Hi from Jim, the guy who dreams of going to Africa....

[DieJager]

Welkom!

 

[Velo Dog]

Hello Jim Golden,

Khomas Highland Hunting Safaris of Namibia, welcomes you to the greatest forum on earth.

Forget the .460 Cartridge.
Ultra velocity large bore cartridges are the solution to an imaginary / non-existent problem.

Go with the .458 Lott.
And at that, there is no need to load it beyond a 500 grain bullet at about 2100 to 2200 fps.
By reputation, this is plenty, even for elephant.
Build it to weigh no less than about 10 pounds and no more than about 11 pounds empty.
Cut the barrel to about 23 or 24 inches.

Then standing from sticks, practice, practice, practice and then practice some more.

Best Regards,
Velo Dog.

PS:
If your heart is set on being kicked heavily, then consider building your large bore in either .500 Jeffery or .505 Gibbs.
Either will fetch you quite a bit more money than anything in the Weatherby line, when you one day decide to sell it.

 

[Warren Knudsen]

Welcome Jim, a great dream to have. I lived ming this year, and now want to go again. Good luck and follow your dreams.

 

[Pieter Oosthuizen]

Welcome Jim. Please feel free to contact us with regard to your African Dream, GTA will be able to assist for sure.

 

[Jim Golden]

Welcome Jim;
Your 375 laser beam will work wonders on a buffalo. Just use a very good bullet so it doesn't blow apart on impact 300 grain A Frames are highly recommended.

Practice shooting off sticks with quick follow up shots. If you can, shoot at 25 yards, 50 yards and 100 yards transitioning from one to the other and back again cycling the bolt and shooting in quick succession. If you can do that quickly, and with a high amount of adrenaline pumping... and not jamb the rifle, I think you can safely take it on a buffalo hunt

Please post some pictures of your rifle

Bob, that is some great advice. I've never shot off sticks. I need to do that. A lot. I usually have a giant rubbermaid box on the back of a 4-wheeler with carpet and sandbags on it. But it lets me shoot from near standing position. I'm hesitant to shoot this thing off a sit down bench. Do you guys make your own sticks?

Ha ha! I liked your term "laser beam." I've only shot 300gr out of it. I bet with the lighter ones it would really zing. I spent about ten years, three gun smiths, myself and my master mechanic buddy with his mill building this thing. It's a Winchester made P17 action that some 'smith in the 60's "sporterized" probably before I was born. It hung on a wall for thirty years, and was sold at an estate auction. The gun shop guy I bought it from had gotten it and he'd had it for a long time. Not many folks around where I live wanted something like that. I bought a book from the 60's about Bolt Action Rifles and in there they talked about what you had to do to make one of these into a hunting rifle. I made a metal cone, and we dropped it into the rear sight hole in the top of the rear receiver ring and then welded it all in using TIG. We had the action in a jar of water with only the rear sticking out to keep the heat down. Then ground and polished it. Looked pretty well new.

My buddy and I opened the ejection port up with his Bridgeport mill and also milled where the magazine box goes so that a .375 length box would fit.

I had Douglas barrels, in WV USA make the barrel. I was originally going to go with a 29", but the guy there laughed and said "Well we can go to 30", so why not go 30? You can always cut it down." So that's what we did. I know it's long, but I've hunted with Kentucky rifle flintlocks with 42" barrels and always managed to get through the tangles. Plus, with the boat paddle looking Coil Check stock, it looks more proportional. Douglas opened up the bolt face and modified the extractor. I measured a 350gr .375 bullet and then seated a 300gr out so that the overall length would be the same. Then told them to give it 3/8" freebore beyond that. So that's how we reamed it. I know Weatherby's always have some freebore to let the bullet jump before it hits the rifling to keep the pressures down, even if it might hurt accuracy a little. It's their heavy magnum contour.

The MPI stock has been both pillar bedded and glass bedded. The barrel is free floated. The action is cross bolted. I basically wanted belts and suspenders.

Bolt handle is by Talley. It pained me to cut off the original curved bolt with the "Flaming Bom" U.S. Ordinance stamping on it. But to be honest, I was a bit afraid of the recoil and thought that swept back bolt could break my finger. So we put a straight one on it. This one actually feels better.

Trigger is a Timney, set at 3lbs. It's very crisp. No creep. Bottom metal is the original but it's been straightened (as the original Enfields had a step in them).

