Rifles for Cape Buffalo

[bowji john]

As you are hunting not 'stopping a charge' go with something that is not unpleasant to shoot

.375 sounds good

9.3 at a pinch but that is not legal in many countries for DG

CZ (or bruno if you are lucky to find one) is a really good choice

Do pay attention to the feed ramp - even some new rifles have a slight lip as it enters the chamber - OK for round nose but a flat merplat can catch on it

Do make sure that you 'feed rounds' before going out each day - a heavy recoiling rifle can distort rounds in the magazine

This is considered by some to be good practice - that is to check that rounds exposed to an 'event' e.g. sitting in a mag of a rifle that has been fired; or dropping a round on the ground - to ensure it will still feed

It is not unheard of for new rounds straight out of the box to be sufficiently damaged to not feed - not a prob on a roe but less desirable on a ****ed off buffalo

'Checking rounds' means feeding and dropping the bolt fully to ensure they engage - its a dangerous practice around other people but then so is a jammed round that wont feed and wont release

As some have said - better a rifle you can shoot without it scaring you to death than the biggest calibre known to man that you can't hit a barn from the inside with

You could go silly like me and have a 404 J made for you from a mauser 98

 

[Dickie]

It’s worth bearing in mind that you still stand a chance of getting .375 conditioned for U.K. use, anything bigger and you won’t, this for me was the decider as I was able to get out actually stalking with the rifle and not simply putting rounds down range before going to namibia with it.
CZ is a good rifle, but for sustained range use (practice) I found the stock shape left a lot to be desired, but I’d be amazed if you put anything like the hundreds of rounds down range you suggest, you can get very familiar with the rifle without pulling the trigger, and that many shots will probably cause you to develop bad habits....and cost a small fortune....!
most secondhand 375’s and above will be lucky to have fired more than a hundred rounds in normal use.... most are cabinet queens dusted off for special trips....

That all depends on which police force you are with some will only give port of embarkation ant practice on approved ranges which could also hamper your practice before the trip especially if there are 2 of you.

 

[zambezi]

Would he be better With a red dot sight?

I have a true 1-4x scope on my .375 which has an optional illuminated red dot. To my eyes, set to 1x, dot on and both eyes open, I could perform at par with a true red dot set up. What the 4x end of things gives you is a crisp picture for shots at 60-100m. Your second shot might be at greater distance.

 

[deerstalker.308]

That all depends on which police force you are with some will only give port of embarkation ant practice on approved ranges which could also hamper your practice before the trip especially if there are 2 of you.

re-read...... my post says .375 is the biggest cal you stand a chance of getting U.K. use for..... didn’t say you would, totally appreciate each force has differing views on that, I’m lucky with mine, but they all have the same view of anything larger and HO guidelines to support them....

 

[Dickie]

re-read...... my post says .375 is the biggest cal you stand a chance of getting U.K. use for..... didn’t say you would, totally appreciate each force has differing views on that, I’m lucky with mine, but they all have the same view of anything larger and HO guidelines to support them....

I know but equally making the op aware it’s not just a matter of saying I want a .375 for deer and a trip to Africa, as they might not get it until they have booked the trip “Good reason“ it is totally a police force lottery and its HO guidance so they can do as they please

 

[deerstalker.308]

Might all be irrelevant if this is the way it’s going!

SAA Flight Cancellations

South African Airlines have announced that from 1st March they will be cancelling all internal flights within South Africa except to Cape Town. At present what this means is there is no one else, besides SA Airlink, who will carry firearms. SAA will contact anyone who is booked and a refund will...

www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk

 

[User00035]

I got a variation for a 375 for when I went to SA, but the trip was for plains game, so I held off. Now, having spoken to a lot of people, and done Johns DG simulation weekend, people are recommending 416 minimum, 458Lott preferable.

I guess it will come down to how recoil tolerant someone is, and how good the stock is at absorbing it ? I'd want the biggest punch I could handle.

A .416 Rigby isn't that bad to shoot. One of the more manageable boomers. A big shove rather than a punch. As long as the rifle fits you well it doesn't beat you up.
Surprisingly accurate at longer ranges too. A mate has a Ruger in .416R. we were messing about one day testing loads and out of interest we took the range out past 100 yards. With the rifle in a lead sled for consistency it put three rounds through the same hole.

For a while he was using his .416 as a general plains rifle and put a Zeiss Duralyt on it. It's handled the recoil no problem at all and never once shifted zero. Not bad for a budget scope.

 

[Gsd99]

I would agree with most of the guys above (some very experienced Africa hunters) regarding the 375 H&H or a similiar calibre, leaving your PH with the show stopper.
Much of what hunters understood about elephants at one time was written by a Mr Bell, who i believe took many of the 1000+ elephants with a .275, clearly alot of practice etc etc but you dont 'need' a 500 nitro for example.
Josh

 

[Tim.243]

Might all be irrelevant if this is the way it’s going!

