Author Topic: plain games light rifle which caliber? (Read 1294 times)

adam · « **on:** May 07, 2005, 05:00:09 AM »

Hi
A caliber suitable for all the plain games and able to down dangerous game " not for hunting Dg,but in case the things go wrong" easy on the shoulder and bearing in a light weight rifle? what is your opinion?
cheers
adam

Ramrod · « **Reply #1 on:** May 07, 2005, 01:47:38 PM »

I would say the .30-06 has met those requirements for almost 100 years.

Die Ou Jagter · « **Reply #2 on:** May 09, 2005, 03:25:16 AM »

We don't want to all sound alike. 338 WM.

GEMSBUCK · « **Reply #3 on:** May 09, 2005, 07:34:40 AM »

anything bigger than a 270 will and has worked just fine for years.
My favorite is a 300 WSM in a Win. Mdl 70

JJHACK · « **Reply #4 on:** May 10, 2005, 03:10:14 AM »

More Americans bring and use a 300 mags then all calibers combined. I have as a loaner a 30/06 which has taken several hundred aniamls for myslef and my clients. We have never lost a single one with this cartridge and 165 grain premium bonded bullets.

I like the little 30/06 quite a lot as its very light, no recoil, and has enough power to sort out any plains game you will come across. As far as DG just leave it be. Nothing smaller then a 458 caliber can be considered a serious stopper under bad conditions, and nothing under 375 can be considered a practical hunting choice. YOur The need to pack around a stopper for a recreational sportsman is zero and would be silly to attempt. Beleive me I have plenty of very paranoid hunters dragging a 13 pound "stopper" around on plains game hunts. They are miserable after a few days hunting and we usually sit up at a water hole after that.

We should keep the perspective of a hunting gun and a back-up "insurance" policy seperate. The two guns cannot be combined into one. You will be with a PH for a good reason. Your focus on hunting should be on the desired species, let the PH worry about any problems that come up. Its what your paying him for. Odds are far greater you will have more life threating issues on the drive to the airport then you will with an irate DG animal in Africa.

adam · « **Reply #5 on:** May 10, 2005, 04:27:41 AM »

Hi guys
Thanks for the replies. I had 3006 in my mind but i wanted to be sure it is a right choice the other option which is 9,3x62 . there are plenty of good husky rifles in this caliber around here in Sweden where I am living and cheap as a dirt,but the recoil in a light frame rifle poorly stocked old guns are unpleasent and my health don't allow me to carry a heavy gun all day long.
regards
adam

Jimi · « **Reply #6 on:** May 10, 2005, 01:24:09 PM »

I'm still partial to the .300 H&H Magnum... particularly that you can load 220 grain bullets, which is nice for kudu or eland.

JJHACK · « **Reply #7 on:** May 10, 2005, 05:28:10 PM »

Kudu are probably the softest and easiest to kill of all the plains game they have seemingly very little will to live when compared to Blue wildebeast, Gemsbok, or even the little impala. Eland are the biggest of the game we typically consider ordinary plains species. They can be difficult to stop and exhibit little reaction to a bullet at times. They do bleed good and are not often a problem. In a big heard that runs off the hundreds or thousands of hoof prints and settiling dust and dirt can cover the blood trail pretty good though. One reason using bigger then .308 diameter is a real benifit in shooting plains species in herds. That reminds me Kudu bulls are nearly always shot alone or with very few other Kudu. Another feature that gives them the low difficulty factor.

Jimi · « **Reply #8 on:** May 11, 2005, 11:32:58 AM »

Unless you're one of those hunters with a kudu voodoo ;-)

Zachary · « **Reply #9 on:** May 23, 2005, 04:30:27 PM »

Quote from: JJHACK

I like the little 30/06 quite a lot as its very light, no recoil...

A .30-06 has no recoil? I guess only a safari hunter that shoots a .458 Win. Mag. on a regular basis could say that a .30-06 has no recoil.

JJHack mentioned that the .300 Win Mag is probably the most popular combined. I would similarly think that the .300WSM would be a great cartridge given that it has the same power (or a tad bit more) than the 300WM, yet you can get a lighter rifle like the Kimber 8400 Montana. Nah, I'm not too fond of the idea of carrying a 13 pound rifle around for plains game. :grin:

One of these days I'm going to hunt in Africa. I keep on postponing because of work. Now I have to postpone because of getting engaged, then I'll have to postpone because of getting married. But from what I've heard, after I get married, there will be NO MORE delays.

Zachary