Refining your dangerous game cartridge selection over the years

[Northern Shooter]

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.

I spoke too soon, another 450 Rigby owner haha.

Which rifle?

 

[Jim Golden]

More than 30 years ago, at a time when I had no internet and no experience with big game hunting, I shot my first buffaloes with borrowed rifles and cartridges like the 9,3x74R and 375 H&H Magnum. It quickly occurred to me that bigger would certainly work better and I started looking for a rifle with a bigger caliber. At a time when there was hardly anything else on the market for these purposes other than rifles caliber 375 H&H Magnum or 458 Winchester Magnum, I bought a used rifle caliber 10,75x68. After shooting some buffaloes with it, I recognized the weak points of this cartridge and started looking for something better. I came to an old used Brevex custom rifle caliber 460 Weatherby Magnum that turned out to be ideal for my big game hunting needs. I shot my first elephant with this rifle more than 20 years ago and also in the meantime several buffaloes as well as other game species. In order to make a childhood dream from the sixties come true, I had a rifle caliber 500 jeffery built at the end of the nineties, but I had no need of such a rifle. Nevertheless, I shot some elephants and other game with it and was able to appreciate its working, above all by elephant hunting.

I'm building an A-Square Hannibal clone in .460 Weatherby right now. Magazine will hold three plus one in the tube....I figure four is enough for a turn bolt. My original A-Square clone is a .375 Weatherby which I think is an excellent cartridge. I've put about 60-80 .375 H&H's out of it and they shoot just fine. But the Weatherby has more zoot. I've chronographed it at 2889 ft/s with a 300 gr, so it's pretty close to a .378. I just need to take it to Africa. But I also want to take the .375 Roy to Alaska. I think it would nuke a brown bear

 

[RR 314]

I spoke too soon, another 450 Rigby owner haha.

Which rifle?

She is a beaut, Clark. Just waiting for it to land in the states. I know—tease.

 

[K-man]

My collection is , well, boring. Many years ago I bought a gently used .375 Browning a-bolt for $800, put a $400 leupold scope on it and it was boringly accurate out past 200 yards. Accounted for 25 pg species and four of the dangerous seven. Then went the Blaser R8 route and added a .416 Ruger as well as the .375. I have never felt the bug to get a double or go bigger. I would rather spend the funds to go back to Africa. Every animal I have pulled the trigger on with them has gone down quickly. Probably the minority opinion on this forum.

 

[skydiver386]

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.

See, you're one of the enablers I was referring to!

 

[Fenstar]

I have an absolutely beautiful AHR CZ 550 in .450 Rigby, that I love, just don’t shoot…. Because I have three .458 Lotts and a plethora of other big big bores. The draw to the caliber was my favorite bullet size, the.458 diameter, and the name Rigby. Impulse buy, but dynamite rig… I should sell so she gets more love and attention, plus her sights on an elephant!

 

[Northern Shooter]

See, you're one of the enablers I was referring to!

This forum "made" me spend $30,000 on dangerous game rifles, I'm just carrying on that tradition.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I spoke too soon, another 450 Rigby owner haha.

Which rifle?

This forum "made" me spend $30,000 on dangerous game rifles, I'm just carrying on that tradition.

Just say NO! LOL

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

As someone who’s always loved Pre64 M70’s I started with a Transition period Pre64 M70 375. Had the opportunity to add a Pre64 Super Grade which I used on my first Safari and first Buffalo. Collecting Pre64’s I’ve since added most configurations of 375 M70’s aside from a PreWar Super Grade, a 1938 straight taper, and a carbine to the safe and presently have 7 Pre64 m70’s having sold a couple others along the way.

I then traded into a pair of BRNO-602’s in 375 and 458WM.

I got a great deal on a Pre64 458, as well as a post64 late 60’s/70’s CFR 458. Around this time I had the itch for a double and ordered a Chapuis 470 during Covid. While waiting on the Chapuis, a Merkel 140AE in 500NE found its way into my lap.

I sold the BRNO’s to an AH member with several other non DG rifles to help offset a Zim hunt. Upon returning got serious about wanting to use a DR moving forward and after shooting both the Merkel and Chapuis back to back decided the LOP too short on the Merkel and sold it to an AH member earlier this year. Since then I picked up another 500NE that was priced too good to pass-up, and took possession of a Hyem 470.

I really want a PreWar British Double and expect to sell a couple of the DR’s in my possession to apply some money towards one.

My go to DG rifle is still the same Pre64 Super Grade .375 that I took on my first Safari and took my first buffalo with. I’ve taken it on every Safari since and plan to use this same rifle to complete both my Big 5 and Tiny 10. I’ve also got a PreWar 275 Rigby that will eventually become my PG and Cat rifle.

