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Ripp
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Loc: Montana, USA
Top 5 Safari Cartridges....article
      #284381 - 24/06/16 12:23 AM

https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2016/2/11/top-5-safari-cartridges/

Ah, Safari! Images of acacia trees dotting the wide open plain, the thick mopane forests that buffalo love to haunt, great rivers with names like Zambezi, Ruaha and Limpopo, as well as the large caliber rifles that are required to hunt the larger beasts; all these bring a broad smile to my face. While our common deer calibers, say from 6.5mm up to .30 caliber will definitely suffice for the various antelope and other plains game, the big sticks are called upon for animals that can be measured in tons, as well as being used for the smaller game when a target of opportunity arises. Let’s take a look at some of the best choices for a heavy rifle for African hunting.

.416 Rigby
Mr. Robert Ruark sealed the deal for the then-proprietary .416 Rigby, when he was fortunate enough to hunt with a young man by the name of Harry Selby in 1952. Selby’s double rifle had suffered an unfortunate accident and the young PH had to rely on a backup rifle: a bolt-action. 416 Rigby. Having a huge case—the Rigby can easily use over 100 grains of powder—this steep shouldered case proved to be a true gem. It drives a 400-grain slug at right around 2,400 fps, for 5,000 ft.-lbs. of energy at the muzzle. This combination makes it perfect for any African game, including elephants. The huge case was designed for low pressures—and easy extraction in the Tropics—when cordite was the chosen propellant. Today’s bullets make it an even better cartridge: easy on the shoulder (when compared to some other behemoths!) and it’ll give you penetration for days. Want to beef up the already wonderful Rigby? Try Norma’s 450-grain load at 2,150 fps. Thumper, for certain. For plains game I really like the 325-grain Cutting Edge Bullets Safari Raptor hollowpoint, driven to 2.550 fps; worked wonderfully for Dave deMoulpied on impala, wildebeest and zebra.

.458 Winchester Mag.
This was Winchester’s attempt at obtaining the ballistics of the venerable .450 Nitro Express in a bolt action rifle that was both affordable and reliable, and it still does the job today. Winchester took the .375 H&H case, shortened it to 2.500” to fit in a standard length receiver, and removed the shoulder, so you have a tapered straight-wall belted case. Velocities were advertised at 2,150 fps, but many of the initial loads had a hard time obtaining that figure. The problems have been rectified today—although I still feel the Lott is a superior choice in .458” diameter—and the .458 Winchester is a good cartridge for the heavyweights. It does give up some trajectory to the smaller calibers, but the greater frontal diameter of the 480 and 500-grain bullets can dramatically stop a charge. Make sure the rifle fits you very well; .458 Winchester recoil can be severe.

.404 Jeffery
Debuting in 1909, the .404 Jeffery was the standard issue cartridge for most African Game departments throughout eastern and southern Africa. Using a .423” diameter bullet of 400 grains, the original Jeffery load travelled at 2,150 fps, and that low velocity made for a sweet-shooting rifle that still penetrated very well. The loads have been ramped up these days, to push the 400-grain bullets at 2,350 fps, for just under 5,000 ft.-lbs., bringing the .404 into the realm of the .416s. I recently used a beautiful Heym Express in .404 with 400-grain Woodleigh Hydrostatically Stabilized Solids to take, very cleanly, a huge bodied Zimbabwe elephant. Those bullets penetrated the entire width of the elephant, and he didn’t go more than 20 yards from a heart/lung shot. That’s made a believer out of me; I’m a huge .404 fan these days. Easy to shoot and to load for, the .404 feeds like a dream and can be very accurate.

.416 Remington Mag.
The youngest of the bunch, the .416 Remington Magnum was released in 1988. It uses the belted case of the .375 H&H, maintaining the 2.850” length, but necked up to hold .416” bullets (Remington maintains that the case is derived from the 8mm Rem. Mag., but you can easily form .375 H&H brass into .416 Rem brass). It obtains the same velocities and energies as the .416 Rigby, but with 20-25 percent less powder, and with less felt recoil. I’ve used this cartridge rather extensively, and it has never let me down. I would recommend that you use a rifle with a large extractor, as the pressures generated by the .416 Remington greatly exceed those of the Rigby case. Cape buffalo, bushbuck, puku, warthog; my .416 Remington took them all cleanly, at a variety of ranges, including a Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest at 300 yards. Closely resembling the wildcat .416 Hoffman, Remington has a winner here.

.375 Holland & Holland Mag.
You’re probably frothing at the bit because I haven’t mentioned the three-seven-five until now, and with good reason. The .375 H&H is, in my opinion, the most useful cartridge ever invented. It will do anything you ask of it, whether the game hunted is steenbok or elephant. Bullets weights range from 235 grains (the Barnes TSX in this weight makes a great long-range bullet) to the big-honkin’ 350-grain Woodleigh Weldcore and Solid, as loaded by Norma; the latter being serious elephant/buffalo medicine. It is easy to shoot, and still readily available across most of Africa. The reason the .375 H&H is still the king of the hill: it works, time and time again. I’ve had many PH’s give the same advice: “When in doubt, bring a .375.” I don’t think that is going to change anytime soon! I recently purchased a sweet Winchester Model 70, and my wife Suzie claimed it as her own before I had time to realize what happened. Thankfully, she shoots it very well.

