Best two gun combination for Africa?

[Scrumbag]

Of what I have my .404 Jeffery and my 7x64

 

[Philip Glass]

Just a passing thought. If you had a .416 as a big calibre, what would you pair it with for a mixed game trip to Africa? I have a nice belted magnum action sat here, wondering what calibre to build? It's not controlled feed but for plains game I don't suppose it matters too much.

Of course I'm not expecting a single calibre answer, but it will be interesting to see what people think. I'm not writing off smaller rounds, it would be easy to pick up a .30-06 size bolt face.

The easy answer is going to be .300 Win to go with your .416. Depending on what you are hunting the 7mm Rem Mag can also be your go to 2nd gun. I am a life long lover of .30-06 but it is range limited and has let me down too many times. Africa is tough and you must take enough gun for what you are doing. As an example a friend insisted on taking a 6.5 Creedmore that he shoots very well on a PG hunt. He got ‘em down but it took several shots and lots of trailing on some.
Best of luck planning your next great adventure!
Philip

 

[Hoss Delgado]

Oooo , so many possibilities
Let's answer your question first , assuming that one of my rifles is a .416 Rigby . In said scenario , my Big Rifle would be a .416 Rigby and my Plains game rifle would be my custom ZKK -602 in .350 Rigby Magnum. For the .416 Rigby , l would use Cutting Edge Monolithic meplat brass Solids and Expanding Bullets ( 410 grain ) . For the .350 Rigby Magnum , l would take Kynoch 225 grain soft points and 225 grain full metal jacket round nose solids ( l would use the solids for Duiker and Dik Dik ) .
Alternatively , since l don't feel overgunned with a .416 Rigby , l would leave my .350 Rigby Magnum at Home and take a Nice shotgun for wing shooting and Dik Dik and Duiker ( using AAA as IvW Kindly recommended me ) . Since semi automatic shotguns aren't allowed in Africa , as far as l know , that means that l couldn't take my 10 gauge Browning Gold Semi Auto . So l would have to take my 12 Gauge BRNO over under ( 2 3/4 inch Chambers , full choke both barrels ) . Though , l wish l had a more open choke on the lower barrel . Or l would take my Father In Law's Belgian Joseph Saive 10 gauge Magnum side by side shotgun ( full choke and modified choke with 3 1/2 inch Chambers ).
Since , l don't own a .416 Rigby , here is my battery for my 2020 Mixed Bag hunt in Botswana :
1) My 7 shot BRNO ZKK - 602 in .375 HH Magnum. Loaded with expanding Swift A frames ( 300 grain ) and a few spare 300 grain Cutting Edge Monolithic Solids . I plan to use this sweet baby for all my general hunting and a Nice Cape Buffalo.
2) My BRNO 12 gauge Over Under loaded with #1 for Wild fowl , Duiker and Dik Dik. If l can ream the chokes out to Modified choke , then l will take some AAA shells as well.
If my Safari outfitters rent out good shotguns , then l may leave the shotgun and take my ZKK-602 custom rifle in .350 Rigby Magnum , as l am really curious how it would perform on Eland.
However , from a utilitarian view , a man who brings a .375 HH Magnum which can shoot both heavy and light bullets accurately has little if any practical use for a .350 Rigby Magnum ( being brutally honest here ) .
Alternatively , if l was to recommend just two rifles ( without considering whether l own them or not ) , l would recommend a 1) .505 Gibbs , loaded with 600 grain Cutting Edge Monolithic meplat brass Solids for Elephant and Expanding Bullets for Buffalo.
2) A 7mm Remington Magnum for the Plains Game.
I have fired a 7mm Remington Magnum recently and love the weapon so far.
Hoss Delgado

 

[njc110381]

Lots of interesting views here, thanks for sharing them. I have a nice 7STW sitting in the safe which would work but I do worry that if I was to lose my ammunition for it somehow, the chances of getting more would be slim to none no matter where I was hunting.

How do people feel about the good old .308? Or maybe 6.5x55? Neither are big rounds but the bigger plains species could be shot with a scoped .416? My favourite rifle in the UK is 6.5x55. It was my first deer calibre when I started in 2007 and I've had a fair few since. Nothing's ever been what I would consider to be better. But our game isn't as tough as those in Africa!

 

[Hoss Delgado]

Lots of interesting views here, thanks for sharing them. I have a nice 7STW sitting in the safe which would work but I do worry that if I was to lose my ammunition for it somehow, the chances of getting more would be slim to none no matter where I was hunting.

