Question on bullet type for Africa

[Red Leg]

One of the great things about going on safari is the opportunity to buy a new rifle, get proficient with it and enjoy a completely new experience. Why not consider a bolt action 375 (pick your flavor) that shoots one kind of bullet into tiny-tiny holes? Swift A-Frame, Norma Oryx, Barnes TTSX/TSX, Federal TBBC...pick a premium expanding bullet from what the above members have suggested and you will be in excellent shape.

Seriously, I'm disappointed in the membership here that it's taken until post #20 to come up with this possibility. @Rubberhead - Welcome to a world of enablers.

BTW - Do not underestimate the toughness of both the Zebra and Blue Wildebeest. Do your homework and check out the "shot placement" section. No points get deducted for using a larger caliber.

He has a Browning Express in 30-06. That is a seriously cool rifle. If it shoots for him, he'll have a great hunt.

 

[Rubberhead]

Oh, don't get me wrong. A .375 H&H is on the to-do list - especially if I book a second hunt in Africa and go for some bigger game. I might even try to make it a real express double - SxS, double triggers, ejectors, iron sights. But I'm 57 and my vision is making it harder to shoot iron sights so I might have to go with a bolt and low power scope.

I do not, however, feel under-gunned. A .30-06 had killed a lot of 600-800 pound game.

having to use 1 bullet in the top barrel and one in the lower barrel is a recipe for disaster.
for the bigger game mentioned, the 150 gn partition will leave a lot to be desired, while the 180 mentioned will be ideal in 30/06.
if 1 barrel will zero at say 100 with the other at 200 to 250 with 180s same load you might have a workable outfit.
for a do all load, the 180 swift would be a good go to.
bruce.

With 150's in both barrels, the Over barrel shoots 4" higher at 100 yards. I haven't tried a 165/168 but have shot several flavors of 180 over the 150's and they really tighten things up. I imagine if I sighted for a zero at 100 yards with a 165 the 180 would be 2" high. That's not a bad combropmise and the two would probably converge at 150 yards. Like you say, I'd definately be happier with a heavier bullet in both barrels.

He has a Browning Express in 30-06. That is a seriously cool rifle. If it shoots for him, he'll have a great hunt.

Thanks - I bought the gun to deer hunt with no plan to go anywhere else. The gun season for deer in SC's lowcountry is 4½ months long so I get a lot of chances to hunt with it. It turned out to be the Genesis of wanting to go to Africa. I stumbled on the idea to hunt Oryx in New Mexico but it's $1600 just for the tag. Adding lodging, transport etc, I figured I might as well go to Africa.

 

[shootist~]

If I had such a double, I would have to try 180 grain A-Frames in the top barrel and 150 Barnes TTSX (possibly a 168) in the bottom.

The blue tips on the TTSX bullets would make them
easy to identify.

Edit:
Based on the very limited amount of factory loaded ammo I've run thru my '06, the Remington 180 gr A-Frame load would be preferred over the factory Swift loading.

 

[Tra3]

Definitely a cool rifle and worthy to bring to Africa. Will it stabilize heavier than 180’s? Maybe a 200 over a 180?
I’m with @BeeMaa in believing that you should add another rifle to the africa gun case, your case will likely fit two rifles, so a .375 & .30-06 are a worthy pair.

 

[Rubberhead]

Definitely a cool rifle and worthy to bring to Africa. Will it stabilize heavier than 180’s? Maybe a 200 over a 180?
I’m with @BeeMaa in believing that you should add another rifle to the africa gun case, your case will likely fit two rifles, so a .375 & .30-06 are a worthy pair.

I have thought about that, of course, but never seen a 200 anywhere and now ammo is impossible to order. I'd love to try a 200 over a 168 or 180. The 180 shoot like a laser in that rifle.

Here's a 6-shot 100 yard group. Reading from left to right the center four are Under (150 grain), Under (150 grain), Over (180 grain) and Over (180 grain).

The two fly-a-ways are from when I put a 180 in the under barrel and a 150 in the over barrel to see what would happen if I screwed up and got the bullets mixed up. They did exactly what I thought they would.

 

[Hogpatrol]

I'm not familiar with the regulation on these firearms but if they are, why aren't both barrels printing in the same spot with the same ammo, at least at some specific distance? Having said that, I read somewhere on the web (so it must be true) that they are NOT regulated.

