3 gun African battery

[stug]

Especially when there are beautiful rifles that you cannot pass up on!

 

[Spooksar]

Take the 404, you can use it on anything you want.

 

[Ado]

Take the 404, you can use it on anything you want.

A beautiful caliber steeped in history....

Ado

 

[larry4831]

All beautiful rifles!

 

[nztimb]

The 404 is more capable at longer range than is generally excepted which this excerpt shows


Ballistics expert Keith Luckhurst ran some trajectory tests comparing a .404 Jeffery loaded with 400-grain bullets at 2280 fps, a .458 Winchester Magnum loaded with 500-grain bullets at 2090 fps, and a .375 H&H leaded with 300-grain bullets at 2550 fps, all sighted in at 100 meters. According to Luckhurst, “At 250 meters the .375 Magnum has dropped 11 inches, the .404 has dropped 13 inches and the .458 has dropped 18 inches. But at 150 meters there is a spread of only one inch between these calibers, and at 200 meters it is four inches. Most gunwriters would describe the .375 Magnum as flat shooting and the descriptions of the .458 tend to include words like ‘rainbow trajectory.’ In reality, the point of aim for any of the rifles is virtually the same out to 150 meters.” Luckhurst concludes that the .404 Jeffery, with better penetration and less recoil than the .458, a trajectory almost as flat as the .375 H&H, and overall performance similar or equal to the .416 Rigby, is a particularly well-balanced rifle for the largest and most dangerous game.
http://404jeffery.blogspot.co.nz/

 

[Red Leg]

A three gun battery is a wonderful thing - and unfortunately now almost two generations too late. That doesn't mean they aren't wonderful things to own. But it is a rare safari which would justify a three caliber investment. Scope the 9.3 0r the .404 and you can take anything on the continent. Were I going to let's say Tanzania for a full bag expedition, I would bring a heavy medium (in my case, a .500/.450 or .404) and a PG rifle with a bit of reach. A third wouldn't be a bad idea for a back-up - probably a .375 r0 9.3 so it could back up either the DG or PG rifle - which of course means I could bring it and forget the other two. For a PG hunt in the RSA or Namibia, a well scoped .30 to .375 or 7mm - 9.3mm pretty much fills the bill. I am beginning to think most of us were born a century too late.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

I think the same as Red Leg.
Witold

 

[stug]

Your right about taking all 3 one trip. I imagine that the 7x57 and 9.3x62 would be a good combo for a plains game hunt and 7x57 and .404 for a buffalo/plains game hunt.
I did buy the 9.3 with the intention of scoping it, but once it was in my hands I couldn't bring myself to scope a rifle that had gone 90 years without it. It was originally bought by a farming family in Rhodesia and used to hunt game there. I think it would be right to take it back to Africa and harvest a kudu and wildebeast with it.

 

[JimP]

On my safari this last May I planned on taking 2 rifles. One for the smaller plains game and one for the larger ones. Then I found out that we would be hunting the animal of opportunity I quickly changed my mind and took only the larger caliber one, and it was close to being a very good decision. If I hadn't taken the larger one I would of had to tired to take down a blue wildebeest with a .25 caliber rifle while we were out hunting impala which the .25 would of been perfect for. I didn't shoot that wildebeest but what if I had decided to shoot him? I have no doubt that I could of killed him with that .25 caliber but shot placement would of had to of been precise when I pulled the trigger.

So in my opinion I would leave the 7x57 home and take the 9.3x62 and the 404 and not worry about if I had enough rifle when that trophy of a lifetime steps out into the open.

 

[WildRose]

Beautiful collections of weapons and good choice of calibers.

I chose the 300wm and 375 Ruger for my trip and felt like I had everything well covered although I did feel over gunned for the small stuff.

I'm seriously considering bringing along a .22WM or .22 hornet for the small stuff next year, the .375 R will still be my "big gun", and I'll probably take my all time favorite rifle, a 7mm STW Winchester Model 70 Sharp Shooter for everything in between.

 

[AZDAVE]

I really like the classic combo, and just finished a very similar set. 7x57 Ruger #1 international, Parker Hale custom 9.3x62 and Ruger RMS 404 Jeffery. My second 3 gun battery is doubles in 9.3x74 and 450NE. A nice 577NE would fill the 3rd spot but unless I win the lottery or have a kind soul donate me one that spot will remain unfilled. I think that taking your 9.3 and 404 would give you all the flexibility to hunt anything you want. I would take the 7x57 in place of the 9.3 if your main focus is the tiny 10 and or the smaller antelope.