How do people feel about the good old .308? Or maybe 6.5x55? Neither are big rounds but the bigger plains species could be shot with a scoped .416? My favourite rifle in the UK is 6.5x55. It was my first deer calibre when I started in 2007 and I've had a fair few since. Nothing's ever been what I would consider to be better. But our game isn't as tough as those in Africa!

WDM Bell Speculated that if he were ever going back to Africa Again , he would be using a Winchester .308 Model 70 burning a cartridge loaded with a Homogeneous Brass bullet for Elephant.
Of course , when Don Heath's men started culling cow and calf Elephants in Kruger National Park , they started with the .308 Winchester FN Fal Battle Rifles . It was never used on Bull Elephants . And for Cow Elephants and calves , there were numerous failures due to the slightest angling. Eventually , they switched to Captured Soviet Dragunov Rifles in 7.62 × 54R using armour piercing ammunition and M1 Garands loaded with .30-06 A square monolithic meplat brass Solids ( 220 grain ) for culling cow and calf Elephants ( Never Bulls ) .
Of course , it's not even legal for Elephant now days.
A .308 Winchester for Plains game should be fine. I prefer .30-06 myself

 

[Scrumbag]

I'd have thought .308W or .30-'06 would be great

 

[Ryan]

The 308 has a great track record for plains game. When I started looking and talking to outfitters before my first hunt any discussion about firearms usually involved something like "if you have a .308 or 30-06, bring it". The only argument is usually whether it's enough for eland, and the .416 takes care of that.

 

[IvW]

WDM Bell Speculated that if he were ever going back to Africa Again , he would be using a Winchester .308 Model 70 burning a cartridge loaded with a Homogeneous Brass bullet for Elephant.
Of course , when Don Heath's men started culling cow and calf Elephants in Kruger National Park , they started with the .308 Winchester FN Fal Battle Rifles . It was never used on Bull Elephants . And for Cow Elephants and calves , there were numerous failures due to the slightest angling. Eventually , they switched to Captured Soviet Dragunov Rifles in 7.62 × 54R using armour piercing ammunition and M1 Garands loaded with .30-06 A square monolithic meplat brass Solids ( 220 grain ) for culling cow and calf Elephants ( Never Bulls ) .
Of course , it's not even legal for Elephant now days.
A .308 Winchester for Plains game should be fine. I prefer .30-06 myself

Not sure where you get all this information from but neither Don Heith or his "Men" culled elephant in the Kruger park as far as I am aware...

Yes FN's where used but these where on elephant that were down after they where darted from a chopper with scolene I believe, so if the first shot did not kill them you could just pump another.

No Draganov's where ever used to cull elephant in the Kruger National Park...

Dr. Don Heath was a onetime chief wildlife research officer in the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. During the last several years of his life he lived and worked in Sweden – for the Norma ammunition industry. He was also a PH and foot safari guide and an examiner for the Zim PH course and a soldier.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

Not sure where you get all this information from but neither Don Heith or his "Men" culled elephant in the Kruger park as far as I am aware...

Yes FN's where used but these where on elephant that were down after they where darted from a chopper with scolene I believe, so if the first shot did not kill them you could just pump another.

No Draganov's where ever used to cull elephant in the Kruger National Park...

Dr. Don Heath was a onetime chief wildlife research officer in the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. During the last several years of his life he lived and worked in Sweden – for the Norma ammunition industry. He was also a PH and foot safari guide and an examiner for the Zim PH course and a soldier.

But IvW , Look. If l have made a mistake , l would love to get the correct information. I understand l may have gotten the name of the park wrong since when l made my original post , l did it from pure memory . But See , Dragunovs are mentioned.

 

[IvW]

View attachment 302190
But IvW , Look. If l have made a mistake , l would love to get the correct information. I understand l may have gotten the name of the park wrong since when l made my original post , l did it from pure memory . But See , Dragunovs are mentioned.

Not in the Kruger National Park and I can assure you Don Heath would be the last man suggesting a Hot loaded 45-70 for use on elephant...

Zim yes they used Dragunov's but never in the Kruger National Park...this may be referring to Zim or Rhodesia if you like....

Who wrote this article?

Don't believe everything you read....

 

[Hoss Delgado]

Not in the Kruger National Park and I can assure you Don Heath would be the last man suggesting a Hot loaded 45-70 for use on elephant...

Zim yes they used Dragunov's but never in the Kruger National Park...this may be referring to Zim or Rhodesia if you like....

Who wrote this article?

Don't believe everything you read....

