Big Game/Safari Rifles - Let's see them...
- Thread starter SmithNut
- Start date
Nice boomer's on display here. SmithNut's 458 Lott, bengalfan's custom Jeager 375 H&H and of course Curly's 10 bore are what dreams are made of.
Big bores and Africa are what a lot of us dreamt of. I know I have read the books and stories in the outdoor magazines when I was a young man.
My "blue collar" big bore is a rather common Marlin 1895 .45-70. Not as exotic as some on here but loaded up it gets one's attention. Loaded with a 300gr bullet at 1500fps it is pleasant to shoot and hunt deer with.
The double AA's, Africa and Alaska, were never doable for me but I still dream about it and enjoy everyone's rifle and stories.
Big bores and Africa are what a lot of us dreamt of. I know I have read the books and stories in the outdoor magazines when I was a young man.
My "blue collar" big bore is a rather common Marlin 1895 .45-70. Not as exotic as some on here but loaded up it gets one's attention. Loaded with a 300gr bullet at 1500fps it is pleasant to shoot and hunt deer with.
The double AA's, Africa and Alaska, were never doable for me but I still dream about it and enjoy everyone's rifle and stories.
Some spectacular rifles posted above, cool...! Please keep them coming.... 
Love the doubles, I did own one for a couple years, a German Heym, it had very ornate engraving, not overdone with a beautiful matching scope mount and scope, chambered in .375 H&H.
The problem was, it was very heavy for the caliber, a big chunk of steel. While it shot great, I just couldn't see carrying that thing around for long, my M70's were much lighter for the caliber.
Sold it for what I paid for it, don't miss it much, but it was purty.
Love the doubles, I did own one for a couple years, a German Heym, it had very ornate engraving, not overdone with a beautiful matching scope mount and scope, chambered in .375 H&H.
The problem was, it was very heavy for the caliber, a big chunk of steel. While it shot great, I just couldn't see carrying that thing around for long, my M70's were much lighter for the caliber.
Sold it for what I paid for it, don't miss it much, but it was purty.
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Bill Bates
Member
I don't know if I will ever make it to Africa. It seems every time we get something planned the universe throws up a road block.
If I do I'm taking this pair of Ruger M77 Hawkeye Africans. One is chambered in .275 Rigby (7x57) and the other is a 9,3x62mm.
If I do I'm taking this pair of Ruger M77 Hawkeye Africans. One is chambered in .275 Rigby (7x57) and the other is a 9,3x62mm.
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Seeing Ruger rifles in this thread puts a smile on my face.
For years, many of my gun friends have poo-poo'd Rugers.
I had a pretty good collection of Ruger M77's for years, focused on the RSI and RS variants. Loved the looks of them and the price/performance aspect versus other makes.
Alas, I sold much of them, but kept a 30-06 and .300 Win Mag in the Express models. In fact, on my second hunt (Tanzania), I took the 300 Win Mag and used it to bag a nice Red Hartebeest.
These rifles have the nice Circassian walnut stocks and are just as lovely as they are versatile. (Will need to get some pics taken and post, Ruger did a great job on the Express guns.....)
For years, many of my gun friends have poo-poo'd Rugers.
I had a pretty good collection of Ruger M77's for years, focused on the RSI and RS variants. Loved the looks of them and the price/performance aspect versus other makes.
Alas, I sold much of them, but kept a 30-06 and .300 Win Mag in the Express models. In fact, on my second hunt (Tanzania), I took the 300 Win Mag and used it to bag a nice Red Hartebeest.
These rifles have the nice Circassian walnut stocks and are just as lovely as they are versatile. (Will need to get some pics taken and post, Ruger did a great job on the Express guns.....
)
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I had visions of going out west for hunting elk so I managed to acquire a Remington 700 in 375 H&H. It already had a ported barrel and I put a Bushnell Elite scope on it that was supposed to be able to handle the recoil. This gun was incredibly accurate. However, I got laid off in 2009 and I had to sell the gun. Luckily I kept my Marlin 1895SS 45-70.
CptCurl,
Thanks for posting that video and the beautiful photos of that 10 bore. I really enjoyed watching that informative video and it is cool to put a face on a poster who has contributed to this forum. You are darn good in front of the camera. Did those shots hit the target?
Best to all,
Cap
Thanks for posting that video and the beautiful photos of that 10 bore. I really enjoyed watching that informative video and it is cool to put a face on a poster who has contributed to this forum. You are darn good in front of the camera. Did those shots hit the target?
Best to all,
Cap
I'm down to three Big Games Rifles now as I've gotten older.
My 470 William Evans is my last Nitro Express as I've sold the others. So far it has accounted for 2 Elephants and a Cape Buffalo. It wears a Doctor Optic Reflex Sight now as I have a hard time seeing the open sights.
As a Lefty, Safari Rifles are hard to come by so I was fortunate to find this Model 70 in 375 H&H.
My final remaining one is a 12 Bore Holland Paradox built in 1913 for a Russian Prince of some renown. I imagine his life became very hectic in the few years after he took delivery of this one.
