luv2safari
.400 member
Reged: 09/11/03
Posts: 1413
Loc: United States
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Do you hunt with drillings. You are a man of unimpeachable good taste and wisdom.
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Hunt with Class and Classics
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thorshammer
.300 member
Reged: 27/12/08
Posts: 150
Loc: USA
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Old post but ima say it depends on the area what is the chance of a elephant encounter that may require you and the ph to shoot then a 375 forsure but if its a ranch style south africa hunt then no need for more then a 7x57
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bonanza
.400 member
Reged: 17/05/04
Posts: 2335
Loc: South Carolina
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Here's where owning a small bore double come in handy.
For plains game I'd take my petite .35 double rifle and me .375 H&H with 270 grain Barnes TSX. You can't go to Afrika with out shooting a double rifle. You just can't.
The Barnes 270 TSX has a BC of .502 and at 2500 fps has point blank range of 250 yards, and at that range still had a OGW of 1000 lbs. Recoil is quite manageable.
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"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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9.3x57
.450 member
Reged: 22/04/07
Posts: 5561
Loc: United States
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A QD scoped 9.3x74R or .375 H&H Side-by-Side {or .450/400} over a 6.5x57R would sure seem to cover the bases.
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What are the Rosary, the Cross or the Crucifix other than tools to help maintain the fortress of our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
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xausa
.400 member
Reged: 07/03/07
Posts: 2037
Loc: Tennessee, USA
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On my first safari I took my beat up old .300 H&H pre-64 Model 70 Winchester and my Krieghoff "Teck" O/U double rifle in .458 Winchester Magnum, with interchangeable barrels in .375 H&H and 20 gauge 3" magnum.
Were I to go again today, I think I would take my little 7X57 Mauser on a G33/40 action and the Kreighoff "Teck" double rifle I'm having built in .500 3" Nitro Express, with interchangeable barrels in 8X75RS and 12 gauge.
On my last safari, I killed everything up to and including wildebeest with the 7X57, using 174 grain bullets, and it dropped them all virtually in their tracks. Greater kudu, sable, roan, eland would probably require the 8X75RS.
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Quote:
If someone came to you seeking advise on their 1st trip to Africa, what caliber would you suggest for them to use as the lightest and heaviest to use. This would be plains game only, and would include game up to the size of Kudu. Since most first timers don't go for Eland or Sable, don't consider them for your suggestions.
For a first timer on plains game:
9.3x74r or 375H&H bolt rifle, scope: 2.5x10x48 with illumination.
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TerryR
.224 member
Reged: 13/07/04
Posts: 42
Loc: Greensburg, Pa.
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Short answer:
30-06 & 375 H&H
Old school but still works like a charm.
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JabaliHunter
.400 member
Reged: 16/05/07
Posts: 1958
Loc: England
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I shot my first ever African antelope- a duiker - with an open sighted .303. Missed my second ever - a kudu - with a hopeless .30-06 that had a broken stock. I killed my first ever trophy - an impala - with an 8x68S because I wanted to try a scoped rifle! These days I'd recommend the .303/7x57/.30-06 class up to and including kudu and I'd go for a 9.3x62/x74 for sable, and bigger. One rifle for everything (plains game)? a take-down Mauser 9.3x62 or a double 9.3x74/.375H%H flanged. Of course, you should never be without a .303 - preferably a double 
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Der_Jaeger
.375 member
Reged: 09/10/08
Posts: 607
Loc: SE Pennsylvania
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The definition of Plains Game is greatly varied from the smallest to the biggest. If I had to take two rifles to cover all of them, I would take a .257 and a .340 Weatherby. If I were limited to one, the .300Wby would be taking the trip.
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Sarg
.400 member
Reged: 20/01/07
Posts: 1365
Loc: Nil
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Well I have a Weatherby Ultra Light in 338/06 that will cover them all , I have 185Gr TSXs at 3150Fps hand loads and she should do close to 2300Fps (yet to work up a lot)with 300Gr Woodleith , that I just got & for sure with 275Gr A frames , that should work on them all & in a pinch some bigger stuff to !
The same as 9.3X62 but some lighter bullets to be had & higher SD !
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DarylS
.700 member
Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27753
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
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Choose the rifle amongst those which have sufficient power, the range is wide indeed. The rifle chosen must be one you can shoot with precise accuracy from hunting positions.
The rest is just personal choice as to which of the ctgs. other people prefer.
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Daryl
"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V
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SafariHunt
.333 member
Reged: 02/01/03
Posts: 468
Loc: Pretoria RSA
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In my opinion the best all round plains game caliber is the 338 win mag loaded with 225gr bullets. It will kill all and not stand back for the big eland as well. 
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"Sleeping under the African sky I can see nothing wrong with this world!"
