Just got back from my first safari. Limpopo in South Africa with Red Sands Safaris. I am sure there are thousands of safari stories like mine and thus not a need for another. That said, I do have some observations that might be a worthwhile contribution here.
My primary objective was buffalo and impala, with an eye out for an eland or kudu if the opportunity came up and wouldn't interfere with the buffalo hunt. I wouldn't normally use a 416 for plains game, but I only had room for two rifles and I was donating the second rifle I brought to the PH.
I have previously posted about sorting out my rifle. An M-70 CRF, 416 Rem, in a McMillan Supergrade stock, and a Trijicon 1-6x24 Accupoint in Unknown Munitons Premier rings. This is about as reliable and bullet-proof a combo as can be had, though the factory barrel has a massively oversized chamber--more on that later.
My load was 400 grain SAFs at 2430 fps for the softs, and Swift 400 grain break away solids at 2380 for the solids. I was able to reliably hit an 8" gong at 300 yds with the setup. The original plan was for me to shoot an impala first then the buffalo, but the impala weren't cooperating the first afternoon.
The next morning we went after buffalo. We got lucky and found the herd right away. The bull we stalked was around 70 yds away, mostly broadside. First shot was on the right shoulder. It broke the shoulder and he bucked HARD at the shot. (This shot is on video.) He was dead at that point, but it's best to keep shooting buffalo until they are down.
As he was thrashing around my for second shot (a solid), I hit his tail. He stopped thrashing and was smoothly moving forward and my next solid went in just in front of the right ham and stopped in the stomach.
That stopped him from moving but he was still standing. We moved closer and I put another SAF through the front of his shoulder and he went down.
I was impressed with how well the 416 Rem/400 SAF worked on the buffalo. We found both SAFs against the far side hide.
The next day I shot an eland that makes Rowland Ward. He was 60 yds away mostly broadside and I hit him on the point of the shoulder. He went a few steps and fell over. Again, we found the SAF on the far side hide.
I finally got an impala the next day. Texas heart shot that absolutely hammered the ram. I later shot an impala ewe for camp meat in the neck, and she went down hard at the shot.
A couple days later we were looking for a blesbok, and on the way we found a VERY nice impala ram. I made a broadside shot that put him down instantly. A little later we found a nice Blesbok ram. The shot was on the point of the shoulder, mostly broadside, at 150 yds. He took one step and fell over.
The other members of my group were shooting small calibers for plains game from duiker to impala to oryx to waterbuck to sable to kudu to giraffe; and those cartridges did fine. However, nothing put animals down like the 416 with a 400 grain SAF.
The guides mentioned that they never once had to shoot their own guns on our trip. Also--except for the buffalo--both of the other guides I hunted with laughed every time I hit an animal and it went down. I asked them why, and they said that I was probably the best big bore shooter that they had guided.
At first that seems to be a compliment, but it really is an indictment against all the other clients who didn't take the time to get comfortable with the rifles. I put about 230 rounds though my 416 in the 10 weeks before the hunt. I found a reliable load from the bench, and then I practiced from stocks and offhand. I thought I could have practiced a bit more than I did.
While this M-70 has earned a special place in my heart, I hate the barrel on it. The chamber is .008" larger at the .200 line than the new 20 yd old Remington brass I have. That dimension shouldn't be more than .005" over new brass. There is also .011" of neck clearance, and again that should be around .005".
The extra diameter at the .200 like causes clickers with this brass on the third firing. There are no pressure signs. Clickers are caused by too much clearance as well as too little.
Since no one makes good brass for the 416 Rem, I am going to build a 416 RUM on a different M-70 action. That way I can use high quality ADG 375 RUM brass and neck it up. If ADG, Lapua, or Peterson made 416 Rem brass I would stick with the 416 Rem and simply rebarrel my current rifle.
I have my own lathe so I can make sure the chamber is cut right with whatever I decide to build. I like the 416 RUM because of the high quality brass and that I can get mid 2400s at a little lower pressure. The clickers didn't cause me any feeding issues since I run the bolt aggressively, but I don't like them just the same.
