Dangerous game rifles

If you want to stop a charging elephant or buff, I wouldn't even mess with the 375, 458 lott and up for when your a$$hole is at its tightest.

For Alaska, Marlin 1895 lever gun, 4570, with Garrett's 540 hammerheads, ghost ring/aperture rear sight with a front post, KISS here, no BS.

The Marlin wouldn't be a bad Cat gun either

My dream hunt would be a hand called Male African Lion, pure heaven.
 
Originally Posted By: getfoxyI'm too often confused about what caliber/platform would be an ideal dangerous game rifle. Grizzlys up to lions and cape buffalo.

What platform would you go with? I'm assuming a custom? A double rifle? What caliber?

I'm not going on an African safari anytime soon but am curious as to what you would take

Well, I have no experience at hunting any of the above.

For grizzlies and lions, the 375 would get the nod. For a Caper, my azz would want something bigger. 458 Lott would be about good, methinks. Double gun would be ideal, a CZ or Winny 70 bolt gun would work also.....
 
I've always had a love for a .416 Rigby, and know of the problems that have been seen because of the week brass used, but I wouldn't mind something like an "improved" case using something with newer/heavier brass.

I've fired a $40,000.00 English double in .470 nitro, still have the brass, and found the bullets after. I think he said the rounds cost $17.00+ each.

Don't think I'd want THAT rifle...but if I was to have one built, it would have to be a .416 Rigby.

I'll have to think about the action I'd choose....

http://www.cz-usa.com/products/view/cz-550-safari-magnum/
 
One thing I always wondered and this may be stupid but how would a nice solid 12 gauge slug do on dangerous game? From what I have seen on tv most shooting is pretty close range. The energy transfer from a slug into what it hits is huge. Also you would have more than one or two shots to stop a charger. Besides elephant I just wonder how they would do thats all. I know black bear isn't much of a problem for one to put down quik. Just thinking out loud.
 
A slug would be useless on something like elephant or Cape buffalo. They are not able to penetrate the thick bone. It takes FMJ bullets to penetrate 3" of bone.

Jack
 
I wouldn't hesitate to use my Ruger #1 375 H&H for hunting ANYTHING! I would work hard for a good shot, and rely on my PH to use his "stopping rifle", in the event something went wrong, that I couldn't handle quickly enough.
Mark
 
Read most of Peter Capstick's Africa books if you haven't already....great stuff!

The late, great, much-missed Col. Jeff Cooper did quite a bit of research on African hunting before he took his first Cape Buffalo hunt. He discovered that the .458 Win mag was something of an under-performer since it was not being loaded up to advertised velocity. He used a wildcat (.460 G&A) that fell between the .458 WM and the .460 Weatherby in velocity, and found it to be extremely deadly on buffalo, pretty much slamming them to the ground in their tracks. The .458 Lott duplicates this performance almost exactly.

If you ever get to go on a dangerous game hunt, some things you'll want to learn first:

Exactly where to aim to hit brain, spine, and heart, from any angle;
How to work the action hard and fully like greased lightning during recoil;
Peter Capstick's skills for a buffalo hunt: "Running, reloading, tree climbing, and praying, with major emphasis on invocation of the Deity."
 
If you are serious about hunting dangerous game in Africa, a quick check with a licensed PH will tell you that by law in the countries they are licensed to accompany hunters that usually a 375 H&H Magnum is the minimum caliber allowed for dangerous game.

Dangerous game begins with the cats and goes up to the really big stuff like elephant, cape buffalo, rhino, hippo, and so on. Basically anything that will bite back on their terms if given the chance.

Most PH's prefer a bolt action controlled round feed magazine rifle with safari style sights dead on at 50 yards or a very good and extremely durable low powered scope with solid mounts with easy to acquire cross hairs. Many also like the various double rifles, but they get to be extremely expensive to have built. What ever gun you choose the PH will want to know how well you can use the rifle as this will dictate how he does his job to some degree. His job is to protect the hunter at all costs and still not kill game not being pursued just because you happen to cross paths with it. That puts the PH and his reputation and even his job between you and the game when you first encounter an animal. If you have a license for the game the PH will direct you from there and he becomes the back-up, albeit a VERY RELIABLE BACK-UP.

