Renting Buffalo Rifle

[enysse]

I read the article: yes gun weight and configuration play a factor in felt recoil, also weight of bullet and powder charge.

 

[gillettehunter]

I was somewhat in the same boat. I just picked up a Howa in a .375 Ruger for $400. Never fired. So basically new. Saw some a couple of yrs ago on Gunbroker for around $500. I can use this rifle and probably get about what I paid for it out of it. Do some looking. Nice to hunt with what you have practiced with. If not most outfitters have good guns. Just be sure and ask..... Bruce

 

[tarbe]

I think there are two ways to look at this:

First would be straight math. For example, 10 day hunt x $50 per day rental = $500. now for one hunt in a lifetime it is probably cheaper to rent. But what if you do a second hunt or a bear hunt etc?

Second is personal. Are you comfortable shooting DG with a rifle you've never used and would you want to look at that rifle in the future for the memories it might bring you?

Personally, I trained a lot with the rifle I used for my buffalo and am very comfortable with it. I'd sure hate to mess up taking the rifle off safety because I wasn't familiar with it during a buffalo hunt. And when you consider you can get into a CZ with a decent scope for probably $1500 how much are you really saving by renting in the grand scheme of things?

I seem to recall most outfits also charge $10/round for the ammo as well.

So let's say you shoot at least 10 rounds for checking zero and gaining at least a little familiarity...then you shoot 5 rounds total hunting (2 or 3 on a buff and 1 or two for that Zebra you can't pass up).

There's another $150.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I've rented rifles on most of my African hunts because I currently live outside the US and my guns aren't with me. Rugers, Remingtons and a classic old Mauser (with a less than classic Bushnell scope) and no issues whatsoever. Traveling internationally without guns is easier and to some extent cheaper (airline baggage fees, import fees, etc). The first day you will shoot at a target, most likely at 100 yards. Ask the PH if it's okay to dry fire the rifle a few times to get a feel for the trigger. With the gun empty, mount it to your shoulder several times to check LOP and scope alignment. After this, shoot the rifle and adjust the scope if needed. I am going to the eastern cape in May and renting a rifle there. Sako rifle, suppressor and Swarovski scopes. First time for me for all 3 of those items, so it's actually a nice experience to rent and see if you like it enough to go buy one.

 

[Bruce]

A LOT of PH's do NOT charge for hire or ammo... it gets signed up and then they happy!!
I prefer to use my own rifles, but did ONCE on my first elephant hunt have to use the PH's 470 double, as it was a very rushed hunt and I did not have time to arrange the paperwork for my rifle exports. I had never hunted with a double before, but it was fine.
CONCLUSION: it is NOT a MUST that you bring your own rifle... especially if you have to go out and buy one just for this first African hunt and budget is tight. Rather use that money to shoot extra plains game/taxidermy costs!!!!

 

[Petrus Geldenhuys]

if you can shoot well you will most probably shoot just as well with your PH's rifle. In your case i would use the rifle provided by the PH.

 

[Rob404]

I picked up a used Whitwoth complete with a 1.5x4 Burris om it for 700.00USD strange thing about large Caliber rifles, they are usually Closet Queens, Cmon, be the first guy on your block to have enough rifle to take out a Mack Truck

 

[tarbe]

I picked up a used Whitwoth complete with a 1.5x4 Burris om it for 700.00USD strange thing about large Caliber rifles, they are usually Closet Queens, Cmon, be the first guy on your block to have enough rifle to take out a Mack Truck

I guess it comes down to this; if you are a rifle nut, you consider the rifle aspect of the hunt (research models and caliber, buying the rifle, loading the ammo, etc) too much an import part of the whole hunt to do the rifle hire thing.

If you are a hunter and not a rifle nut...not an issue for you.

As stated earlier, sometimes you just don't have a whole lot of choice, so it is nice to have the rifle hire option available to you.

I am a hopeless rifle nut, so for someone like me, hunting with someone else's rifle is akin to kissing one's sister.

 

[JimP]

I guess it comes down to this; if you are a rifle nut, you consider the rifle aspect of the hunt (research models and caliber, buying the rifle, loading the ammo, etc) too much an import part of the whole hunt to do the rifle hire thing.

If you are a hunter and not a rifle nut...not an issue for you.

