The Ideal African "Light Rifle", that is the Question?

[Surgeon1]

Light= 300WM
Medium=375 to 416
heavy=458 to 500

Super Light 22 Hornet

 

[Vanguard2279]

My favorite Heavy is going to be my Ruger Hawkeye Guide Gun in .416 Ruger.
Over the course of nine safaris, I've carried a .30-06, a .338-06, a 6.5 PRC, a 9.3x62 and a .300 PRC as my "light" or only rifle.
I consider the 9.3x62 to be my most useful rifle when ranges aren't going over 200 yards. The .300 PRC is my favorite all-around non-dangerous game rifle. I'm taking it on my hunt with Dave Freeburn in June. Way more than I need for Limpopo Bushbuck, but when has that really been a problem? We're hoping for some Zebra culls and it will be perfect for that.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

Agreed that if your light rifle is going to weigh 9 pounds anyway, may as well make it a 375 if you like shooting it.

Some people are recoil-shy and may want to chamber the light rifle in something less powerful. Or they may be recoil-tolerant but like to shoot a lot and 50 rounds of 375 or more is too much. Or too expensive. (Although you’d have to shoot a lot to make up the cost of a new rifle and scope). Some people like to collect guns and need an excuse for another. Some light rifles are actually light. Lots of potential reasons.

I can see bringing an 30-06 (7mm, 280,270, etc) for a dedicated plains game hunt. A 375 works as well or better but even a 243 is adequate. If you don’t like recoil, or your light rifle is actually light, no need for more. What I can’t understand is bringing a 375 for dangerous game and a 30-06 for plains game. I’ve never shot a zebra with my 375 and thought “this thing is just too dead. Wish I had shot it with my 30-06”. And I’m sure as hell not carrying the weight of a double case, extra rifle, and more ammo to save 3 pounds walking around.

 

[dchamp]

I think there are many ideal light rifle calibers. Some of the ones I like are:

Caliber	Game WT. +/-	Shot Distance yds +/-
375H&H	1,000	300
9.3x62	1,000	300
8x57	500	300
8x68s	500	400
30-06	400	300
300WM	500	400
7x57	300	300
6.5-55	300	300

Even though some of these cross into the Mid-Bore category I think they are appropriate per my list. I am sure there are many I haven’t listed but I only listed rifles and calibers that I own.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Just looking for insight as to how other fellas view what they are carrying for a rifle in "wild Africa". I have an addiction to nice moderately priced custom rifles. But for the last 8-10 years it's been more or less an obsession for everything 375 and up. On the hand full of safaris I've been lucky enough to take my thought for a rifle is, why would you carry anything smaller than a 375, knowing that you can run into about anything at any given time? I'm conflicted, there are some really cool 7x57, 35 Whelen, etc on the market right now,.......all stuff that at one time in my life I thought I really wanted. Add to this I prefer to travel with 1 rifle, travel light travel easy, IMO. Anxious to hear your thoughts......

Thanks

If you really don't want to take more than one rifle a .375, 9.3x62, or .404J seem to work.well. Personally, I never.travel to hunt with just one rifle. I only own one rifle larger than my .300 WM. It's a .458 WM on an identical action, so those are the two I took to Zimbabwe on my last trip. Together, they make a fine pair for a safari. I don't see taking just one rifle tl.be an advantage. In a two-gun case with wheels, two rifles transport as easily as one.

 

[E Butler]

Your guide will have the big bore. I think you hear more about the ammo issues more than the caliber. Africa is usually a short range game so between ammo if you lose it the guide will surely have plenty laying around. I would take a 30 06. easy to shoot and guarantee of plentiful ammo. Let your guide load the big stuff around.

 

[PCC600]

I don't like bolt actions as you know (yes, you can tear me to pieces later!) simply because too many people have too many problems with them, even in my little circle.
Excluding the R8 style which is the subject of some loading issues too on a parallel thread, that leaves doubles and the Ruger No1. I love them both, so if you have the budget why not go for a double in 375H&H, or 450/400? Perfectly good for anything with a LP scope or better still an RMR.
Or if you like a Ruger No1 in 375 H&H with a detachable LP scope?

I have a Westley Richards double in 450/400 and also a Ruger No1 with Aimpoint in same calibre. Just 2 fantastic rifles and perfect for buff .

 

[Green Chile]

I'm seeing a lot of responses about mediums and heavies. One of my favorite light rifles is this Dakota 10 in 7x57. It took 15 PG in Zim last year with the Oryx 156 grain bullet. Same scope as my 375 and 416 Rigby...Swaro Z8i 1-8x. Accurate, light and well balanced.

 

[PCC600]

I'm seeing a lot of responses about mediums and heavies. One of my favorite light rifles is this Dakota 10 in 7x57. It took 15 PG in Zim last year with the Oryx 156 grain bullet. Same scope as my 375 and 416 Rigby...Swaro Z8i 1-8x. Accurate, light and well balanced.

View attachment 603188

Perfect rifle . 7x57 with a 4x scope is my workhorse .

