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EzineAdministrator
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The Ideal African Hunting Battery
      #65807 - 13/11/06 04:26 PM

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A discussion question.

What would your opinion be on the Ideal African Hunting Battery?

I am not talking about what firearms you would take on a specific safari. but what would the ideal battery to choose from be?

Unfortunately in this day and age, we are limited by time, money, luggage allowances, and can't do multiple country six month safaris across half a continent. Instead we do shorter more selective safaris for particular game. But different hunts require different tools. A suitable firearm for an elephant hunt in the jess might be next to useless on Springbok in the Karoo.

To define the question a little more. Instead of ideal for someone winning a lotto grand prize, lets say an ideal battery for YOU, for your expected (or hoped for) hunting career in Africa.

Please list what calibres, type or model, anything else and especially what you would plan to use it/them for.

I hope this proves of interest to members and also instructive as well.


--------------------

Ezine.NitroExpress.com

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bonanza
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: Ezine]
      #65823 - 14/11/06 12:40 AM

This is based on a 2 gun battery: primary and backup/plains game

Budget: 2 Remington 700 ABG .458 & .375 @ $2000 apiece + scope $1000

Pricey: Merkel .470 double & Dakota .375 w/ scope for about $15,000

Ideal: pre war British double and bolt w/ ziess optics >= $20,000

--------------------


"Speak Precisely" G. Gordon Liddy.

"Life is absurd, chaotic and we must define its purpose with our actions" Abert Camus

"I''m the dude playing a dude disguised as another dude."

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500grains
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: bonanza]
      #65825 - 14/11/06 01:38 AM

1. A double rifle of .470 or .500 caliber.

2. A bolt gun in the .458 Lott class.

3. A bolt gun in .375 H&H or 9.3 x 62.

4. A bolt gun in 30-06.

By selecting 2 guns from this group for any given trip, a variety of safaris could be put together, from all DG to all PG.

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allenday
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: Ezine]
      #65826 - 14/11/06 01:52 AM

My ideal, BASIC African battery consists of just two rifles.

Both are custom Model 70 Winchesters built on Model 70 actions by D'Arcy Echols & Company. One of them is a 416 Rem. Mag., and the other is a 338 Win. Mag. Both rifles are absolutely reliable, durable, perfectly balanced, fast-handling, superbly accurate, and they do not change zero, ever.

They're stocked in Echols' own McMillan stock, so they're not pretty in a traditional sense. But pretty is as pretty does, and I prefer synthetic stocks to wood. I'm not hung up over the romance of rifle ideas from the 1920s.

When it gets down to serious use, these two rifles deliver the goods every time, and I have no reason to use anything else. That is, unless I substitute another Echols 300 Win. Mag. for the 338, or else go with another pair of Echols rifles I have in 270 Win. and 375 H&H .......

AD

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bonanza
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: allenday]
      #65827 - 14/11/06 02:01 AM

Allen,

I like your battery, but would you not rather have a .375 in case your .416 gets stuffed?

--------------------


"Speak Precisely" G. Gordon Liddy.

"Life is absurd, chaotic and we must define its purpose with our actions" Abert Camus

"I''m the dude playing a dude disguised as another dude."

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allenday
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: bonanza]
      #65828 - 14/11/06 02:27 AM

No, I wouldn't. I take an extra scope for the 416 that's pre-zeroed, and I haven't needed to use it yet. In fact, the only rifle I've ever had go belly-up on me was a 458 Win. Mag., and it's problems stemmed from a gunsmithing error back home.

Most African animals are mule deer size and elk size, and I haven't found any of them to be all that hard to kill, at least if you use good bullets. I greatly dislike having to go with a heavy 375 H&H (and I've done it) for every little antelope that might be encountered on a safari. As far as I'm concerned, the plainsgame rifle is the workhorse rifle of any general-bag safari, and (going back to my roots) I've found that any good elk rifle makes an ideal plainsgame rifle for all African antelope thru eland.

The 416s for buffalo, etc.........the stuff you really need it for.

