What 416 Rifle Should I Take To Africa???

[Graham Hunter]

I built my 416 Rem on a 721 action and added a Sako extractor. Never had a feed issue.

 

[Alexandro Faria]

You say you're taking both the .416 and the .375 and I feel this is a sound move. Never hurts to have a spare in a similar caliber, just allows for peace of mind in so many areas. Do you have your loads worked up for both/either??

 

[TOBY458]

You say you're taking both the .416 and the .375 and I feel this is a sound move. Never hurts to have a spare in a similar caliber, just allows for peace of mind in so many areas. Do you have your loads worked up for both/either??

Yes. I have a load worked up for the 416. Going to shoot Barnes TSX 400gr. over Varget powder. I'm shooting Federal Premium 300gr Swift A Frame factory loads in the 375.

 

[Doug375]

Take the one you're most comfortable with. The buffalo won't know which one you used. I used a Ruger Hawkeye African in .416 Ruger on a Buffalo hunt in Zambia in 2014. The first shot was in the boiler room. The PH and I kept shooting until he was down, but the first shot was the deciding one. The others were just insurance. Of course, one hunt proves nothing, but from a ballistics standpoint, there's not much difference between the Ruger, Remington or Rigby rounds. Same 400 grain bullet at about the same velocity.

 

[TOBY458]

 

[TOBY458]

View attachment 229223 View attachment 229224

My last group of yesterday and my first group today, after moving the scope. Winchester 70 416 Rem is dialed in with Barnes 400gr TSX. This rifle is scary accurate! Ready for buffalo in July!

 

[wesheltonj]

Not sure why you are taking both a 375 and 416, both will kill Buffalo, and your using the 375 for plains game anyway.

 

[CAustin]

Not sure why you are taking both a 375 and 416, both will kill Buffalo, and your using the 375 for plains game anyway.

Man can’t have too many guns on a hunt!

 

[TOBY458]

Not sure why you are taking both a 375 and 416, both will kill Buffalo, and your using the 375 for plains game anyway.

I have all these guns in the safe, but no buffalo in Georgia, USA! I know the 375 would do great, but I want to get some use out of my 416 as well.

 

[wesheltonj]

I have all these guns in the safe, but no buffalo in Georgia, USA! I know the 375 would do great, but I want to get some use out of my 416 as well.

Going to carry both guns at the same time? I know with my luck, if I was plains game hunting with the 375 and did not have the 416 at the same time, that's when I would see the worlds largest buffalo and the 416 would have made a trip half way around the world for nothing.

 

[TOBY458]

Going to carry both guns at the same time? I know with my luck, if I was plains game hunting with the 375 and did not have the 416 at the same time, that's when I would see the worlds largest buffalo and the 416 would have made a trip half way around the world for nothing.

True enough. If that happens, I'll just shoot something else with the 416! Maybe an Eland. I have a direct flight from Atlanta to SA, so it's really simple to take two guns in one rifle case.

 

[fourfive8]

You are right about the Win M70 in 416 Mag having the potential to be scary accurate! Mine is like yours and surprises me every time I shoot it. I prefer to just take one gun each trip so took only my Win M70 416 Rem on my last trip to Zim for DG (buffalo) and PG. I felt perfectly comfortable shooting the 416 for everything and I didn't feel I gave up anything for plains game with that rifle. I didn't at all feel over-gunned for eland!

 

[Daga Boy]

.416 Rem Mag is an excellent choice for all round big game use in a bolt action rifle.
A 375 is not really in the same league unless you convert to an H&H AI and load really heavy bullets (about 400g conventional or 300gr plus monos) , in which case you are in 416 rem country.
Any heavy med - heavy rifle will work satisfactorily on buff (legal or not) but 416 calibers and bigger have a big advantage over smaller calibers when it comes to dropping an animal in its tracks. This is why 470's remain a top choice for most African PH's on dangerous game.
By all means bring your 375 "just in case", but actually you cant beat a 416 Rem (or Ruger for that matter) as a client gun - unless you are planning to go after some actual "plains" game (200M plus) - in which event i would advise a lighter, flatter shooting cartridge. My personal pref for that application (i.e.large plains game) is the 338WM , which i s a much better cartridge for that application than any .375 (apart from maybe the 375 RUM and Weatherby .375 and 378 , assuming you can stand the recoil), but preferences are sometimes personal.
And no, a .416 is definitely not overkill for an eland bull. Also not for a giraffe, kudu, whatever. Sure, you can take them with much smaller calibres, but to what end?

 

[siutis]

416 ruger all the way

 

[TOBY458]

Well.....after shooting the 416 Ruger some more this past weekend, I discovered that it shoots just as accurately as the Winchester 416 RM with 400 grain bullets. I had only shot 350s in it before.
That being said, I prefer the feel and lighter weight of the Ruger, so I've decided to take it instead. So now, it's going to be a Kimber 375 and Ruger 416 onboard flight 200....

 

[ChrisG]

I'm heading to Africa to hunt Cape Buffalo and PG this July 2018. I'm taking a 375 and a 416. I plan to hunt Buffalo with a 416. I have a Ruger Guide Gun in 416 Ruger, and a Winchester Model 70 in 416 Rem Mag. I shoot both rifles equally well, and they both have a Leupold VX3 1.5-5×20 scope. Both rifles are dead reliable, and both are very accurate. Both hold 3 rounds in the magazine and are control round feed. Both feed and function flawlessly.
That said, what is your vote for which rifle I should take? I Can't Make Up My Mind!

Six - one, half dozen the other. Both will throw a 400 grain bullet fast enough to kill anything on the planet. Pick the one you like and start filling out the paperwork!

 

[TOBY458]

Well....I changed my mind.....again. After shooting from sticks and offhand, I can shoot better with the Winchester 70. Longer barrel balances better for me. I also have it set up with quick release scope mounts, so switching to iron sights if a follow up is needed, will be much easier. I have the Ruger sold to a member of this forum, so he'll be getting a fine rifle! I just don't need two 416 rifles, and it will make room in the safe for a 450 or 404....

 

[Ridgewalker]

Good decision Toby 458 IMO. I think the 416 Rem will meet your Cape buffalo needs. The 375 H&H using 250 Barnes TTSX worked great my spring trip on everything I took up to Eland. The Eland stopped the bullet just under the skin on a quartering shoulder shot breaking the near side shoulder. My gun also shoots the Federal Safari 300 gr A-frame 3 in 3/4” at 100 m. But I needed lighter weight bullets for everything else, so though I took 20 A-frames I didn’t use them.
You’re going to be set up well for your July hunt! You do your part and those loads will work like a charm!

 

[TOBY458]

Here is the result of the 416 Rem Mag. Using a 400 grain Swift A Frame. Frontal chest shot from around 75 yards. The bull ran about 20 yards after the shot, and gave the death below about a minute later.

 

[IdaRam]

Congrats on a great bull and some good shootin’!