Why the 300 mag for the small caliber in the battery?

[Code4]

there is an article by boddington in the latest sci mag that has just turned up here, way behind you lot getting it in the usa i would imagine, and he wonders whether the smaller calibres, .270, .275/7x57 , 7mm08, and others of that type are better because people shoot them better. so dont worry about it just go with what you are comfortable with or want, as they all work fine.

I took a .308W with 165 Woodleighs for PG my first (paid) hunt. It was perfect.
A 9.3x62 for PG on the 2nd paid hunt (because the PH said too, for Eland).
Next time will be a 7x57 and 175's.

I've sold off my 9.3 and .416. I just don't need them for PG.

 

[Cliffy]

275 rounds of 416 in 7 months ? WOW, you are way ahead of most any other big bore hunter I meet. There seems to be a few rifles every year coming up for sale such as "458 for sale 20 rounds shot with 2 boxes of ammo available with rifle. Used on 1 hunt" I've seen several of those kind of ads over the last few years.

 

[Markschu]

Ha. My buddy has been hunting buffalo for almost 20 years and uses a 458 Lott. He is a big guy in good shape and can only tolerate shooting 7 rounds during a practice session. I don't think he's put 275 rounds through the whole time he's had it.

 

[CK1]

Reading Boddington's book on safari rifles, his survey of PH's states that most recommend 300 mag as the small caliber in your rifle battery. That seems too big to me. I would think you would use the 375 for DG as well as large plains game then a 270 or 7mm for smaller plains game. Why the 300 mag?

Craig's comments were what the PH recommends and I'm guessing the PH assumes a level of competency with the .300 Winmag??? His comments elsewhere in the book talk about having enough gun. So if you've got a .375 as the big gun for plains game you're covered and can bring a .270/7mm if you like. I bring a 30.06 as my second rifle to compliment the .375 and I bring it as a back up on a pure plains game hunt as a spare. In my last trip to Namibia in a non DG area I took a .300 Weatherby and 30.06 and never hunted with the 30.06.

 

[frog stealer]

275 rounds of 416 in 7 months ? WOW, you are way ahead of most any other big bore hunter I meet. There seems to be a few rifles every year coming up for sale such as "458 for sale 20 rounds shot with 2 boxes of ammo available with rifle. Used on 1 hunt" I've seen several of those kind of ads over the last few years.

Yes sir. I'm trying to get as proficient with this one as I can. This Winchester is turning into my favorite rifle. If I have good concentration and trigger pull, this gun is easily one of my most accurate. I've got sub-inch groups with three bullet weights (300, 350, and 400). I'd actually rather shoot this one than my 12 gauge deer shotgun. That one just sticks me hard every time.

It's funny you say that you see these larger rifles come up for sale often with only a box of ammo through them. There is actually an identical M70 in 416 on budsgunshop.com right now, and it's 250 bucks cheaper than what I paid for mine. Oh well, the money is already gone!

 

[Savage Hunter]

if the 300mag is considered "small", what about my poor ole 300wsm. Should I throw it away?
My poor little wife is going to be carrying her Savage 111 Ladyhunter in 7-08. Maybe Marius and I had better back up her shots on those vicious Impalas so she doesn't get charged and trampled. lol
Her rifle, btw, is the prettiest rifle I have ever looked upon. maybe.

 

[spike.t]

Craig's comments were what the PH recommends and I'm guessing the PH assumes a level of competency with the .300 Winmag??? His comments elsewhere in the book talk about having enough gun. So if you've got a .375 as the big gun for plains game you're covered and can bring a .270/7mm if you like. I bring a 30.06 as my second rifle to compliment the .375 and I bring it as a back up on a pure plains game hunt as a spare. In my last trip to Namibia in a non DG area I took a .300 Weatherby and 30.06 and never hunted with the 30.06.

jeez who gives a monkeys about who wrote this or who wrote that...not me please all you people stop worrying about what is the best plains game calibre, just take what you are happy shooting your white tail or black tail or whatever those deer are called. if you can shoot those with that then you are sorted. then for so called DG move up to whatever you are happy/capable of shooting...which obviously starts with a .375. the rest is up to you, if you want/like to go bigger go for it, but only if you can shoot it!! please stop being out psyched by people who write books . i promise you they dont know everything.....

 

[Red Leg]

We are all cutting this pretty fine if we are debating the difference between 170gr 7 mag, 180 gr 30-06, and 180 gr 300WM. I am pretty confident that no kudu on continent will be able to tell the difference. For a first trip, I would suggest bringing something you have. I would guess the .300 is the most common loaner that I have seen in camps. My personal favorite PG rifle is a .338, but that hardly makes it "best". What I wouldn't do on a normal short duration hunt (7-10 days) is bring three rifles. I can almost guarantee you that two will likely never come out of the case. And if you do start playing musical rifles, you are almost guaranteed to have the wrong one when your springbok stalk suddenly turns into an eland or zebra opportunity. The more I go over, the simpler I try to make it. For instance, in August we'll be in Moz for 14 days with buffalo at one end of the list and duiker at the other. I'll bring either my .375 or .404 - TSX's for buff/sable etc and solids for the little guys. I would also note that if I am in "stomp you" country where DG is prevalent, I prefer not to tote around a little rifle even if that buffalo tag is filled. A game ranch in the RSA is a totally different thing.

Practice is important, but most of it can be accomplished with something a lot less punishing than a heavy bore. Someone above is correct that the worst recoil generator extant is a 12 bore with a magnum load (the 3.5 inch waterfowl loads are ridiculous) - but I don't "practice" with them at the skeet range either. I shoot off sticks a lot at the range, but only periodically with my .404 or .416 and only a few rounds. A 30-06 or even .243 is just as effective. I would also note, you can do almost as much good learning the sticks dry firing from the deck or even in the basement.