My absolute worst gun problems in Africa have had to do with bad bullets. Most of the cartridges I've used have killed about the same.........

AD

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bulldog563
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: allenday]
      #65848 - 14/11/06 10:11 AM

Good to see you posting again Allen, haven't seen much of you for a while.

My ideal battery to choose rifles from for going on Safari would be:

500 NE Double
450-400 double QD scoped 1-4
9,3x74R double QD scoped 1.5-6

416 Rigby Bolt QD scoped with 1.5-6 power (or there abouts)
375 H&H Bolt QD with either 1.5-6 or 2.5-8 depending on whether the 416 was coming along
338 WM bolt QD with 2.5-8 or 3-9
300 H&H bolt QD with 3-9

All besides 500 would have claw mounts and all scopes would have a back-up, in proper mounts and sighted.

Make/models would depend on budget.

--------------------
Join the National Rifle Association:
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hoppdoc
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: bulldog563]
      #65851 - 14/11/06 10:58 AM

I haven't been to Africa but would hope the following group with premium bullets would work well.

500 NE double,
416 Rigby, scoped
300 WSM, scoped

If I were to add another a 9.3 x 74R Double with QD scope would be fun, quick to shoot, and versitile


--------------------
An armed man is a citizen of his country, an unarmed man just a subject.

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Tightloop
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: Ezine]
      #65857 - 14/11/06 11:57 AM

When I went in 2002, I took just two rifles a Remington 700, Wiseman bbl, Jewell trigger, McMillian stock, Zeiss 3x9 chambered for .300 H&H and a Santa Barbara mauser action fitted with another Wiseman bbl, McMillian stock topped with an old 4x Leupold scope chambered in .375 H&H...

Of course I did not shoot elephant, rhino or hippo,but did shoot two buff, leopard, kudu, zebra and some lesser plains game...both rifles killed them like they should with only the buff requiring more than one shot each...

When I go again, will take a lightweight .375H&H and a custom .458 Win I am putting up now..

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DoubleD
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: Ezine]
      #65873 - 14/11/06 03:23 PM

Earlier this year I had to consider this. I got a job in South Africa on a two year renewable contract. What should I take to South Africa for hunting? Knowing full well that the largest animal I could afford to hunt would be a Zebra or Kudu, I had my upper limits. Big five being beyond my means.

So for large plains game it was a choice between my Mauser 98, .338/06 Ackley w/ 3x9 Leupold or my Ruger 77, .338/308 Ackley with V6 Weaver. I had used the 338/308AI on Kudu and Zebra on my first trip over in 2002 and found it very effective.

The Ruger is set up for Montana open prairie hunting so that is why it has a V6. I had no problem with the V6 scope in thick brush of South Africa, but would have preferred a 3x9 like I use in the thick buck brush covered hills of Southern Oregon. 3X for looking into the bush 25 yards away and 9X for the occasional 200 yard cross canyon shot.

I had decided against my precious big caliber Martini's. It is my intent to acquire Martini's while here. (And I have)

For small/er game My Remington 700 VLS .223 with a 12x seemed bit on the heavy side. So I settled on a Martini here an I. Hollis 218 Mashburn Bee with Lyman peep sight.

In the end I brought no guns, my employer and the South African government said no!

No problem, I have access to any number of Martini's here, including a Swinburn sporter 577/450, and I Hollis in WR Musket No. 2 and an Jeffery’s on a Francotte action in 577 2 inch.



--------------------
DD, Ret.

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Hollis500
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: DoubleD]
      #65992 - 17/11/06 09:31 AM


I take 1 or 2 of the following depending on quarry

Rigby 275 Mauser BA
Holland 375 Mauser BA
500 Nitro DR

SA plains to Zebra/Hartebeeste 275
as above plus Eland/Kudu 275 maybe and 375 def
Plains and Buff 375 and 500
Cats Buff and Ele 375 and 500
Business trip to SA 375


--------------------
Hollis500

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NE450No2
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: Hollis500]
      #66261 - 03/12/06 08:27 AM

On my first 2 Safaris I took my 450 No2 and my scoped 9,3x74R both double rifles.
Both worked perfectly.