SAA Flight Cancellations

South African Airlines have announced that from 1st March they will be cancelling all internal flights within South Africa except to Cape Town. At present what this means is there is no one else, besides SA Airlink, who will carry firearms. SAA will contact anyone who is booked and a refund will...

www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk

My SA friend said the Gov has stopped bailing them out....
An old quote but...

The staff-to-aircraft ratio of Lufthansa Airlines is 193.13 because its 118,781 employees are looking after a fleet of 615 aircraft. Its revenues stand at $33.8 billion. The staff-to-aircraft ratio of the South African Airways is 216.81 because its 11,491 employees are looking after a fleet of 53 aircraft

Tim.243

 

[John Gryphon]

If new, it is worth sitting with it on your lap each evening, repeatedly cycling the bolt (perhaps with a spot of valve-grinding paste) in order to smooth out the finish. They get even better as they get older.

With respect now old mate Carl,why not the man get out and punch a 100 live rounds through it first...much better in my thoughts.

 

[alberta boy]

I had a CZ550 and too found the stock shape didn’t suit me especially with a scope. The stock design is for shooting open sights so once you add a scope you may need to lift the comb height.

The other alteration to a CZ is to have the extractor claw opened up slightly so that feeds better when top loading - after you emptied the mag and are in a bit of hurry to push the next round into the chamber apparently it reduces the chances of a jam. This was done by Gunsmith for me when I had the stock drilled for a kick-stop.

I ended up swapping the Cz for a SL rifle as I already had two of them.

Good point . When you get into cartridges that generate these levels of recoil , fit becomes extremely important . I had a Brno 602 in 375 H&H , it fit me like a glove , I could shoot a lot of rounds through it with out any discomfort . I had an old tang safety Ruger M77 Tropical in 458WM , same story . I recently got rid of a Winchester M70 ( push feed ) in 300WM that was brutal for me to shoot , it just didn't fit and was obnoxious to spend any extended range sessions with . Spend some time looking at rifles and find one that fits with your preferred sighting choice . What fits for iron sights rarely works out with a scope IMHO .
For what it's worth , I'd follow Heym SR20's advice and spend some time , and money , going through any dangerous game rifle to ensure total reliability . A malfunctioning rifle while hunting Roe is annoying , a malfunctioning DG rifle can get you tore up . Keep us posted .

AB

 

[vanddi]

A friend (you know who you are!!) has raised the possibility of an Africa trip with the aim of hunting Cape Buffalo. My initial thought was to borrow a rifle out there but this would mean using an unfamiliar tool in a potentially critical situation. This got me thinking about obtaining a suitable rifle so that I (or we) we can have a few hundred rounds of experience before the trip.
my initial thoughts were to look for a 375 H&H or 416 and top it with a low range (1-4x) scope. The CZ 550 was the obvious choice as a controlled round feed robust actioned rifle. Do you think that this would be a sensible route to go down? Are there any rifles that are best avoided (Holt’s have two Sauer 90s in 375)? Would the 416 (or 458) be much better than the 375? With a new or barely used rifle is it advisable to have any work done to slick up the action, ensure reliable feeding etc.
If anyone knows of any local gun shops with such a big boomer gathering dust on the shelves, please let me know.

I inherited a beautifully done older Whitworth Safari Express in 375 H&H made in Birmingham...Came fitted with a KDF muzzle brake and shoots like a dream, the recoil is like shooting my 7X72R Drilling. However the brake gives it the voice of a howitzer. I topped it with a Burris 1X4 on Leupold quick detach rings. At my back yard range I have put many a hole through US quarters (coin) - the gun is very accurate.
I took this gun on my bucket list safari to SA and Zim....1 shot frontal heart shot @20 yrds into a dream buff with a Federal Cape Shok 300gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw was all it took. He turned and ran @60 yrds (thankfully) and upon evisceration found a gaping hole through his heart. Bullet penetration was excellent as no bone was struck and was lost in the gut pile.
As with most shooting - shot placement is everything. Choose a rifle/caliber combination that you shoot well and enjoy.
Good Hunting,
Dave

[/QUOTE]

As you are hunting not 'stopping a charge' go with something that is not unpleasant to shoot

.375 sounds good

9.3 at a pinch but that is not legal in many countries for DG

CZ (or bruno if you are lucky to find one) is a really good choice

Do pay attention to the feed ramp - even some new rifles have a slight lip as it enters the chamber - OK for round nose but a flat merplat can catch on it

Do make sure that you 'feed rounds' before going out each day - a heavy recoiling rifle can distort rounds in the magazine

This is considered by some to be good practice - that is to check that rounds exposed to an 'event' e.g. sitting in a mag of a rifle that has been fired; or dropping a round on the ground - to ensure it will still feed

It is not unheard of for new rounds straight out of the box to be sufficiently damaged to not feed - not a prob on a roe but less desirable on a ****ed off buffalo

'Checking rounds' means feeding and dropping the bolt fully to ensure they engage - its a dangerous practice around other people but then so is a jammed round that wont feed and wont release

As some have said - better a rifle you can shoot without it scaring you to death than the biggest calibre known to man that you can't hit a barn from the inside with

You could go silly like me and have a 404 J made for you from a mauser 98

 

[Selous]

So putting calibre to one side the CZ seems universally well accepted, but what about the Ruger 77s and the Winchester model 70s (the Heyms and Dumoulins etc are out of budget). They all seem to have controlled round feed and 3 position safety. The CZ seems to have a larger magazine capacity than the others but are there any other disadvantages compared to the CZ. There is also a Sako TRG-S on guntrader in 416 Remington that has a detachable magazine. Would this be a problem or are floorplates preferable?