 

[steve white]

Was not an AH member back when I obtained my first 9.3x74R drilling, and then next a nice German SXS in 9.3x74R that utilized a neat double Kersten lock-up. Beautiful, though perhaps a bit slower to reload, I sold both of them after reading/being told that they were too anemic/illegal to use for DG! Also wished to fund my first safari, so.... If I could go back, knowing what modern bullet designs could do, and the countries open to 9.3 usage, I would definitely have kept that SXS. It had great field accuracy.
Next up was a Remington synthetic/SS rifle in 375 H&H--which accounted for two buffalo in TZ. I had previously shot two buff in Zimbabwe with a borrowed 375. Sold that rifle.
Ended with a Sako Safari AV in 375 H&H. Have not hunted with it yet, but like it a lot. Classic walnut stock with quarter rib and front sight as well as scoped with Leupold 3i 1-4x.
Since DG includes leopard, I utilized a Mannlicher-Schoenauer 30'06, former plains game slayer. Model 1950. No leopard was taken. (have not taken M-S 1908 carbine rebarrelled in 7x57 to Africa yet)
Undecided about future firearm choices.

 

[Cheesehead]

Wow, there are some beautiful rifles in this thread! Keep the pictures coming! It looks like I have a long way to go, my sole big bore is a lowly M70 in 458 win mag.

 

[Andrew62]

My first DG rifle was a 1984 push feed Winchester .375H&H, after having 2 very bad incidents with that gun jamming, one on elephant and one on brown bear, I moved on to a Kimber Talkeetna in .375H&H. I've drug that thing all over with great success. At present I have a new to me, CZ 416 Rigby at the gunsmith, anxious to sight it in and see if I am up to shooting that big of a caliber on my 2 elephant hunts next year. If not, I'll stick to my tried and true .375H&H. I will readily admit I bought the 416 Rigby for the 'cool factor', lol

 

[Pondoro]

Cronologically:

9.5 x 57 Mannlicher Sch.
.375 H&H
.458Win.
.475NE
.470NE
9.3 x 74R
.416 Rigby

Looking for a double in .600 for elephant

 

[Rare Breed]

As someone who’s always loved Pre64 M70’s I started with a Transition period Pre64 M70 375. Had the opportunity to add a Pre64 Super Grade which I used on my first Safari and first Buffalo. Collecting Pre64’s I’ve since added most configurations of 375 M70’s aside from a PreWar Super Grade, a 1938 straight taper, and a carbine to the safe and presently have 7 Pre64 m70’s having sold a couple others along the way.

I then traded into a pair of BRNO-602’s in 375 and 458WM.

I got a great deal on a Pre64 458, as well as a post64 late 60’s/70’s CFR 458. Around this time I had the itch for a double and ordered a Chapuis 470 during Covid. While waiting on the Chapuis, a Merkel 140AE in 500NE found its way into my lap.

I sold the BRNO’s to an AH member with several other non DG rifles to help offset a Zim hunt. Upon returning got serious about wanting to use a DR moving forward and after shooting both the Merkel and Chapuis back to back decided the LOP too short on the Merkel and sold it to an AH member earlier this year. Since then I picked up another 500NE that was priced too good to pass-up, and took possession of a Hyem 470.

I really want a PreWar British Double and expect to sell a couple of the DR’s in my possession to apply some money towards one.

My go to DG rifle is still the same Pre64 Super Grade .375 that I took on my first Safari and took my first buffalo with. I’ve taken it on every Safari since and plan to use this same rifle to complete both my Big 5 and Tiny 10. I’ve also got a PreWar 275 Rigby that will eventually become my PG and Cat rifle.

With you on the vision of the big 5…only have my leopard left!!!

 

[Northern Shooter]

All this 450 Rigby talk now has been considering one, sell the 458 WinMag? Keep both?..

 

[skydiver386]

All this 450 Rigby talk now has been considering one, sell the 458 WinMag? Keep both?..

Sell it to me, so I can open up the bolt face and run a .450 Rigby reamer in it.

 

[krish]

Sell it to me, so I can open up the bolt face and run a .450 Rigby reamer in it.

Don't you have one beeing built ?
Krish

 

[Northern Shooter]

Just checked ammo prices for it, $20/round here, makes the 470NE look cheap.

 

[Rule 303]

Just checked ammo prices for it, $20/round here, makes the 470NE look cheap.

Certainly drive people to handload.

 

[Northern Shooter]

Certainly drive people to handload.

Definately does. I must be one of the only big bore shooters on here who doesn't yet reload for these cartridges.

My current trio (416 Rigby, 458 WinMag & 470 NE) I can buy for around $10/round which I can tolerate.

Doubling that is starting to get ridiculous, one of the reasons I chose 470NE over 500NE.