Thoughts: A rifle battery for a 28 day Safari hunt...

[Scott CWO]

Yeah, what

Well, we are sheltering in place and got time so here is a question for all:

What do you guys think that is the ideal battery if one is pursuing lion, leopard, 3 buffalo and tons of plains game on a 28 day hunt?

I am thinking a heavy, a medium that can back up the heavy and light, and light.

My choice would be:
1) .500 NE double
2) .458 B&M wildcat
3) .300 RUM

Reasonings as follows:
1) Where else would you take to shoot a double rifle?
2) With 258 grain tipped raptors it is good to 300 yards, with 420 raptor and 450 solid it is a good back for (1) in case the Landcruiser rolled over it .
3) Plains game rifle for anywhere and any distance with 200 grain TTSX traveling over 3K fps.

What say you? What would you take and why?

I really like your choices. I don't have a double rifle so I have done similar trips with just two rifles - .458 Lott and .338 Win Mag. It is easy to take two rifles with a wheeled double rifle case. I also just piggyback my duffel bag on top of my rifle case with a bungy cord and pull it with one hand through the airports with a daypack on my shoulders. I enjoy taking more than just one rifle. Now that I have a .375 H&H, I might substitute it for the .338Win Mag and then I could shoot buffalo with it as a backup to the Lott.

I am planning a 2022 trip to Zambia for PG and I am considering taking a .375 H&H and my 6.5 GAPP SAUM but for a DG hunt as you describe, I can understand taking two bolt rifles and a double, if I had one. It's just more fun that way.

 

[spike.t]

A long business executive's life has led me to always ask the "execution questions" (what, who, when, how, why, how much, etc.) rather than juts take people's statements at face value. Amazing actually how many people have not foundation whatsoever for what they say (be that in business, or any other field for that matter...) so I guess that it has formatted my brain to systematically provide the "why"
Which is anyway too long of an answer

PS: your Selous battery made total sense to me

Totally straight.... You have annoyed the shit out of me with your incredibly long posts .....some I thought were waffle.... But some especially more recently have been... how shall we say I have found getting more relevant .....or possibly shorter and easier for my limited attention span to accommodate.... i have been on here for a bit and you and hoss Delgado jointly hold the gold medals for longest posts....
Thanks for the commendation on my choice... but totally accidental.... anyway 12.34 am here so will finish this later if that's ok....and my ice in my drink is melting....

 

[Tanks]

What I find interesting....

...in some answers, is the blurring between categories.... on the other end of the spectrum .300 / .458 / . 500 where there are essentially two mediums or two heavies. I do not understand those as well.

My own three rifles battery in open bush would be:
...

and, in dense bush:
.300 Wby
.416 Rigby
.470 NE

...

Well, our batteries are actually very similar. The .300 RUM is just a tad less hotter than a .300 Wby. My .458 B&M with 18" barrel is very similar to your .416 Rigby in ballistics except a larger diameter bullet, and while .500 NE is a bit heavier than a .470 NE, it is what I have.

 

[Bruce]

I hunted twice in Tanzania, although 15 years ago, and was only allowed 2x rifles and limited ammo.
For the, set up described here, I would take my BRNO 602 in 375 H&H Magnum 300g A Frames and Federal solids and also my BRNO 602 in 300 Win Mag.. 180g softs.
NO need for a 3rd rifle...

 

[Tanks]

I hunted twice in Tanzania, although 15 years ago, and was only allowed 2x rifles and limited ammo.
...

Now, Tanzania allows 3 rifles and a shotgun. Big limitation is the airline 11 lbs of ammo which is why I'd bring a girlfriend as an ammo mule.

However, that means no layovers at RSA. Luckily Emirates, Qatar and Turkish airlines fly there, Plus those 3 airlines have the best business class accommodations and lounges as well.

 

[Panther Shooter]

I would take :
1)My 7 millimeter Remington Magnum for hunting most plains game .

2) My 12 Bore ( 2 3/4 inch chambers ) William Wellington Greener Wildfowl Gun , for wing shooting and for shooting duiker , reed buck and Sunni at short range with AAA cartridges.

For hunting the bull eland and dangerous game animals, I would borrow a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum from my outfitters. Any good control round feed configuration rifle would do . However , I would personally prefer it to be a Double Rifle, just like the John Rigby & Co. side by side Double Rifle with which I had shot 16 man eating Hunting Leopards between 1973 and 1974 . That marvelous Double Rifle was regulated for 300 grain Winchester Silvertips and 300 grain Winchester Full Metal Jacket cartridges.

 

[CAustin]

That 470 looks too heavy to me. Perhaps you should just drop it off at my place with a bottle of pappy to compensate me for looking after it for you?

Sir,
Your generosity is enormous! Thank you for the kind offer.....we might have to drink that bottle of Pappy!

 

[CAustin]

Nope I think Charlie should take it and a nice brisk 10 plus...plus...depending or so mile walk after ele in the wild bush would be enjoyable.... Especially when the ele isn't any good and hopefully the walk back to the vehicle is in a shorter straight line ....then you do again the next day.....

been there done that but not with a double. Had the truck come get my butt.

