also be a nice bison, moose, or bear rifle as well, basically any big gribbly inside of 250 or 300 yards. I'm planning imr4350 (or rl 15 if I can find it) and some 300 swift a frames, maybe 2250 or 2350 fps.
 
siegehammer63 said:
I'd put Cape up there with Dangerous Game lol, I read a lot of Capstick as a kid. That said, this might also be a nice bison, moose, or bear rifle as well, basically any big gribbly inside of 250 or 300 yards. I'm planning imr4350 (or rl 15 if I can find it) and some 300 swift a frames, maybe 2250 or 2350 fps.
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Oh, I've know they are dangerous. I'm sorta like the Northern guy's who are comfortable around Bears. Fessing up; bears scare me...I know nothing about them, fear of the unknown at work
But anything of the Bovine species... wary at best. I grew up inciting bull's to charge the corral fence ( it was dumb...but I was a kid...)... working stripping chutes at Rodeos in Grade 7... riding steers in Grade 8. Messing around Bucking Bulls in High School... just don't have fear that some folks do of them. If you are around something enough...you get over the Fear... mostly.
Had a Corriente / Longhorn cross bull on the acreage at home...you trust him, as long as there is an escape plan in effect.
By some reckoning a Cape Buff is one of the more dangerous animal's to hunt in Africa. They are up to 6' tall and can weight over a ton... I realise this is a very dangerous animal. I just lack the 'Primal fear' that some folks have.
Cape Buff, I would entertain hunting...big cat's...not so much.
 
tokguy said:
Oh, I've know they are dangerous. I'm sorta like the Northern guy's who are comfortable around Bears. Fessing up; bears scare me...I know nothing about them, fear of the unknown at work
But anything of the Bovine species... wary at best. I grew up inciting bull's to charge the corral fence ( it was dumb...but I was a kid...)... working stripping chutes at Rodeos in Grade 7... riding steers in Grade 8. Messing around Bucking Bulls in High School... just don't have fear that some folks do of them. If you are around something enough...you get over the Fear... mostly.
Had a Corriente / Longhorn cross bull on the acreage at home...you trust him, as long as there is an escape plan in effect.
By some reckoning a Cape Buff is one of the more dangerous animal's to hunt in Africa. They are up to 6' tall and can weight over a ton... I realise this is a very dangerous animal. I just lack the 'Primal fear' that some folks have.
Cape Buff, I would entertain hunting...big cat's...not so much.
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I can see why people would enjoy big cats, it's the subterfuge and the strategy and they're pretty cool. I don't think I fear them, but that remains to be seen hahahaha. Big bears make me wary and I wish I could get a tag haha
 
Just remember most countries in africa the 9.3 is illegal to use on buffalo. I am sure it will work, but will not meet the requirements in many countries. 375 would be the minimum. I am not sure I would want to just use the "minimum" myself.
 
machinistbutler said:
Just remember most countries in africa the 9.3 is illegal to use on buffalo. I am sure it will work, but will not meet the requirements in many countries. 375 would be the minimum. I am not sure I would want to just use the "minimum" myself.
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Seems to me that I read somewhere that 'Wildcat cartridges with another calibre's headstamp on the casings' are a bad idea too. Seems like an unusual tact...but it's a long ways to go to get told "No!".
Their house...their rules.
Lot's of little peculiarities that one never thinks of...read and learn I guess
 
So far as I know, South Africa other than one province in the East is fair game, one country it is legal but you must make over 4000 joules of muzzle energy. Dicy proposition. Cameroon and quite a few others have no problems at all. I'd simply sit and talk to my outfitter, where I'd go it'd be legal but he has a .470 Ne double I could rent. I just feel like going to Africa and using someone else's gun is like an intimate rendezvous with an international supermodel, but you have to use someone else's equipment. Defeats the purpose!
 
Gatehouse said:
Batteries for red dots can last years. Put a new battery in at the start of the season whether it needs it or not and it should be fine.

Even if the red dot does somehow you still have a standard crosshairs to aim with on 1x magnification.
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If you know of any rifle sight optics similar to 1-2 moa red dot with Docter sight weight and crosshair . Pls. let me know.
 
Have you considered a vintage Weaver K2.5? That is what I parked on my 9.3 x 62 and 375 H&H. Fine cross hairs, very bright (considering the age) and fast. Once you get used to it, 300 yard shots in a pinch are not a problem. they are built like tanks and hold their zero. Very reliable. Phil at Trace Scope repair is the guy I go through when looking for one of these old gems. He rebuilds and services these vintage scopes so they are like new again (possibly better). I know the age made me think twice, but after years of service without a problem I would recommend them. If it was good enough for Finn, its good enough for me.
 
tokguy said:
Oh, I've know they are dangerous. I'm sorta like the Northern guy's who are comfortable around Bears. Fessing up; bears scare me...I know nothing about them, fear of the unknown at work
But anything of the Bovine species... wary at best. I grew up inciting bull's to charge the corral fence ( it was dumb...but I was a kid...)... working stripping chutes at Rodeos in Grade 7... riding steers in Grade 8. Messing around Bucking Bulls in High School... just don't have fear that some folks do of them. If you are around something enough...you get over the Fear... mostly.
Had a Corriente / Longhorn cross bull on the acreage at home...you trust him, as long as there is an escape plan in effect.
By some reckoning a Cape Buff is one of the more dangerous animal's to hunt in Africa. They are up to 6' tall and can weight over a ton... I realise this is a very dangerous animal. I just lack the 'Primal fear' that some folks have.
Cape Buff, I would entertain hunting...big cat's...not so much.
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I can understand how being around cattle would numb you to being afraid of buffalo. I have the same problem (if it's a problem) or advantage (if it's an advantage).;)

Buffalo hunting is mostly hype as far as the danger aspect goes. It's a great hunting experience though, action is usually fairly continuous. When you're not trying to cut tracks, you're trying to follow them through a bush full of tracks. Lots of work and lots of walking. Its sort of interesting when a stalk goes goes bad and a herd runs right over your position. A cattle guy probably wouldn't #### his pants though. Oh; and they can soak up lead. I don't know why anyone would want to shoot anything smaller than the biggest gun they can shoot well.