 

[The Shootist]

Of course you may run afoul of regulations on dangerous game with a 340 Weatherby, I find it interesting as a reloader that according to Nosler,(reloading guide 7) The 340 Weatherby pushes a 300 grain Accubond out the barrel at 2726 fps at max listed load, whereas, the venerable 375 H&H tops out at a meager 2600 fps, Begging the question, which is truly more versatile? Out of my .340 Weatherby, I chronograph 3401 fps shooting 180 grain Accubonds at 1.0 grain under max load.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I have a Westley Richards double in 450/400 and also a Ruger No1 with Aimpoint in same calibre. Just 2 fantastic rifles and perfect for buff .

Please can you post pics @PCC600

 

[grand veneur]

Of course you may run afoul of regulations on dangerous game with a 340 Weatherby, I find it interesting as a reloader that according to Nosler,(reloading guide 7) The 340 Weatherby pushes a 300 grain Accubond out the barrel at 2726 fps at max listed load, whereas, the venerable 375 H&H tops out at a meager 2600 fps, Begging the question, which is truly more versatile? Out of my .340 Weatherby, I chronograph 3401 fps shooting 180 grain Accubonds at 1.0 grain under max load.

If not dangerous game species are expected, a rifle caliber 340 Weatherby Magnum is due to the ballistic superior to a rifle caliber 375 H&H Magnum, no question.

Sure, you can kill big game with smaller calibers and I would also under very special circumstances try to shot a buffalo with the cartridge 340 Weatherby Magnum, assuming I have the right bullet for this purpose, but that is certainly from far not ideal. It is not the energy that kills, but the bullet, and the deeper it penetrates and the larger the wound channel it leaves behind, the better the working. Don't forget that before the hunting boom in Africa, the minimum caliber for big game was over caliber 40, and not just because there were supposedly no good bullets at that time. There were already good bullets back then. The cartridge 375 H&H Magnum as the minimum for big game hunting is a compromise to enable many customers to hunt big game. The cartridge 375 H&H Magnum really represents the reasonable minimum for big game hunting.

 

[russ473]

.308 win mag, .375 h&h and .458 win mag. Last 2 crf, a CZ550 and a winchester pre 64.

 

[uplander01]

These are my thoughts exactly, quoted from a post above:

“What I can’t understand is bringing a 375 for dangerous game and a 30-06 for plains game. I’ve never shot a zebra with my 375 and thought “this thing is just too dead. Wish I had shot it with my 30-06”. And I’m sure as hell not carrying the weight of a double case, extra rifle, and more ammo to save 3 pounds walking around.”

And to add to it…if you have a bunch of rifles that tally up to say 10-15k, what not just have 1 really beautiful 375 for Africa in true safari rifle form and call it good?

 

[BeeMaa]

My 375H&H weighs 3.5 Kg as a bare rifle and I'm considering adding a Blaser RD20 (195 grams). If I add a sling and 4 cartridges it should be right around 4 Kg. That would be pretty ideal for me.

 

[Luvthunt]

If not dangerous game species are expected, a rifle caliber 340 Weatherby Magnum is due to the ballistic superior to a rifle caliber 375 H&H Magnum, no question.

Sure, you can kill big game with smaller calibers and I would also under very special circumstances try to shot a buffalo with the cartridge 340 Weatherby Magnum, assuming I have the right bullet for this purpose, but that is certainly from far not ideal. It is not the energy that kills, but the bullet, and the deeper it penetrates and the larger the wound channel it leaves behind, the better the working. Don't forget that before the hunting boom in Africa, the minimum caliber for big game was over caliber 40, and not just because there were supposedly no good bullets at that time. There were already good bullets back then. The cartridge 375 H&H Magnum as the minimum for big game hunting is a compromise to enable many customers to hunt big game. The cartridge 375 H&H Magnum really represents the reasonable minimum for big game hunting.

Same thinking exactly

 

[PCC600]

Please can you post pics @PCC600

Shall do . Currrently away shooting but will post early next week .

 

[AZDAVE]

@RR 314 I wish you luck on the no more rifles idea. I think at some point alot of us have said that. Now I just say if something comes in I will send something out. Hopefully will at some point get a smaller number of exceptional rifles. I can recommend the 458 B&M highly.

Real small
22 Hornet

Small
7x57 or 30/06

Medium
9.3x62 bolt (9.3x74 double) or 375H&H

Big Medium
404 Jeff or 416 Rigby

Large
458 WM or 458 B&M

Heavy
500Jeff or 505 Gibbs or 577NE Double

Pick one from each class and go hunt anything that walks.

 

[Green Chile]

And to add to it…if you have a bunch of rifles that tally up to say 10-15k, what not just have 1 really beautiful 375 for Africa in true safari rifle form and call it good?

This is wisdom. Sell your lesser stuff and, for example, go get the Davenport 375 in classifieds for 10k.

 

[Wiley64]

Light rifles are bullshit once you have a big bore, the more you use and carry the 375 the more proficient you will get with it. Why risk ever being undergunned? They also work great on the tiny 10. If you want to keep spending $ you can always get better binoculars