Proper pairing

[Alexandro Faria]

So, it is with great happiness and joy that I announce that I will be finalizing a custom build order for a .375 H&H this coming July. No frills rifle, built to be a reliable work horse. I need to find her a friend. As some of you may know, I've been looking at a 6.5, but availability may force me to go another direction entirely. I was considering a .270 win or a 7x64. Anyone feel like giving me their opinion on the matter? Will probably be taking my fathers .30-06 off his hands sometime in the near future as he hasn't shot her in years and he hasn't hunted in even longer. Recoil isn't an issue, doesn't bug me. I need something with decent legs that will be used on game up to blesbok and probably used for taking out a few vervets and dassies.

As always,
Thank you!

 

[spike.t]

if your going to have a 30-06 in the near future why not go for something like a .243 ?

 

[Clayton]

@spike.t makes a good case for that option.

 

[Alexandro Faria]

@spike.t, I'm considering it. My issue is drift from wind. I've taken a total of 5 animals with a .243, so my experience is less than impressive, but of those 5, I experienced serious drifting from wind on 3. Maybe I was just unlucky, but I'm looking for something that will buck the wind a little better...

 

[siml]

375 and 30-06 you don't need anything else.

 

[spike.t]

@spike.t, I'm considering it. My issue is drift from wind. I've taken a total of 5 animals with a .243, so my experience is less than impressive, but of those 5, I experienced serious drifting from wind on 3. Maybe I was just unlucky, but I'm looking for something that will buck the wind a little better...

i would have thought from how i see the sa licensing go get the 30-06 sorted now, and i dont see the point of getting a .270 or 7x64 when you have/will have the 30-06.....so go for a .243 or 22-250 as something smaller and useful in totally different scenarios.........

 

[CAustin]

The 30-06 will take care of anything up to dangerous game! Get the 375 built and it can be used on DG on down the list!

 

[stug]

A 30/06 with a 240gr Woodleigh would give very similar results to a 318WR and that was one of the favourite medium bores for a reason.
Karamojo Bell wrote that if he went back to Africa he would have taken a 308.
Any of the ones you mentioned would be fine, my personal preference is 7x57, so I would suggest the 7x64.

 

[rookhawk]

I'm a broken record here and totally biased, but let me repeat myself because it makes me feel better.

7x57 all the way. In my opinion a one gun battery for plains game IS the 7x57. A two gun safari is about perfect with a 7x57 and a .375HH. A three gun safari is about perfect with a 7x57, .375 and a .470.

To my thinking, you're building a perfect case battery for Africa.

And then what happens when you get home? The big bores sit and rot in the safe but that 7x57 will be hunting pronghorn, mulies, whitetails, elk, black bear and a lot of other nice domestic species. A trip over to Europe and you'll be bringing it over for Chamois, Ram, Red Stag, Russian boar, roe deer and even Scandinavian moose.

The point being, this next rifle in your battery is going to get 10x the lifetime use of your .375HH so go with the most versatile rifle you can. I think that rifle is the 7x57.

 

[spike.t]

I'm a broken record here and totally biased, but let me repeat myself because it makes me feel better.

7x57 all the way. In my opinion a one gun battery for plains game IS the 7x57. A two gun safari is about perfect with a 7x57 and a .375HH. A three gun safari is about perfect with a 7x57, .375 and a .470.

To my thinking, you're building a perfect case battery for Africa.

And then what happens when you get home? The big bores sit and rot in the safe but that 7x57 will be hunting pronghorn, mulies, whitetails, elk, black bear and a lot of other nice domestic species. A trip over to Europe and you'll be bringing it over for Chamois, Ram, Red Stag, Russian boar, roe deer and even Scandinavian moose.

The point being, this next rifle in your battery is going to get 10x the lifetime use of your .375HH so go with the most versatile rifle you can. I think that rifle is the 7x57.

@rookhawk Alexandro lives in SA........so he is home there . i agree about the .275/7x57 but with .375 and 30-06 which is what he will have a smaller cal makes more sense to me.............

