Advice needed: what R8 caliber for hippo

[Tra3]

Fellow members I am in need of advice on what additional caliber for an R8 I should get for hippo, etc. I’ve posted the R8 caliber chart below. I already have a .375h&h barrel. I would prefer to stay in the standard contour barrel profile for another barrel as my R8 is not opened up for the thicker barrels. I understand I cannot take two rifles in the same caliber to Africa.

It looks like I’ll be returning to hunt again in 2022. My daughter would like to hunt a hippo. I prefer to carry a rifle when we are in the bush, so I need another barrel that will go on her R8 (or mine). It is likely that I will travel with the rifle case, so I’m limited to two rifles: 375H&H and ???. (She will already be in africa before I get there.)

I have no experience with the 9.3x62. I do not reload. Will that work? I see there is a blaser .375 mag… sounds like an impossible to get ammo caliber. Should I just stick with a .375 and a PG caliber and not worry about carrying a similar caliber as the PH will have a .500NE?

She is a small person, maybe 115 lbs, but tough and rides and jumps horses as her hobby. After seeing video of @BeeMaa shooting an R8 with a .416, that looked like a bit much of a horse for this guy.

I’ll will be inquiring of my PH for his advice as well.
I know some of you have gone through this though process of what barrel combos for an R8 for yourself and/or for an aspiring youth, so I’d appreciate suggestions. @One Day... @Philip Glass @375Fox @Ridgewalker

 

[jdemocko]

My buddy and I went to Zim several years ago and shot hippo. I used a 416 Rigby and my buddy used a 375 H&H. Granted both were killed with headshots, but they were dead on the spot. I don't think she will have a problem with the 375 and proper bullets.

 

[DieJager]

The 375 blaser barrel also allows 375h&h ammo if I am correct. But why bother. The 375 h&h would be sufficient.

 

[375Fox]

I shot my first hippo with a 300 H&H with a headshot in water. More recently, I had a PH who had no issue me using a 300 win for a hippo, but didn’t end up shooting a hippo that hunt. I think you maybe already decided you want a 9.3x62? It’s a well proven cartridge. Bringing a 375 H&H and a 375 Blaser may cause they same issue as two 375 H&Hs because a customs official may view them as the same caliber.

 

[CBH Australia]

Do you need a .300Norma or .338wm for Elk? Might fit the bill.

Ask Joe, @Red Leg. He knows Blasers and may have taken Hippo.

@Timbo is an Aussie who has taken Hippo.

Don't forget there are few places make aftermarket Blasers barrels in various chambering s.

 

[TOBY458]

If you plan to shoot one in the water with a head shot, I can't imagine you'd need more than a 375 by most accounts. But on land, and or body shots, I'd want more than that. That's one drawback of the standard configuration R8. 375 is the largest factory caliber in that contour, and you would need to jump all the way up to the safari contour to accommodate a 416 factory barrel. That's why I wish they would make a rifle with the two piece stock design and have easily interchangeable/affordable forends that work with the different contours. That way you wouldn't have the huge gap around the standard profile barrels when using them with the safari contour forends. You could match the forend to the barrel.

 

[CBH Australia]

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen any thoughts on what to use for an , ahh "all round" extra backup rifle that might be ok for @Tra3 to take to Africa?
I'll bet his daughter will have a slam dunk and make him proud?, but he needs another barrel, new trip new barrel right? Oh yeah, it's just in case. She"ll be right but any excuse to have one more,

 

[BeeMaa]

Preface/disclaimer - I have not hunted Hippo.

Whichever caliber your daughter can shoot most accurately, which is probably the 375H&H. Regardless of her size, it's gonna carry a punch. There are full grown adults, weighing twice as much, who are unable to shoot a 375 without a flinch. Practice, practice and more practice to slowly get her there.

From what I've been able to learn from Hippo hunting videos and hunt reports...I very much agree with @TOBY458, hunting Hippo on land vs in water are two very different scenarios. For in the water - your daughter will need to be able to place a shot into a golf ball sized target at whatever distance away the animal is. And she will most likely be laying prone, the biggest issue being scope cut. As for land, the target is bigger, but will most likely be done from sticks. Study the shot placement guide and have it with you when hunting.

For the rifle part of it, I'd take your R8 stock and her (assuming she will have one soon enough) R8 stock. Yours with the 375H&H and hers with the 7mmRM (both standard 17mm contour). She can use the 7mmRM for PG and switch to your 375 barrel when hunting Hippo. As a last resort, if she had to, she could use your stock with the 375 as long as she is well practiced in the manner in which the shot will be taken.

Another option would be a 9.3x62 for her as a PG/DG combo caliber as long as it is legal in that area. Maybe throw in a kickstop and/or make the 9.3 a 19mm (semi-weight) barrel? But that is a lot of weight for a young lady to carry around.

