Edward,

Thank you for the kind welcome and encouraging words. I have never hunted Africa but have wanted to all of my life. I have been infatuated with that continent since early elementary school. I have been a student of rifles and reloading since the tender age of 9. I received my first shotgun and rifle at the age of 8. I got my first .458 while still in undergraduate school in the early 1970s. I will take your advice as I want to hear from people who have actually done the hunting. There are armchair adventurer all over. I have always done things on the cutting edge (race motorcycles, surfed in hurricanes, climbed mountains, etc.) You have actually hunted Africa the way I want to hunt; with a double in my hands. I don't care about having to pass-up shots because I am not using a scoped rifle. I have plenty of bolt guns with scopes (.375s, the .416 Rigby is scoped, etc.) but I want to do it with a double and iron sights. My eyes are still good enough that I shoot well with iron sights. I shoot combat pistol with 1911s and have no problem and I shoot the .458 Lott with open sights so I don't feel I will be at a disadvantage. Maybe not make the long shots, but that is not what I want to do anyway. I don't wish to snipe. I will check into your PH and will not be going this year and might not for two years as I need to get some things sorted-out first and that includes the double. I want to get familiar with that platform. I have never shot a double rifle. I have owned double shotguns, but never a double rifle. I want to do it my way and my way is with the double. Again, thank you for your kind words and I look forward to any and all input from those who have done the hunt.

Michael