Lever Action Rifles In Africa?

[Hunter-Habib]

I do know a fellow who used a Savage Model 99 in .300 Savage (loaded with basic 180Gr Remington Core Lokts) to successfully take an assortment of African plains game in 2001. Biggest thing he took was a sable.

I shared a camp (while on safari) with a South Dakota gent in ‘79 who had brought along an original American made Winchester Model 1895 in .405 Winchester. He was using hand loaded 300Gr Barnes original bullets (those famous copper jacketed lead cored ones). He took a great deal of plains game (including a fine eland bull) with his, and also a nice male lion.

This is my son-in-law’s Savage Model 99 in .300 Savage which I had gifted him. Made between 1922 and 1934. It comes with an extra smoothbore barrel in .410 caliber. When the .410 bore barrel is used, the firearm becomes a single shot.

With this rifle (and Remington’s now discontinued 180Gr Core Lokt factory load) … he downed warthog, blue wildebeest and gemsbok. No problems.

But then he tempted fate by using that rifle/cartridge combination on an eland bull. The animal was nearly lost and finally had to be shot a second time with the white hunter’s .375 Holland & Holland Magnum CZ-550 (loaded with 300Gr Swift A Frames). A postmortem showed the predictable: The 180Gr Core Lokt only penetrated one lung and didn’t get to the other one.

By contrast, I’ve used a .30-06 Springfield and 220Gr Remington Core Lokts on several eland bulls quite successfully since 1974. Never had a problem.

 

[TERMINATOR]

One nice thing about the BLR is that it can use pointed bullets. I have one in .358 Win (hard to find) that I would not hesitate to use on any plains game out to 200 yards. I would run 225 Grain AB or Partitions or maybe the 200 Grain AB (flatter shooting) and have no concerns on anything out to 200 yards.

The problem comes when you have something that is spectacular at 275 or 300 and no way to close the distance. That is why I run the .300 Mag instead

But if I was hunting truly thick country for non-DG I would consider the BLR in .358 Win a great option.

 

[Philip Glass]

I love lever guns but not for Africa. Anything can be done, just shoot straight.

 

[1dirthawker]

i think that larger caliber lever guns will do fine work in Africa as long as one uses proper bullets and his shot placement is good AND is within reasonable range.

one has to understand that there will be limits to the distance that he/she will be able to shoot. some opportunities can possibly be lost due to range limitations, much like the limitations of a large bore rifle with or without a scope. those guns are not considered long range weapons and neither should the lever gun.

that said, a BLR is an interesting concept to shoot pointy bullets in a lever gun at normal bolt gun velocities. i should think a 338/375 or a 416 taylor would be a great match for a BLR if, one could get the gun to a proper weight (9-10 lbs).

 

[crs]

1dirthawker,
Agreed on pointy bullets in BLR. Also in an older Winchester design that I shoot-
the Winchester 1895 in multiple calibers - .405 WCF was my choice as Osa Johnson used hers in Africa on a wide variety of animals. This rifle has been available for many decades and has taken many types of game, including DG from Leopard to Elephant. Even on Cape Buff!

 

[7x57Joe]

1dirthawker,
Agreed on pointy bullets in BLR. Also in an older Winchester design that I shoot-
the Winchester 1895 in multiple calibers - .405 WCF was my choice as Osa Johnson used hers in Africa on a wide variety of animals. This rifle has been available for many decades and has taken many types of game, including DG from Leopard to Elephant. Even on Cape Buff!
View attachment 484847

A fine looking rifle C.R. What's the recoil like with the recoil pad instead of the curved steel butt plate?
I'm getting a craving for one of those but, am considering the .30'06 because of ammo availability.

 

[crs]

Joe,
Shotgun butt with recoil pad does away with any pain or bruising.
Should be fun in 30-06 and easy recoil.

 

[F. Vaccaro]

I really like lever actions. For Africa, I’ll probably never get to go. But in the timber after Elk where I could bump a Grizzy, a .458 405gr JSP at 1730fps is comforting!

 

[Soutie18]

American style gun Hunt in Africa
Great Adventure with a great Friend .This old black impala Ewe was taken with a head shot at 50ms with my 357 Rossi lever Action Kitted out with a new aimsport silencer and leupold vx 1.5-5x20. Deadly quietly.

 

[crs]

Soutie,
I also have a .357 lever action, this Winchester 1892 with Douglas barrel and custom wood. It goes well with my S&W .357 revolver.

 

[Soutie18]

Soutie,
I also have a .357 lever action, this Winchester 1892 with Douglas barrel and custom wood. It goes well with my S&W .357 revolver.

Crs those are a lovely set of firearms .
Have you taken anything with the revolver
hopefully next year I would like to hunt a impala/warthog with a friend's .44mag Red Hawk.

 

[crs]

The .44 mag should do the trick.
Nope, the handgun use is mostly for fun, shooting rattle snakes and moccasins, and being prepared for more serious encounters.

 

[Red Leg]

It wouldn't be my primary choice for Africa, but my old Model 99 EG in .300 Savage would do as well as any .308 would. In the correct performance envelope, it is all about the bullet.

 

[7x57Joe]

It wouldn't be my primary choice for Africa, but my old Model 99 EG in .300 Savage would do as well as any .308 would. In the correct performance envelope, it is all about the bullet.

I like my 99 in .300 and I think the .300 Savage may be the perfect eastern W/T cartridge!

 

[Longdrive]

The lever big-bores, especially the Marlins, are becoming very popular in Africa both by Americans going there to hunt and PH's who are seeing their potential. If you go to the websites for Wild West Guns, Garrett cartridges, Cor-Bon Ammunition, and Buffalo Bore Ammo you are sure to see plenty of photos from Africa.

 

[Scrumbag]

The lever big-bores, especially the Marlins, are becoming very popular in Africa both by Americans going there to hunt and PH's who are seeing their potential. If you go to the websites for Wild West Guns, Garrett cartridges, Cor-Bon Ammunition, and Buffalo Bore Ammo you are sure to see plenty of photos from Africa.

I do wonder how representative that is though.

 

[IvW]

No if Ruger would make the new Marlin in 30-30 that would be a brush gun I would consider

 

[Velo Dog]

Seems like a Model 1895 Winchester, with an original Lyman receiver sight (aka: “peep” sight) or, perhaps equipped with classic “express” sights and barreled in the iconic caliber .303 British, would be an awful lot of fun, for hunting some of the so called plains game species in Africa, especially warthog in thick cover.

 

[F. Vaccaro]

Seems like a Model 1895 Winchester, with an original Lyman receiver sight (aka: “peep” sight) or, perhaps equipped with classic “express” sights and barreled in the iconic caliber .303 British, would be an awful lot of fun, for hunting some of the so called plains game species in Africa, especially warthog in thick cover.

I think it'd be fun just to shoot too!

 

[Scrumbag]

Seems like a Model 1895 Winchester, with an original Lyman receiver sight (aka: “peep” sight) or, perhaps equipped with classic “express” sights and barreled in the iconic caliber .303 British, would be an awful lot of fun, for hunting some of the so called plains game species in Africa, especially warthog in thick cover.

I believe 303 Brit 1895s were issued to the RCMP at some point in musket form.

Scrummy