Best rifle companies and calibers for dangerous game?

[Joshua Blosgov]

enjoy i have no experience with them, but from what people on here that have them say you should have a very nice rifle. now whats next in the bigger cals as you will only move on and up from here?

I plan on getting either a gun in a 416 or 404 Jeffery.

 

[spike.t]

I plan on ge

tting either a gun in a 416 or 404 Jeffery.

good choice , there is of course only one .416 and thats the Rigby . i shot my .404 for the first time a couple of weeks ago and @PeteG had his .416 Rigby along, and neither of us could detect much difference in recoil which was fine with both rifles. mine is the one i bought from AHR and petes is a standard cz 550. must confess i do like that rifle with the AHR upgrades and finish. any idea how long before your new toy arrives

 

[Joshua Blosgov]

good choice , there is of course only one .416 and thats the Rigby . i shot my .404 for the first time a couple of weeks ago and @PeteG had his .416 Rigby along, and neither of us could detect much difference in recoil which was fine with both rifles. mine is the one i bought from AHR and petes is a standard cz 550. must confess i do like that rifle with the AHR upgrades and finish. any idea how long before your new toy arrives

Within the next week or week and a half hopefully . I was actually thinking for a bigger rifle about the kimber caprivi in 416 rem mag. Would that be a good 416 you think?

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

I personally prefer 404Jeffery Joshua.
Witold

 

[cpr0312]

Congrats @Joshua Blosgov , enjoy!

 

[spike.t]

Within the next week or week and a half hopefully . I was actually thinking for a bigger rifle about the kimber caprivi in 416 rem mag. Would that be a good 416 you think?

the .416`s are all good i am just a Rigby person . here is a .404 they dont come up that often from what i hear http://www.gunsinternational.com/gu...fari-classic-404-jeffery.cfm?gun_id=100664618

 

[AZDAVE]

Joshua Welcome to the site congratz on your selection. The one good thing is that the 375 and your 06 drop chart for each distance will basically mirror each other. The 416 and 404 are both great calibres and If you get to southern AZ i would let you shoot both for a side by side comparison. I would suggest that you get comfortable with your 375, as it is a fairly serious jump in recoil from your 06, and the 40's are a good bump up from there. Don't rush into a 40 or bigger till you have sorted out the 375. I own several
416-50 cal rifles with 2 or 3 shots out of the first box that someone bought and got into more gun than they expected. Make sure you make sure of the gun fit as it is much more important as the calibre get bigger.

 

[MichaelTQS]

Im new to the larger bores as well and I selected the Mod 70 Safari. Mostly because I have a close friend who has a Super Grade Ive become addicted to shooting.

Its funny saying Im new to the big bores because I have an 1859 Sharps in 50/70 and a Marlin Guide gun in 45/70, but I consider my new 375 to be "the" big bore in my collection.

 

[Bruce]

Stay away from the 460 Weatherby... NOBODY needs that punishment with every shot fired!!!
375 H & H and 404Jeffrey are perfect for buff AND then the multitude of plains game that can be taken with it as well.

 

[MichaelTQS]

I found as more than a few others in my circles the 235 gr 375 is a wonderful load to shoot, my Trauma Nurse GF/ soon to be fiancé loves shooting it and when told about my recent purchase said the only thing missing was her new 375

 

[bassasdaindia]

Stay away from the 460 Weatherby... NOBODY needs that punishment with every shot fired!!!
375 H & H and 404Jeffrey are perfect for buff AND then the multitude of plains game that can be taken with it as well.

agreed

 

[AZDAVE]

Michael Welcome to AH I have heard those words from my wife about her soon to be new rifle. You will have a good time when you take her on her first safari and she shoots more game than you do. Where are you at in AZ?

 

[Art Lambart II]

Congratz on your purchase, enjoy.

 

[JimP]

Stay away from the 460 Weatherby... NOBODY needs that punishment with every shot fired!!!
375 H & H and 404Jeffrey are perfect for buff AND then the multitude of plains game that can be taken with it as well.

There is nothing wrong with a 460 Weatherby as long as you reload and can shoot reduced loads.

It is always nicer to be able to practice or even hunt with reduced loads but have the capability of a full house load if you want one.