I got a cock-on-open conversion kit from Numerich and it works perfectly.

I forget where I got the sights from, but it's a big name place that does custom gun parts. They were quite expensive. I personally love the look, though, of the front sight. Makes me think of an old Westley Richards. I went with a single leaf on the rear open sights. I figured if I bust the scope, I can get by with just the one. Don't plan on playing Quigley with it. I'd looked at muli leaf express sights, and I'd probably use those if I wasn't running a scope. But didn't see the need for it on this rig. One is good enough for back up.

We got Talley gunsmith bases and machined them to fit. The front we could use a factory one (they actually make one for it), but the back had to be custom machined because you n ever get that rear ring perfect with the welded in plug. I like the Talley vertical split rings, so that's what it has.

Scope is a Leupold VX-5HD 2x10-42. I figured I wouldn't need more than 10x on it and liked the 2x for the bottom end.

I couldn't tell you the official group sizes. I haven't really shot it that closely. At my house, about 80 yards is all I can get, and that's what I shot it in at. I can hit 1" square rocks with it at that range pretty consistently. But on a card box, I've done some groups that were pretty close. It's certainly good enough to hunt with. Douglas told me their .375 barrels are usually tack drivers. So I need to really get a better stand up bench made and see what it'll do.

I found online a guy who sells surplus ammuntion and he had four boxes of older .375 Weatherby with the Nosler 300gr partitions. I got all four of them. I already had one. And I had bought a bunch of cases and loaded up some handloads. We did the velocity testing with Sierra Game King 300's. But I've got Swift A-Frames, Barnes TSX (I think), and Woodleigh Weldcores that I intend to load. I mainly use RL-22. I've been using the A-Square reloading manual.

Anyway, it's my pride and joy. Took a long time to build it, but it's fun to shoot. The Coil Check stock really does work. I've watched videos of me shooting it, and the distance from eye to scope never changes under recoil. The big butt of the stock moves your entire body, not just your shoulder. The felt recoil is actually less than my 700 .338, which has bloodied me before. Now I just need to get a buff with it!

Sorry for the long screed...but I'm very happy with the way it turned out

 

[Jim Golden]

Welcome to AfricaHunting. Quit screwing around with all those guns and take that 375 on safari! It’s plenty of rifle. I know a guy who’s shot over 350 buffalo and 90+% of them with a wildcat nearly identical to your gun.
be sure to post a report when you return.

Would it be Saeed? (I think that's how you spell it). I actually emailed him a long time ago and he actually emailed me back. Cool guy! He uses a .375/.404 (or is it a .404/.375?) that he loads to just about the same velocity as mine. Said he's taken everything with it. I think he told me he only uses 300gr. That's kind of what I was thinking. This is fast enough with the 300 that I don't think I need a 260. Although that might be easier on the shoulder for plains stuff

 

[Jim Golden]

Welcome to AfricaHunting. Quit screwing around with all those guns and take that 375 on safari! It’s plenty of rifle. I know a guy who’s shot over 350 buffalo and 90+% of them with a wildcat nearly identical to your gun.
be sure to post a report when you return.

Ha ha! Good point! I need to get my finances in order and get my tail over there! Time to spend ten years building the next one later

 

[Jim Golden]

Stop dreaming and start doing, it’s cheaper than you think. The 375 will do all and more. A 458 Lott is a great round also. You know what comes with every used 460 Weatherby, a box of 19 cartridges!
Have fun, lots of great information and resources on this forum.

That is a GREAT quote on the box of 19 cartridges I'm a big believer in the Coil Check stock. It might look like a boat paddle, but the physics of the thing works!

 

[Jim Golden]

Hello Jim
Welcome to the site.
You will get some good advice here.
The 375 you built is definitely a beast with that velocity ! Wow!
For a second gun I would also favour the 458 Lott.
Much more practical, more bullets in the magazine (my Lott takes 4 down and 1 up the spout), easier on the pocket, components easily available, cases can be fire formed from 375 brass, uses less powder for same velocity, less recoil than 460 Wby and more gun than what you will ever need. I have had several complete pass throughs (with my Lott) on elephant side on brain shots (using monolithic solids) where I could hear the bullet whine away on other side of elephant as it is dropping from the brain shot. These were on large bull elephants in Botswana. So what more penetration do you want? The 458 Lott delivers plenty.

