Your opinion on Best Caliber for plainsgame in Africa?

[Code4]

Well the classic answer we read all the time is 'the one you shoot the most accurately'. There is a lot of truth in that sentence but as many of us here know, it is not always that simple.

As stated before all those calibres are capable with correct projectile choice, shot placement and in most environments.

I went with the various 7mm's. I don't like a lot of recoil so I shoot a 7x57 very well. I've also had a lot of success with a .308W on plains game and less satisfying success with a 9.3x62 because of poor (non expanding) SN projectile choice. I'll never take advice again without testing on something first.

If you are a trophy hunter and just have to take the first shot presentation given to you then yes, the .375H&H is the best choice. If you are in open country like the grassveldt then the 300 magnums will work a little better.

Give me my 7x57 with a conventional 154 or 175 projectile. I'll need a bit of time to pick my shots but if the range is long or close it will work for me.

 

[B9.3]

Hi , I think there is too much emphasis on accuracy. We are talking about hunting rifles fired offhand quickly. MOA means jack in this situation. If you can hit a dinner plate offhand at 100 yards, you'll collect your trophy or meat. I have a few pet hates, ugly rifles and average scopes. I have always had Leupold Vari- X111, VX-111 and VX-3, That is until I bought a Zeiss Conquest. I was astounded how good these scopes are. Today the Leupolds have gone and all my rifles have Zeiss Victory Diavari and Zeiss Conquest scopes. For my 62 year old eyes the image is brilliant and either are the best low light scopes I have used. The Victory Diavari is awesome. I'm set in my ways, for me it is Weatherby Mark Vs, Winchester Model 70s, CZ550 American Classics, Warne Quick Detach Mounts, Zeiss Scopes, Svord Knives. I don't need anything else.

 

[ILCAPO]

BTT.

True. And I'm kicking myself for having held off too long on this one piece I saw at the same gunshop. When I got back from Iraq in early 2007, I found the shop had a number of guns from an estate sale. Over a few months I picked up two of them, a Remington Model 141 pump action .22 LR and a Sako Riihimaki in .222 Remington. As I seem to recall, the 141 set me back $350. I snatched it up when a friend of mine in Colorado told me they were going for $600 easy at local gun shows there if in good shape. The one I bought was pristine. The Sako was something like $650. It was a fair price, but I see them a lot for more money now. Again, in like new condition. GREAT little varminter piece!

The one I missed was from the same estate sale. After spending what I did I didn't dare buy yet another gun. When I finally decided to look at it again, it was gone. This was a commercial Mauser in .350 Norma Magnum! That would have been a real thumper for Africa! Then again, it was probably a bit much for me, being I'm kind of recoil sensitive.

 

[ILCAPO]

Code4. In November 2009 I won the bid for a rifle on Gunbroker.com. It's a Ruger M77 in 7x57 Mauser which is a sweet little thing I'm looking forward to hunting white tail with this year. It has a 21 inch barrel and nice custom walnut stock. I topped it off with a Burris Euro-Diamond scope, 3-10x40mm electrodot. I had considered bringing that to RSA for a hunt, but came across this lovely barreled action in .30-06 and decided to go with the additional umph that that caliber gives.

Certainly a .308 isn't shoddy either. I was thinking about one, but saw this .30-06 and went with that. In fact, I bought that on Gunbroker.com as well.

 

[ILCAPO]

Beau416...

I was blow away by the Zeiss compact binoculars I was looking at several years back. I looked through them, and some Swarovskis that cost double. Oddlly enough, it seemed the Zeiss looked clearer to me. I asked another person shopping for binoculars to look at the two and tell me which he thought was clearer to him. Darned if he didn't think the same thing! Without knowing the prices on each he picked the Zeiss Conquest.

When it comes to scopes, the Swarovskis I saw were lovely. But the binoculars didn't seem as good as the Zeiss. I might just top the .30-06 off with a Zeiss or Swarovski.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Beau416...

I was blow away by the Zeiss compact binoculars I was looking at several years back. I looked through them, and some Swarovskis that cost double. Oddlly enough, it seemed the Zeiss looked clearer to me. I asked another person shopping for binoculars to look at the two and tell me which he thought was clearer to him. Darned if he didn't think the same thing! Without knowing the prices on each he picked the Zeiss Conquest.

When it comes to scopes, the Swarovskis I saw were lovely. But the binoculars didn't seem as good as the Zeiss. I might just top the .30-06 off with a Zeiss or Swarovski.

For whatever my opinion is worth to you, I don't see a better buy for the $ than the Zeiss Conquest 3-9x that can be had from Cabelas for $399. They've been at that price for sometime now. If you get those occasional flyers from Cabelas where if you spend X dollars you take Y dollars off you can really get a very sweet scope for a fantastic price.

I've had Nikon, Zeiss and one Leupold scope and get along with all of them, but find the Zeiss Conquest the best for the dollar. If I had Swarovski money however, I'd probably go that route or even the higher end Zeiss line. The poster a few posts back that said something along the line of getting a Kudu at last light has a very good point. The overall cost of the scope pales in comparison to what you pay for a single trip.

