Advice on African Rifle

P

pwd

New member
Hi Fellas,

I'm looking to move to Tanzania next year to work with the church of Christ and will be needing to buy a .375 H&H Magnum rifle for dangerous game.

First, what would you choose between a Remington 700, Winchester 70, Ruger 77, or Savage 116? What about stainless and synthetic stocks?

Second, what scope would you use? I have read Capstick's praise for a "tip-off" mount that lets you move the scope out of the way and use iron sights without completely detaching the scope from the rifle. Are these available and where?

Thanks for any advice. This is going to be my only "big" rifle and I want to make sure I get it right.

WD
 
The old rule of thumb that big game hunters used to follow was nothing smaller than a .458 shooting a 500 grain bullet at 2,000 fps or faster. I personally would not care to try and stop a big beast with a .375 H & H. Not that this is not a fine caliber of weapon but lets face it you only have one life to live. I do not think you would want to throw it away. I personnaly would take two weapons. One of medium caliber and one of .458 or bigger.
I have read that there are many rules and regulations according to which part of Africa you desire to hunt in, so be sure and find out if the .375 is even legal in this area for dangerous game. Also you may be suprised how much money it will cost for the licenses to hunt big game legally. I have been told that there are large areas of Africa today that are devoid of big game and those that still have it are often privately owned and they naturally charge big bucks to hunt on this private property.
As far a weapons are concerned by all means take a controlled feed weapon such as the Winchester model 70 (controlled feed model not push feed model) or a model 98 Mauser. I have seen too many push feed rifles pop loaded rounds right out of the magazine when the rifle was not held in the horizontal position.
The Model 70 has a very reliable trigger mechanisim. Stay away from the enclosed trigger systems as found on the Remington 700. Under severe conditions they just quit working because they often get jammed up with trapped dust and dirt. Also remember that some extractors like those found on the Remington 700 are riveted in and if they break (and I have seen them break) it is a trip back to the factory to have them replaced. The big claw extractors of the Model 70 and Mauser can be replaced in the field. So can firing pins or firing pin assemblies.
Put a good scope on your rifle. There is no such thing as a good deal on optics. You get what you pay for. I personnaly would put a leupold on it. You do not need a high power scope. 2 1/2 to 4 power is plenty of power.
Before you go take a .22 rifle and start practicing shooting from the standing position. It takes about 2,000 practice rounds a year to get really good at shooting from the off hand position. When you have several tons of wild beast about to tear you apart you may only get one shot and you cannot afford to miss. Your only other option would be to buy a lot of life insurance so your survivors will be able to vacation regularly in the rich spots around the globe (just joking). Hope this helps. W.R.
 
P.S.
I forgot to tell you that if you do decide to go with a push feed weapon make sure you practice with it. I once short stroked a push feed rifle and it picked up two rounds at once resulting in a jammed up rifle that took about 15 minutes to free up. Not a good thing when an elephant is about to stomp on you. This is why it is prudent to buy the controlled feed type of weapon. W.R.
 
Although the .375 H&H has taken a lot of dangerous game, it is less than ideal for this, and some countires there require a MINIMUM of a .416 caliber for DG.

Get a controlled feed, bolt action.
Get something .416 Rem mag, .416 Rigby or .458 Win Mag if it is to be your ONE DG rifle.

I recommend the Winchester Safari Classic model 70 or the CZ BRNO 550 (Mauser) in one of those calibers.
FWIW: The CZs cost less and they are marvelously accurate right out of the box, especially in .416 Rigby.
I know of several that print better than 1 MOA with iron sights
The only drawback to the CZ 550 is the hole in the end of the bolt handle, which can be welded up or filled with epoxy; and the reverse polish safety (forward is safe, back is fire, opposite of conventional American types). This can be replaced with a Winchester type three position safety for about $200.00, but this is not really necessary if it is your only rifle and you train with it.

DO NOT buy a pushfeed.
 
Will you be hunting or just want it for protection?
Are you a shooter? I mean do you like to shoot? If so are you going to bring other guns?

If you are going to shoot or hunt for fun while living there you will use more ammo than someone who has the rifle just in case. So you would probably want to pick a caliber that you can get ammo for easily over there & that isn't to expensive.

You might also want to check the laws of the country that you will be in, you might not be able to bring a gun with you. Many [most?] countries do not let people bring guns with them unless they are planning a hunting trip or to compete in a shooting event.

If your not planning on hunting DG I think a 375 H&H [with Speer's AGS-Solid] or a 45-70 with Garrett's heavy hard cast bullets would be the wisest choice. The 45-70 is a LOT cheaper both to buy and to feed. Not to mention lighter and more comfortable to carry on a sling [no bolt handle jabbing you].