One last piece of advice on the 375 :
With such a high velocity I would use Barnes X or Barnes TSX bullets on the 375. (The ones that open up into a perfect mushroom - with sharp petals to cut arteries - every single time)
My second choice would be Trophy Bonded Bear Claw.
Third choice would be Swift A-Frame.

I will not waste your time with unsolicited e-mails or messages.
If you are interested in hunting with us just send me a short e-mail and I will reply.
We have several large herds of buffalo on our properties with lots and lots of solitary bulls or bachelor groups.

Sincerely
Hans de Klerk

Hans, thank you for the kind and detailed reply. I will definitely look into this.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Nice job on the rifle. The long barrel may be problematic in Africa though.

 

[Jim Golden]

View attachment 503037 You came to the right place for all hunting Africa. Pilot and toolmaker here, I do my own rifles, last one with a Douglas barrel in .17 Fireball that Stan the Man at Douglas fixed me up with. Sadly, he has left the range. As far as the .375, my Africa hunting mentor used that for everything in Africa and other venues.
Load it up or down to suit the game. Have fun with the research and planning. That's half the fun.

That's really cool. I didn't know Stan had passed. He's the guy I met with several times. He's the one who talked me into the long barrel. Nice to meet you.

 

[Jim Golden]

@Jim Golden
The M17 and P14s are extremely strong actions with helical style locking lugs that lock up like a bank vault. They make up into beautiful magnum lenght actions with very little work as there is a lot of meat that can be removed from the rear end of the action. Art Alpin loved them for his big A Square cartridges.
If you want even more out of your 375 Weatherby you could try the 350gn Woodleigh heavy duty projectiles. These come with thicker jackets that should handle the extra velocity of the Weatherby.
The beauty of the P14 over the M17 Enfields is the P14 bolt face is already the right size for belted magnum cases and doesn't need to be opened up.
Bob

Bob, I don't have any yet. But I had the rifle throated and the freebore sized for the 350's. I was thinking with the extra velocity over the H&H, I could push 350's out of her. Gonna give it a whirl!

 

[Jim Golden]

I have a trip planned for next June but am sitting here with a herniated disc and it feels like someone is beating on my ankle bone with a ball peen hammer. Got surgery lined up later in the year but missed the best part of white tail deer season. Moral of the story is don't wait for a health issue to forever kill a dream, especially a hunt on the Dark Continent.

I hear you. My kid brother in law just died of mouth cancer and he was six years younger than me. I need to get on with it and stop dreaming. I hope you get well soon! I'm about to go after Bambi right now. Buck season in WV

 

[shootist~]

And the minute you get back home you will transform to:

Jim, the guy who dreams of going *Back* to Africa....​

(AMHIK)

 

[ActionBob]

Bob, that is some great advice. I've never shot off sticks. I need to do that. A lot. I usually have a giant rubbermaid box on the back of a 4-wheeler with carpet and sandbags on it. But it lets me shoot from near standing position. I'm hesitant to shoot this thing off a sit down bench. Do you guys make your own sticks?

Ha ha! I liked your term "laser beam." I've only shot 300gr out of it. I bet with the lighter ones it would really zing. I spent about ten years, three gun smiths, myself and my master mechanic buddy with his mill building this thing. It's a Winchester made P17 action that some 'smith in the 60's "sporterized" probably before I was born. It hung on a wall for thirty years, and was sold at an estate auction. The gun shop guy I bought it from had gotten it and he'd had it for a long time. Not many folks around where I live wanted something like that. I bought a book from the 60's about Bolt Action Rifles and in there they talked about what you had to do to make one of these into a hunting rifle. I made a metal cone, and we dropped it into the rear sight hole in the top of the rear receiver ring and then welded it all in using TIG. We had the action in a jar of water with only the rear sticking out to keep the heat down. Then ground and polished it. Looked pretty well new.

My buddy and I opened the ejection port up with his Bridgeport mill and also milled where the magazine box goes so that a .375 length box would fit.

