Building your 2 or 3 caliber take down hunting set?

[gprippers]

If you were going to build a multi caliber, 2 caliber and 3 caliber take down rifle set to hunt around the world what would you choose for calibers? Remember same bolt face and action lengths...example short action with .473 bolt face in 243 win and 358 win. Long action with with .473 bolt face in 270 win and 35 whelen. A 3 caliber to really hunt all over the world example in .540 bolt face would be a 7 RUM/338 RUM/375 RUM or all same in Wby Mags. OR?????

What would you build? Short actions and long actions, 2 and 3 caliber sets...whatcha got? Interested to know what you all might choose?

 

[Strausser]

5,6x57,8x57,9,3x57 because why not?
Never owned either of them.
6,5x55 and 9,3x62 which I have owned in the R8 platform.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

.300 win mag
.375 H&H
.458 win mag or Lott

 

[RTG]

.300 win mag
.375 H&H
.458 win mag or Lott

Boring but perfect. Can hunt anything and ammo will be available world wide.

 

[HWL]

If you were going to build a multi caliber, 2 caliber and 3 caliber take down rifle set to hunt around the world what would you choose for calibers? Remember same bolt face and action lengths...

Bolt face and action length does not matter with the R8

You easily can combine a .243 Win with a 500 Jeff..

HWL

 

[Tom Leoni]

In such a setup, as well as when taking multiple rifles on faraway hunt, it's always a good idea to have some amount of functional overlap between calibers. Your safaris (African and non) will likely place you in the position of seeking more than one specie at a time, and this setup greatly reduces the chance of your finding yourself with a less-than-ideal caliber when faced with the trophy of a lifetime.

For instance, with a two-rifle battery, .30-06 and .375 H&H is a better combination than .243 and .458. The same applies to a three-rifle battery.

I don't know that you need three calibers--although I more than understand if you want them (my reloading room attests to that, and then some). Something like a 7 or .300 mag and .375 (pick your flavor of either) makes sense because one gives you flat trajectory, the other a hard punch, while being both perfectly adequate for taking most game on Earth (with the .375 of course being solely suited for the really big stuff).

I find myself at an impasse recommending specific calibers to you, because I don't know your taste. But I hope you get the drift of my post. As an absolute traditionalist, my next Safari (focus on Eland and Bushbuck, any other specie of plains game by opportunity) I will take an open-sighted. 303 British Martini single shot loaded with 180-grainers (215s if I can get them quickly enough from Hawk), and a scoped .375 single shot loaded with 270-gr bullets. I won't feel under- or wrong-gunned with either one at any given moment.

 

[Red Leg]

It is easy for anyone to do it with a R8. I'll also assume that I am a client and not a PH or guide. Heaviest would be a .375 - versatile yet handles everything through pachyderms. Next would be a .30 of some sort. I would opt for the .300 Win Mag because of a bit more reach, but a 30-06 would also work. The last, though the .300 mag could do it, would be something smaller and fast for lighter mountain and plains game. If limited to three, then perhaps a .257 WBY (I have that barrel for my R8).

However, I could never be so practical. I have several favorite deer calibers, a favorite nilgai caliber, several favorite plains game calibers, and I love the .375. I am all about the perfectly balanced, caliber and bullet for the conditions and game to be hunted. Or more typically, what I feel like using on a particular expedition.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

You will not hear me say a bad word about 30-06 or 7x57. I am not sure, but I believe those two calibers are not legal in Mexico and possibly some other countries and the man did say "All over the world".

 

[Wyatt Smith]

You will not hear me say a bad word about 30-06 or 7x57. I am not sure, but I believe those two calibers are not legal in Mexico and possibly some other countries and the man did say "All over the world".

I guess split the difference with 7x64

 

[SaintPanzer]

Tradition would be .300 H&H and .375 H&H.

If you told me I could add a third, I would probably go very old school, and pick .275 H&H. But don't like change. And don't ask me where I'd find ammo for it. I just want one.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

It is easy for anyone to do it with a R8. I'll also assume that I am a client and not a PH or guide. Heaviest would be a .375 - versatile yet handles everything through pachyderms. Next would be a .30 of some sort. I would opt for the .300 Win Mag because of a bit more reach, but a 30-06 would also work. The last, though the .300 mag could do it, would be something smaller and fast for lighter mountain and plains game. If limited to three, then perhaps a .257 WBY (I have that barrel for my R8).

However, I could never be so practical. I have several favorite deer calibers, a favorite nilgai caliber, several favorite plains game calibers, and I love the .375. I am all about the perfectly balanced, caliber and bullet for the conditions and game to be hunted. Or more typically, what I feel like using on a particular expedition.

I got my R8 in 375 as a backup when I broke my 404 just before a major hunt. Very easy to switch to the ideal cartridge for the circumstances. Funny thing is, 375 is good enough for pretty much anything so I haven’t bothered getting another barrel for it.

 

[Hunting Hitman]

R8 in 375 H&H and 300 Win Mag.
This combo covers everything.
HH

 

[Rell]

I had a take down built by a smith that over promised and under delivered. GMA action with three barrels. In 270Win, 9.3x62 and 400Whelen.

It was one problem after another and I eventually forced the return of my money.

I’ve thought hard on having Joe Smithson build me one but I keep postponing for other builds.

 

[crs]

I bought my One caliber solution several years ago and it has worked out fine In Africa and the USA.
Double rifle and lever action , both in .405 WCF can take any critters on the planet.
Winchester 1895 .405 like Osa Johnson used in Africa- 210, 300 and 400 grain bullets.

And for fun, this Simson Suhl DR in .405 WCF - regulated with 300 and 400 grain bullets.


I have another one gun solution in the works, but not proven yet in the field.

 

[Kalthoff]

There are so many wastly different laws and regulations around the world, its hard to come up with a truly "global answer".

For instance in my corner of the world, lead projectiles are about to become banned by law for hunting, but will still be legal for use on the shooting range, and will also remain legal to own and take abroad for hunting elsewhere. That affects caliber choices, especially for small and medium bore rifles.

For that reason I recently ordered myself a new huntingrifle, a take-down with two barrels: .270W and 9,3x62

Absent the upcoming lead-ban, I would have made another choice for the smaller caliber of the two.

 

[IvW]

O/U double
450/400 NE 3" or 500/416 NE 3 1/4
9.3×74R/9.3/74R
7x65R/12ga

 

[AZDAVE]

@IvW You have a very same list on doubles that I perfer. Would also accept that multi barrel set in a SxS.

The other option would be a TC encore. My list there would be 7x57, 9.3x62, 404 Jeff in a perfect world.

 

[Newtothis]

I would use a 243 for smaller game
303 for medium to large game
And 416 for dangerous or very large game

 

[Jörg Krüger]

I would use a 243 for smaller game
303 for medium to large game
And 416 for dangerous or very large game

Unluckily the 303 was a military rifle/round and would not be accepted world wide to hunt with, but I get the selection

 

[nomspc]

I have 300WM and .375 H&H barrels for my R8 travel combo. Here in Florida, I use a short .308 barrel.