If you were going to build a rifle for Africa what caliber?

[DrMike]

Truthfully, a 375 H&H or a 375 Ruger would satisfy my need for Africa. Where permitted, I would be content with my 9.3X64 Brenneke. Action? Bolt action, and it wouldn't be a problem to have a Winchester, a CZ, a Mauser, etc.

 

[Africa Huntress]

Nathan, you make some very good points sir.

Charles, you are spot on in regards to the two you mention. the 9.3 x 64 and the 62 are well used and well loved in Africa, as is the 404. That is why I like the 450/400, with the same rifle strength they are literally twins ballistically.

Scotty , as I just mentioned to Charles, the 404, if one is determined not to hunt Africa with a double, would be an excellent choice. To be honest the 404 could easily be used for both plains game and dangerous game, great cartridge AND one of the old classics. I love the old classics, 404 Jeff, 416 Rigby, 505 gibbs, so the 470 Capstick would not spark my interest.

Dr Mike, and you would be spot on sir. Both the 9.3 x 64 and the 375 H & H are excellent rifles in which to hunt Africa. You can easily hunt both DG and PG with these calibers. Dr Mike the Brenneke is allowed in all countries where the 375 H & H is stated to be the minimum caliber allowed for DG.

Best Regards

Jamila

 

[SJB358]

Same here Mike. Were I going tomorrow, I'd probably find that P64 375 I have always wanted or a Classic in 416 Remington Magnum... I do happen to have a Hornady Comparator case for the 416 Rem... Might need to find something to use it on! HA!!

ElkhunterNM and Fotis- Cool rifles fella's.. Both of them are beautys!

 

[IdahoCTD]

That is a nice looking M-70 Guy and the 375 H&H's have relatively low recoil compared to the larger bore sizes.

The 416 Rigby guys are starting to appeal to me a bit. Nostalgia aside, the Cutting Edge bullets would be pretty mean out of a Rigby for longer range plains game or even antelope here. The Rigby size actions have really long mag boxes to handle the longer lengths of those bullets too. That, to me, makes a rifle more useful then just one or two trips to Africa. I'm sure if I ordered enough I could get them to make me .423 caliber bullets of the same basic design to sling from a 404 Jeffery or 423 Dakota. They are only .007" larger in diameter.

Thinking on the bigger is better side of things the 470 Capstick is still in the running and I've never built one although I have shot my buddies. I can see this getting costly because I might build several and take the one I like best.

I did have a long Interarms Mark X action I sold a couple years ago that would of worked well for the long belted magnums. One of my 7-300wm's is on a Interarms action too.

 

[Dwh7271]

I would build a 404 Jeffery or a 416 Ruger on a large Mauser type action.

Don't think I could argue with those choices. Plus the 404 oozes cool and nostalgia.
Action- CZ, 70 Classic, Mauser.

 

[Europe]

Truthfully, a 375 H&H or a 375 Ruger would satisfy my need for Africa. Where permitted, I would be content with my 9.3X64 Brenneke. Action? Bolt action, and it wouldn't be a problem to have a Winchester, a CZ, a Mauser, etc.

Exactly! With the bullets that are available today, there is no reason to beat yourself up with an 800 double whammy kitty cat. If you enjoy building different rifles, and playing with different loads, that is o.k. as well, but when the rubber hits the pavement, one needs nothing more, to hunt the width and breath of Africa, and all other Continents.

Nathan made a good point as well. Build or buy a 375 H & H, 9.3 x 64 Brenneke, even a 404 Jeffery, then use it to hunt, hunt, hunt

Charles, you also have a custom built Brenneke and if you decide to venture over to Africa you will need nothing more,

On one of our trips to the dark continent I was able to use a 9.3 x 74r double. It was not mine, but I have to admit there was something very nostalgic about hunting with a double. I enjoyed it. The two shot thing does have merit when hunting elephant, buffalo and especially lion, but your never alone, so it is not as important as it might be if you were out there all alone.

 

[Guy Miner]

Love that Whitworth Elkhunternm... Love it!

 

[Guy Miner]

Exactly! With the bullets that are available today, there is no reason to beat yourself up with an 800 double whammy kitty cat. If you enjoy building different rifles, and playing with different loads, that is o.k. as well, but when the rubber hits the pavement, one needs nothing more, to hunt the width and breath of Africa, and all other Continents.

Nathan made a good point as well. Build or buy a 375 H & H, 9.3 x 64 Brenneke, even a 404 Jeffery, then use it to hunt, hunt, hunt

Charles, you also have a custom built Brenneke and if you decide to venture over to Africa you will need nothing more,

On one of our trips to the dark continent I was able to use a 9.3 x 74r double. It was not mine, but I have to admit there was something very nostalgic about hunting with a double. I enjoyed it. The two shot thing does have merit when hunting elephant, buffalo and especially lion, but your never alone, so it is not as important as it might be if you were out there all alone.

Thanks for the experienced opinion, and I imagine it had to be pretty special to carry a classic double, in a classic chambering, in Africa...

