The rifle I will take to Africa.

tigrr said:
Beautiful looking rifle Jay. Hurts my shoulder just thinking about shooting a 375 HH. Maybe if I could fit a muzzle brake, hmmm.
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The RSM in .375 H&H is a pussy cat... I can't tell the difference between it and an 8 pound .30/06... they are beautiful, solidly constructed rifles that are unlikely to let you down at crunch time. IMO the VX-3 1.5-5 is the perfect optic for the RSM... very wise purchase Jay... a great investment in living.
 
My hunting partner grew up on a South African game farm and shot hundreds of antelope with a 223 for the market.Meat hunts are popular in SA for biltong .His main rifle is a Remington 700 30:06 with a 4x Leopold scope,which he considers quite adequite for everything other than Buffalo. Of course, he's a good stalker and a heck of a good shot,gets close, takes his time and fires one shot
 
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Jay said:
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T share your excitement every time I heft any one of the three M77's in my safe. I sincerely hope you realize your dream hunt one day.

medvedqc said:
guys what good rifles you re showing ... wonderful rifles. wish you all good time and field time with them.

a shame they were never made for lefty ....
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Ruger will custom build any rifle you want in a left hand model. Many already come in left hand. Check these out www.ruger.com
 
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Gunneegoogoo said:
So, for you guys that have been on a trip, or are looking into it, realistically what is the cost?? Can you get your trophies home without too much to-do??
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It really depends on what you want to hunt. When we do our shows in Canada and the US, we offer a package for eight nights and seven days hunting, accommodation and food for two guys with four animals included (Kudu, Blesbok, Impala, Springbok) for 5500 CAD. Of course a buff hunt goes for quite a bit more. Hunters have to get here and that's roughly another 1000 CAD per person. Hunting Africa is really inexpensive when compared to big game hunts here. As for getting trophies back I have done it personally with five crates from RSA, not hard at all. As an example a crate with the animals in it shoulder mounted would run 1200-1500 CAD shipping to Ontario. You also have to add on the costs of taxidermy and that can vary as to the hunters personal choice, euro/skull mounts, shoulder, full size, hides etc .... and we have some guys that leave with just pics, so that part of the hunt is really quite personal.
 
looks like real nice wood on that one! has the stock been bedded? Thanks!
Superbrad said:
Odd Jay...... I am literally in the process of balancing out the rings........ Lol.....

I must admit..... It is certainly the "crown jewel" of my collection.......

Some "before" pics.....

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I got the rifle (and the added scope), from Hoytcanon...... I highly doubt it is bedded...... By the time I was done with playing with the awesome irons I was easily getting 5 shot groups into 5 inches at 100 yards...... It was great exercise for me to shoot over irons again....

I had a hard time scoping it, as the sights were so cool.......... But I will report back when I get a chance to shoot it with the new to me scope.....
 
Fine duplex or heavy on your scope? Thanks! nice shooting with irons!
Superbrad said:
I got the rifle (and the added scope), from Hoytcanon...... I highly doubt it is bedded...... By the time I was done with playing with the awesome irons I was easily getting 5 shot groups into 5 inches at 100 yards...... It was great exercise for me to shoot over irons again....

I had a hard time scoping it, as the sights were so cool.......... But I will report back when I get a chance to shoot it with the new to me scope.....
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Jay said:
Awesome! I am going to scope this rifle as well, likely with something similar if not the same! Just need to recover a bit from the sticker shock of buying a nice rifle when I wasn't expecting to... Chuckle!

Cheers
Jay
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Congrats Jay, beautiful rifle, and hope you fulfill your dreams of Africa.

I recently found a M77 African in .338 WM. Would love to have the quarter rib and barrel band sling mount but still thrilled with my find. I've been poking about, looking for optics as well. Take a look at the Leica ER 5 series. 1-5X24 or 1.5-8X32. Can't find a 1.5-8X32 in Canada yet, but that is what will top my Ruger when I can. German optics (made in the USA) at and "affordable for most". I think it would finish off your RSM quite nicely!
 