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ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..


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DarylS
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Reged: 10/08/05
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Re: Top 5 Safari Cartridges....article [Re: Ripp]
      #284382 - 24/06/16 12:56 AM

tks - all sounds logical to me.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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Kano
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Reged: 09/07/03
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Re: Top 5 Safari Cartridges....article [Re: DarylS]
      #284384 - 24/06/16 01:30 AM

The one cartridge that always brings a smile on anyone's face when everything else is not going the right way, the one caliber that tests beginners and old hands alike, the unsung hero of countless safaris, the oldest of them all at nearly 130 years of faithful services...


.22 Long Rifle

--------------------
Philip


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Ripp
.577 member


Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: Top 5 Safari Cartridges....article [Re: Kano]
      #284385 - 24/06/16 01:59 AM

Quote:

The one cartridge that always brings a smile on anyone's face when everything else is not going the right way, the one caliber that tests beginners and old hands alike, the unsung hero of countless safaris, the oldest of them all at nearly 130 years of faithful services...


.22 Long Rifle




And also the one caliber the most have shot 1000 to 1 over any other calibers...at least for me...

Ripp

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..


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larcher
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Re: Top 5 Safari Cartridges....article [Re: Ripp]
      #284390 - 24/06/16 03:00 AM

Quote:

Quote:

The one cartridge that always brings a smile on anyone's face when everything else is not going the right way, the one caliber that tests beginners and old hands alike, the unsung hero of countless safaris, the oldest of them all at nearly 130 years of faithful services...


.22 Long Rifle




And also the one caliber the most have shot 1000 to 1 over any other calibers...at least for me...

Ripp




I agree. A couple of times I brought the 22LR rifle (rigged with a silencer) in Africa for shooting guinea fowl, a great add to the table. Also fun and usable in big game area because the report is very feeble.

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"I don't want to create an encyclopedic atmosphere here when we might be having a beer instead" P H Capstick in "Safari the last adventure."


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Rule303
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Reged: 05/07/09
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Re: Top 5 Safari Cartridges....article [Re: larcher]
      #284404 - 24/06/16 09:05 AM

Can't say I disagree with anything said so far.

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VonGruff
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Reged: 08/02/09
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Loc: South Otago, New Zealand.
Re: Top 5 Safari Cartridges....article [Re: Rule303]
      #284411 - 24/06/16 02:30 PM

It would be much better if they would get the introduction of the 404 back to the propper date as it was developed and in use in 1905 rather than waiting for 1909 as is commonly reported

--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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Cazadero
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Reged: 17/10/11
Posts: 561
Loc: Texas
Re: Top 5 Safari Cartridges....article [Re: VonGruff]
      #284782 - 02/07/16 11:58 AM

I hate to disagree but you should have listed .470 Nitro

Heavy, slow, and marginally accurate bullets mean that you have to get close before you pull the trigger.

But the best cartridge selection only matters if you can get there...


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Yochanan
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Re: Top 5 Safari Cartridges....article [Re: Cazadero]
      #284810 - 03/07/16 08:34 PM

Another one so these top for whatever your hunting articles...yawn...Why does it always has to be top 5 or top 10 for everything. 375 Flanged, 450/400-3, 450/400 3.25 450-3.25 NE, 500 Jeffery, 500 NE, 577NE plus a whole range of other cartridges and others should also be on that list.

Mauser 410-b in 22lr will be the perfect shikar rifle as it's controlled feed and a mauser...

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© "I have never been able to appreciate 'shock' as applied to killing big game. It seems to me that you cannot kill an elephant weighing six tons by ´shock´unless you advocate the use of a field gun." - W.D.M. Bell: Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter.


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Ahmed577
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Reged: 13/06/13
Posts: 326
Loc: Western Australia
Re: Top 5 Safari Cartridges....article [Re: Yochanan]
      #284824 - 03/07/16 11:41 PM

Give a poacher a 303 British ( a London best double ) the big 5 would be removed from the face of earth. Yochanan is onto something.

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Yochanan
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Re: Top 5 Safari Cartridges....article [Re: Ahmed577]
      #284868 - 05/07/16 05:18 AM

Quote:

Give a poacher a 303 British ( a London best double ) the big 5 would be removed from the face of earth. Yochanan is onto something.




Ahmed577,
You are up to something, so, kindly borrow me your 303 and I shall shall see if you hypothesis is right. I assume you will also permit me with research funds to test this hypothesis afield... Great deal..I'm sure the 303 loaded with 215 grain softs and solids shall be great fun to shoot

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© "I have never been able to appreciate 'shock' as applied to killing big game. It seems to me that you cannot kill an elephant weighing six tons by ´shock´unless you advocate the use of a field gun." - W.D.M. Bell: Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter.


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