Article: What they use to hunt in Africa

[CowboyTutt]

Hey guys, I stumbled upon this article by Craig Boddington about what PH's are currently using in Africa, and what they would recommend if you you had to pick a 1, 2 or 3 gun battery of arms to take with you. I wish he had also asked what type of bullets they were using as that has been a hot topic lately.

I was glad to see that I have one of the "highly recommended" calibers (although mine is "hot-rodded" up a bit! )

Anyhow, here ya go!

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/long_guns ... ndex3.html

-Tutt

[86er]

My two gun battery would be 45-70 and 308win. If it was to be a three gun battery, depending on the species targeted I would add a 221 Fireball or a 500BPE (or the likes).

[CowboyTutt]

My single gun would be my CZ 550 in 375 H&H AI. In a two gun battery, my mid-range gun would be my 358 BLR or maybe my 454 Puma. While Africa sounds nice, you have got me thinking about AK lately 86er. I have friends up there who might be able to help out, and it would be cheaper than Africa (and frankly more to my terrain liking).

-Tutt

[t.r.]

Sam Fadala is a lever fan who writes about his hunts with an enthusiasm that is absent from many other writers. Sam is a licensed PH and guides clients in S. Africa & Namibia. He carries a Marlin 45-70 and has taken many large animals with this rifle. The ammo is hand-loaded to MAX level.

TR

[Old Ironsights]

I just got 50, 600gr Hard-Cast, GC .458 bullets... I think one of those at modest speeds out of an 1886 would get the job done... twice...

[Hairy Clipper]

Hey Tutt!

A hunting buddy of mine, who, as life would have it passed away May 31, 2008, went to Africa in 1980 and harvested Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Warthog, Zebra, a Cat of some sort, Hippo and I can't remember what else with a one gun battery. It was a Winchester 1895 take-down model built in the mid '30's in .405 Winchester. As you would expect, all handloads. At that time, no one that was there had ever seen a levergun in Africa. He wrote to Winchester for years urging them to bring back the 1895 in that caliber...it finally happened!

R.I.P. Bwana Tembo

Hairy

[CowboyTutt]

Hairy, that is a good story. I'm very partial to Teddy's favorite rifle and still consider getting one in 405 from time to time.

-Tutt

[TedH]

Interesting article.

I have a good 3 gun battery with a .300 WM, 375 H&H and now the 470 NE. Now I just need to figure out how to get over there.

[Andrew]

Interesting article.

I have a good 3 gun battery with a .300 WM, 375 H&H and now the 470 NE. Now I just need to figure out how to get over there.

No experience, but from what I have read that's a very practical threesome to take with you.

[TomD]

HC, if he shot either a lion or a leopard, he would have beat Vince Lupo to a Big Five, by many years.


Old Ironsights, who sells 600 grain bullets for the 45-70.

[Old Ironsights]

HC, if he shot either a lion or a leopard, he would have beat Vince Lupo to a Big Five, by many years.

Old Ironsights, who sells 600 grain bullets for the 45-70.

AFAIK nobody sells them. OTOH I was trying to buy an LBT mold for one and missed out on it by about 5 minutes, so I razzed the buyer about it and he took pity on me and sent me some.

I may have to have Mountain Molds cut me one like it if I like it enough.

[Old Savage]

Read an article years ago by someone who lived over there and hunted a lot. It was regarding his use of a Savage 99 in 300 and a Model 70 in 30-06 and all the game he has used these to take.

[CowboyTutt]

O.I., what is the length of that 600 bullet? I just used the Greenhill Formula to calculate an estimate of how long a bullet a 1 in 18 twist barrel with a .458 diameter bullet will stabilize, and came up with a bullet length of 1.75 inches. I think it will work! I wish my Mauser had a faster twist than the 1 in 21.65 that is does as I have some beautiful 540 grain bullets, but they are just outside the max bullet length for my twist, so I'm not too hopeful they will work.

Let us know how those 600 grain bullets shoot for you, OK?

-Tutt

[Hairy Clipper]

TomD,

Before my buddy passed away, I scanned all of his old color photos with the hopes of figuring out how to put them on a CD for his son. That has not happened yet. But, I do remember the the cat had spots and I think it was a leopard. If you PM me with your e-mail address I will send you a picture, perhaps you could ID the make and model of cat?

Hairy

[KWK]

Thanks Tutt. I have Boddington's earlier book. I'm not surprised the change has been so little. Taylor was pretty much saying the same thing back before WW-II.

[tman]

i'd take a browning src.86-45-70 and a win95 src 30-06. either gun will kill anything on earth. the 06 can reaach out for those rare 250yds.+ shots. the 4570 when loaded right, will stop any game there is.

[maddog]

Leaving for RSA in 12 days, with my best friend and our sons. Compared to most, we are taking some "different" firepower. I'm taking my .45-70 GG, with handloaded 300 gr. nosler part. My sone is taking his H&R ultra hunter, .30-06, and 180 gr. nosler part. in Federal factory loads. My buddy is taking his new .308MX XLR, and lever evolution ammo. His son is the only one taking a "normal" rifle. A ruger hawkeye in .338 WM with 225 gr. accubonds in Federal factory loads. We are doing a 6 animal pkg., 10 day plains game hunt in the limpopo, so I should have some interesting stories, when we get back.

maddog

[TedH]

You lucky dog! Have a great time and give us a full report when you return.

[TomD]

HC,

PMd you.

I'm no expert on cats, in close the most marked feature of a cheatah in a photo might be the black contour line that runs from the tear ducts down around the jaw. If one see the leopard and cheetah moving around there are lots of obvious differences.

Also, I may be wrong to suggest a leopard can be substituted in a big five. Does anyone know? I know there were some name hunters who believed the leopard was more worthy than some of the animals in the more traditional big 5, possibly the hippo. Or can one claim a big five of sorts regardless of the 5 of 6 animals taken? Sounds like he made a great bag regardless.

[shawn_c992001]

I'd take my 1. Model 70 in 416 Rem Mag. or Marlin 1895 45-70, 2. Weatherby Vanguard .338WM, and 3.my 788 in 22-250.

[Hairy Clipper]

TomD,

I sent an e-mail with the cat photo attached. My guess is a leopard...but, that is a guess. I also found a dead lion picture that I forgot was there. Rolf was 29 at the time of the hunt. He had been reloading the .45/70 and the .444 and finally settled on the .405. Before he died he told me he should have taken many more photos. He was so into the hunting that the camera really was not on his mind.

Hairy

[Bramble]

HC,

PMd you.


Also, I may be wrong to suggest a leopard can be substituted in a big five. Does anyone know? I know there were some name hunters who believed the leopard was more worthy than some of the animals in the more traditional big 5, possibly the hippo. .

The Classic "Big five" is Lion, Leopard ,Elephant, Cape Buff and Rhino.

The hippo was not part of this classic 5. It has been added in recent times because of the impossibility of shooting Rhino. Although dangerous on land they are very easy to kill in the water where 99% of hunters take them. They will charge when roused but normally when one gets between them and water. They most usually leave the water during the night to graze.

Regards

[piller]

Now that I have a Guide Gun in .45-70, and have for a long time had a Rem 700 in 30-06, I hope to be able to go to Africa with one of 86er's hunting groups sometime. They may not be the classic African calibers, but I think that with some practice they would do fine for me. I'd love to have something in some of the classic African calibers, but that is not currently in the budget.

[lever4ever]

I have a friend who is a PH in Africa.
He would never let you hunt dangerous game with a 45-70!
His recommondations are .416 RemMag or stronger for DG and .300 WinMag for Plains Game.