As stated earlier, sometimes you just don't have a whole lot of choice, so it is nice to have the rifle hire option available to you.

Then there are those of us that are hunters and rifle nuts.

I love being able to build a load for my rifle to suit the animal that I will be hunting and love being able to do it with my own rifle for the memories.

Also as was mentioned in a post you can always buy a rifle for a hunt and get familiar with it before you leave and if finances are a problem you could sell it on your return if you really want to. But if you plan on doing that you might as well as just use one of the PH's rifles and not worry about it.

 

[thi9elsp]

I bought a CZ 550 in 375 H&H and put a Leupold 1-4 scope I had on it for my buffalo in 2011. It was great and I was glad to have my own rifle for my first safari.

Last year, I used the safari company's rifle in New Zealand for my stag and tahr - they just asked that I bring along the ammunition. It worked out great. 1 shot kills on both.

I am going to Mozambique later this year. I would like to bring both my 375 and the 404 Jeff I bought a year ago with me. However, to bring two rifles and two boxes of ammunition with me into Mozambique will cost close to $1,200 plus any meet and greet I feel needed. On the other hand, the PH has a Blaser 375 with Swarovski scope and a 7 mm with Zeiss scope. Hire for 12 days w/ 20 cartridges is about $700. I still haven't decided.

If I was going somewhere that didn't charge the import fees that Mozambique charges, I would definitely be bringing my own.

John

 

[tarbe]

If I was going somewhere that didn't charge the import fees that Mozambique charges, I would definitely be bringing my own.

John

My understanding is that the Moz rifle fees are $250 per rifle.

Is that correct?

 

[tarbe]

Then there are those of us that are hunters and rifle nuts.

Guilty!!

 

[thi9elsp]

My understanding is that the Moz rifle fees are $250 per rifle.

Is that correct?

I've been quoted 400 euros per rifle and 40 euros per 20 cartridges. So, two boxes per rifle = 1,000 euros at current exchange rates about $1,100 - 1,200 to bring my two rifles.

 

[tarbe]

I've been quoted 400 euros per rifle and 40 euros per 20 cartridges. So, two boxes per rifle = 1,000 euros at current exchange rates about $1,100 - 1,200 to bring my two rifles.

Wow. I just got in a quote from a Mozambique outfit and there is the $300 "Hunting License Permit" and a $250/gun charge for the "Gun Permit".

No mention on it regarding ammo. I better ask!


Tim

 

[Odinsraven]

Buy the rifle check out a couple of local gun stores dome owner will be looking at that rifle day in day out wanting a home for it .......

You will get a lot of satisfaction owning the rifle you hunted Africa with .....

Just my 2 cents which with inflation .........

 

[Bruce]

ONE of the reasons why I have not YET hunted Mozambique... too many add on taxes/ Govt Fees etc

 

[matt85]

i have had good and bad experiences with borrowing a gun to hunt with. on my first hunt in SA i borrowed a rifle when my own rifle was having sight in issues and things turned out fine. on my second hunt i borrowed a rifle because i thought it would be more suitable then my own rifle and i ended up missing my animal. there was nothing really wrong with the second rifle, it just had a very different trigger pull then i was used to which caused me to pull my shot high.

personally i would never plan to use someone else's rifle unless i spent a great deal of time practicing with it.

-matt

 

[Royal27]

i have had good and bad experiences with borrowing a gun to hunt with. on my first hunt in SA i borrowed a rifle when my own rifle was having sight in issues and things turned out fine. on my second hunt i borrowed a rifle because i thought it would be more suitable then my own rifle and i ended up missing my animal. there was nothing really wrong with the second rifle, it just had a very different trigger pull then i was used to which caused me to pull my shot high.

personally i would never plan to use someone else's rifle unless i spent a great deal of time practicing with it.

-matt

You sure the borrowed rifle didn't just have more recoil than you were used to???

 

[matt85]

You sure the borrowed rifle didn't just have more recoil than you were used to???

well it was chambered in the fearsome 300 WM!

-matt

 

[bassasdaindia]

difficult topic for me , I would be satisfied borrowing a rifle if it was in the condition that my rifles are and there is enough of same ammo for me to check and practice with .

the only time I ever borrowed a rifle was on a rushed hunt trip , and that was a disaster.

Generally speaking the PH and hunts within SA you will be 100% fine borrowing a rifle .