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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Big Bore Rifles

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Plains99
.300 member

Reged: 10/11/04
Posts: 225
Loc: Dodge City, Kansas, USA

375 H&H for seven day buff hunt
#100293 - 26/03/08 02:52 AM

I am going back to Africa for a seven day cape buffalo hunt and light plains game. Originally I was planning on taking a .458 Win Mag for the buff and a .300 Weatherby or .375 H&H for everything else. I am now seriously considering just taking the .375 as my one and only since I will be concentrating on a buff for such a narrow hunting window and would probably take anything else strictly opportunistically. I think I know the general consensus on this but I'd like some feedback from some of you. Would you recommend taking two rifles or would a .375 as the only rifle be a better choice? What about just taking a .458 Win Mag as my only rifle? My current .458 is pleasant to shoot and quite accurate.

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AzGuy
.333 member

Reged: 23/03/06
Posts: 388
Loc: Prescott, Arizona, USA

Re: 375 H&H for seven day buff hunt [Re: Plains99]
#100296 - 26/03/08 03:04 AM

One rifle is a lot less hassel.

Is the 458 scoped?

Can YOU shoot it accurately out to 200 yards?

How important to you are the plains animals?

No doubt the 458 will do the job on Buff, but if it were me, I'd take a QD scope mounted 375

--------------------
Hike the Grand Canyon, you will never be the same!

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JabaliHunter
.400 member

Reged: 16/05/07
Posts: 1958
Loc: England

Re: 375 H&H for seven day buff hunt [Re: Plains99]
#100297 - 26/03/08 03:10 AM

I would take a second rifle as a backup if you can manage the weight in your luggage. Its a short hunt and you don't want to waste any of it worrying about a borrowed rifle if yours happens to get damaged in transit. That means take the .458 and the .375 as a backup. Either rifle can be used for the lighter stuff. If you take only one rifle, then I would probably take the .458 over the .375, although I might think differently depending on the terrain that you are going to hunt.

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NitroX
.700 member

Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40651
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...

Re: 375 H&H for seven day buff hunt [Re: JabaliHunter]
#100365 - 26/03/08 12:36 PM

I'd just take the .375. I have exactly that and took a cape buffalo in Matetsi, a Chobe bushbuck, waterbuck, impala, two zebra in Gwayi/Matetsi in Zimbabwe and an impala and a Limpopo bushbuck in Limpopo South Africa.

Thought I might have a problem with a long range shot in South Africa but in the end it was a shot of about 160 metres only.

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

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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szihn
.400 member

Reged: 24/06/07
Posts: 2121
Loc: United States

Re: 375 H&H for seven day buff hunt [Re: NitroX]
#100377 - 26/03/08 03:35 PM

I would not hesitate to use the 375 on buff. It's the best "one world rifle" I have ever used.

I have used and owned 416s, a 404 Jeff, three 458s, and a 460 G&A, as well as a 505 Gibbs.
I like the big guns, but I think the 375 is the best of the bunch, for an "all around rifle"

I would not even half-step.

Now your 458 is probably as good if you can shoot it as well. But that's up to you to decide.

I stick to my “6 inch rule”
6" target.
5 shots
5 hits

At the range you can do that------------- that's your personal effective range.
It varies, ---- depending on the man, the gun, the load, the shooting position, and light, and so on.

As for me, if I was to take my “6 inch rule” test, shooting from 5 yards to 300 yds, from 4 positions , over varying ground, at various times of day, I have no doubt I would do best with my 375 out of all the rifles listed above.

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rscott
.333 member

Reged: 21/03/08
Posts: 328
Loc: wyo., USA

Re: 375 H&H for seven day buff hunt [Re: szihn]
#100404 - 26/03/08 10:42 PM

i think a 458 is much better for buffalo and would take that. if you feel confident in your abilities with that weapon, confident enough to take on buffalo, then shooting plains game with it shouldn't be a concern. besides, if you own a 458 what else did you buy it for?
in the end take the rifle you handle and shoot the best!

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JabaliHunter
.400 member

Reged: 16/05/07
Posts: 1958
Loc: England

Re: 375 H&H for seven day buff hunt [Re: rscott]
#100409 - 26/03/08 11:03 PM

My sentiments exactly! If you are worried about range for the lighter stuff, just load some 350grain softs and use those. That way you can hunt loaded for buff with your 500grain softs and load a lighter round by hand if you get an opportunity at something else. That way you will have the best load for your primary species - buffalo - and have more than enough gun for everything else.

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Plains99
.300 member

Reged: 10/11/04
Posts: 225
Loc: Dodge City, Kansas, USA

Re: 375 H&H for seven day buff hunt [Re: JabaliHunter]
#100412 - 27/03/08 12:10 AM

Thanks for the advice. I'm seriously thinking about going the .458 route and as the one guy said "what else did I buy it for?" I've got a while to run it through the wringer at longer ranges and fool with some different loads. And at only 7 days I need to keep my eye on the prize and concentrate on what I think is the best buffalo rifle.

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SteveH
.300 member

Reged: 26/12/03
Posts: 118
Loc: Hillsboro, Oregon

Re: 375 H&H for seven day buff hunt [Re: Plains99]
#100423 - 27/03/08 01:39 AM

I brought my 458 Lott and my 375 as back-up. I never really thought that I'd have an issue with my 458, but I did. On the plane ride over, I had a couple screws back out on the 458 (Fore end and scope mount). Not wanting to risk anything, I put the Lott away and used the 375.

So my suggestion is to bring both.

-Steve

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wombat
.300 member

Reged: 06/03/04
Posts: 163
Loc: Australia

Re: 375 H&H for seven day buff hunt [Re: Plains99]
#100515 - 27/03/08 05:02 PM

Allways take a spare rifle!

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Plains99
.300 member

Reged: 10/11/04
Posts: 225
Loc: Dodge City, Kansas, USA

Re: 375 H&H for seven day buff hunt [Re: wombat]
#100560 - 28/03/08 01:25 AM

Yeah, that probably is the best advice.

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bwananelson
.400 member

Reged: 08/10/07
Posts: 1195
Loc: DELTONA FLORIDA

Re: 375 H&H for seven day buff hunt [Re: Plains99]
#100578 - 28/03/08 04:37 AM

and a couple of simple tools for that weapon.screw driver, allen wrench ,wrap them in the gun case lock tight

--------------------
THERE ARE NO DO OVERS IN LIFE DONT LET A CHANCE AT A DREAM SLIP AWAY.

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