Guy

 

[c. schutte]

Exactly! With the bullets that are available today, there is no reason to beat yourself up with an 800 double whammy kitty cat. If you enjoy building different rifles, and playing with different loads, that is o.k. as well, but when the rubber hits the pavement, one needs nothing more, to hunt the width and breath of Africa, and all other Continents.

Nathan made a good point as well. Build or buy a 375 H & H, 9.3 x 64 Brenneke, even a 404 Jeffery, then use it to hunt, hunt, hunt

Charles, you also have a custom built Brenneke and if you decide to venture over to Africa you will need nothing more,

On one of our trips to the dark continent I was able to use a 9.3 x 74r double. It was not mine, but I have to admit there was something very nostalgic about hunting with a double. I enjoyed it. The two shot thing does have merit when hunting elephant, buffalo and especially lion, but your never alone, so it is not as important as it might be if you were out there all alone.

Thanks for the experienced opinion, and I imagine it had to be pretty special to carry a classic double, in a classic chambering, in Africa...

Guy

Guy,

There is something to be said about that. It's a salute to those who have done it before to use a classic. That and classic's aren't classic's without a reason....... :grin:

 

[IdahoCTD]

So Jamila, is the 458 Lott old enough if the 470 Capstick isn't? Or are your preferred calibers 100+ years old?

 

[Africa Huntress]

HaHa, good one Idahoctd

No the Lott is not old enough. It has to be invented or born before 1940 to be a classic which unless I am mistaken, makes Dr Mike and April "classics"

If your determined to go to something 470, go with the 470 N.E.--oh wait, that brings back to the double, so that dont work for you, HaHa

Seriously the 458 Lott is an excellent caliber and liked by many including a very good friend of mine. I am also sure the 470 Capstick is a fine caliber, although from memory it was invented by the same fellow that invented the so called Triad of Africa bullets ( I am forgetting the exact name he called them ) but in reality only two of those three actually worked as advertised.

Idahoctd, the bottom line is, all the caliber's you like will work and if you like them, nothing else matters, we each get to decide what works best for us. I just like the doubles and the REALLY old calibers HaHa

Best Regards

Jamila

 

[elkhunternm]

It was the Triad of bullets. They were called the Lion Load,Dead Tough and Monolithic Solid.

 

[Anonymous]

It was the Triad of bullets. They were called the Lion Load,Dead Tough and Monolithic Solid.

That was Art Alphin of A Square. I believe they folded up a few years back.

 

[elkhunternm]

Yup,he did.

Did find this though.

http://www.broadswordgroup.com/a_square_rifles.html

They also offer some ammo for 17 rounds.

 

[mcseal2]

Personally I'd probably build a stainless M70 in 375 Ruger. I'd go with a 22" barrel with back-up iron sights. Maybe irons with tritium inserts if I could find them. I'd put it in a good synthetic stock, not a real ultralight one but something along the lines of a B&C Alaskan. Reasonable weight and stable. I'd put on a Leupold VX-6 1-6x with the firedot circle or Trijicon 1-4x with the tritium/fiber optic lit mil dot reticle.

Really the Winchester M70 Alaskan they build in 375 H&H with me adding a synthetic stock and cerakote would be probably be cheaper and pretty close to ideal for me. It's got a 25" barrel though.

If I ever build something bigger than my 300 win it will be because I won the lottery and am going to Africa or after big bears. I'd love to do both someday but don't see it happening with the cost. I could go on several great muley, moose, or caribou hunts for the price of one of these and would be more likely to go that route. Anyway if I go I'll build one rifle that will handle either so I only have to work up loads for one cannon!

Mine won't be nearly as pretty as all the ones you guys showed!

 

[IdahoCTD]

I'll have a .375 Brux barrel, brass, and dies next week for a 375 Ruger on a SS M-70 that is presently a 300wm in a McMillan stock.

 

[IdahoCTD]

Well I'm glad you didn't call the Lott a classic because it was made the year after I was born.

Nathan

 

[DrMike]

I'll have a .375 Brux barrel, brass, and dies next week for a 375 Ruger on a SS M-70 that is presently a 300wm in a McMillan stock.

That should be a great build! I have enjoyed working up loads on the several 375 Rugers I've worked on. It is a great cartridge that deserves far more favour that it currently enjoys.

 

[mcseal2]

That sounds perfect!

 

[Polaris]

I'm no expert on Africa calibers, but fun to read about and I'm bored. What about the 416 Taylor? No personal experience, but looks like ballistics comparable to the 416 Rigby in a 458 WM envelope.

I'm partial to mauser pattern actions. The 98, or the improved M98... the M1917. These can be found at your average gunshow at bargain prices. I think they are smoother in general than the M98 and lend themselves well to larger cartridges. Unlike most folks, I'm also a fan of cock on closing. Get 2. Build your Africa rifle and build a plane jane one in 30-06 that balances and weighs the same and practice the hell out of it.