Your Ideal African Battery

[Wismon]

How about:

7x57
9.3x62
.404 Jeffery

You couldn't get too much more classically African than that. Load up or down as appropriate.

Or take a .458 Win Mag with various levels of loading, i.e. a fast 350 gr bullet for plains game and a slowish 450 gr or 500 gr loading for the big stuff. I guess. I don't know...

[postoak]

Well, I gave you the option of 1, 2, or 3 rifles, but let's stay with 3, cause it's more interesting.

I gotta admit I've never even heard of a .475 magnum. Apparently it's a wildcat; actually more than one.

I like the ballistics, it would certainly solve any putative weakness that the .458 WM has.

.457 Ackley Magnum: 600 grain bullet at MV of 2250 fps.

That same article says that it isn't as powerful as the .475 H&H, but I couldn't find those ballistics.

Which do you have Hi-Ball?

[postoak]

Okay my 3 rifle all-game battery would be:

.25-06
.338 WM
.458 Lott

[postoak]

Actually, I would substitute the .35 Whelen for the .338 WM. This is based on some email discussion I've had with outfitters. Their emphasis is always on a large diameter bullet, rather than sheer power, for plains game. They also emphasis the use of premium bullets to assure penetration. But .30-06 capacity cartridges have enough oomph in their opinion -- no need for magnums.

[Bwana416]

Plains game:
Weatherby Mk V in .240 Wby for animal under 100# body mass
Model 70 in .270 for most anything from 100-300# body mass
Model 70 in .338 WinMag for any non-dangerous game OVER 300# body mass.

Dangerous Game:

Light: Model 70 in .338 WinMag.
Medium: Ruger 77 magnum in .375 H&H
Heavy: tough
with good backup: .416 Rigby (Ruger 77 Magnum)
backup and REALLY large game: Ruger 77 in .458 Lott.

No way no how:
.460 Weatherby, .416 Weatherby, .458 Win Mag.

-Ray

[postoak]

How do you old hands feel about taking a stainless rifle to Africa for plains game? Will it be a big factory in animals spotting you?

[postoak]

Factory = factor

[Indy]

How do you old hands feel about taking a stainless rifle to Africa for plains game? Will it be a big factory in animals spotting you?

I took my .300 Wby with dull black plastic stock and stainless barrel to Africa. The action is also dull black as is the scope. I originally bought this rifle for Alaska, where it rains a lot. In Africa, a couple of animals were spooked as I was getting into position. Did they see me or a flash from the rifle? Who knows? We also spooked a buffalo when I was carrying a non-stainless rifle. I really don't think the stainless barrel is a problem.

[Hi Ball]

Bwana 416......I have seen over the years, several hunters use the .270 Winchester in Africa. Most of them did not fare so well in putting game down on the ground as one might think about doing so with a Texas whitetail.

On my hunts the .338 win mag has done the job and right quick about putting small or large animals down for the count. The only time I ever saw a small caliber do what was expected of it, was on a small baboon and couple of brothers who were culling springbok with head shots from a .223 caliber.

[Bwana416]

Some fast steppers like the .264 WinMag or 7mm. magnums? Weatherby's catalog used to be stuffed with dozens of shots of African plains game put down with single shots at 300+ yards with the .270, 7mm and .300 Wby magnums.

-Ray