Refining your dangerous game cartridge selection over the years

[Challer]

I have learned to love the 375H&H for nearly everything. While I continue to eye a 416RM for my R8, I am grounded by the fact bullets have advanced tremendously in the past 50 years. They don’t add mass but they do everything else far better.

Safari solids if I need a solid. Have enough A frame Swift probably for 10 years. Been toying with monometals, TSX.

 

[mdwest]

It was a simple process for me…

I bought a Winchester 70 in 375 H&H… it was intended to be my DG rifle forever.. I have no aspirations of elephant… my big 5 hunting will likely be limited to cats and buffalo for life and it’s enough for crocs and hippo on water as well… so… with 1 rifle purchase I was done…

Or so I thought…

My wife also liked the Winchester… she is a full 14” shorter than I am with a LOP that is a full 2” shorter than mine…

The stock was cut down to fit her… leaving me with no DG rifle (although she now had a wonderful Winchester DG pew pew)…

So I built myself a 416 Taylor from a Mauser action and an ER Shaw barrel I picked up along the way somewhere…

I wasn’t sure how well I would like the Taylor.. but now having it as my primary big bore for maybe 6 years.. I can sincerely state that I love it… super reliable, slings 400gr Barnes TSX a little over 2400 fps, accurate, and the rifle actually turned out to be extremely nice looking as well…

I’m pretty sure it will be the last DG rifle I ever own… (I don’t hunt DG often enough to justify more in the collection)…

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I started hunting in Africa in 1974 at a time when the only firearm which I personally owned, was my wartime service pistol (a .32 ACP Webley & Scott Model 1921). At that time, I was mostly hunting in Africa with rental rifles. For hunting dangerous game, the only choices of caliber were either a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum or .458 Winchester Magnum back in those days. Factory loaded ammunition for any other dangerous game caliber had not been made since 1969 when ICI Kynoch (sole producer for ammunition in the British Nitro Express calibers at the time) had ceased operations. And ammunition production for the British Nitro Express calibers would not resume until BELL (Brass Extrusion Laboratories Limited) would take over the reigns in 1984. I chose to put my faith in the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum for most of my dangerous game hunting purposes (since practically all white hunters used to possess a rifle in this caliber to loan to their clients) and I seldom regretted my choice (save for body shots on bull elephants).

In 1975, I bought my first shotgun (a 12 gauge Pakistani Sikender single barrel). Then, I bought a .22 LR caliber BRNO Model 2 in 1982. And a 7x57mm Mauser Churchill Gun Makers Model Deluxe in 1989. In 1990, I sold the Pakistani Sikender shotgun with a 12 gauge 3" Magnum Beretta Model 626E boxlock ejector side by side. In 2007, my son-in-law bought me a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum Remington Model 700 Kevlar Stock Custom (it remains licensed in his name) which I use for most of my dangerous game hunting purposes these days. Nothing fancy but it serves me extremely well (although I really wish that the young man would have picked a variant with a traditional walnut stock instead of that unsightly kevlar stock). I recently had McBride’s Guns in Texas fit the rifle with an M16 extractor, in order to aid with more reliable extraction (the factory made Remington Model 700 extractor is far too flimsy for any serious use in my humble experience, esp. for magnum length cartridges such as the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum).

In the future, I plan to add either a lovely .600 Nitro Express double rifle or a .505 Gibbs magazine rifle to my battery. I’ve recently been negotiating with a friend for his .600 Nitro Express Butch Searcy boxlock ejector double rifle. If I manage to snag it, then that should round my battery out rather nicely.

A .600 Nitro Express

A .375 Holland & Holland Magnum

A 7x57mm Mauser

A 12 Gauge 3" Magnum

 

[colorado]

If I had to keep only one rifle it would be my CZ 550 in 500 Jeffery. I"m definitely taking it on my next brown bear hunt and will be taking it elk hunting again this fall I don't know if I've mastered it, but it comes up naturally to my sight picture, swings like a fine shotgun and so far everything I've shot with it (two cow elk) has been DRT as you would expect.

 

[Red Leg]

My first DG rifle was a Ruger "African" in .375 Ruger that I purchased in 2005 or so. I owned it for about six months, finally concluding I hated it. As a lover of fine firearms, it simply reminded me of something made in shop class. Soon thereafter, I acquired a custom .375 built on a FN action. I accounted for my first buffalo with it along with a slew of plains game.

Next was a Blaser S2, because like many here, I found doubles fascinating. The S2 was particularly interesting because like the R8, barrels and calibers are interchangeable. Mine has 500/416, .375, and 30-06 chamberings. The .375 set accounted for my second buffalo and both it and the '06 barrels took plains game (out to 225 yards or so).