 

[Shootist43]

I thought that Tikka rifles in 6.5 x 55 were available in SA. I know of one AH member that lives in Pretoria and reloads for it (the rifle is normally used by his son.) The boy has taken some fine trophies with it, some at a considerable distance. Is it possible for you to get an 1896 Swedish Mauser? Providing they've been properly cared for, those old guns have very strong actions and are amazingly accurate. There is no doubt that a 7 x 57 is a great caliber for smaller plains game animals. Your proposed 3 gun battery sounds great and should serve you for many years.

 

[Hispania]

Obviously, a .300 H&H Mg. No more words are needed.

 

[rookhawk]

@rookhawk Alexandro lives in SA........so he is home there . i agree about the .275/7x57 but with .375 and 30-06 which is what he will have a smaller cal makes more sense to me.............

-> @rookhawk flunked geography and reading comprehension it appears? Sorry about that.

For an RSA boy a custom 7x57 would be good but maybe a .318WR or a .300H&H would round out the battery nicely? Or a .35 Whelen?

 

[8x68]

Got to agree with @rookhawk. 7x57 all the way. Extremely versatile & reliable calibre....that's why I have 4 of them..

 

[spike.t]

ok just out of interest Alexandro is having a .375 built and is going to have his fathers 30-06.......so what is the point of a .300hh, a .275/7x57 ,270,7x64 etc. etc, etc or any other calibre thats in that same type of range? ...............

 

[8x68]

Because a 30/06 is boring! 7x57 classier!

 

[edward]

30.06,just change the bullet weights.375,do the same.dragging three guns to africa,pain in the ass.

 

[rookhawk]

Well, I'd say there are a few differences.

300H&H is often recommended because it is the minimum required in some African nations for Eland and Giraffe. It is more pleasant to shoot than a 300 win mag and forming brass from easily obtained 375H&H is also practical. The long case neck allows it to use unique projectiles that a 300 win mag cannot such as a 220gr and I may have even seen a 240gr. (woodleigh makes a big bullet)

7x57 was recommended because it is incredibly accurate which is part and parcel with the fact that it has no recoil. It can brain a dangerous animal in an emergency with a 180gr solid. It can also be loaded with a 120gr load in order to do everything a .243 or 25-06 does with better expansion because of the larger bullet diameter. Then it can clone 6.5x55 performance using 140gr bullets ideal for impala and the like. Lastly, it will kill kudu and zebra effectively with the 175gr partition or a-frame options. All of this with Ballistic Coefficients vastly superior to any 30 caliber guns out there.

That's why I suggested those two calibers.

If the desire is to have more differentiation then the answer might be a 6.5x55 SE that will load down to 100gr bullets and all the way up to 156gr bullets for quite a bit of versatility. No caliber has superior wind fighting ability and penetration than a 6.5 because the bullets are very long with a small diameter equaling incredibly BCs, sometimes as high as .719 !!!!! I'll say that again, BCs on 142gr bullets as high as .719.

I'll put my soap box away now and conclude my rant.

 

[ChrisG]

I know you said 6.5 availability is a concern, but I am going to be another one to vote for the 6.5x55. My hunting rifle battery consists of a Winchester Model 70 .375 H&H, a Ruger M77 in 6.5x55 and a .222 for varmints. In my opinion you could do much worse than the swede. It is however, one of those cartridges you may have to reload yourself to make it do what it does best (reloading is the BEST for any cartridge by the way!!!). Hornady's new ELD 140 grain bullet is fantastic out to 300-350 yards as a hunting round. It is hyper accurate. That is kind of my limit for the 6.5 for range because I don't know as it is traveling fast enough beyond that to reliably expand. Plus, in my mind, if you can't stalk any closer than 350 yards, you're probably illegally hunting an airfield's runway . Your mileage may vary but my vote still goes to the 6.5x55. 7x57 if you still can't find any.

I case you didn't notice, I am a HUGE fan of reloading and try to convert everyone I meet. It might seem daunting at first, but, it is absolutely the best. I probably have more fun reloading than actually shooting at the range. And hunting with rounds you put together yourself is almost, dare I say, magical?

"Oh man, I am out of (insert ANY cartridge here)... Well I guess I will just make some".

 

[Bren7X64]

Get the .243 that had proper nutrition as a kid - .260 Rem.