matt2H
AH member
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2023
- Messages
- 21
- Reaction score
- 31
“I don’t know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so. Lions and leopards and rhinos excite me but don’t frighten me. But that buff is so big and mean and ugly and hard to stop, and vindictive and cruel and surly and ornery. He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money. He looks like he is hunting you. He makes me sick in the stomach, and he makes my hands sweat, and he dries out my throat and lips.”
Robert Ruark “Use Enough Gun”
My First DG Rifle
I got into hunting late in life, in my early 30s. I had always been a conscious eater, wanting to eat as close to natural as possible, and frequently asked my hunting buddies to “grab me something” when they went hunting. All this changed when I received my first refusal – “Come and shoot it yourself” was the response. I should add that this was while I still lived in South Africa – where tags are not required and hunting involves paying the landowner for animals shot, so essentially your target or quota was equal to your budget.
So, I did – I became a hunter. I purchased my first rifle – nothing fancy, a Weatherby Vanguard sporter in .308. I started joining my mates as they hunted and was fortunately exposed to many different types of hunting – from sitting in blinds, walking and stalking and even cull hunts from the back of a truck. Each to their own – but I have a real fondness for being out and about, walking and smelling the various smells, picking up sticks and stones, climbing vantage points – and just seeing what I can find. That is a long way of saying that my preference is walk and stalk.
As it always does, discussions around a campfire always lead to what caliber rifle should be the next one in your safe. I am indeed blessed that taking part in these conversations were some of the best minds in the business – published authors, contributors, professional DG hunters and those in the know – I am grateful that I get to call these lads friends, most especially as I didn’t (and probably still don’t know) much. Copies of their books and contributions are some of my most prized possessions.
Fortune sometimes dictates the next move, and as it happened a .375 H&H was sitting in one of the fireplace conversationalist’s family homes – just looking for its next owner. She was to become mine. This .375 had an interesting history, that I will try to explain here.
It, and its sister rifle, 2 BRNO ZKK602’s in .375 H&H, were purchased in 1994 by two of the campfire participants, just as the one was beginning his career in nature conservation. His was to be his DG rifle, while the other (the one to become mine) had to be purchased as well. Over time, the nature conservationist had several improvements or adjustments completed on his rifle to make it more suitable as a carrying “stopper” – including smoothing the action, shortening the barrel and customizing the sights. Both rifles were carried on many hunts as these schoolboy friends traveled the country. As the nature conservationist’s career progressed so did his caliber choice (he currently carries a beautiful Heym double in 450 NE) and the 375 H&H became available for purchase to friends. With its upgrades, the purchaser of the other rifle scooped up this one and offered his own to his brother. Unfortunately, or fortunately in my case – this rifle was not much used and when the time was right, he offered to sell it. I purchased it will all the speed available in the South African firearm legal system and she became mine.
She had sat in a safe for a while and needed love and care. Armed with the my friend’s advice, and the expertise of Morkel and Crouse gunsmithing inside Safari and Outdoor in Johannesburg, South Africa – she was lovingly restored. The list of amendments was carefully compiled with the input of experts, those whose opinions I trusted and who had to rely on their dangerous game rifles at all times. In short, the action was smoothed and bedded, the stock lengthened to suit my LOP and with a new recoil pad added. The stock itself was reconditioned, rechecked and had new cross bolts and an ebony tip installed, the barrel shortened and a barrel band added, and she had become mine. There have certainly been prettier and more amazing rifles shared on this site- but I love her.
I must add an addendum at the end here, as I immigrated to the USA in 2020, in the middle of COVID-19 – but when the time was right – I imported the two rifles mentioned here. They sit proudly in my safe beside some more expensive custom rifles. The memories attached to them though are priceless – to me at least. I plan on at least two additional modifications, I would like to fill in the hollow in the bolt knob and have the grip cap engraved with “my” buffalo.
Image 1: The BRNO ZKK 602 375 H&H as received
Image 2: The BRNO ZKK 602 375 H&H Post restoration, wearing a lightweight Leupold VX3i 3.5-10
Image 3: The BRNO ZKK 602 ready for this hunt, wearing a lightweight Leupold VX3i 1.5-5, sling and sight hood removed