 

[Ridgewalker]

especially if I book a second hunt in Africa and go for some bigger game

There’s no “if” about it IMO. Once you have experienced it, you will be planning your next adventure on the return flight.
Like you are saying, I took my 300 WM on my first trip. As soon as I got home, I ordered a 375 H&H. It goes on every trip now.
Even as a single shot, the 30-06 loaded with a premium 180 grain Partition, A-frame, TBBC, or 168TTSX, should do well…if you do your part.
Suggestion-learn to shoot accurately, quickly from sticks and learn Africa game anatomy (see shot placement here on AH).
You will do fine and, you will be going back. JMO&E

 

[Rubberhead]

The Browning Express guns were regulated and came with final regulation targets when new. Mine, although 40 years old, was as-new but didn’t come with the original case or paperwork so I don’t even know what loads were used to regulate the guns. That being said, I know of one other owner of the .270 version of the gun that has to use two different bullet weights. It’s commonly said that the over barrel shoots higher than the under barrel. I didn’t plan on having to use two different bullets but I’m not unhappy either. Matter of fact, the ballistics show that beyond 100 yards the two bullets track almost perfectly. Sometime this summer I going to take it out to the club and shoot some 200 yard targets. If the actual 100 yard targets and the ballistic calculations are correct, I might have a 300+ yard double.

 

[Tanks]

Oh, don't get me wrong. A .375 H&H is on the to-do list - especially if I book a second hunt in Africa and go for some bigger game. I might even try to make it a real express double - SxS, double triggers, ejectors, iron sights. But I'm 57 and my vision is making it harder to shoot iron sights so I might have to go with a bolt and low power scope.

You have the option of putting a red dot or even a scope on a double. I recently ordered a 9.3x74R from Heym and sent them my scope to regulate with it. If I had decided to get a 450/400 I would have done the same. My .500 NE will have a red dot on it for cape buffalo and elephant this coming August.

 

[shootist~]

Looking at my notes - the Remington factory load my 30-06 preferred was the 180 grain Scirocco. Someone just posted they are in stock at Natchez.

 

[Rubberhead]

Thanks Shootist - I did try to order them but they were already out...

 

[Hogpatrol]

Reloads would be another option and maybe more suitable to both barrels.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Premise: I am hoping to make a plains game trip in May-Sept of 2022 with a .30-06. My “wish” list is Zerba, Oryx, Blue Wildebeest, Impala, Warthog and Ostrich. With ammo so hard to find, I am planning on trying to get my hands on the ammo now so I won’t be in a flat panic tyring to buy ammo.

Where I’m at right now: 180 grain Nosler Accubond and 150 grain Nosler Partition.

Background: My Express rifle can put an under bullet in a hole left by an over bullet at 100 yards but only if I use a 180 in the top and a 150 in the bottom. So, to help keep things sorted out I’ve been buying tipped 180 grain ammo for the upper barrel and plain-nosed ammo for the lower/150 barrel (I also mark the bottom of the 180’s with a Sharpie so I can crack the gun open and check).

For Southeast deer, I’ve been using Nosler BT 180’s and Hornady Interlock 150’s. But, I wouldn’t trust either of these bullets in Africa so I was going to go with 180 Accubond and 150 grain Partitions. Of course, I’d lead with the 180s for the Zebra, Oryx and Gnu using the 150 for a quick back-up if necessary. I’d reverse this for the smaller stuff. 'Has to be store bought - I don't have time to learn to reload and components are hard to find, anyway.

Thoughts?

@Rubberhead
My son used 150gn accubonds in his 308 and he had no issues at all.
Everything he shot with them fell down and he never recovered a bullet. He used it on game from impala to gemsbok.
Bob

 

[Philip Glass]

Good question - because of the limitation of my gun (I have a 1.5x-5x Leupold on the Browning Express), I'm trying to limit myself to bush type conditions rather than wide-open plains. I have a very accurate bolt also in .30-06 but, at this point, wasn't planning on taking it. I really want to do this with the double.

I just realized that "Express" might have made it seem like I had an open sight gun - it's a Browning Express (Over/Under). I'm comfortable at 150 yards with the current setup but 200 is really stretching it.

I think you are setting yourself up for disappointment with this rifle. I could be wrong very easily on this one but I recommend a bolt gun with a scope of at least 12X.

 

[Jonathan Kashouty]

375 H&H is a great caliber to have in your arsenal. Mine is a Jarrett PH that shoots bullets through the same hole every time. Bullet weight options are great too going from 200 to 350 grains.

 

[Jonathan Kashouty]

30-06 I would default to 180 grain Barnes TTSX.

 

[Joker12]

Those are good choices for PG. To be honest there are lots of good choices available today if you can find them. I used Nosler partitions and they worked perfectly.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I think you are setting yourself up for disappointment with this rifle. I could be wrong very easily on this one but I recommend a bolt gun with a scope of at least 12X.

@Philip Glass
Why a 12 power scope. That would limit hunting opportunities.
Taint nought wrong with a 3 to 9 or 3.5 to 10.
A max of 10 power should allow you to shoot to at least 500 yards If'n y'all need to

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Can't go wrong with the Accubonds.

 

[shark_za]

Your current setup will do just fine.
You are going to use the top barrel for everything anyway, a 180gr Accubond in the right place will put down anything short of Buffalo.