 

[Rob404]

Congrats on you 375HH purchase, a great caliber for anything from plains game to Buff,,

 

[Paparock94]

Congratulations on becoming a .375 H&H shooter. I am another that went from a .30-06 to a .375 H&H and found the .375 H&H a great match for the heavy timber elk hunting I was doing in Wyoming.

 

[IvW]

Between a 375 H&H and a 404 Jeff is much better for buffalo, however the 375 H&H is more than good enough if you do your part. The 375 H&H also gives you more versatility than the 404 Jeff for other plains game.

If the rifle is mainly for buffalo and other DG then 404 Jeff is the better choice. I would further recommend that you choose heavy for calibre bullets for DG (300-380gr in .375 H&H and 400-450gr in 404 Jeff).

The original 375 H&H is all you need and generally operates at lower pressure than the more recent 375's that match or exceed these velocities but do so at higher chamber pressures and more felt recoil.
The 375 H&H has been the King of medium bores since it's inception and the single most versatile rifle a hunter can carry to Africa. As mentioned if the aim of the rifle is DG only there are better options and the 404 Jeff is definitely one of them.

Barrel twist in the 375 H&H is also for shooting heavier bullets which the H&H was designed for(270 gr+). Some more modern 375's have a slower twist rate and are more suited to lighter bullet's which is not what you want for a African DG rifle.

I can also suggest a low powered scope that starts on 1 x magnification(this will give you great field of view and allow for more precise shot placement on your first shot. and is fitted to the rifle with quick detachable mounts so that it can be easily removed in case you need to follow up in some thick stuff.

Whatever you decide, I would most certainly not suggest a 460 Weatherby or a 378 Weatherby!! Very few people can handle this level of recoil and most cannot. The recovery from recoil for the second shot takes too long due to the violent recoil. Many are fitted with a muzzle break to try and tame this recoil, bad idea on a DG rifle and your PH will hate you for it! They have wonderfully strong actions though.

Contrary to popular belief more is not always better. A monolithic solid will actually penetrate less if the velocity exceeds a certain speed for calibre. 2400 ft/s is more than enough (2200-2400ft/s is the sweet spot with the right heavy for calibre bullets), anything more just thumps the shooter harder.

The only Improved 375 I like is the 375 H&H Ackley Improved. The only reason would be to be able to shoot the excellent Rhino bullets in weights 350 and 380 gr at a respectable velocity without excess chamber pressure. The improved version has about 9% more case capacity and would be perfect for the heavyweight bullets.

The 375 H&H just has a tad to small case to get the 380gr Rhino solid shank soft nose bullet to 2300 Ft/s in African conditions(can get hot during hunting season).
A good working rifle is a CZ, you may need to have a smith smooth up the action a little bit, but they are great working guns and many PH's rely on them.
Even better is the earlier variant which is the BRNO ZKK 602 series(if you can get one with the pop up peep site in the receiver it will be first prize).
Al the best in your quest for a DG rifle!

 

[Velo Dog]

Hello Joshua Blosgov,

You have done right by choosing the .375 H&H cartridge for what hunting you have in mind.
I have used this caliber in both Africa and Alaska, with nothing but perfect success.
And today's large-claw-extractor-type Model-70 is an excellent rifle for you to have in this caliber.
In Africa, it is a tip top choice for almost all situations.
If you really think you might be charged by an enraged elephant, or hippo on land, I'd say a better choice would be a .458 Lott but, I predict that will not happen to you.
I've been to Africa 4 times now and nothing has charged me yet, much less an elephant - LOL.

If you ever decide to hunt in Alaska, the .375 H&H is quite popular here as well.
Ammunition is readily available for it, even in strange places like village grocery stores and out of the way gas stations, several hundred miles from Anchorage (our largest city).
We commonly use this caliber for even deer hunting, due to the constant possibility of being bum-rushed by a grizzly, especially while field dressing a game animal.
Grizzly bear seem to sniff out fresh meat, even from long distances, at least as well as any blood hound.
Usually bears do not attack people here but, if one comes snorting around your tent in the middle of the night, it is comforting to have a .375 handy, just in case he becomes aggressive.

Cheers,
Velo Dog

 

[colorado]

My recommendation would be buy a Winchester Model 70 in 375 H&H.

 

[mdwest]

My recommendation would be buy a Winchester Model 70 in 375 H&H.

This is where I went for my first DG rifle...

Has worked out great for me so far