 

[ILCAPO]

Thanks Phil.

Being military, I was able to buy my Zeiss Conquest binoculars directly from Zeiss at a discount. Now that I'm retired, I'm not sure that still applies. But I believe the price on the Conquest 3-9X for me was around $289. I didn't buy it because I was called up and heading to Iraq, so I bought a pair of compact binoculars instead. Even with the discount, they were $510. But that was better than the outside price of $650.

Interestingly enough, while conducting advanced convoy training in the desert of NW Kuwait, I was repeatedly asked by the senior officers in charge if they could borrow my binoculars. Even though they were compacts, they blew away the Army issued binoculars in quality. Everyone wanted MY binoculars. : )

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

$289 would have been a steal! I can buy into the binoculars too. I have a pair of 15x Zeiss binocs, also Conquest series I think. I picked them up for $500 NIB on Ebay. I've picked out the ears of Coues deer at 400 yards with those. Spotted the little guys at over 1000 yards with them too. Would they have been a bit more clearer and/or brighter with Swarovski's? Perhaps, but not $1500 worth.

 

[AlSpaeth]

Zeiss - great optics but had two fail with clients on 338 and 300 mags.
Leupold - My personal favorite. Never had a problem.
If you have to spend more money then consider Schmidt & Bender.

 

[IvW]

243 win Springbuck Blesbuck open areas
7x57mm small to medium game bushveld
300 H&H large plainsgame open areas
375 H&H bushveld large PG and begin DG
404 Jeff buffalo
500 Jeff elephant and Backup
12ga shotgun
12ga/9.3×74R bushpigs and leopard backup

 

[BeeMaa]

Speaking as a client and keeping it simple.
375H&H, the "Goldilocks" of Africa.
Solids for the Tiny 10 and small antelope.
Premium softs for all others.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

.300 win. mag. 150grn or 180grn Trophy Bonded Bear Claw. Works for me!

 

[Frederik]

Ivan, you brought this post back that got started in 2009 wow.
Today if I had to choose 300 WSM with 180gr Swift bullets.

 

[IvW]

My caliber choice is based on an african living in sa

 

[tedthorn]

Simple.......

The 30-06

 

[Philip Glass]

Wow this should be called the .338 club! Most of the calibers mentioned are fine. I personally believe there is little place in Africa for the .338. Wait don’t jump on me yet!
My point is the .375 is the legal minimum for DG so why take a gun as big as the .338 as a PG gun? No argument on what it can do that’s for sure. My point is if you have one great but if you are buying or planning to buy your “Africa gun” then it’s the .375 not the .338.
Fun discussion for sure!
Regards,
Philip

 

[C.W. Richter]

The exact opposite of what a commercial magazine will tell you. LOL. A HOT .338, .308, 7, or 6.5 (with proper bullet selection-high SD) or a .375. They are not thin-skinned NA animals. Quite predator-orientated...thick hide, muscular, heavier bones and the average one weighs 3x that of a deer! The .338 will do it all (and the hot ones have a higher BC, SD and 1,000 ft/lbs more energy than the 375 HH.) -Truth (Also why it's used to snipe out goat-lovers at 2,500 yds, as necessary.)

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Nobody has voted for the .358 Norma magnum? I'm sure that is because nobody has one, not because the cartridge is at fault. I'd love to have one someday, preferably a Husqvarna, but those Husky's cost around 1,500 $! I'm not sure I'm willing to pay so much for a cartridge of .358 diameter! I'd rather pay 1,500 $ and get a .375 H&H mag and be done with it, if I was to pay that kind of money.

@trigger creep
I voted for the 358 only because they didn't list the 35 Whelen. A properly loaded Whelen will do all the 338 will and then some. It's just a pitty it's and the Norma aren't legal for buffalo because both will get the job done. I took 5 head of PG from impala thru to a huge Burchells zebra all 1 shot kills.
I personally think the Norma and 35 Whelen are under rated but hunters.
Bob

 

[C.W. Richter]

I like hot .358s (used to have a .350 Rem.) They were favored for med. game and large cats, once upon a time. Maybe a bit heavy for longer shots on PG. Like w/ the .338-06, 'have to limit the effective range a bit more than the high V, BC, SD rigs...

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I like hot .358s (used to have a .350 Rem.) They were favored for med. game and large cats, once upon a time. Maybe a bit heavy for longer shots on PG. Like w/ the .338-06, 'have to limit the effective range a bit more than the high V, BC, SD rigs...

@C.W. Richter
I hear that same crap about the 35s all the time. The Whelen loaded with either the 225 grain accubonds and woodleigh projectiles @2,900 fps and a 250 grain @2,700 fps are no douches out to 400 plus yards if you can shoot well enough.
If you are happy with a 338 win mag for longer range the the Whelen at the same or slightly higher velocity is surely just as good.
I rest my case your honour.
Bob