On my 3rd Safari [all 3 to Zim] I took the same two rifles and since my wife was along she took a scoped 450/400 3 1/4" double, and a 308 Blaser R 93.

I actually used the 450/400 more that my 450 No2 on this trip since it was its first time in Africa and I wanted to give it a "test".

So my Perfect Pair would be a 40 to 475 double and a 9,3x74R scoped double.


You would be hard pressed to beat a scoped 450/400 as your "big" gun.

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WyoJoe
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: Ezine]
      #66328 - 04/12/06 10:15 AM

A Butch Searcy double in .500
A .375
For the bottom end it would be a toss up between a .300 H&H or .30/06

--------------------
There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor polite, nor popular -- but one must ask, "Is it right?"

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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hoppdoc
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: hoppdoc]
      #66329 - 04/12/06 10:23 AM

In addition to the basic three rifles I listed + adding
the 9.3 I would also want to add a 20 gauge shotgun barrel to swap with the 9.3 x 74R just for general fun and bird hunting.

I think I would be would be in great shape with those rifles!!

--------------------
An armed man is a citizen of his country, an unarmed man just a subject.

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JPK
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: hoppdoc]
      #66370 - 05/12/06 11:30 AM

I like my DR in 458 a bolt in 375H&H, but would love a DR in 375 and the third would be a 30-06. I would also love to take my traveling SxS 12ga. In real life I have been very well served with my DR and my 375H&H bolt.

JPK

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Yochanan
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: JPK]
      #66640 - 09/12/06 09:15 AM

Ok, due to luggage restrictions I would go for the two gun battery solution.

1st set
416 Rigby, magnum mauser
8X68S, ZG-47 mauser

2nd set
375 H&H, magnum mauser
7X64, ZG-47 mauser

Plains game, birds and occasional leopard
7mm mag
12ga o/u with extra set of barrels in 9,3X74R

Cheers
Johan

--------------------
© "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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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: Yochanan]
      #66649 - 09/12/06 12:01 PM

Quote:

Ok, due to luggage restrictions I would go for the two gun battery solution.

1st set
416 Rigby, magnum mauser
8X68S, ZG-47 mauser

2nd set
375 H&H, magnum mauser
7X64, ZG-47 mauser

Plains game, birds and occasional leopard
7mm mag
12ga o/u with extra set of barrels in 9,3X74R

Cheers
Johan



Good choices.

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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: NitroX]
      #66654 - 09/12/06 01:08 PM

OK my personal choices for a reasonable African hunting battery.

Usually a maximum of two firearms could be actually carried, perhaps with a set of shotgun barrels.

I would probably take a medium calibre plus a double rifle on a planned safari, depending on the chosen hunts/target game. Inreality probably a .400 or a .450, plus a .300 or 8mm. (I don't own all of these yet).

Plains game:

1. 6.5x68 takedown bolt action, scoped - for flat shooting at smaller medium sized game - if needed;
2. .30-06 M98, scoped or a .300 H&H Mag M98, scoped, perferably a takedown;
3. 8x68S takedown bolt action, scoped;
4. 9.3x74R, scoped double rifle;
No.s 5 and 6:
Not ideal for plains game but if it is the 'smaller' calibre along it will do.
5. .375 H&H M98, scoped;
6. .500/.416 or a .400 Double rifle, scoped.

Elephant, buffalo, rhino (fat chance of that!), plus other big game:

1. .375 H&H M98, scoped in QD mounts;
2. .500/.416 or a .400 Double rifle, scoped or unscoped with QD mounts;
3. .450 No. 2 NE Double rifle, unscoped.


For feathers:

1. .500/.416 or a .400 Double rifle, with set of shotgun barrels.
2. 9.3x74R Valmet DR with 12g U/O shottie barrels.