I had Douglas barrels, in WV USA make the barrel. I was originally going to go with a 29", but the guy there laughed and said "Well we can go to 30", so why not go 30? You can always cut it down." So that's what we did. I know it's long, but I've hunted with Kentucky rifle flintlocks with 42" barrels and always managed to get through the tangles. Plus, with the boat paddle looking Coil Check stock, it looks more proportional. Douglas opened up the bolt face and modified the extractor. I measured a 350gr .375 bullet and then seated a 300gr out so that the overall length would be the same. Then told them to give it 3/8" freebore beyond that. So that's how we reamed it. I know Weatherby's always have some freebore to let the bullet jump before it hits the rifling to keep the pressures down, even if it might hurt accuracy a little. It's their heavy magnum contour.

The MPI stock has been both pillar bedded and glass bedded. The barrel is free floated. The action is cross bolted. I basically wanted belts and suspenders.

Bolt handle is by Talley. It pained me to cut off the original curved bolt with the "Flaming Bom" U.S. Ordinance stamping on it. But to be honest, I was a bit afraid of the recoil and thought that swept back bolt could break my finger. So we put a straight one on it. This one actually feels better.

Trigger is a Timney, set at 3lbs. It's very crisp. No creep. Bottom metal is the original but it's been straightened (as the original Enfields had a step in them).

I got a cock-on-open conversion kit from Numerich and it works perfectly.

I forget where I got the sights from, but it's a big name place that does custom gun parts. They were quite expensive. I personally love the look, though, of the front sight. Makes me think of an old Westley Richards. I went with a single leaf on the rear open sights. I figured if I bust the scope, I can get by with just the one. Don't plan on playing Quigley with it. I'd looked at muli leaf express sights, and I'd probably use those if I wasn't running a scope. But didn't see the need for it on this rig. One is good enough for back up.

We got Talley gunsmith bases and machined them to fit. The front we could use a factory one (they actually make one for it), but the back had to be custom machined because you n ever get that rear ring perfect with the welded in plug. I like the Talley vertical split rings, so that's what it has.

Scope is a Leupold VX-5HD 2x10-42. I figured I wouldn't need more than 10x on it and liked the 2x for the bottom end.

I couldn't tell you the official group sizes. I haven't really shot it that closely. At my house, about 80 yards is all I can get, and that's what I shot it in at. I can hit 1" square rocks with it at that range pretty consistently. But on a card box, I've done some groups that were pretty close. It's certainly good enough to hunt with. Douglas told me their .375 barrels are usually tack drivers. So I need to really get a better stand up bench made and see what it'll do.

I found online a guy who sells surplus ammuntion and he had four boxes of older .375 Weatherby with the Nosler 300gr partitions. I got all four of them. I already had one. And I had bought a bunch of cases and loaded up some handloads. We did the velocity testing with Sierra Game King 300's. But I've got Swift A-Frames, Barnes TSX (I think), and Woodleigh Weldcores that I intend to load. I mainly use RL-22. I've been using the A-Square reloading manual.

Anyway, it's my pride and joy. Took a long time to build it, but it's fun to shoot. The Coil Check stock really does work. I've watched videos of me shooting it, and the distance from eye to scope never changes under recoil. The big butt of the stock moves your entire body, not just your shoulder. The felt recoil is actually less than my 700 .338, which has bloodied me before. Now I just need to get a buff with it!

Sorry for the long screed...but I'm very happy with the way it turned out

Wow Jim thanks for the story and pic. I have evolved into a guy who loves the magical blend of fine Walnut and blued steel.... and such rifles that have enough character and if possible history that they carry a soul with them

But I can't help but share your excitement and admire the fine project your gun became. To heck with anybody who doesn't love it or thinks the barrel is too long or whatever.... It's your gun, your passion, your life. Go live it and then share it with us here!

And you will do fine with that long barrel. Hunt your buffalo as soon as possible. Then and only then start thinking about another rifle.... maybe your taste will alter after you get some time in the bush and hang with this crowd a while.

Your 80 yard range is just fine. Practice on that with different distances. Imagine smacking a buffalo on the shoulder and racking in another round to hit him again with an angled shot through the boiler room. And then a Texas heart shot.... of course that that bullet is going to tear him up on that first perfect high heart lung shot and you'll be lucky to get a second shot into him before he's down. But buffalo are tough and convince yourself and train to keep shooting until he's out if sight or down.

Stick with an A Frame or TSX. Woodliegh are fine bullets but I wouldn't trust anything from them other than a Hydro Solid at that laser speed. Their softs are well suited to double rifles or a 404 Jeffrey moving at 2150 fps.