 

[Cumbrian 1]

For buff a scope sighted rifle is a good option, with QD mounts you can always opt for open sights, in my experience not all buffalo are killed at 15m some first shots may be 50-100m and with the grass and scrub trying to pick out the shoulder with your front bead is not so easy IMHO. Calibre wise shoot what you feel comfortable with .375 is a good option.

 

[Hoof burner]

A PH will rather you arrive with a .375 that you can shoot accurately and handle well than a cannon that your scared off.
Also you can walk into any good gun shop in Southern Africa and get ammo if you get separated from it or have a issue with the rifle.
As far as practice goes “drills is skills” if bowji John can be persuaded to run his DG course again get yourself booked on it it’s a real eye opener and you can learn skills that are relavant to DG hunting but are also useful for UK stalking.
The lastest copy of the perfect shot by Dr Kevin Robertson also has a good section on rifle shooting that is worthy is a read.

 

[bowji john]

A PH will rather you arrive with a .375 that you can shoot accurately and handle well than a cannon that your scared off.
Also you can walk into any good gun shop in Southern Africa and get ammo if you get separated from it or have a issue with the rifle.
As far as practice goes “drills is skills” if bowji John can be persuaded to run his DG course again get yourself booked on it it’s a real eye opener and you can learn skills that are relavant to DG hunting but are also useful for UK stalking.
The lastest copy of the perfect shot by Dr Kevin Robertson also has a good section on rifle shooting that is worthy is a read.

30th and 31st May for next DG Fun weekend - sorry for the shameful advertising

 

[Heym SR20]

So putting calibre to one side the CZ seems universally well accepted, but what about the Ruger 77s and the Winchester model 70s (the Heyms and Dumoulins etc are out of budget). They all seem to have controlled round feed and 3 position safety. The CZ seems to have a larger magazine capacity than the others but are there any other disadvantages compared to the CZ. There is also a Sako TRG-S on guntrader in 416 Remington that has a detachable magazine. Would this be a problem or are floorplates preferable?

The Ruger 77s are a good rifle, but most of the newer ones are in 375 Ruger rather than 375H&H. Probably OK in SA and Namibia as ammo will be available. Rest of Africa its any bodies guess. I shot one and hunted with one a couple of years ago. It was the Alaskan - stainless with a good tough laminate stock. It was a pussycat to shoot. Indeed my 15 year old daughter enjoyed shooting it off sticks at football size rocks 200 yards away - they all broke.

If you are going Ruger or indeed new CZ and it has a plain wooden stock, make sure that it is hard and heavy wood with the grain running straight from forend tip through to the butt plate. I have seen many cheaper new wooden stocked rifles that have been stocked by machine with absolutely no regard as flow of grain nor indeed strength of the wood. Its just a matter of time before they fail. If in doubt a good laminate stock really soaks up the recoil and is also tough.

General advice that I have read is that fixed magazines are the way to go on heavy recoiling - just one less thing to fall out. And you notice that many DG rifle actually have a lever latch to open the floor plate rather than a spring latch. Last thing you want is for it go bombs away. Personally I have yet to find a rifle with a detacheable magazine where the mag doesn't fall out when I am using it.

Get a copy of Boddingtons Safari Rifles and it will tell you everything you need to know.

 

[Alistair]

I like my .375H&H Win Mod 70 Safari Express

Decent action, strong but basic wood, cross bolts, true CRF, shallow V irons as standard. Pretty bomb proof, albeit not as smooth as my Tikka.

I've mounted a Meopta Meostar R2 1-6x24 with illuminated dot in some Warne QD rings.

I'd shoot buffalo with it I reckon!

 

[Odders]

I'm looking to get a .375 Ruger barrel, bolt & magazine for my .270 S&L, with the intention of taking both calibres to SA next year.
Found an airline approved hard case that'll take everything with both barrels detached so it's not much longer than a suitcase.

 

[Selous]

I'm looking to get a .375 Ruger barrel, bolt & magazine for my .270 S&L, with the intention of taking both calibres to SA next year.
Found an airline approved hard case that'll take everything with both barrels detached so it's not much longer than a suitcase.

That’s a good idea. Thinking about it pretty much any rifle could be dismantled in this manned to barreled action and stock for transport. If it were pillar bedded then should retain zero if the stock screws are torqued consistently. Having taken skis through airports many times, the length of the package is the PITA.