What’s your ideal Dangerous Game bolt gun?

[Rick Cox]

Of all the big bores I have owned in the past thirty years this has been, by a margin, my favorite.

Built for me by a very good friend in the U.S.

.500 MDM Ultra mag (.375 Ultra mag necked up to .50 cal)Win Mod 70 CRF, pacnor 20" barrel, Accurate Innovations English walnut stock with aluminum bedding block, NECG front and back sights. just over 8lb carry weight.

Shoots 450gn brass CEB's at 2450fps with mild loads and despite what a few on this forum opine these mono's will penetrate 6' - 8' of buffalo with monotonous regularity.

Short, light, fast handling and packing a mighty wallop.

I have stopped quite a few charges with this gun and shot quite a few buff with it in addition.

My idea of a perfect buff gun.

Nice gun.

 

[Ridgewalker]

IvW, will those long bullets stabilize in a standard 1:12 twist 375?

 

[MS Hitman]

I'm partial to my 416 Rigby RSM, then my .458 tang safety M-77.

 

[Timbo]

I'm partial to my 416 Rigby RSM, then my .458 tang safety M-77.

Tang safety M77? Niicccee!! I've got one in .30/06 and I swear by it! (My daughter dropped her buffalo with it.) Always wanted a M77 .458!

 

[IvW]

IvW, will those long bullets stabilize in a standard 1:12 twist 375?

Yes they will.

350 gr at about 2300 fps and 380 gr at about 2200 fps.

1:12 is standard for the 375 H&H and I have not had any issues with either of my rifles with regards to stability.

Bearing in mind that the application of these heavier bullets are for short range work and not long range precision shooting.

 

[Ray B]

Addressing the sights aspect of the DG rifle, a low power scope is great, particularly with the illuminated dot/aim point, but for general use rather than having the traditional barrel mounted open sight, I much prefer an aperture sight. when minute-of-buffalo is all that's needed my choice is to unscrew the sight disk and sight through the threaded hole. Practice so that under any situation you can get your cheek tight to the stock, your eye will be looking through the threaded hole, put the front sight on what you want to hit and press the trigger. As for the rest of the criteria I prefer an old Model 70 rebarrelled to 404.

 

[Timbo]

Addressing the sights aspect of the DG rifle, a low power scope is great, particularly with the illuminated dot/aim point, but for general use rather than having the traditional barrel mounted open sight, I much prefer an aperture sight. when minute-of-buffalo is all that's needed my choice is to unscrew the sight disk and sight through the threaded hole. Practice so that under any situation you can get your cheek tight to the stock, your eye will be looking through the threaded hole, put the front sight on what you want to hit and press the trigger. As for the rest of the criteria I prefer an old Model 70 rebarrelled to 404.

I agree. As a back up for the scope on my .458, I've an aperture sight mounted at the rear of the receiver. I've also removed the internal sight disc to improve all round vision.

 

[geoff rath]

A(ny) good CRF bolt action, max barrel length 24", 416Rigby/450Rigby/500 Jeffery/505Gibbs. NECG open sights. 4 or 5 rounds in the mag if possible (may ot get a chance to use them, but...). If it's D/G as a last resort rifle, it'll be up close, real close, and we need good sectional density, which means bullet weight. Bein' a Aussie, Woodleigh solids/Hydro solids.
P.S. I'm a theory hunter, done bugger all, but research a LOT. Always open to bein' put right......

 

[geoff rath]

PaulT, your rig seems perfect; my only (very mild) criticism/comment would be to have some form of available factory-type ammo for it. Unfortunately stuff goes missing in transit sometimes. . . .

 

[Michael Dean]

I bought a Colt Sauer in 375 H&H back in the 80's. It has without question one of the finest actions ever produced; the bolt slides like glass. I don't know why they discontinued production but I'd love to get a 7x57 Mauser with this action. Not only does it chamber flawlessly, it shoots sub MOA.