 

[Jim Golden]

Wow Jim thanks for the story and pic. I have evolved into a guy who loves the magical blend of fine Walnut and blued steel.... and such rifles that have enough character and if possible history that they carry a soul with them

But I can't help but share your excitement and admire the fine project your gun became. To heck with anybody who doesn't love it or thinks the barrel is too long or whatever.... It's your gun, your passion, your life. Go live it and then share it with us here!

And you will do fine with that long barrel. Hunt your buffalo as soon as possible. Then and only then start thinking about another rifle.... maybe your taste will alter after you get some time in the bush and hang with this crowd a while.

Your 80 yard range is just fine. Practice on that with different distances. Imagine smacking a buffalo on the shoulder and racking in another round to hit him again with an angled shot through the boiler room. And then a Texas heart shot.... of course that that bullet is going to tear him up on that first perfect high heart lung shot and you'll be lucky to get a second shot into him before he's down. But buffalo are tough and convince yourself and train to keep shooting until he's out if sight or down.

Stick with an A Frame or TSX. Woodliegh are fine bullets but I wouldn't trust anything from them other than a Hydro Solid at that laser speed. Their softs are well suited to double rifles or a 404 Jeffrey moving at 2150 fps.

Thank you, Bob. If it redeems me any, I do have a Winchester Model 1897 made in 1899 that I shoot that has zero blueing left. And, even better, I have a Parker 12ga double side by side made in 1909 that is a real Hammer. I love the old ones! The Parker had some dents in the barrel but my 'smith has this hydraulic thing that we stick down the barrel and expand it and pop the dents out. My 113 year old shotgun is now as straight as a new one. Turkeys beware! All jokes aside, I really like that gun. Parker made some nice stuff. I've also got a Winchester Model 12 from 1947 but that's almost too new to talk about.... The .375 was a Real Project. I started with a bare unfinished action that had sat for nearly 50 years until I got it. But she works good now. Oh, and I do LOVE fine wood over composite any day of the week. I have two Model 70's with curly maple stocks that are just gorgeous. I don't think MPI makes a wooden A-Square stock. Only composite. And I wanted to build a replica Hannibal so that was all I could get. A-Square offered them with wooden stocks, and I think MPI might have gotten them from somewhere....but I don't think you can get them now. We put a fairly aggressive grit on the composite stock so it's not slippery. But it's sure not an exhibition grade walnut or curly maple. And after shooting it a lot, my face has actually worn some of the paint off it. But, it's functional at least

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Thank you, Bob. If it redeems me any, I do have a Winchester Model 1897 made in 1899 that I shoot that has zero blueing left. And, even better, I have a Parker 12ga double side by side made in 1909 that is a real Hammer. I love the old ones! The Parker had some dents in the barrel but my 'smith has this hydraulic thing that we stick down the barrel and expand it and pop the dents out. My 113 year old shotgun is now as straight as a new one. Turkeys beware All jokes aside, I really like that gun. Parker made some nice stuff. I've also got a Winchester Model 12 from 1947 but that's almost too new to talk about..... The .375 was a Real Project. I started with a bare unfinished action that had sat for nearly 50 years until I got it. But she works good now

@Jim Golden
I have an 1885 lowall built in 1891.
I had the original 44-40 barrel sleeved with a 22K Hornet barrel and a new high grade walnut pistol grip stock made. Absolutely beautiful and a tack driver to go with it.
Love old guns
Bob

 

[meigsbucks]

I have a trip planned for next June but am sitting here with a herniated disc and it feels like someone is beating on my ankle bone with a ball peen hammer. Got surgery lined up later in the year but missed the best part of white tail deer season. Moral of the story is don't wait for a health issue to forever kill a dream, especially a hunt on the Dark Continent.

Ditto that
Get well soon Hogpatrol

 

[Safari Dave]

Welcome aboard Jim!




Your .375 will be all you will need for anything in South Africa.

Take solids & expanding that shoot to the same POI, if possible.



I'd take one other rifle as a backup.

A scoped .300 magnum or .30/06 (or similar) for PG.


Maybe the .458 just for the buffalo or just in case you have a need and don't want to borrow or rent a rifle.


Sometimes solids are handy, just to minimize trophy destruction on small animals.

 

[Buffalo1]

Welcome to AH !

You can dream it or you can do it- it's your choice !!