Around this time, I had Craig Libhart build me a magnificent .404. It shoots sub MOA and would be a fine DG rifle. It has never been to Africa. Why? I am coming to that.

Not long thereafter, I handled an R8 at a friend's shop in Maryland and I was smitten. Set up as a .375 it had the heft of a 30-06 and the OA length of a .308. Fit was as perfect as the custom Libhart. The barrel collection grew to include a .404 and three different stocks. But it was in .375 configuration that it accounted for my next two buffalo and a host of plains game from Sunni to eland.

Configured in classic sporter stock and standard .375 barrel

There has also been a fine English .470 (recently sold) and I won't count the 9.3x74R's. But it is a .375, the R8 in particular, that gets the nod for an actual hunt in Africa. There is, in my experience at least, nothing yet made quite so versatile and practical for anything in Africa than Holland & Holland's perfect creation.

 

[Rare Breed]

My first DG rifle was a Ruger "African" in .375 Ruger that I purchased in 2005 or so. I owned it for about six months, finally concluding I hated it. As a lover of fine firearms, it simply reminded me of something made in shop class. Soon thereafter, I acquired a custom .375 built on a FN action. I accounted for my first buffalo with it along with a slew of plains game.
View attachment 637223

Next was a Blaser S2, because like many here, I found doubles fascinating. The S2 was particularly interesting because like the R8, barrels and calibers are interchangeable. Mine has 500/416, .375, and 30-06 chamberings. The .375 set accounted for my second buffalo and both it and the '06 barrels took plains game (out to 225 yards or so).
View attachment 637224

Around this time, I had Craig Libhart build me a magnificent .404. It shoots sub MOA and would be a fine DG rifle. It has never been to Africa. Why? I am coming to that.
View attachment 637226

Not long thereafter, I handled an R8 at a friend's shop in Maryland and I was smitten. Set up as a .375 it had the heft of a 30-06 and the OA length of a .308. Fit was as perfect as the custom Libhart. The barrel collection grew to include a .404 and three different stocks. But it was in .375 configuration that it accounted for my next two buffalo and a host of plains game from Sunni to eland.

Configured in classic sporter stock and standard .375 barrel

There has also been a fine English .470 (recently sold) and I won't count the 9.3x74R's. But it is a .375, the R8 in particular, that gets the nod for an actual hunt in Africa. There is, in my experience at least, nothing yet made quite so versatile and practical for anything in Africa than Holland & Holland's perfect creation.

@Red Leg absolutely love the wood on all your rifles!!!

 

[ve7poi]

How do you like your Merkel?

Love it sold my 470NE as recoil between the two virtually the same at 60yds prints left about 1/4’higher than right bbl overlapping it by about 50%
Sights are right on and fits like a glove

 

[Hunting Hitman]

Below is the chronological DG calibers with no rhyme or reason as to why other than it's what I wanted at the time.
Dakota 416 Rigby
Heym 470 NE
AHR 505 GIbbs
AHR 375 H&H
Blaser R8 375 H&H (Synthetic)
Blaser R8 Success 375 H&H
CZ BRNO 602 375 H&H
AHR 404 Jeffrey (Synthetic)
CZ BRNO 602 375 H&H
Blaser R8 Selous 458 LOTT
Heym 577 NE
Heym 404 Jeffery
BRNO 602 375 H&H
AHR 404 Jeffery

It really is more of an addiction than a disease...

HH

 

[PerH]

First ones I found was a .450 Ne Ruger nr 1 , it was custom built here for a guy and I got it from him . Pictures was sent to Boddington and he liked it much so he heard with Hornady and Ruger about the .450 as one of the rifles in the lineup .

Then I came across a vz 24 action in .404 with 5dhot magazine . Also custom built here . 3 owner I think I was . Never took them to hunting so no idea how they was . But well used and much reloading .


Sold them a while back since I felt I would never get abroad for any kind of big game hunting so that was that .



Then a lightweight .458 on a Mauser , built for quick and handy , would be interesting to see in use how it is

Later I found a .375 M70 pre 64 at good price , a combo set with dr small bore set

And some other also .

@Hunter-Habib that fiber stock on .375 is a McMillan by the looks of it , and quite good for the various weather areas one encounter and rain forests also .

 

[Nhoro]

My first rifle was a 458 win mag - CZ 550. I grew up in a shooting family but just didn’t have my own rifle. Then I was having some work done on the sights of my rifle and the gunsmith said I can ream your rifle to Lott- for free. So I have a 458 lott. I have my dads 9mm and a 3006 and .22 now.

I don’t really feel the need for any other rifles. If I had loads of money, I might start buying guns for fun, but my guns are all for business. They are capable and I would spend money on hunts and shooting rather than more guns.