 

[CTDolan]

I have a Ruger Guide Gun in 416 Ruger. It has a 20 inch barrel and weighs 8.1 pounds. It's a fine shooting rifle with or without the detachable break.
Taken elephant, lion, Cape buffalo, giraffe, Nyala and warthog with it. I have very much enjoyed taking it to the field!
View attachment 209423

Gotta agree. Don’t know why I ever thought of selling mine. I guess a vintage WR being just within reach got to me, even though it needed some restoration (which is why it was just barely within reach).

My 416 Ruger is my main squeeze as well. It’s got everything going for it...plenty of punch, points well, functions without a hitch, etc.

 

[JakeH]

I’ll likely never have one, but I’d take a Winchester Model 70 Safari Express in .458 Win Mag. Top it with a low-power Zeiss or Swarovski with QD mounts and loaded full of 500gr Federal Trophy Bonded Sledgehammers Solids.

What I will have is a Savage Alaskan Brush Hunter in .375 Ruger. It’ll end up wearing a new stock, probably a low-power Leupold or Vortex with the same QD mounts, and be loaded full of 300gr Swift A-Frames. It’s just around third on my list of rifle/caliber combinations I’m still after.

 

[Waterbuck2008]

Another vote for the Model 70 Safari Express. I have a lefty in .375 H&H, and have taken it all over the globe. Not a PH-level charge stopper, but I try to always do my part. It has Leupold QD rings, and clambering an A-Square solid has made me feel better on the walk after the initial shot.

 

[geoff rath]

Just "discovered" a potential candidate that anyone in the US might like to "grab"
Gary Reeder has a prototype 500 Jeffery, based on a Ruger M77: 20" barrel, compensator, open sights (NECG?) slickedup, ready to go at around the US$2200 mark. If I were over ther e, it'd e gone by now..... check in his custom guns for sale page http://www.reedercustomguns.com/instock.html

 

[Timbo]

O

Just "discovered" a potential candidate that anyone in the US might like to "grab"
Gary Reeder has a prototype 500 Jeffery, based on a Ruger M77: 20" barrel, compensator, open sights (NECG?) slickedup, ready to go at around the US$2200 mark. If I were over ther e, it'd e gone by now..... check in his custom guns for sale page http://www.reedercustomguns.com/instock.html

View attachment 209954

OMG!! Next to having a double express, to me this is the ideal - affordable - DG bolt action rifle!! I'm drooling just at the thought of it!!!

 

[geoff rath]

Stop drooling, Timbo, you're messing up my keyboard

 

[Timbo]

Stop drooling, Timbo, you're messing up my keyboard

 

[GA Hunter]

What would be your ideal dg bolt gun.

Barrel length, caliber, sights and so on?

I have a CZ in 404. Shoulders nicely but seems so long. Just wanted to see what you all like

I'm rather partial to whichever one I happen to be holding when things get hairy!!!

 

[The Engineer]

From my standpoint the thing I would look for is first of all a caliber you can shoot well. I have built up tolerance to recoil over the years but if the recoil causes a flinch your not going to scare DG to death with a close miss. I have always remembered a quote from Bill Jordan's book "Speed is nice but accuracy is final." The same applies to power vs. accuracy. It should be noted a properly designed stock is essential for recoil absorption without pain.

As I hand loader I have/do hunt with a lot of less popular and wildcat calibers. I do not do that when traveling by air as I may need a caliber that is obtainable in the local hunting area if my ammunition is lost as you run the risk of having ammunition confiscated if the headstamp caliber does not match the rifle caliber. For DG I would also prefer a lower pressure cartridge that is less likely to develop extraction problems.

With respect to sights, on a bolt gun I find low power illuminated reticle scopes in a foolproof and absolute return to zero mount essential. With that type of mount two pre-sighted in scopes can be taken and switched out if required.

The rifle itself must be utterly reliable. This mean not only must it always go bang when the trigger is intentionally pulled but the safety must also be robust to insure it does not accidently fire. In addition to reliably firing is must be very slick on the reload cycle. This not only means the bolt must operate slickly on the empty rifle but it must feed rounds reliably and slickly from the a large capacity magazine.

