First Dangerous Game Rifle - Struggling to decide

[BeeMaa]

Yeah was waiting for someone to drag those things into a serious discussion yet again....wonder if they can put an auto delete on here.... so that if anyone tries to type those things on it just vanishes...like a puff of smoke....

Knew I could count on you for a general lack of refinement.

 

[spike.t]

Knew I could count on you for a general lack of refinement.

For sure

 

[BeeMaa]

For sure

Knew you would understand.
Here's to agreeing to disagree.

 

[Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy]

I'll pile on here: you can't go wrong with a 375 or 416.

BUT if you can find a Ruger No1 in a classic safari caliber...snatch it up. Those are a lot of fun to shoot and less of them out there. My 450/400 No1 handles like a well balanced shotgun. That caliber was also once considered the ideal all purpose caliber before the 375 H&H came out. Still serves that purpose well.

 

[ALbowhunter]

This is because drugs and firearms are in the same departement....

HWL

 

[Forrest Halley]

I refuse to participate in this thread except to give @Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy kudos for his wonderful addition of the Ruger No. 1 Tropical models to this redundant and repetitive discussion. I love mine and believe that any Tropical model is a good idea in any caliber. They are a pain in the butt though because you'll shoot up half a box of ammunition before you realize it. So my advice is buy brass and load your own! That way you can have as big a box of ammo as you like!

 

[Tanks]

Bourbon- be practical start with .375 (pre 64 or similar) . Load with 300gr solids for DG .
For buff 300 grain expanders like Barnes TX , for plains game 270 gr.
your PH will have a bigger caliber for back up which hopefully won’t be necessary if you do your part. Your 404,416 etc will sit in your safe after the Safari.
I have seen this happen so often...

My safe queen is the .375H&H. So far, have used only .4XX and .5XX calibers for Africa.

 

[BourbonTrail]

I refuse to participate in this thread except to give @Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy kudos for his wonderful addition of the Ruger No. 1 Tropical models to this redundant and repetitive discussion...

Sorry, I used to work for the department of redundancy department in the pedantic repetition group team. Apologies, again...dammit

 

[K E Johnson]

Gun fit can make a huge difference on felt recoil on the bigger calibers.
I personally have always felt that my .375 H&H rifles were more pleasant to shoot than the .300 Win. Mag I bought dad 30 years ago. My current .375 is a Winchester model 70 stainless classic. I will never sell it.
I have used .375 extensively here in the states as it is so versatile. My rifles seemed to prefer 300 grain pills.
When I decided I wanted a bigger rifle for Africa, I was looking at .416 Rem mag. I found a used .416 Rigby custom build, using a Dakota action, fairly close to home. I went and looked at it and it was love at first shoulder.
The serial number is African 76. The rifle has been there. I plan to take it back.
Best of luck in your search.

 

[machinistbutler]

Start with a 375,. Then a 416,. A 458 or two, decide what you like then buy more.

 

[BourbonTrail]

Being 6’5” with gorilla arms, getting good stock fit has always been my challenge. I have been working on my woodworking as a result (I have yet to find a good synthetic stock)

 

[Happy Myles]

I encourage starting with a 375. You may work up from there. i have, over the decades killed a wide variety of dangerous game with and even wider use of big calibers. 375, 416 Rigby, 416 Remington, 470 Nitro, 500 Nitro, 500 Jeffery, 458 Win Mag, 458 Lott, and 450 Ackley. Maybe a couple more i have forgotten.

 

[K E Johnson]

Being 6’5” with gorilla arms, getting good stock fit has always been my challenge. I have been working on my woodworking as a result (I have yet to find a good synthetic stock)

The gentleman that had my .416 built was about your size. It has a 15” length of pull. I am only 6’, but it shoulders and balances so nice for me. I have been working on getting some of my other rifles to do the same.
I am in the minority here as I prefer synthetic stocks for my working rifles. I don’t know who made the one on my Rigby. I put a Mcmillan on my .375 as I could order the length of pull I wanted.
I love a well stocked rifle in wood. They are beautiful. I prefer to hunt with a synthetic. That’s my choice.

 

[Chago]

I hate totally railroad the thread. But I'm always curious. How come no one ever suggests a 45-70 lever action for DG? I have never hunted African Dangerous game. But I would think if it works for grizzly bears in the Yukon. Why wouldn't it in Africa ?

 

[Tanks]

I hate totally railroad the thread. But I'm always curious. How come no one ever suggests a 45-70 lever action for DG? I have never hunted African Dangerous game. But I would think if it works for grizzly bears in the Yukon. Why wouldn't it in Africa ?

A whole thread on that here:

Open Sighted 45-70 in Africa | AfricaHunting.com

 

[CoElkHunter]

I refuse to participate in this thread except to give @Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy kudos for his wonderful addition of the Ruger No. 1 Tropical models to this redundant and repetitive discussion. I love mine and believe that any Tropical model is a good idea in any caliber. They are a pain in the butt though because you'll shoot up half a box of ammunition before you realize it. So my advice is buy brass and load your own! That way you can have as big a box of ammo as you like!

“Buy brass and load your own”? Great theory Forrest if he was able to find any. You have a secret dealer somewhere? Ha! Ha!

 

[Tucketed]

I purchased a Winchester 70 in 375HH a few years ago and totally enjoy it. Also if you want to move up to a 404J it’s convertible. You can get a model 70 pretty reasonably and if you don’t want to up grade stock, re-barreling and metal work is right around $1K.

 

[Rare Breed]

Happy wife, happy life!

There is an as new-in-box 550 in 416 Rigby on Guns International right now that would leave you with plenty left over to buy the Boss something nice..

My POV is 416 and up will take Buffalo and Elephant. I had one but fell in love with a DR in 470 NE which will easily take both with good first shot

 

[tarbe]

My POV is 416 and up will take Buffalo and Elephant. I had one but fell in love with a DR in 470 NE which will easily take both with good first shot

So will a .375. Where you shoot them (with a good bullet) is still the most important ingredient to success.

 

[tarbe]

I’m setup to reload, but now no powder/primers to be found...

Where are you located? You need some new friends.