 

[coreydb]

I had extreme success taking some-not all of the Big Five dangerous game with my .375 H&H. I added a .416 Rem Mag only because I wanted one. Now I want a .458 Lott just because....... Now, on to the next rabbit hole.

 

[IvW]

Stared with a rem 700 classic in 375 H&H......got rid of that pos after season 1....
Replaced it with a semi custom ZKK602 in 375 H&H.
Then added a custom ZKK602 in 500 Jeff.
Then added another ZKK602 in 375 H&H original.
Then added a o/u 9.3x74R/12ga.
Busy with 404 Jeff on ZKK602.

Looking at a sidelock 9 pin 458 wind bag at the moment but only if there is enough meat to ream it out to 450 No. 2 NE........it is the most beautiful double I have ever seen.......but I could not live with the caliber.....

 

[WoodencrossIII]

Dangerous game cartridges in order
Husqvarna Mauser 9.3x62
Browning Xbolt 375 H&H
Ruger No1 458 win mag
Cz550 458 Lott
Mossberg patriot 375 Ruger
Ruger no1 450/400 NE

Mossberg was so unpleasant to shoot with the cheap light plastic stock it kicked like a draft horse

 

[zephyr]

I have 2 375 H&H's neither has made it to Africa though one belonged to my Father and it made the trip 4 times..
400 H&H Win Mod 70
450NE Gibbs 1903
458 Lott Win Mod 70
505 Gibbs Custom GMA action

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I started with first safari in 2018. Built up a Remington 700 stainless 375 HH (still have it). After what I thought would be my one and done trip, as soon as I got back bought a Winchester 70 safari 416 Rem Mag for 2019 trip for Buff. Sold it to an AHer after that trip because I wanted bigger and better. Bought CZ 550s in 375HH and 458Lott. Sent to AHR for make overs. Still have both those. Along the way have had CZs in 458 win mag, 500 Jeff, 416 Rigby and a VC Azur 500 NE.
Have culled down to what I want and shoot well. The CZs in 375 and 458 Lott.
Hope to take both those in 2027 on next safari I am planning.

 

[Badboymelvin]

The first Dangerous Game rifle l ever bought was a CZ550 with the hogsback stock in .458WM.
I really liked the cartridge but after hearing of all the problems with it, got a quote from a gunsmith to ream it to 458 Lott.

After actually reloading for it and finding that 2150fps from a 500gn projectile was actually easy to obtain, l left it a .458WM.

Since then l have owned 4 more .458's.

I've also had a .375H&H and later a .375Wby but when buying a big bore rifle have always gone back to the .458.

It's only recently that l sold my last .458 to fund a custom rifle in 425 Express that l had made by NT Firearms Gove.
The 425 Express is simply the .300WM necked up to .423" and with a couple of easy handloads, l'm getting 2300fps with the 400gn Hornady DGX and 2500fps with the 360gn copper Atomic 29 projectile.

I really, really like the cartridge and won't be selling the rifle. The 425 Express hit hard enough for DG and shoots flat enough for smaller game. It really is a great round and it's a pity it didn't take off - even though Savage did release it for a short period of time.

But if money was no option and l could get another custom DG rifle built... it would be in .458WM

Russ

 

[franzfmdavis]

I have learned to love the 375H&H for nearly everything. While I continue to eye a 416RM for my R8, I am grounded by the fact bullets have advanced tremendously in the past 50 years. They don’t add mass but they do everything else far better.

Safari solids if I need a solid. Have enough A frame Swift probably for 10 years. Been toying with monometals, TSX.

Another great question with fascinating responses!

 

[skydiver386]

Started with a BRNO 602 in 375 H&H, sold that and bought a CZ550 in 375, a CZ550 in 416 Rigby, and I'm having a CZ550 built in 450 Rigby.

My choice of calibers for specific game hasn't really changed. The game that I want these larger calibers for has expanded, mostly due to the enablers on this forum.

 

[RR 314]

No refinement in mine over the years, but I did start with the .375 H&H. Then I just went off the reservation. . Last purchase was a .450 Rigby that I hope to be my go to on repeat trips. I still have a brace of rifles that I want to take on at least one trip, but hope I love the .450 Rigby.

 

[Northern Shooter]

Started with a BRNO 602 in 375 H&H, sold that and bought a CZ550 in 375, a CZ550 in 416 Rigby, and I'm having a CZ550 built in 450 Rigby.

My choice of calibers for specific game hasn't really changed. The game that I want these larger calibers for has expanded, mostly due to the enablers on this forum.

I was just thinking about the 450 Rigby today, you don’t see many of those around.

Now all you need is the 275 Rigby to round out the trio.