Gunneegoogoo said:
So, for you guys that have been on a trip, or are looking into it, realistically what is the cost?? Can you get your trophies home without too much to-do??
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My trip to RSA in 2007 probably cost around $14K including taxidermy, shipping and airfare. Zim in 2010 cost around $30K all in.

Jay, if you want cape buffalo then you owe it to yourself to hunt them in the truly wild places. The Caprivi Strip in Namibia or Mozambique would be my top 2 choices. The Caprivi great genetics out of Botswana...I find they tend to be heavier in the boss. I hunted out of the same camp as PH Jofie Lamprecht in 2010 and he has pulled some astonishing buff out of the Caprivi in the last few years. I would hunt with him in a second if I was going back there. Mozambique offers a choice of either floodplain hunting (very challenging) or mopane forest in the North. Personally I would go for a hunt in the North and hunt like the old-timers did in Tanzania. If I took that route I would hunt with JP Kleinhans. I've met him and he's a very good guy.

Now for the scope. It's no secret that I love the 1.5-5x Leupold. Unnatural man love. But I think a 2.5-8x would serve you better, especially on a mixed bag hunt. You might see a great impala on the far side of a clearing or in a dry riverbed and have to take a 150-200 yard shot. In a case like that I'd rather have a little more magnification. Or, and probably more importantly, you might see a real elusive trophy like a honey badger or civet at a distance. There is no way in hell you will be able to stalk up on either of those animals, both the size of a large badger or really large raccoon, and you will have to hammer them from wherever you happen to be. I'd err on the side of caution. Not that you can't make long shots with the 1.5-5x (my longest was a lasered 287 meters on a springbok) but it's better to have and not need. I didn't ever have mine on 1.5x except walking back to camp in the dark through rhino country.

Either way, congrats on the new rifle. Now time to find some 300gr Swift A-Frames and work up a load!
 
BigUglyMan said:
My trip to RSA in 2007 probably cost around $14K including taxidermy, shipping and airfare. Zim in 2010 cost around $30K all in.

Jay, if you want cape buffalo then you owe it to yourself to hunt them in the truly wild places. The Caprivi Strip in Namibia or Mozambique would be my top 2 choices. The Caprivi great genetics out of Botswana...I find they tend to be heavier in the boss. I hunted out of the same camp as PH Jofie Lamprecht in 2010 and he has pulled some astonishing buff out of the Caprivi in the last few years. I would hunt with him in a second if I was going back there. Mozambique offers a choice of either floodplain hunting (very challenging) or mopane forest in the North. Personally I would go for a hunt in the North and hunt like the old-timers did in Tanzania. If I took that route I would hunt with JP Kleinhans. I've met him and he's a very good guy.

Now for the scope. It's no secret that I love the 1.5-5x Leupold. Unnatural man love. But I think a 2.5-8x would serve you better, especially on a mixed bag hunt. You might see a great impala on the far side of a clearing or in a dry riverbed and have to take a 150-200 yard shot. In a case like that I'd rather have a little more magnification. Or, and probably more importantly, you might see a real elusive trophy like a honey badger or civet at a distance. There is no way in hell you will be able to stalk up on either of those animals, both the size of a large badger or really large raccoon, and you will have to hammer them from wherever you happen to be. I'd err on the side of caution. Not that you can't make long shots with the 1.5-5x (my longest was a lasered 287 meters on a springbok) but it's better to have and not need. I didn't ever have mine on 1.5x except walking back to camp in the dark through rhino country.

Either way, congrats on the new rifle. Now time to find some 300gr Swift A-Frames and work up a load!
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Thanks! And when we go, it will be a mixed bag of game... I want a cape buffalo & my wife is actually talking about taking a leopard! :rockOn"

Cheers
Jay
 
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