Ruark's Rifles

[Guy Miner]

I'm sure most here have at least heard of Robert Ruark, American writer & hunter. If you haven't read any of his works, consider starting with: Horn of the Hunter, it details his first Safari - a very long safari by today's standards.

Here are the rifles he took on that first safari:

.220 Swift - for varmints & such. Ruark was not impressed. Quickly discontinued using it.

.30-06 - apparently used for most of the plains game he shot, which included feeding Selby's large crew for a couple of months. Also used on his leopard. A Remington as I recall. This one had a scope, which he considered an advantage sometimes, and a problem at other times. Scopes then were not what they are now..

.375 H&H - his preferred choice for lion (he got a couple, they had no names referenced in the book, unlikely directly related to Cecil the lion). Also used the .375 on a fair number of plains game animals. Believe this was a Winchester Model 70.

.470 Nitro Express double rifle - buffalo, up close

Ruark's choices for his famous first safari in Africa with then young Harry Selby.

Would you see anything wrong with his choices even today, 60 years later?

Good article from American Hunter, in 2010, also discussing Ruark's battery.
Link: http://www.americanhunter.org/articles/ ... n-battery/

Guy

 

[26NosFan]

I am a huge fan of Ruark. 'Something of Value' and 'Uhuru' are all time favorites and a copy of 'Use Enough Gun' as well as Keith's 'Hell, I Was There' adorn my coffee table. As to his choices they are very practical and for the intended purposes very good in my opinion.

 

[preacher]

Good choices, and if one can afford that kind of safari today, you can afford to take three rifles and a shotgun with you too, ha. Considering the bullet construction of his day I think his using the '06 for the smaller antelope was sound. Of course, the .375 is really a stomper on all the plains game and lion; on buffalo, the only one I ever saw looked huge, so the 470 made perfect sense!
I've only been on plains game hunts, came close to getting in on a cull buffalo hunt once and a lioness though. On the plains game I ( and my friends including our Afrikaner buddy) used the Barnes X, XBT, and Failsafes. Over 4 hunts spread over six years, I used the 35 Whelen AI with 250 & 200X; 300WM with 180XBT and 165XBT; a 340W with 210XBT; a 338WM with 210XBT and the 375 H&H with 270 Failsafe factory ammo. My friends used the same 300WM and 375H&H combo. Rifles were Remington 700 Classic in 300WM and in 35 WAI; Mod 70 SS in both 300WM, 338WM and 375; a Mod 700 BDL SS 375H&H; a custom Mod 700 MGA 5.5# scope killing .340W!; and a Whitworth Express 375. There was one .243 taken with 100gr factory Winchester PP ammo with one Impala shot with it.
The three Mod 70s, the Whitworth and the Mod 700 .243 were brought over and left with my Afrikaner buddy. He paid ahead of time for the Mod 70s, the Whitworth & .243 were gifts from me. Again, this was spread out over a six year period, beginning in '96, right after the sanctions were lifted off RSA. My first trip was just me ('96), the next ('98)was with one friend and the last(2002) was with 2 friends. On the 2nd trip we also drove over to Namibia and shot Springbuk/Gemsbuk. These were all "sort of do it yourself hunts", just like most of us do over here; stayed in a ranch house, cooked own meals, hired ranch hands as trackers/skinners ( except in Namibia, we did it all). My Afrikaan buddy was a former RSA soldier/war vet who also had a Professional Hunter/Culling license. He pre-arranged for the meat to be sold and we used that to offset our costs. Not to mention the dollar was stronger then and costs were pretty low to start with. I spent less than a drop camp/semi guided elk hunt on each hunt and shot bookoo animals. The taxidermy was on us and the shipping/customs of course.
I always wanted to take one of those really big safaris, months long, plains game buff and big cats ( I never wanted to shoot elephant nor rhino) and have the chore to supply the crew with meat and also for bait...lots of animals! I couldn't be accused of being a "game hog" that way, ha.

 

[longrangehunter]

Nope, same rifle battery I went off to Africa with, except for .470, I brought a CZ 602 458 Lott worked over By Lon Paul..... Poor man's big bore, but works flawlessly and will stop a train.

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

I've never been to Africa but I feel like a .220 Swift, a .30-06, and a .375 are great ideas for any "do-it-all" arsenal no matter where in the world you are hunting. There isn't anything those 3 couldn't cover in my opinion.

 

[Guy Miner]

Forgot to mention, Ruark was also after rhino - which added more need for the big .470 Westly-Richards.

His writing, for those who haven't sampled it, is terrific. He's easily my favorite author, love the dry humor...

Guy

 

[Darkhorse]

While I think "Horn of the Hunter" is a must read, I don't agree it should be the starting point in the writings of Robert Ruark.
I think one must begin with "The old man and the boy" and the "Old man's boy grows older" as these are the novels, although fiction, that will define the man Ruark would become.
These are the books that introduced me to a world beyond the local treks to the woodlots with the .22 and inspired in me to appreciate a fine gun and the solitude of wild places. Though I will never hunt africa with a double rifle, I can go there in my imagination and with a Ruark novel.

 

[lefty315]

Guy....first the Leopard catching the grouse and now Ruark's rifles?? Sounds like you are talking yourself into a trip? I say keep talking!!!

 

[Dwh7271]

Outstanding stories and author. Great choice Guy.
The rifle in the first part of Horn of the Hunter that Selby shoots the Thompson's Gazelle with Ruark calls a 6.5 Mannlicher but was actually Selby's plains game rifle in 6.5X54 MS which is one of the reasons I am building one. Selby's teacher/mentor, Phil Percival also used that cartridge and wrote a pretty interesting book also.
Agree with Darkhorse that The Old Man and The Boy and its followup are must reads. A lot of Ruark's formative hunting education came from his grandfather, the Old Man in those stories.
In some of the original hardbacks they included the list of supplies for the Horn of the Hunter safari. Fascinating list. As a person that enjoys an occasional adult beverage around a campfire, I loved the booze list. There was something like thirty or so bottles of gin and one of vermouth with the comment "I like my martinis dry" :grin: :grin: . Cracked me up when I read it.
Really well written stuff with, as Guy mentioned, some pretty sharp or dry humor mixed in. Good stuff, I'll have to read it again (for the umpteenth time)

 

[26NosFan]

He might have laid off the booze list a little, he died of cirrhosis of the liver at age 49.

 

[Dwh7271]

Yep, around then.
Still a heckuva writer

 

[SJB358]

Never read any of them, might have to find them and read em.. Love those old books.


I am with the cartridges used though.. Pretty sure I could get by.

 

[Guy Miner]

Well worth reading Scotty - if you get some "down time."

 

[SJB358]

Seems with retirement happening in about 9 months I've got some time at night to read. First time in my life I haven't been preparing to deploy or train... Feels weird.

 

[DrMike]

Time to begin reintegration into the madhouse, Scotty. :shock: Take advantage of the situation.

 

[SJB358]

Yeah I suppose so Mike.

 

[pre6422hornet]

What a classic battery. Would of loved to have lived back then.