Your Ideal African Battery

[President Obanana]

1. 458 Lott with 500 grain RN going 2200 fps. QD scope mounts.

2. extra ammo for the Lott with 400 grain Woodleigh pointed bullets.

[Bwana416]

for an experienced shooter who PRACTICES with it, one rifle does not a battery make.


-Ray

[rimrock]

well I like a rifle with some serious THUMP on impact

one set for plains game only:

1 rifle:30/06 win little stuff 70lbs-200 lbs

2 rifle:340wby bigger stuff 200 lbs and up

3 rifle:257 roberts.. tiny stuff 70 lbs or less

A second set for dangerous game only:

1 rifle:458 LOTT (bigger stuff, out past 80 yards)

2 rifle:378 WBY thin skinned (CATS) and bigger stuff, only if the 458 lotts or the 505 gibbs not at hand

3 rifle:505 gibbs bigger stuff up close

[postoak]

Congratulations, rimrock! You are the only poster who actually posted an answer that followed my original guidelines.
And those are good, thoughtful, choices, too.

[Hi Ball]

Gentlemen, just so you know for your future hunts! Stainless is easier to see for animals, as it gives off a sheen better than a regular blue barrel. I always use "FLAT BLACK" spray paint on any stainless rifle I might be carrying on a big game hunt. It keeps the stainless from Rusting (yes, they rust too) and it hides movement of the rifle barrel far better, so animals can't pick up the movement near as easy. The paint will clean off with using mineral spirits or some other product without damaging the stainless finish.

[Bushman]

Hi Ball, all my serious rifles are camo painted, barrel, stock, action and scope. I put a very nice 10 point into launch mode by the reflection on my then new RKW (read high gloss) Reminton finish on a M700. It is just one more thing that I can control to help swing the odds in my favor. I once watched a hunter walk under my tree and down a trail with a rifle over his shoulder on a sunny day. He might as well have had a mirror from the glint and flashes that were coming off that barrel.

[Herne]

Plains game up to 750 lbs. 270 Win. works fine - got the tee shirt. All you have to do is hit him in the right place, and one shot is plenty.

Plains game up to a bit bigger. 270 Win. Works fine so our PH used one on his culls, (or a 308 or an 06) No personal experience, but I am assured that all you have to do is......

DG -

Dad always used a 475 Churchill, side by side sidelock ejector. Wasn't his only gun, but it was the one he used most. Shot a lot of elephant with them (pair looted in Abyssinia during the war). Not a great deal else, because he wanted the ivory, and he was shooting for himself. Not a good round if you get it wrong, but he assured me that one round is plenty if you could keep your nerve and put it.....

And he used to shoot a lot. And lots of leopard of course in those non pc days for the skins - 12 bore Beretta shotgun.

Would I take a stainless gun anywhere. No. Blued steel only and oiled wood. But only a fool carries his rifle barrel up. Barrel down, muzzle taped. Keeps barrel clean and don't flash, minimises movement in the animals sightline.

[Hi Ball]

Herne my good fellow!......... I will admit that the .270 Winchester caliber has a special place in my hunting heart (shooting mule deer & whitetails) but I know Bloody Damn well, I will not be taking one to the Dark Continent to hunt 750 pound critters.......Geez Mate!

I hit a bluewildebeast with a solid shot to the front shoulder, using a model 70 Winchester mag in a .338 Win mag caliber and 225 grain TBBC bullet. It knocked him over on his back at 70 yards, all 4 feet going into the air. I tuned to say something to my PH and by the time I turned back around, that animal was up and running full tilt. It went some 80 yards before it's nose plowed up the dirt. One example of how tuff those African animals really are to bring down.

I saw several examples of hunters using a .270 Winchester on Gemsbok, Kudu and Wart Hog. The only animal that was put down without a big tracking job was the Wart Hog. All animals were hit with shots to the lung area behind the front shoulder.

I do not know what type of bullets these fellows were using but they had a tuff time in bringing in the critters period. I think a .270 is excellent on Babboon's, Impala but not for any animals over 300 pounds. I am not by myself on this conclusion either........."Any Shot You Want" Art Alphin has this documented too!

I don't like tracking animals in the bush, waste of time as far as I see things. I would much rather be out stalking another animal instead. I use a .416 Rem mag on Kudu and anything else over 500 pounds, after my experience with the running wildebeast. One shot in the front shoulder on a broadside presentation and it drop in their tracks. I used 350 grain Swift A Frames to do my bidding! NO lost animals either Mate!!! Bigger is Always Better, unless your P-dog shooting critters. You just ask any "red blooded Irishman" lol

[Herne]

I dunno what they did Hi Ball. Perhaps they just didn't hit them right. All of mine (I didn't go for a kudu), but I took a wildebeeste, a gemsbok, a red hartebeeste, - then they got smaller - a couple of springbok, an impala and a blesbok.

I round apiece, Hornady Interlock 270/150, and 52 g of H4350. All were beyond 300 - in and out in front of the 10th rib. They all fell over pretty quickly.

Dad used to shoot a lot of his plains game with a Parker Hale converted .303. I think it was called a Safari. Whether Tanganyika wildebeeste are bigger or smaller than those in RSA I don't know, but a .303 knocked them over quick enough. Topi, which are a hartebeeste of sorts was his favourite to shoot -good eating.

They aren't that hard to bring down - all you have to do is hit them in the right place. I was bet $10 that I couldn't get my wildebeeste with one round from a 270. By one of the Americans there and an ex-client of mine. Made for a good evenings pleasant drinking for all of us. Mind you, it wasn't the size of the bet that was important, more that there was one at all.

Incidentally Trev my hunting partner shot his with a 300WM and a Partition which blew up. Had a hell of a chase to find it, on its feet and still walking fairly slowly. Then took a second round. should have been a chest shot, but failed to penetrate. His Partition in a Hartebeeste was also recovered, and in the gemsbok. But the Interlock just kept on motoring...(not in the wildebeeste, but in all the others. If it hadn't hit a rib on the way in, it would have exited, because it was under the skin on the far side.)

[Hi Ball]

Herne brings back memories of my old Parker Hale in a .300 win mag! I ended up giving it to one of my relatives years ago. He still has the old gun, says its the best game getter he ever owned. He only has about 6 rifles and 3 of those are lever action, 2 Marlins in a 30-30 and .35 cal and 1 Winchester .375 cal. Well, I am hooked on African hunting alright but I will take my little .416 Remmy and .475 mag on my next trip for Buff & Sable, Lion is just getting to bloody expensive for my tastes buds. Cheer's Mate!~