 

[postoak]

Restricting myself to calibers I have now,

I could get by with just one, my 9.3x62.

Two rifle battery, .416 Rem. Mag. and .300 Win Mag.

Three rifle battery .416 Rem Mag, .338-06, and .300 Win Mag.

 

[CBH Australia]

Suitable Standard cals. A double in ? A .300wm and maybe a .375H&H crf
I dont own a double or a Blaser but otherwise id debate switching the. 300 or .375 for another choice

 

[Tanks]

@CAustin

That is a very nice case (rifle too), I am looking for one. Did it come with the rifle or did you find it somewhere?

 

[Longwalker]

If given the opportunity like the original post proposes, I could be perfectly satisfied with two rifles. My Merkel 140 AE .450-400 3" N.E. and my Verney-Carron Impact Plus bolt action 9.3x62.

The double has a good 1-4x scope in QD mounts and is accurate enough to produce 5cm composite groups at 50 M with both solids and softs, and is even more quick and handy with iron sights or a red dot reflex sight when called upon for close work.

And the 9.3 is a very accurate, light and handy bolt action with two scopes depending on load used and terrain / game hunted. I have a Leupold 1.5-5x for all regular use with 286 gr. bullets, and a 6x S&B in another set of QD mounts that is very good at longer ranges with 220 gr. Lapua Naturalis or 235 gr. Norma Oryx bullets, or if hunting at dusk/dawn low light. No need for other rifles. But I understand the attraction of more rifles. More rifles = more fun!

 

[BeeMaa]

Sir,
Your generosity is enormous! Thank you for the kind offer.....we might have to drink that bottle of Pappy!
View attachment 342903

Well plaid Charlie.
Like to join you for a sip.
No gun exchange required and I'll bring a bottle of Balvine 21 Port Wood.
Although I would like to send a couple down the barrel.

 

[WAB]

Sir,
Your generosity is enormous! Thank you for the kind offer.....we might have to drink that bottle of Pappy!
View attachment 342903

I’m in!!!

 

[spike.t]

Totally straight.... You have annoyed the shit out of me with your incredibly long posts .....some I thought were waffle.... But some especially more recently have been... how shall we say I have found getting more relevant .....or possibly shorter and easier for my limited attention span to accommodate.... i have been on here for a bit and you and hoss Delgado jointly hold the gold medals for longest posts....
Thanks for the commendation on my choice... but totally accidental.... anyway 12.34 am here so will finish this later if that's ok....and my ice in my drink is melting....

@One Day to finish off...basically I did this hunt as a friend of my brothers had a 416. Rigby built by Paul Roberts and wanted to use it on a hunt...he asked my brother to go and be the other Hunter....my brother had done hardly any shooting... he mentioned it to me and I said...what you can hunt in Africa.. Wow...I will do it...had been shooting since I was about 10 but just targets...hunting the hedge rows on the farm with my pellet gun...and clay pigeon shooting... so biggest thing ever shot were rabbits and some pheasants on a shoot with a friend of my father in England... I went to see Paul about what rifles I needed...I had a 308 steyr ssg rifle with a Schmidt and bender 6x42 scope on it..he said that will do as your light rifle... but there wasn't the time to build me a 416 but he used to keep one Brno in the rack that was original but rechambered to 416... for ph who wanted a basic working rifle... so I bought that...he said you will need a spare heavy rifle just in case so I will lend you my own 470 rigby... so this is how I ended up with that selection for this hunt along with the shotgun I had as well. ..was an eye opener as none of us had been to anywhere in Africa or hunted anything bigger than what I have mentioned.... The first thing I nearly shot was on day one when we bumped a lion but it wasn't very good....but the first animal I actually shot there was a 44.5 inch buff using Paul's 470 double....so great way to start African hunting with a great buff using a classic double....that's when I became hooked on doubles...and Africa....first time on a holiday where I wasn't ready to go home two thirds of the way through it...and back then the way the international flights worked we were in tanzania for 5 weeks including the 30 days hunting.... Was an amazing trip.....anyway tried to compete against you in creating a long post

 

[brettp]

The 458 and 500 seem awfully duplicative.

My long safari battery is:

500 Double
416 Ruger (with 2-12 Leupold VX-6 Illuminated)
338 Win or 30-06 depending on the situation/ types of plains game/ cats on license.

 

[IvW]

500 Jeff Brno ZKK 602
375 H&H Brno ZKK 602
and 12ga shotgun
or drop the 375 H&H and the shottie and take
9.3x74R/12ga combination-excellent bird hunting to be had.....especially in 28 days...

 

[CAustin]

@CAustin

That is a very nice case (rifle too), I am looking for one. Did it come with the rifle or did you find it somewhere?

No it did not come with the rifle. My wife bought it for me as a birthday gift three years ago. I can get you the name company if you like from which she purchased the case!

 

[Tanks]

No it did not come with the rifle. My wife bought it for me as a birthday gift three years ago. I can get you the name company if you like from which she purchased the case!

Please do, it is a beautiful case, and I need one.

 

[Opposite Pole]

Please do, it is a beautiful case, and I need one.

Looks like very similar to a case I got with my K Gun, I think Krieghoff called it “Alba” case.