Some useful cartridges are the 375 H&H, the 416 Rem Mag, 416 Taylor, 458 Lott, and 458 Win Mag which all can be had in normal sized and available bolt action rifles at a reasonable cost. If you have the money for a good double rifle, some of the old English metric cordite era cartridges from the early 20th century might get used. For large NA bears, the 375 H&H is great as are any of the bigger cartridges. Quite a few big bears have also fallen to a 338 Win Mag with heavier bullets and to lever action 45-70 bullets designed for penetration. Personally I prefer the 375 over the 338 because of normal ranges the big bears are encountered at. A lever action 45-70 works for bear but would not be my first choice.
 
Maybe not the first choice for elephant or hippo but wouldn't a 250gr fmj from a 338 lapua be sufficient for cape buffalo of similar game?
 
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Originally Posted By: Winny Fan

For large NA bears, the 375 H&H is great as are any of the bigger cartridges. Quite a few big bears have also fallen to a 338 Win Mag with heavier bullets designed for penetration. Personally I prefer the 375 over the 338 because of normal ranges the big bears are encountered at.

True that.
The 375 H&H really does have a big following. Probably for a very good reason.
The Lever guns that my friend uses aren't so much for hunting as they are for keeping a bad situation from getting worse.
I've never had a hankering to hunt the big Bears, but I can tell ya that listening to my friends stories at a dinner table sure makes for some interesting conversation.
Can't remember the exact calibers he talked about for his custom levers, but I know that they were in the four fifty something range.
 
"Maybe not the first choice for elephant or hippo but wouldn't a 250gr tmn from a 338 lapua be sufficient for cape buffalo of similar game?'

Not with me behind the rifle for several reasons. One the bullet is light for the intended purpose and won't reliably penetrate very heavy hide, and two it most likely would be illegal where the cap buffalo lived. And three there are far too many better cartridge/bullet choices to even consider it.

edit to add four. The PH would have to get involved in most cases even with a good shot on our part. A pizzed cape buffalo does not stand around waiting to talk it all out, his intention is to stomp you and anyone else he can into the dust. It would be like elk hunting with a varmint caliber in comparison. It might work but why try?
 
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Disregarding the laws of which caliber is required to take wild game in African countries, Elephant have been taken with a 300 Weatherby, SO....Yes, the .338 would be able to get it done, either on an Elephant, OR a Cape buffalo.

Check History folks....its been done with a 300 mag.


There are quite a few large cartridges/loading's that will get it done.
Don't forget= .416 Remington, .375 Ultra Mag, .375 or .378 Weatherby, .460 Weatherby, etc. etc.
 
If you'll check history, many elephant and other game were killed with a 7MM Mauser. But it was done by a very good PH of sorts, and done well before minimum calibers were enforced.

Spears have killed dangerous game, but dangerous game has killed a lot of native hunters too. While packing several spears around and while stomping natives into dust just before they died.
 
Absolutely, in the hands of the right person, as with anything we hunt in North America, it doesn't take a BIG gun to stop an animal in its tracks.

Personally, if I had to limit because of cost, I might look first to the .375 Ultra Mag, although I have very little experience with that round. I have fired one acuratly to 400 yards.

And with the above post, I meant with one shot, as I think you mean with the 7mm, to clarify for others.
 
I need to add, several years ago, the Wife was looking for a rifle for me as a present, she happen to come upon a .460 Weatherby for $400, but at the time she was sure I didn't need one that big...

Man would I love to have that thing.......couldn't imagine what it was truly worth.
 
Just my opinion but in the slant combed Weatherby stock, its worth about two to three broken teeth and a bruised jaw in a fast action mode.

In a straight back recoiling stock it would be a good caliber. Just not the ideal rifle for the purpose for several reasons.
 


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