So a .375 Weatherby with a 300gr Swift A-Frame would probably work on him pretty well then? That's my rifle I built from scratch. We chrono'd a 300gr at 2885 and 2889 ft/s, for close to 5600 ft-lbs. I'd planned to use it on everything when I go to Africa. But I'm now building a .458 Lott so....choices choices
I guess I'll bring them both. The .375 Roy is actually quite managable to shoot. So, I originally thought I'd just take a one-rifle safari and call it good. Then I thought about taking it and a .30-06. Now I'm building the Lott. Not sure how many you can bring.
I'm really in awe of you and guys that have done this 100 times over. Bengal Tigers. Bears. Lions. Heck, I just wanted to get a nasty old Cape Buffalo. Anything beyond that is icing on the cake. How about a .22 LR? Can you hunt any small stuff in Africa?
So sorry, Jim. I jut saw this.
The .375 Weatherby Magnum & 300Gr Swift A Frame bullet would be quite a potent combination for Asian sloth bears. Personally speaking, I would not prefer a velocity in excess of 2500 fps when using lead cored expanding bullets. Heavier bullets at modest velocities perform best for these creatures. South African manufactured 340Gr Rhino Solid Shank bullets would be an excellent choice (out of a .375 Weatherby Magnum) for Asian sloth bears.
A .375 caliber rifle (being it a Holland & Holland Magnum or a Weatherby Magnum) and a .30 caliber rifle (be it a .30-06 Springfield or a .300 Holland & Holland Magnum or a .300 Winchester Magnum) is an excellent 2 rifle combination for a full bag African safari. As a matter of fact, the combination with which I have had the most success over the years... is a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum (300Gr bullets only) and a .30-06 Springfield (180Gr bullets for open plains hunting & 220Gr bullets for brush hunting).
An interesting field observation of mine on the .458 Lott (which might be of some benefit to you for future hunts) is this:
For body shots on Cape buffalo, a freshly loaded .458 Winchester Magnum (with velocities actually chronographing at the desired 2130 fps or thereabouts with 500Gr bullets) has noticeably more terminal effect than a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum (with velocities actually chronographing at the desired 2530 fps or thereabouts with 300Gr bullets)- Assuming of course, that all other factors are equal.
For body shots on lion, a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum (with velocities actually chronographing at the desired 2530 fps or thereabouts with 300Gr bullets) has noticeably more terminal effect than a reshly loaded .458 Winchester Magnum (with velocities actually chronographing at the desired 2130 fps or thereabouts with 500Gr bullets)- Assuming of course, that all other factors are equal.
But the .458 Lott (with velocities actually chronographing at 2350 fps or thereabouts with 500Gr bullets) is superior to the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum and .458 Winchester Magnum for body shots on both Cape buffalo and lion- Assuming of course, that all other factors are equal (and that the recoil doesn't bother you). Whatever I said about the .458 Lott, also applies to the .450 Rigby Rimless Magnum and the .450 Dakota.
In regards to your question about a .22LR, I have hunted several Guinea fowl with them in Africa over the years. But I mostly prefer a 12 gauge shotgun and 36Grms of #4 shot. It's actually mandatory to use a centerfire caliber for even the smallest of antelopes in Africa. So a .22 Hornet would serve you far better. I shot an impala with a .22 Hornet in Tanzania in 1978. It was a behind-the-shoulder heart shot with a 45Gr Remington soft point factory load (rifle was a BRNO ZKW 465). He eventually succumbed to the gunshot wound reasonably quickly. But for impala, I personally prefer a .243 Winchester and Winchester Super X 100Gr Power-Point factory loads as a bare minimum. I did shoot a pair of spurwing geese with a .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire in 2017, using C.C.I Maxi-Mag 40Gr hollow point factory loads (rifle was an Anschutz Model 1515/16 with double set triggers).
In regards to my hunting adventures, I chalk all this up to good luck and excellent logistical support (from my fellow officers, forest guards, white hunters & trackers) rather than any skills or prowess on my part. I'm a very substandard & average hunter, I promise you. In regards to acquiring so many hunting opportunities over the years, I can only say that it was all a matter of being at the right place at the right time. Or wrong time.
I wish that we had never crossed paths with that Asian sloth bear in the winter of 1971. If we had not, then 2 of my men would have still been alive and another would not be facially disfigured for life. The war was virtually over by then, and we were all talking about seeing our families again & moving on with our lives. In regards to the 3 man eating Royal Bengal tigers that I hunted, I am afraid that I could not really enjoy the hunts as much as I would have liked to at the time. Because I was facing a very serious threat of losing my job if I failed in hunting them down in time.
I know that you'll be extremely successful in getting your Cape buffalo. And God be willing/Insha Allah, it will be the first of many.
