Recommendations on Dangerous Game rifles and ammo haven’t changed much in 30 years

[BJH65]

Kenya, 1974. My life's first African safari. Back in those days, if you wanted a big bore rifle & weren't a hand loader... You had 3 calibers to choose from (based on the factory loaded ammunition which was on the market).

A) .375 Holland & Holland Magnum-
300Gr Winchester Super X Silver Tips
300Gr Winchester Super X gilding metal jacketed FMJ flat nosed solids
270Gr Remington Core Lokt
300Gr Remington gilding metal jacketed FMJ round nosed solids
300Gr RWS Kegelspitze soft points (just introduced in 1974)
300Gr RWS steel jacketed FMJ round nosed solids (just introduced in 1974)

B) .458 Winchester Magnum-
510Gr Winchester Super Speed soft points
500Gr Winchester Super Speed gilding metal jacketed FMJ round nosed solids
510Gr Remington soft points
500Gr Remington gilding metal jacketed FMJ round nosed solids

C) .404 Jeffery-
400Gr RWS thin steel jacketed FMJ round nosed solids (just introduced in 1974)

The only commercially manufactured control round feed magazine rifles on the market back in those days, were the BRNO ZKK series and the Inter Arms Whitworth series.

I chose to put my faith in my white hunter's loaner rifle- A .375 Holland & Holland Magnum BRNO ZKK602 and 300Gr RWS factory loads. I did not regret my decision.
View attachment 599057

Tanzania, 2023. My most recent African Safari to date.

Officially, there are supposed to be lots of ammunition choices on the market for a wide variety of big bore calibers. Perhaps, but at the time of this Safari... Only Barnes ammunition seemed possible to source from the United States.

The only commercially manufactured big bore control round feed magazine rifles on the market, are the Winchester Model 70 Safari Express (offered in .375 Holland & Holland Magnum, .416 Remington Magnum and .458 Winchester Magnum) and the Ruger Hawkeye African (offered in .375 Ruger and .416 Ruger). Depending upon who you ask, Winchester hasn't manufactured a new run of Model 70 Safari Express rifles in quite a while.

I chose to put my faith in my son-in-law's .375 Holland & Holland Magnum Remington Model 700 Custom (with an M-16 extractor fitted for extra reliability) and the 300Gr Barnes TSX factory load. I did not regret my decision.
View attachment 599056

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Barring elephant (which mandates a thickly jacketed or monometal solid bullet preferably flattened at the point) or the great cats (which mandate quicker expanding lead cored bullets), I would personally be quite content employing the Barnes TSX against everything else that Africa might offer me.

Your first African Safari predated mine by 20 years. I was 9 years old then and my pretend rifle back then was a stick that I used to slay imaginary lions and tigers with! The biggest difference I have found is the internet and various online gun auctions/gun sellers that make it much easier to obtain a variety of African DG rifles new or used, as well as ammunition. Thankfully Barnes and Hornady still manufacture DG ammunition which always seems to be available.

 

[mark-hunter]

A) .375 Holland & Holland Magnum-
300Gr Winchester Super X Silver Tips
300Gr Winchester Super X gilding metal jacketed FMJ flat nosed solids
270Gr Remington Core Lokt
300Gr Remington gilding metal jacketed FMJ round nosed solids
300Gr RWS Kegelspitze soft points (just introduced in 1974)
300Gr RWS steel jacketed FMJ round nosed solids (just introduced in 1974)

B) .458 Winchester Magnum-
510Gr Winchester Super Speed soft points
500Gr Winchester Super Speed gilding metal jacketed FMJ round nosed solids
510Gr Remington soft points
500Gr Remington gilding metal jacketed FMJ round nosed solids

C) .404 Jeffery-
400Gr RWS thin steel jacketed FMJ round nosed solids (just introduced in 1974)

Dear Habib,
Your memory always impress me!

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Dear Habib,
Your memory always impress me!

My grandfather & great grandfather both suffered from dementia in their twilight years, mark-hunter. I fear that it might be hereditary.

My father and I (for this reason) try doing everything humanly possible to keep our memories as sharp as we can. We write a journal every night and also go through old albums regularly . As a mental exercise, of sorts.

My father is 92 years old & I am 72. So far, both of our memories are faring sufficiently well. But at our age, you can't ever leave anything to chance.

 

[mark-hunter]

I lived in a small neighborhood of about 12 to 15 households, when I was a kid. We all knew each other very well, and we were socializing.
As the old generation grew older, I noticed some differences.
Old men who were busy doing creative works, fixing things, being active in various activities, such as gardening, mechanics, fishing, various repairs and works around the house - they kept their mind sharp till last days.
Old men who were spending their days watching TV, doing nothing creative and basically withdraw themselves from creative activities at one point started mental decline fast and rapid.

Maybe it is not scientific, but I believe that mental exercise keeps brain sharp in old age. Same as physical exercise keeps body healthy and in shape.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Hmmm.. maybe Barnes did tweak their TTSX and TSX? Not sure they would even announce that either? I believe companies periodically revise or “improve” their bullets from time to time. Before we left crazy CA, I was using TSX in 270, 30-06, 7mm Rem Mag and 300 Win Mag with great effect on wild pigs but not so much on deer, they always went further before recovery and the TSX always passed though completely. I like ballistic tips or standard cup and core bullets for deer much better, they dropped to a well placed shot much quicker.

Agree companies are always revising and improving. The bullets still kill and I’m not sure most would notice, but I’ve heard a few other people having similar results. I also know there were people years ago that had issues with them just penciling though.

There’s a ton of reasons Im noticing differences in performance. Barnes could’ve changed sources for a materials due to supply chain shortages from one supplier. Barnes was part of the Remington portfolio and following the Bankruptcy and sold to Sierra. They could’ve made a design tweak, be buying raw materials from a different source, be manufacturing slightly differently. Lots of potential reasons to explain what I’m seeing.