For a client who is not as concerned with meat damage I don't see the need to go less than a .30 calibre. Unless one wants a really flat shooting rifle such as a 6.5x68 if a lot of smaller medium sized game would be hunted.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
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ozhunter
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: NitroX]
      #66752 - 10/12/06 10:58 PM

1;Ritterbasch 98 in 9.3x64Breneke with 300grn SWIFT A FRAMES and 320grn Woodleigh Solids.
2;HEYM in 470NE with Woodleigh Soft and Solid bullets and a 12GA barrel.

OZHUNTER

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Bonde
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: ozhunter]
      #67447 - 20/12/06 03:46 AM

I haven't been to Africa yet, but out of what I've read and heard from other experienced hunters this is my choice:

Merkel .470NE open sights
Tikka .30-06 Zeiss V 2,5-10x50

I've long wanted a 9,3x74R or 8x57JRS double, for which I'll mount a 1,5-6x42 Zeiss with a german claw mount.. When I get this one, I'll skip the lesser bolt gun altogheter....!

I like to keep things simple. You're not likely to walk around with all your rifles at the same time? Chances are pretty good that you'll have the wrong gun in the right moment..

I'd like to make a combined hunt for buff and plainsgame when I find an opportunity to go to africa. There are no plainsgame that will recover from a well placed .30-06 bullet. When it comes to the big stuff I can't see the need of a scoped bolt gun unless because of cost? I like to get up close, not shoot at long distances-that's marksmanship, not hunting in my world... And as long as eyesight is good, a shot at 50m at big game shouldn't be a problem with a double with open sigts. With the big stuff I've heard bigger is better, so I rule out the scoped medium big bore.

Only one rifle? Those who choose .375 for everything can't go wrong!

--------------------
------------------------------------------------------
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery."
Winston Churchill

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AspenHill
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: Bonde]
      #67452 - 20/12/06 04:41 AM

A .375 H&H and a bow.



--------------------
~Ann

Everyday spent outdoors is the best day of my life.

Aspen Hill Adventures

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larcher
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: AspenHill]
      #67471 - 20/12/06 06:02 AM

Quote:

A .375 H&H and a bow.





me too;
if I want to be serious about elephant I'll use a 470NE double but not sure it's necessary for Ann did a great job with her 375 .....and her bow.

Honestly a 375HH bolt rifle and a bow.

--------------------
"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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Kalunga
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: Ezine]
      #67481 - 20/12/06 06:44 AM

For all-round use I rely on my old Ruger in .416 Rigby with Zeiss 1,25-4x24 mounted on EAW QD-mounts. Shoots like a varmint rifle.
For really serious hunting in the thick stuff I would prefer a Heym 88B Safari in .500 N.E. with open sights.
As a third rifle for lesser game why not a falling block rifle, let's say a custom job based on a Browning 1885 High-Wall action, custom stock and barrel, caliber 8x75RS or .338-06 A-Square. Quality open sights from Recknagel (ERA) and a Zeiss 1,5-6x42 with EAW pivot-mounts, that would be my dream rifle for plains game !

Kalunga

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dbush2508
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Re: The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: Kalunga]
      #68088 - 26/12/06 08:12 AM

For a two gun hunt:

1. 9,3X62 Mauser with a low power variable scope.
2. An open sighted .500 Jeffery.

For a one gun hunt, a .375 H&H or a .404 Jeffery.

Dave

Edited by dbush2508 (26/12/06 08:15 AM)

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bonanza
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The Ideal African Hunting Battery [Re: Ezine]
      #185754 - 13/07/11 11:32 PM

The three gun safari battery.

1978 Ruger H-1 Tropical .458 Winchester Magnum
2002 Left Hand Dakota M76 .376 Styer
1895 Holland and Holland .35 WCF double rifle




--------------------


"Speak Precisely" G. Gordon Liddy.

"Life is absurd, chaotic and we must define its purpose with our actions" Abert Camus

"I''m the dude playing a dude disguised as another dude."

"Yo! Mr. White"

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