 

[Heym 88]

A three gun battery is a wonderful thing - and unfortunately now almost two generations too late. That doesn't mean they aren't wonderful things to own. But it is a rare safari which would justify a three caliber investment. Scope the 9.3 0r the .404 and you can take anything on the continent. Were I going to let's say Tanzania for a full bag expedition, I would bring a heavy medium (in my case, a .500/.450 or .404) and a PG rifle with a bit of reach. A third wouldn't be a bad idea for a back-up - probably a .375 r0 9.3 so it could back up either the DG or PG rifle - which of course means I could bring it and forget the other two. For a PG hunt in the RSA or Namibia, a well scoped .30 to .375 or 7mm - 9.3mm pretty much fills the bill. I am beginning to think most of us were born a century too late.

Yes Red we were born a century too late. You are correct.

 

[Heym 88]

My three gun safari with what I own would be my Winchester super grade 30-06, Winchester Safari 375 H&H, and either my Heym 88 in 450/400 or Searcy 470 NE. That's the best I could do. No Westley Richards, Purdy's, or Holland & Holland in my group lol.

 

[sierraone]

My three gun safari with what I own would be my Winchester super grade 30-06, Winchester Safari 375 H&H, and either my Heym 88 in 450/400 or Searcy 470 NE. That's the best I could do. No Westley Richards, Purdy's, or Holland & Holland in my group lol.

Yes, but our imaginations can go a long long ways. Get the traditional calibers right, the three you listed are all over 100 years old, and you can't go wrong!

 

[sierraone]

A three gun battery is a wonderful thing - and unfortunately now almost two generations too late. That doesn't mean they aren't wonderful things to own. But it is a rare safari which would justify a three caliber investment. Scope the 9.3 0r the .404 and you can take anything on the continent. Were I going to let's say Tanzania for a full bag expedition, I would bring a heavy medium (in my case, a .500/.450 or .404) and a PG rifle with a bit of reach. A third wouldn't be a bad idea for a back-up - probably a .375 r0 9.3 so it could back up either the DG or PG rifle - which of course means I could bring it and forget the other two. For a PG hunt in the RSA or Namibia, a well scoped .30 to .375 or 7mm - 9.3mm pretty much fills the bill. I am beginning to think most of us were born a century too late.

I agree completely with your last statement! What an adventurous world we missed out on!

 

[sierraone]

I would be deeply honoured to know that this 404 has been to Africa and taken the game it was built to take.
As an aside my 7x57 that was to be its light rifle hunting mate is very well served with the 160gn Woodleigh PP bullet over ADI 2209 (H4350) for 2700fps.
Am going to be watching for the day the safari starts.....................

That .404 is a beauty! If you built that from scratch, you are indeed a craftsman!

 

[bassasdaindia]

It is definetly planned VonGruff, unfortunately it will take a while to save the funds, for the first trip the whole family are going. Planning on 2018, but only plains game for that trip. I had planned on taking the 7x57 and 9.3 as the 9.3 came from a farming family in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. But now I have the .404 it might get the nod. It would be very effective on kudu and wildebeast!!

try come hunt Africa sooner , rather than later !

 

[stug]

try come hunt Africa sooner , rather than later !

I would be there tomorrow if I could afford it, the Hartzview Buffalo offer is pretty tempting! Unfortunately earning $NZ and having to pay in $US makes quite a difference, our dollar was at 84c US last year, it is now 62cUS. I need to save NZ$30,000 for a 7 day family hunt, NZ$10,000 will be airfares alone.

 

[WildRose]

try come hunt Africa sooner , rather than later !

Definitely, you'll never regret going earlier but you can easily spend the rest of your life wishing you had.

 

[WildRose]

I would be there tomorrow if I could afford it, the Hartzview Buffalo offer is pretty tempting! Unfortunately earning $NZ and having to pay in $US makes quite a difference, our dollar as at 84c US last year, it is now 62cUS. I need to save NZ$30,000 for a 7 day family hunt, NZ$10,000 will be airfares alone.

You know, I've had a standing invitation to come hunt in NZ for about a decade but never could justify the trip. Now that I'm going to SA hopefully at least once a year or every other year in the future for as long as I physically can I'm considering doing both in one trip since it's just not all that far from the RSA to NZ.

Maybe a week in RSA, a week in NZ then back for a week in RSA before coming home!

Now that would be one heck of a trip!