Cape buffalo size has got to be the most exaggerated thing there is. I want to see a 6' tall Cape before I die. 5' is a tall one and lots are closer to 4'. Friggin short legged runts to a cattle guy. You hear about buffalo weighing a ton, but you've loaded too many cattle to buy into that when you see it. Asiatics are big; or damn good and big. 1 - 1 1/2 feet taller, 3 feet longer and between 500-1000 pounds heavier. Their ability to soak up lead staggers the imagination. :d

Elephants are good and dangerous. The only people who aren't scared of elephants are liars and lunatics.
 
Dogleg said:
I can understand how being around cattle would numb you to being afraid of buffalo. I have the same problem (if it's a problem) or advantage (if it's an advantage).;)

Buffalo hunting is mostly hype as far as the danger aspect goes. It's a great hunting experience though, action is usually fairly continuous. When you're not trying to cut tracks, you're trying to follow them through a bush full of tracks. Lots of work and lots of walking. Its sort of interesting when a stalk goes goes bad and a herd runs right over your position. A cattle guy probably wouldn't #### his pants though. Oh; and they can soak up lead. I don't know why anyone would want to shoot anything smaller than the biggest gun they can shoot well.

Cape buffalo size has got to be the most exaggerated thing there is. I want to see a 6' tall Cape before I die. 5' is a tall one and lots are closer to 4'. Friggin short legged runts to a cattle guy. You hear about buffalo weighing a ton, but you've loaded too many cattle to buy into that when you see it. Asiatics are big; or damn good and big. 1 - 1 1/2 feet taller, 3 feet longer and between 500-1000 pounds heavier. Their ability to soak up lead staggers the imagination. :d

Elephants are good and dangerous. The only people who aren't scared of elephants are liars and lunatics.
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Oh totally, it's like feral hogs to boar; cattle are way bigger due to selective breeding and much more consistent nutrition. I've found that shotplacement and sectional density usually trumps frontal diameter on MOST things. I wish I could afford a .416 rigby or similar, and I understand why a PH uses a .458 minimum and often a .500 for the sheer stop involved in close situations
 
machinistbutler said:
Just remember most countries in africa the 9.3 is illegal to use on buffalo. I am sure it will work, but will not meet the requirements in many countries. 375 would be the minimum. I am not sure I would want to just use the "minimum" myself.
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there is many countries where the 9.3 is legal ... and it worked very well for over a century ... even in kenya the 9,3x62 was approved for experienced hunter.
 
Dogleg said:
I can understand how being around cattle would numb you to being afraid of buffalo. I have the same problem (if it's a problem) or advantage (if it's an advantage).;)

Buffalo hunting is mostly hype as far as the danger aspect goes. It's a great hunting experience though, action is usually fairly continuous. When you're not trying to cut tracks, you're trying to follow them through a bush full of tracks. Lots of work and lots of walking. Its sort of interesting when a stalk goes goes bad and a herd runs right over your position. A cattle guy probably wouldn't #### his pants though. Oh; and they can soak up lead. I don't know why anyone would want to shoot anything smaller than the biggest gun they can shoot well.

Cape buffalo size has got to be the most exaggerated thing there is. I want to see a 6' tall Cape before I die. 5' is a tall one and lots are closer to 4'. Friggin short legged runts to a cattle guy. You hear about buffalo weighing a ton, but you've loaded too many cattle to buy into that when you see it. Asiatics are big; or damn good and big. 1 - 1 1/2 feet taller, 3 feet longer and between 500-1000 pounds heavier. Their ability to soak up lead staggers the imagination. :d

Elephants are good and dangerous. The only people who aren't scared of elephants are liars and lunatics.
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or dead ...
 
medvedqc said:
there is many countries where the 9.3 is legal ... and it worked very well for over a century ... even in kenya the 9,3x62 was approved for experienced hunter.
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Why not just get a 375, the you are at the legal minimum everywhere. Again minimum. I wasn't aware of much hunting going on in Kenya right now, haven't seen any reports . I believe south africa the 375 is the minimum, as well as Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania. The latter three is where I am looking at for a.cape buff hunt. It would be a shame to set up a rifle specifically for a cape buff hunt to be disappointed that the country you want to go to won't allow it.

I would love to have a 9.3x62,. Just too many rifles and not enough time.

For a plains game scope I used a 3-12. The 12x higher power was nice I suppose , but 6x would have been fine . I found myself fiddling with the power rather than worrying about the shot too much. It didn't cost me any animals , but it could have. I found much less time to take the shot in the Kalahari than here. I would also see more animals in a day there than I would in a year here. Africa is truly a magical place.
 
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