Is Bigger Always Better?

[VertigoBE]

Choose a 375 that weighs ten pounds loaded and forget the brake. Whoever convinced you to buy 416 Weatherby is not your friend. Hard guns to find, very expensive to buy, brutal to shoot, and almost impossible to get your hands on the ammo. I wouldn't accept one as a gift. But hey, they sure are pretty.

I agree with that statement. There are a lot of calibers I would choose, before picking up a 416 Weatherby.

 

[Neophyte]

Very good read.
Thank you.

 

[DillonG]

This was a great read and a lot of good comments. I’m a big fan of the old saying, “There is no replacement for displacement.” However, a 375 can certainly get the job done across the globe. There have been a lot of AH posts and comments confirming that statement.

 

[steve white]

Great writeup on is bigger always better....at the end of the day it would seem "better first shot is always better."

 

[neckdeep]

Every time a thread on caliber for Buffalo comes up, one should refer to this article. It appears somewhat true that what several PHs have told me, the bigger the gun the client shows up with the more the follow up LOL

 

[Ontario Hunter]

The one factor that I think doesn't get the attention it deserves is field experience. The dude who shows up with new boots, new safari clothes, and a new gun would throw up a few red flags for me if I was his PH, especially if the gun was a whopper caliber. Some guy with a few whitetails under his belt shot out of a treestand or bears over bait also would not impress me as being terribly "experienced". Field experience stalking game prepares one to place the shot well under pressure. It also instills self confidence. Learning to shoot well at the range is not the same. It helps for sure. But the client needs to understand field conditions is a different ball game. Is there any way to compensate for lack of field experience? The first step is for the client to acknowledge that he is handicapped. Pay attention to what the PH says. And get a grip when the time comes to pull the trigger. If you're not ready to take the shot, then don't shoot.

 

[grand veneur]

Bigger is Always Better, no question !

The problem is being better with bigger, because it is certainly easier to place a good shot with a rifle caliber 375 H&H Magnum than with a rifle caliber 460 Weatherby Magnum, even if the latter is equipped with a scope. It requires a lot of practice but also and above all self-assessment as to whether you can really do it or not. It may be that some hunters are playing the big African hunter with a classic big bore rifle. One often read in the forum that some hunter want to buy a big bore DR with open sight so they can shot their first buffalo. I don't know if that always works well.