I see , IvW. Thank you for correcting me as always
The writer of the Article is a gentleman called " Ganyana " . I do have other pieces of the article which l kept as screenshots on my phone. I thought " Ganyana " WAS DON HEATH. This Ganyana had a dad who used an 8mm Mauser on Elephant. Don Heath Had a dad who used an 8 MM Mauser on Elephant . So , l guess l must have thought they are the same person. Here are the other article pieces. He does share a similarity to your choice of calibers. He dislikes the .458 Win Mag

 

[IvW]

Yip, Don Heath wrote that and was just making a point regarding what is needed and definitely not recommending the 45=70...the rest all makes perfect sense...and all happened north of the Limpopo and not in Kruger....

For a moment there I was getting nervous with visions of hordes arriving with hot loaded Marlin 45-70' and booking tusk less cows left right and center....

 

[Hoss Delgado]

Yip, Don Heath wrote that and was just making a point regarding what is needed and definitely not recommending the 45=70...the rest all makes perfect sense...and all happened north of the Limpopo and not in Kruger....

For a moment there I was getting nervous with visions of hordes arriving with hot loaded Marlin 45-70' and booking tusk less cows left right and center....

Ah , so that's it , then .
I consider the .45-70 and .405 Winchester very poor choices for Elephant , myself. The bullet looks unsuitable for Elephant.
I take it , however that the cow and calf Elephants mentioned by Don Heath ( taken with Dragunovs and M1 Garands after The FN Fals didn't work out ) were also darted with scolene ?

 

[IvW]

Ah , so that's it , then .
I consider the .45-70 and .405 Winchester very poor choices for Elephant , myself. The bullet looks unsuitable for Elephant.
I take it , however that the cow and calf Elephants mentioned by Don Heath ( taken with Dragunovs and M1 Garands after The FN Fals didn't work out ) were also darted with scolene ?

No not in Zim.

They would get in close and shoot the matriarch first which would confuse the herd and they would then proceed to shoot the rest of the herd. Often from atop other downed elephants. Herds for this would be selected for number and also not having big bulls present. All where shot big and small....

Paul Gerber did experiment with darting but I will have to read up on exactly what the dope and method was and revert back as I cannot remember off the top of my head.

 

[IvW]

Typo

Paul Grobler, and it appears they only used scolene on buffalo culling operations at night, 20 at a time and elephants were just shot as described above. Will check further or I will ask Richard he will know.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

Typo

Paul Grobler, and it appears they only used scolene on buffalo culling operations at night, 20 at a time and elephants were just shot as described above. Will check further or I will ask Richard he will know.

Richard Harland ? I read his excellent article on the .505 Gibbs . Really cool knowing what a rifle made in 1927 ( his .505 Gibbs Magnum ) can do . His article which l read in 2017 , first , is what introduced me to the monolithic meplat solids .
Paul Grobler , is , if l remember correctly , the guy who used a BSA .458 Winchester Magnum ( pushfeed ! ) to cull a thousand Elephant . Are you talking about THAT Paul Grobler ?

 

[Newboomer]

My two gun battery: 7RM and 375HH or 404 Jeffery. Covers everything that walks and ammo is readily available worldwide.

 

[CAustin]

Just a passing thought. If you had a .416 as a big calibre, what would you pair it with for a mixed game trip to Africa? I have a nice belted magnum action sat here, wondering what calibre to build? It's not controlled feed but for plains game I don't suppose it matters too much.

Of course I'm not expecting a single calibre answer, but it will be interesting to see what people think. I'm not writing off smaller rounds, it would be easy to pick up a .30-06 size bolt face.

300 Winmag

 

[Rem700stw]

Just a passing thought. If you had a .416 as a big calibre, what would you pair it with for a mixed game trip to Africa? I have a nice belted magnum action sat here, wondering what calibre to build? It's not controlled feed but for plains game I don't suppose it matters too much.

Of course I'm not expecting a single calibre answer, but it will be interesting to see what people think. I'm not writing off smaller rounds, it would be easy to pick up a .30-06 size bolt face.

404 Jeffrey with 400 grains Barnes tsx and solids paired with 9.3x62 with Barnes 286 tsx.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

Seeing the posts of so many of my brother sportsmen , l feel sad seeing how the Full metal Jacket Traditional Solids have lost favor Nowadays , Monolithic meplat brass Solids seem all the rage , which is well deserved because l use Cutting Edge Monolithic meplat brass Solids myself for both my .375 HH Magnums. But damn , l don't want FMJS to go obsolete either