Controlled feed vs push feed is a personal choice more on the order of auto vs revolver. Both can have problems. And no one can provide any real proof that it has ever mattered in the field.

If you check out other boards that focus on African hunting you will notice that many people who get a chance to go to Africa for the first time start thinking of getting a big bore DG rifle. But most of them end up taking a 375 or [fewer] a 458 once they realize the cost of ammo and etc.

Personally if I was hunting buff I would prefer a 416 Rem/Rigby or 470 NE but would feel comfortable with a 300 Win, 338 Win, or 375 H&H with the proper bullet [legalities aside]. I wouldn't want to hunt elephant with a 375. But for general protection it would certainly do.
 
If you can get 2 guns, as was previously suggested I would go for the Winchester Safari Classic model 70 (Pre 64 if you can find one)
In both .375 H&H Mag and .458 Win Mag.

When you get one shot, you better make it count.

In Liberty,

Chulain
 
Apart from the good advice already offered I would recommend leaving off the scope and shooting with iron sights. The distances you will encounter dangerous game is usually under 100 yards. Usually much less. The Winchester Model 70 is perfect for this type of shooting. Push feed vs. controlled feed is not a big issue. Just learn to pull your bolt all the way back, hitting the stop before ramming it forward. Good luck!
 
If you are getting an arm for defense (as opposed to hunting), you may even wish to consider a Remington 870 loaded with Brenneke slugs. Very inexpensive compared to other choices, rapid, instinctual fire, cheaper to find. Others here may protest, but Cape Buff has fallen to Brenneke 12 gauge slugs, and if this is a "defensive" piece, the range will be short.
 
The rifle is for hunting lion, leopard, buffalo, etc. The caliber, .375 H&H, is the minimum legal for dangerous game in Tanzania, and also comes highly recommended for that purpose by Peter Hathaway Capstick, who I trust, knew whereof he wrote. I've read 12 of his 13 books and am working on the last one.

I do already have a Remington 870, which I plan to take. What I'm looking for is a hunting rifle.

Thanks everyone for the advice!
 
Before buying a .458 Win Mag, do yourself a favor and read the following book by Peter H. Capstick:
Sands of Silence On Safari in Namibia
Saint Martin's Press, LLC(1991)

You can also find it in the library under Dewey number 799.

It's a great book. The author has lead Approx 500 elephant hunts, and he shuns the use of the .458 Win Mag. He feels it is not enough gun for elephant, and recites the story of a friend who was killed by an elephant after several shots from a .458 failed to secure it.

The book is a marvelous read in it's own right too. Perfect to read before going on safari.

Bowser.
 
If your looking for reading material for african hunting I would suggest Finn Aagard or Ross Seyfried both where PH's.
From what I understand Ross has killed more buff with a handgun than some writers have ever shot. He has also used real big rifles, 577 & 4 bore, besides his normal working rifles in 375 & 416.
 
My dangerous game experience is limited to three safaris and three calibers;.375H&H, .416 Rigby and .470 Nitro. I would prefer a controlled feed action and low powered telescope. The CZ is an excellent choice, perhaps topped with a 2.5x Leupold.If this rifle is to be your "walking around gun," then the .375 is appropriate, since one can literally stumble into any kind of critter in the bush.If you intend to hunt buff, hippo or jumbo then the .416s are better choices, offering over 1/3 more bullet weight and greater impact area. Again the CZ would be my first choice.It is considerably more portable than my Ruger 77 .416 which weighs 11 lbs. Make no mistake, the .375 will do fine work on anything if shot well. The late John "Pondoro" Taylor killed several thousand dangerous animals with this cartridge and had no cause for complaint. Best, Rob
 
Folks, he's going to live there (how long not stated). Taking anything other than a common caliber would be foolish. Ammo availability is the key. Colt, the .375 is a bit light for the heavies, but will work. Get several boxes (max you will be allowed to carry) of good ammo. Not sure what the factories are producing, but get a high dollar controled expansion bullet and a good solid. Maybe 70%/30% split. Swift A-Frames, Barnes X bullets, Trophy Bonded and Sledgehammers come to mind. Use these as your DG rounds as needed. You should be able to get non-DG ammo on site. I've had good luck with RWS on smaller stuff.

If you can, take an extra scope w/rings.

Check with any of your Church members for information on ammo, parts and services for your stuff.

Take an extra extractor for your 870, that's the only part I've ever seen fail on one. Replacing it is pretty easy. Get someone to show you how.

Giz
 
Thanks everyone. I plan to take my family over there for at least two years--maybe more. Looking forward to a grand adventure!
 
SteveM: AFAIK Ross hasn't written any books yet. But he has been writing in the gun rags for awhile. He used to write for G&A. Currently he writes for Rifle & Handloader.
 
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