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tophet1
.400 member
Reged: 15/09/07
Posts: 1873
Loc: NSW, Australia
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We took a .243 with 100 Partitions and a .308 with 165 Woodleighs. They did the job.
If I had my time again it would have been a .30-06 and 180's at the heavy end for the game you mentioned.
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osix
.224 member
Reged: 13/07/07
Posts: 20
Loc: Australia
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If you can handle the recoil I can't think of a better choice than the 338 Win Mag.
If recoil is a problem then the 30 06.
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JabaliHunter
.400 member
Reged: 16/05/07
Posts: 1958
Loc: England
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About the 9.3x62 but as Sarg says applies equally to the .338/06.... or Daryl's .375/06.... or .35 Whelen.... fun isn't it!? 
http://www.africanxmag.com/magazines/otto_bock's_cartridge.htm
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DarylS
.700 member
Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27753
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
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Any of those rounds mentioned by JabaliHunter are peas on a pod - with the .375/06IMP being the best, of course - 
Have to edit this - as noted - peas in a pod and in all liklyhood, none better than the other when actually used on game - given proper bullet construction for the game and distance involved. You would not see any difference on North American game with them I am sure. Now, if a fellow got silly and used too light or too soft a bullet, trouble would certainly follow.
The 9.2x62 and .375/06IMP if loaded in the same manner as the .338/06, will show a decided 'paper' superiority. They may or may not show that on game - BUT - they do kick just about as much as a factory .375H&H - ballistics are very similar - well over 2,400fps with 300gr. bullets - even better than the .375's, 1912 H&H ballistics. It was 2,600fps with 270gr. and 2,400fps with 300's that the .375H&H developed it's fame as an all-round ctg. with. Today, with today's powders, we can duplicate that with smaller cased rounds well within normal pressures.
All this goes to show, one merely has to use an adequate round that he/she can shoot accurately.
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Daryl
"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V
Edited by Daryl_S (13/02/09 04:05 AM)
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500grains
.416 member
Reged: 16/02/04
Posts: 4732
Loc: Salt Lake City, Utah USA
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I shot a waterbuck using a 470 Capstick and a 500 grain bullet.
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thorshammer
.300 member
Reged: 27/12/08
Posts: 150
Loc: USA
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You know what im gonna be different here I retract my 7x57 and change to 358 sta now that is a plains game rifle hits like a sob but it gets the job done on Boars where i am
Edited by thorshammer (13/02/09 09:48 PM)
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grandveneur
.400 member
Reged: 21/09/08
Posts: 1356
Loc: France / Germany
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Quote:
I shot a waterbuck using a 470 Capstick and a 500 grain bullet.
And i shot a Warthog using a 500 Jeffery and a 535gr, FMJ bullet.
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DUGABOY1
.400 member
Reged: 02/02/03
Posts: 1340
Loc: TEXAS USA
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First off I've never been to Africa to hunt plains game only! Having said that, it doesn't mean I have not shot plains game In Africa, I have. I've never shot plains game with anything smaller that a 9.3X62, but IMO, anything from a 243 Win to the biggest thing you can hit them properly with will work. Today my pair of rifles for Africa are a pair of Merkel double rifles. A 9.3X74R mod 140E, and a 470NE model 140-2 safari. If I were going to include croc, I would take my very accurate 7mm Rem Mag Heavy barreled Ruger No1 varment rifle with a 3-9x40 scope, and use it for that animal only!
If you do not include any double rifles For a plains game only, and wanted to take all the plains game including large Eland bulls, then my pair would be a 375H&H bolt rifle, and a 300 win mag bolt rifle, both scoped. Take some solids for both rifles for chance shots on small animals like dieker, or Caracal, no matter which rifle was in my hands at the time of sighting! 
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..........Mac >>>===(x)===>
DUGABOY1, and MacD37 founding member of DRSS www.doublerifleshooterssociety.com
"If I die today, I have had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"
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Ripp
.577 member
Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
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Quote:
If you can handle the recoil I can't think of a better choice than the 338 Win Mag.
If recoil is a problem then the 30 06.
Think this is very good advice if you are hunting in a non-dangerous game area...A 300 Win,Weatherby, Ultra, etc with a 200 gr quality bullet would be great and I personally have used this combo to take several dozen plains game--but a 338 is just as good and might be even a bit better if one is also hunting eland...
In a dangerous game area, .375 is what I would carry...trying sneaking into a hyena blind or whatever some morning in the dark and have a pissed of ele cow come at you to protect her calf..that 300 seems aweful darn small...
Either way, I always travel with 2 guns..so probably would choose the combo mentioned above..if dangerous game is also on the bag you are already in the game with this combo, however my favorite combo is 416 and 300 or 338 for the light gun...But hey, that's just me....
Ripp
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ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..
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