My current, and ultimate; rifle that meets the above criteria is a Heym Martini Express rifle in 416 Rigby. With handloads using 5744 powder I can have less recoil than a 30-06 if desired for practice. If you currently could not accurately should full 400gr loads you can handload 300gr or 350gr loads to the energy level of a 375 H&H for both practice and hunting. All of these handloads have shot to minute of angle accuracy in my rifle. This cartridge is also readily available in Africa and I have not see the extraction problems that some of the smaller cased 416s sometimes exhibit.

My scope of choice is a Zeiss Victory HT 1.6-6 with an illuminated reticle in Alaska Arms quick removable rings which allow the scope to be mounted as low as possible. With the bases machined into the Heym's receiver there is no potential for mount screw failures and the lever detachable Alaska Arms rings are rock solid and zero repeatable on installation.

The Heym Martini Express has a three position swing safety like the Model 70 that directly locks the firing pin. However, what has pleased me the most about this rifle is how it feeds from the 4 round magazine. The magazine is machined specifically for the 416 Rigby cartridge and is probably the reason this is the slickest cycling bolt gun in a DG caliber I have ever handled.

The Heym is a huge investment but I am glad I did so.

 

[Timbo]

From my standpoint the thing I would look for is first of all a caliber you can shoot well. I have built up tolerance to recoil over the years but if the recoil causes a flinch your not going to scare DG to death with a close miss. I have always remembered a quote from Bill Jordan's book "Speed is nice but accuracy is final." The same applies to power vs. accuracy. It should be noted a properly designed stock is essential for recoil absorption without pain.

As I hand loader I have/do hunt with a lot of less popular and wildcat calibers. I do not do that when traveling by air as I may need a caliber that is obtainable in the local hunting area if my ammunition is lost as you run the risk of having ammunition confiscated if the headstamp caliber does not match the rifle caliber. For DG I would also prefer a lower pressure cartridge that is less likely to develop extraction problems.

With respect to sights, on a bolt gun I find low power illuminated reticle scopes in a foolproof and absolute return to zero mount essential. With that type of mount two pre-sighted in scopes can be taken and switched out if required.

The rifle itself must be utterly reliable. This mean not only must it always go bang when the trigger is intentionally pulled but the safety must also be robust to insure it does not accidently fire. In addition to reliably firing is must be very slick on the reload cycle. This not only means the bolt must operate slickly on the empty rifle but it must feed rounds reliably and slickly from the a large capacity magazine.

My current, and ultimate; rifle that meets the above criteria is a Heym Martini Express rifle in 416 Rigby. With handloads using 5744 powder I can have less recoil than a 30-06 if desired for practice. If you currently could not accurately should full 400gr loads you can handload 300gr or 350gr loads to the energy level of a 375 H&H for both practice and hunting. All of these handloads have shot to minute of angle accuracy in my rifle. This cartridge is also readily available in Africa and I have not see the extraction problems that some of the smaller cased 416s sometimes exhibit.

My scope of choice is a Zeiss Victory HT 1.6-6 with an illuminated reticle in Alaska Arms quick removable rings which allow the scope to be mounted as low as possible. With the bases machined into the Heym's receiver there is no potential for mount screw failures and the lever detachable Alaska Arms rings are rock solid and zero repeatable on installation.

The Heym Martini Express has a three position swing safety like the Model 70 that directly locks the firing pin. However, what has pleased me the most about this rifle is how it feeds from the 4 round magazine. The magazine is machined specifically for the 416 Rigby cartridge and is probably the reason this is the slickest cycling bolt gun in a DG caliber I have ever handled.

The Heym is a huge investment but I am glad I did so.

Very succinct and concise response! As a reloader I appreciate your views. I reload for both rifles I've used in Africa: .458WM and .30/06 - standard calibres with ammo easy to find if necessary. Using Woodleigh 500gr RNSP and FMJ projectiles (same BC) I get almost identical clover-leaf groups. In the .30/06 I use their 180gr PSP. Both perform beautifully if loaded within their velocity ranges.