My primary objective was buffalo and impala, with an eye out for an eland or kudu if the opportunity came up and wouldn't interfere with the buffalo hunt. I wouldn't normally use a 416 for plains game, but I only had room for two rifles and I was donating the second rifle I brought to the PH.
I have previously posted about sorting out my rifle. An M-70 CRF, 416 Rem, in a McMillan Supergrade stock, and a Trijicon 1-6x24 Accupoint in Unknown Munitons Premier rings. This is about as reliable and bullet-proof a combo as can be had, though the factory barrel has a massively oversized chamber--more on that later.
My load was 400 grain SAFs at 2430 fps for the softs, and Swift 400 grain break away solids at 2380 for the solids. I was able to reliably hit an 8" gong at 300 yds with the setup. The original plan was for me to shoot an impala first then the buffalo, but the impala weren't cooperating the first afternoon.
The next morning we went after buffalo. We got lucky and found the herd right away. The bull we stalked was around 70 yds away, mostly broadside. First shot was on the right shoulder. It broke the shoulder and he bucked HARD at the shot. (This shot is on video.) He was dead at that point, but it's best to keep shooting buffalo until they are down.
As he was thrashing around my for second shot (a solid), I hit his tail. He stopped thrashing and was smoothly moving forward and my next solid went in just in front of the right ham and stopped in the stomach.
That stopped him from moving but he was still standing. We moved closer and I put another SAF through the front of his shoulder and he went down.
I was impressed with how well the 416 Rem/400 SAF worked on the buffalo. We found both SAFs against the far side hide.
The next day I shot an eland that makes Rowland Ward. He was 60 yds away mostly broadside and I hit him on the point of the shoulder. He went a few steps and fell over. Again, we found the SAF on the far side hide.
I finally got an impala the next day. Texas heart shot that absolutely hammered the ram. I later shot an impala ewe for camp meat in the neck, and she went down hard at the shot.
A couple days later we were looking for a blesbok, and on the way we found a VERY nice impala ram. I made a broadside shot that put him down instantly. A little later we found a nice Blesbok ram. The shot was on the point of the shoulder, mostly broadside, at 150 yds. He took one step and fell over.
The other members of my group were shooting small calibers for plains game from duiker to impala to oryx to waterbuck to sable to kudu to giraffe; and those cartridges did fine. However, nothing put animals down like the 416 with a 400 grain SAF.
The guides mentioned that they never once had to shoot their own guns on our trip. Also--except for the buffalo--both of the other guides I hunted with laughed every time I hit an animal and it went down. I asked them why, and they said that I was probably the best big bore shooter that they had guided.
At first that seems to be a compliment, but it really is an indictment against all the other clients who didn't take the time to get comfortable with the rifles. I put about 230 rounds though my 416 in the 10 weeks before the hunt. I found a reliable load from the bench, and then I practiced from stocks and offhand. I thought I could have practiced a bit more than I did.
While this M-70 has earned a special place in my heart, I hate the barrel on it. The chamber is .008" larger at the .200 line than the new 20 yd old Remington brass I have. That dimension shouldn't be more than .005" over new brass. There is also .011" of neck clearance, and again that should be around .005".
The extra diameter at the .200 like causes clickers with this brass on the third firing. There are no pressure signs. Clickers are caused by too much clearance as well as too little.
Since no one makes good brass for the 416 Rem, I am going to build a 416 RUM on a different M-70 action. That way I can use high quality ADG 375 RUM brass and neck it up. If ADG, Lapua, or Peterson made 416 Rem brass I would stick with the 416 Rem and simply rebarrel my current rifle.
I have my own lathe so I can make sure the chamber is cut right with whatever I decide to build. I like the 416 RUM because of the high quality brass and that I can get mid 2400s at a little lower pressure. The clickers didn't cause me any feeding issues since I run the bolt aggressively, but I don't like them just the same.
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