One cartridge to hunt dangerous game for the rest of your life and it can't be a 375, what are you going with?

My CZ 550 American 416 Rigby with Zeiss 3-9x40 Conquest with Warne QD rings. Iron sights for close shots. Just got it and have killed nothing with it yet. It’s very accurate and recoil isn’t bad.
 
My CZ 550 American 416 Rigby with Zeiss 3-9x40 Conquest with Warne QD rings. Iron sights for close shots. Just got it and have killed nothing with it yet. It’s very accurate and recoil isn’t bad.
You might consider a 1-6x or 1-8x to cover anything close or far. Some of my shots with the .416 have been under 20 yards.
 
I guess we are expanding to rifles so Im in!

Winchester M-70 1950, Magnum Length, Transition rifle in .400 H&H with a 24” custom bbl, Winchester “Roll Type” rear express sight, Winchester ramped/hooded front sight, Leupold VX-6 1-6HD with German reticle mounted in Tally QD rings and bases!
And of course stocked in Turkish Walnut!!!
How’d I do lol
 
Image1710732773.883426.jpg


Although I have had great success with my Lott, surgeries on both wrists have made it a little more difficult to manage. That said, if you’ve sidelined my 375, I’d be quite content with our Highland stalker in 9.3x62.
 
My 450/400 Heym with Trijicon Red dot. It is a very accurate double and with the relatively mild recoil and the red dot I am good out to 100 yards.
 
Obviously the .458 Lott. There is no real comparison...

Like Red Leg I would fight hard for the .375 H&H, especially with 350 gr loads...

The .404 / .416 / .425 have always been in the run, but they are a little light for stopper duty, and by the time guys like Claude Kleynhans, Owain Lewis, Theunis Botha, Philip Smythe or Ian Gibson get killed by Buff or Ele, you realize that there is, after all, a possibility that you might need stopping power.

The .458 Win has always been in the run (with modern ammo), but it runs out of reach around 150 yards.

The NE cartridges (except the modern 500/.416 which has the reach) are great, but long in the tooth past 100 yards.

The Lott will do everything to anything between zero and 200 and that is all you need for DG (and most PG) with 500 gr slugs, and you can do amazing things on PG with 300 gr slugs. Not to mention it shoots .458 Win ammo.

Just do not make the rifle too light, and it is a pleasure to shoot, scoped anywhere around 10+ lbs. My R8 PH Selous / Leica Magnus 1-6.3x24 i is a delight to shoot, and clover-leaf accurate too.
 
Last edited:
PS: re. 150 yards reach, not that you would shoot DG past 150 yards (or 100 yards for that matter), but there IS this possibility that the next world-record kudu pops up his head over the next ridge...
 
Heym 450/400 3" double with a 1 moa Trijicon RMR.
Why?
It is accurate.
It has enough punch to put down anything.
It is light enough to carry all day.
It has mild recoil.
It is mechanically totally reliable.
The sight will be good to 100m and totally reliable.
It is quick to bear and has the second shot.
I can get brass and bullets and the cartridge is in resurgence.
 
For me, a .500/416 Nitro Express. Preferably a Heym Model 89B with 24" barrels, manual safety, wide V backsights and uncovered ivory bead foresight.

If you prefer bolt action rifles, then a .416 Rigby or .416 Remington Magnum gets my vote.
 
Jeez, love these questions and answers! It make you see that you either have what everyone is wishing for, which is great, or you don't and start dreaming of the next purchase!

I would probably choose a 416 Rigby scoped. There is nothing here in Africa that a 416 R cannot handle. Scoped makes it so versatile, but not for longer shots, which I have a pet peeve about. Scope gives you somewhat of advantage in thick brush / shade to see difference between 2 buffalo's, angles etc.

For nostalgic reasons and because I would hate myself for choosing a bolt, I would probably choose a double while I still can shoot it. 470NE would be great choice, since we are not allowed to have a 458 something bolt... 500/416 and 450/400 both are intriguing cartridges, latter just a bit to small for my liking in this discussion.

Thus, if only 1 DG rifle, it would be a double in 500NE. I will just buy and sell between a 500NE and 416Rigby if only allowed 1 :)

I am happy we do not have to have this problem!
 
Last edited:

Forum statistics

Threads
57,528
Messages
1,233,051
Members
101,253
Latest member
casesgg1442
 

 

 

Latest profile posts

Grz63 wrote on Doug Hamilton's profile.
Hello Doug,
I am Philippe from France and plan to go hunting Caprivi in 2026, Oct.
I have read on AH you had some time in Vic Falls after hunting. May I ask you with whom you have planned / organized the Chobe NP tour and the different visits. (with my GF we will have 4 days and 3 nights there)
Thank in advance, I will appreciate your response.
Merci
Philippe
Grz63 wrote on Moe324's profile.
Hello Moe324
I am Philippe from France and plan to go hunting Caprivi in 2026, Oct.
I have read on AH you had some time in Vic Falls after hunting. May I ask you with whom you have planned / organized the Chobe NP tour and the different visits. (with my GF we will have 4 days and 3 nights there)
Thank in advance, I will appreciate your response.
Merci
Philippe
rafter3 wrote on Manny R's profile.
Hey there could I have that jewelers email you mentioned in the thread?
VIGILAIRE wrote on wesheltonj's profile.
Hi Walden. Good morning from England, Chris here (The Englishman!) from Croatia. Firstly it was a pleasure to meet you and Michelle - a fellow Sanderson! I have finally joined AH as I enjoy it very much. Glad you enjoyed the hunt and your write up which I read on AR was very good indeed. I am sending on WhatsApp pics from Bojan of some of the animals hunted recently. Take care and best regards. CS.
 
Top