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Hunting >> Hunting in Africa & hunting dangerous game
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Bwana
.224 member


Reged: 07/03/05
Posts: 35
Loc: Monroe, Michigan
Is a .405 Win. adequate for African Plains Game?
      #27406 - 07/03/05 10:16 AM

I am going on Safari in June for 10 days and would like to bring my Winchester Model 1895 in .405 WInchester. I really love this gun and shoot it great with iron sights. Do you feel it is really adequate for Plains Game? I know Teddy Roosevelt took it to Africa in 1908 and took many animals with it including Lions. I appreciate your thoughts.

Bwana

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475Guy
.400 member


Reged: 22/08/03
Posts: 1088
Loc: Kali, US
Re: Is a .405 Win. adequate for African Plains Game? [Re: Bwana]
      #27410 - 07/03/05 11:14 AM

As long as you know the limitations to that cartridge and gun, it should suffice. I've got one that I haven't time to shoot very much and I plan to do some tweaks to it before I do load development. The factory stuff is fairly accurate using iron sights with my old eyes (from 2"-3 3/4" @ 100 yds.) I take it that you're going to RSA? As much as I love my leverguns, I would rather take something that'll go better than 200 yds as you'll never know what kind shot is available to you when the critter just shows itself momentarily.

--------------------
Lo do they call to me,
They bid me take my place among
them in the Halls of Valhalla,
Where the brave may live forever.

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500grains
.416 member


Reged: 16/02/04
Posts: 4732
Loc: Salt Lake City, Utah USA
Re: Is a .405 Win. adequate for African Plains Gam [Re: Bwana]
      #27412 - 07/03/05 12:12 PM

I think it would depend on where you are hunting. In some places in RSA and Namibia, very long shots will be expected and the .405 would be a handicap. But if the shots are close enough, the .405 should be a lot of fun.

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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39889
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: Is a .405 Win. adequate for African Plains Gam [Re: 500grains]
      #27430 - 07/03/05 04:22 PM

In reply to:

Poster: 500grains
Subject: Re: Is a .405 Win. adequate for African Plains Gam

I think it would depend on where you are hunting. In some places in RSA and Namibia, very long shots will be expected and the .405 would be a handicap. But if the shots are close enough, the .405 should be a lot of fun.





--------------------
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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AussieMike
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Reged: 01/09/04
Posts: 236
Loc: Southern Tablelands, NSW, Aust...
Re: Is a .405 Win. adequate for African Plains Gam [Re: NitroX]
      #27437 - 07/03/05 05:30 PM

I'd check with your PH - one guy I hunted with was obsessed by the record book and wouldn't let me use my 470 on PG because I might miss an opportunity on a bigger animal, even if a tracker was carrying my 300 Mag. It was clearly really important to him so i didn't argue.

He was a great hunter and judge of game and six of my eight PG heads made "the book" for Zambia but, I could have done some of the work as well, or better with the quicker handling, iron sighted 470 and solids.

mike

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Rick_R
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Reged: 03/07/03
Posts: 117
Loc: WV, USA
Re: Is a .405 Win. adequate for African Plains Gam [Re: Bwana]
      #27523 - 09/03/05 05:07 AM

IMHO, the .405 will do ok with little critters like this one. I hit him at about 40 yards in RSA last May and after about a 30 yard dash through the bush he collided with a tree and fell over.

I used a Customized #1-B with 400gr Woodliegh softs and enough Varget to make them go 2,050 fps. Bullet went through the lower chest behind the leg and off towards Mozambique.



The gun will shoot groups @1" with that load at 100yds when I feel like benching it, which ain't often. The other game I shot in RSA fell to my 9.3x62 Mauser which did a splendid job also.

hth

Rick

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McLarenSafaris
.224 member


Reged: 24/03/05
Posts: 42
Loc: Soutpan, Free State, South Afr...
Re: Is a .405 Win. adequate for African Plains Gam [Re: Rick_R]
      #28261 - 24/03/05 05:21 PM

Bwana,

Take your .405 and enjoy your safari. Do not let your PH spoil your fun like the PH who guided AussieMike spoiled his. It is YOUR safari, YOU pay for it and YOU choose (within reason) the rifle/muzzleolader/bow/spear/javilin that you wish to use. It is the PH's job to evaluate your ability with your chosen weapon and then get you close enough to use it for a quick humane kill within your abilities!

I would much prefer to have a perfectly happy client that stalked a 11" territorial springbok to within killing distance of his .50 patched ball shooting smoke pole, than the same guy with a 14" springbok shot from some impossible distance with a modern magnum firearm, while he is in his heart a muzzleloader hunter, as I am. It is YOUR safari, and not a trip on which the PH is entitled to tell the client which rifle he should use so as to score more points in some competition to see whose clients gets the biggest and best trophies.

This is just my humble opinion.

Enjoy your safari!



--------------------
Andrew McLaren

"A good hunt is worth whatever you pay for it. A bad hunt is not worth the time spent on it"

http://www.mclarensafaris.com

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JudgeG
.224 member


Reged: 10/01/03
Posts: 39
Loc: Georgia Coast
Re: Is a .405 Win. adequate for African Plains Gam [Re: McLarenSafaris]
      #28884 - 04/04/05 09:54 AM

I'm taking my Model 1895 Winchester in .405 to Tanzania this summer. Barnes makes an excellent 300 grain X-bullet that should shoot through any plains game (leaving quarter-sized exit hole).

I put a replica/period Lyman 21 peep thereupon and my groups tightened up by half, making a 100 yard shot like a two foot putt, on targets, that is.

Interestingly, it will shoot Woodleigh 400 grain solids just 2" lower at 100 yards at a respectable 2000 fps. Not too bad is a buffalo wanders by???

--------------------
JudgeG
Old and getting older, I hope. But once I was young.

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