The only other thing I can think of is if you could talk @Red Leg out of his R8 404J barrel. It's just slightly larger than 17mm, so opening up the stock could be done with some sandpaper and a dowel. However I suspect he's quite fond of it and not willing to let it go quite yet.

You are right about the 416RM, although I didn't flinch and shot it well, it was a bit much for my skinny butt. Shooting a 375H&H is much easier. I wish you and your daughter the best of luck in your work up on this hunt. The physical game of shooting is easy, the mental side (slowly working up) is the tough part.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

get a PG calibre
this way all happy and no doubling up
i recommend a 300wm, this will work well on both guns and no changing bolt head or magazine from 375 H+H if you using same stock etc

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen any thoughts on what to use for an , ahh "all round" extra backup rifle that might be ok for @Tra3 to take to Africa?
I'll bet his daughter will have a slam dunk and make him proud?, but he needs another barrel, new trip new barrel right? Oh yeah, it's just in case. She"ll be right but any excuse to have one more,

@CBH
Chris the blaser is above my pay grade but I have always had a soft spot for the 404 Jeffery even tho I've never owned one and probably never will.
The upper-class contributor @BeeMaa has a strong affiliation with the R8 will know more than this humble peasant.
Bob

 

[BeeMaa]

get a PG calibre
this way all happy and no doubling up
i recommend a 300wm, this will work well on both guns and no changing bolt head or magazine from 375 H+H if you using same stock etc

@Tra3 already has a 7mmRM barrel that's pretty close ballistically to the 300WM and also uses the MA bolt head.

 

[Philip Glass]

Fellow members I am in need of advice on what additional caliber for an R8 I should get for hippo, etc. I’ve posted the R8 caliber chart below. I already have a .375h&h barrel. I would prefer to stay in the standard contour barrel profile for another barrel as my R8 is not opened up for the thicker barrels. I understand I cannot take two rifles in the same caliber to Africa.

It looks like I’ll be returning to hunt again in 2022. My daughter would like to hunt a hippo. I prefer to carry a rifle when we are in the bush, so I need another barrel that will go on her R8 (or mine). It is likely that I will travel with the rifle case, so I’m limited to two rifles: 375H&H and ???. (She will already be in africa before I get there.)

I have no experience with the 9.3x62. I do not reload. Will that work? I see there is a blaser .375 mag… sounds like an impossible to get ammo caliber. Should I just stick with a .375 and a PG caliber and not worry about carrying a similar caliber as the PH will have a .500NE?

She is a small person, maybe 115 lbs, but tough and rides and jumps horses as her hobby. After seeing video of @BeeMaa shooting an R8 with a .416, that looked like a bit much of a horse for this guy.

I’ll will be inquiring of my PH for his advice as well.
I know some of you have gone through this though process of what barrel combos for an R8 for yourself and/or for an aspiring youth, so I’d appreciate suggestions. @One Day... @Philip Glass @375Fox @Ridgewalker

Where are you hunting? It is just South Africa, if I remember correctly, that only allows one rifle per caliber.
Will it be hippo in water, which is most common, or on land? I am sure the .375 will do the trick either way.
Happy safari planning!

 

[Delloro]

What will you be hunting? Or are you observing her?

 

[Tra3]

We will be in Namibia, in the Caprivi. We hunted there this summer and I got a hippo on land. My aspiring huntress daughter is really excited to continue hunting. As would be expected, I am elated she wants to hunt with my son and me.

I shot a hippo this summer with a .375, it worked great. The caliber conundrum has me wondering what to bring in a two rifle case since I can’t bring two .375’s. The protective father in me wants to also carry a rifle, but I really should leave that to the PH!

 

[IvW]

Anything from 7x57 to whatever will work on Hippo headshot in the water with the right bullet.....

 

[IvW]

Hippo and croc hunting in the water is about precise shot placement with a premium expanding bullet and not about horsepower....7mm and up are all capible....

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I‘ve hunted all of my hippopotamuses with a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum , and never quite saw the need to step up in terms of caliber ( in the context of a client hunter , that is ) . My favorite load for them is Federal’s Trophy Bonded 300 Gr Bear Claw soft point .

 

[TOBY458]

I‘ve hunted all of my hippopotamuses with a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum , and never quite saw the need to step up in terms of caliber ( in the context of a client hunter , that is ) . My favorite load for them is Federal’s Trophy Bonded 300 Gr Bear Claw soft point .

Body shots, or head shots?

 

[spike.t]

Anything from 7x57 to whatever will work on Hippo headshot in the water with the right bullet.....

This for water ...if you don't want to go bigger than that 375 thing then that for on land...

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Body shots, or head shots?

Brain shots , Toby458 .