Bringing 2 guns on a dangerous game hunt?

[aminkus]

I see you like eland...well, we got real lucky and took this eland near communal lands. Outrageous eland.

View attachment 672846

thats awesome! and what an Eland

 

[JHT]

Clearly more the exception than the rule, but let’s not forget Tinie Kok’s hundred pounder taken years ago on Hwange Communal Land.

 

[375Fox]

What optic do you have on your 404? I took my 450 Rigby with RMR for elephant and my scoped 375 for everything else last year and that’s what I’d do again. In a place with brush and limited PG a 9.3x62 is a better choice than a 30/06. Shot opportunities might be limited and angles less than perfect. Using a 9.3x62 might be the difference of getting a kudu quartering away in brush vs not taking the shot with 30/06. I’d take 404 and 9.3x62.

 

[aminkus]

What optic do you have on your 404? I took my 450 Rigby with RMR for elephant and my scoped 375 for everything else last year and that’s what I’d do again. In a place with brush and limited PG a 9.3x62 is a better choice than a 30/06. Shot opportunities might be limited and angles less than perfect. Using a 9.3x62 might be the difference of getting a kudu quartering away in brush vs not taking the shot with 30/06. I’d take 404 and 9.3x62.

I have a Swaro Habicht 1.25-4x24 on the 404 and i agree about the 9.3

 

[Green Chile]

@375Fox makes a great point on the 9.3 being a heavier bullet in brushy situations. I had a situation last year where the PH wanted me to take a big nyala on the other side of a dense bush. I said I could wait or...and he said man, it's a 416...smash him. It shattered the bush into the nyala and the bullet exited the nyala and he went 20 feet and fell dead full of shrapnel and a big bullet hole coming and going. I asked him afterwards about it saying, I wouldn't do that in the US and he said, we've got good trackers. We won't lose him. Turned out to be the easiest tracking job ever..20 feet and dead.

 

[Red Leg]

I hate lugging two rifles. Where else in the world do we do it? I personally think the .375 is the most versatile choice, but if using your .404 for your tusker, then use it for everything else as well. With it, your PH will get you in spitting distance of the elephant and well within 200 yards of everything else.

 

[Berettaco]

I’d take the Jeff and not worry - I shot buff and PG with my .404 - it was enough gun for everything

 

[Hunter-Habib]

My proposition-
.404 Jeffery for dangerous game
.30-06 Springfield for plains game

You could also exclusively employ the .404 Jeffery for your entire Safari, as long as you remember to zero in your rifle for it’s maximum point blank range.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I have 404 and 30-06. They both fit in single gun Pelican Vault case with scopes tucked in my carryon daypack. I am flat deadly with the old 03A3 and it is much more pleasant to shoot than 404 (+ cheaper to shoot). I usually shoot 165 Partitions. Good range and it kills them.

 

[matt85]

I'm a firm believer in having a backup rifle. If I'm hunting DG then I bring two DG rifles. If I'm hunting PG I bring two PG rifles. If I'm hunting both DG and PG the I bring two DG rifles, with one or both of them being suitable for PG (medium bore guns).

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I'm a firm believer in having a backup rifle. If I'm hunting DG then I bring two DG rifles. If I'm hunting PG I bring two PG rifles. If I'm hunting both DG and PG the I bring two DG rifles, with one or both of them being suitable for PG (medium bore guns).

Hunting in North America I always have a backup gun available. Two shotguns go with me to Montana but usually only the 30-06. A couple times in the past I've had to borrow my brother's rifle when something went wrong with mine. Not a big deal. In Africa the safari operator or PH will have rental rifles available. I don't see any need to drag backup rifles along if there's something else available should my gun break down.