My 470 William Evans is my last Nitro Express as I've sold the others. So far it has accounted for 2 Elephants and a Cape Buffalo. It wears a Doctor Optic Reflex Sight now as I have a hard time seeing the open sights.
As a Lefty, Safari Rifles are hard to come by so I was fortunate to find this Model 70 in 375 H&H.
My final remaining one is a 12 Bore Holland Paradox built in 1913 for a Russian Prince of some renown. I imagine his life became very hectic in the few years after he took delivery of this one.
AJ
US Veteran
Paul Jaeger custom 375 H&H
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I had a Jaeger in .270 once very nice rifle. Bought it from one friend , shot it and sold it to another friend for a deer hunt...........
I guess I'll have to go to the rifle safe. My big bores are mostly Ruger #1's in 375 H&H, 405 Win, 450/400 and a 35 Whelan if you want to consider it a big bore. There's a nice pre64 M70 in 375 H&H that hasn't seen the light of day in decades. It needs a new home if anyone is interested. There's a custom M77 in 416 Taylor and a Heym 500 B.P.E. The Taylor has accounted for a pile of stuff in Africa including Cape Buffalo. In two trips to Alaska I took a boat paddle stocked Ruger stainless in 338. It clobbered a big Grizzly and a Moose also an Elk in Colorado. I load the big stuff down and deer hunt with all of them.
. My big bores are mostly Ruger #1's in 375 H&H, 405 Win, 450/400 and a 35 Whelan if you want to consider it a big bore. There's a nice pre64 M70 in 375 H&H that hasn't seen the light of day in decades. It needs a new home if anyone is interested. There's a custom M77 in 416 Taylor and a Heym 500 B.P.E. The Taylor has accounted for a pile of stuff in Africa including Cape Buffalo. In two trips to Alaska I took a boat paddle stocked Ruger stainless in 338. It clobbered a big Grizzly and a Moose also an Elk in Colorado. I load the big stuff down and deer hunt with all of them.
CPTCURL, you may recall in a John Wayne western, not sure of the name o movie, maybe the "Searchers" ?. Anyway, John and his friends finally locate Richard Boone, and prepare to confront him. John tells one of his companions "to go get a shogun, get a Greener." I never really saw one, but yours is really a beautiful shotgun. Maybe it is the one John Wayne wanted for his confrontation with Richard Boone. SF VET
SF VET, "Greeners" were among the most well known, dare I say popular, "coach guns" of the late 19th century. There is a plethora of information on the Internet about Greener guns. I don't dare pick any one website to post over another.
But this thread now reminds me of a personal story. Maybe almost 20 years ago I was attending a Dallas Safari Club Exposition in Dallas and I was examining some very beautiful, big bore rifles on a table run by a gent named Butch Searcy.
He makes some of the finest, most expensive big bore rifles you would ever want to see. B. Searcy & Co. The All-American Double Rifle (c) Searcy Enterprises
Anyway, Butch had a number of big bore African hunting rifles on his table, some of which he made, some of which he acquired and was selling. Various calibers you're all familiar with. One rifle caught my eye because as much as I love sexy doubles I adore bolt guns. Anyway, Butch allows that I can handle it and now - picture this - I'm basically a smaller guy, maybe too much weight and definitely insufficient height. Butch Searcy is probably a six footer, a big man, linebacker type, so next to me he's huge, yes?
The rifle is a .500 Jeffrey. I pick it up, shoulder it, and Butch's face loses all expression and from his dead pan, blank face he says, and I quote, "That one will hurt you!". Whoa! Never mind, then!
But this thread now reminds me of a personal story. Maybe almost 20 years ago I was attending a Dallas Safari Club Exposition in Dallas and I was examining some very beautiful, big bore rifles on a table run by a gent named Butch Searcy.
He makes some of the finest, most expensive big bore rifles you would ever want to see. B. Searcy & Co. The All-American Double Rifle (c) Searcy Enterprises
Anyway, Butch had a number of big bore African hunting rifles on his table, some of which he made, some of which he acquired and was selling. Various calibers you're all familiar with. One rifle caught my eye because as much as I love sexy doubles I adore bolt guns. Anyway, Butch allows that I can handle it and now - picture this - I'm basically a smaller guy, maybe too much weight and definitely insufficient height. Butch Searcy is probably a six footer, a big man, linebacker type, so next to me he's huge, yes?
The rifle is a .500 Jeffrey. I pick it up, shoulder it, and Butch's face loses all expression and from his dead pan, blank face he says, and I quote, "That one will hurt you!". Whoa! Never mind, then!
This first one is a Win. M70 Super Grade, a later one with the controlled round feed. It's a .458 Win.
Next is a pair of pre-64 M70's in 300 H&H. One has a Leupold Alaskan 4x in a Griffin & Howe double lever side mount, the other an old Leupold fixed 4x. These are for the little stuff.
Last is a pair of pre-64 M70's in 375 H&H. One is a 1949 with a custom stock and the other a 1950, I think, and is fairly standard. Both have a Leupold Vari XIII 1.5-5.
Next is a pair of pre-64 M70's in 300 H&H. One has a Leupold Alaskan 4x in a Griffin & Howe double lever side mount, the other an old Leupold fixed 4x. These are for the little stuff.
Last is a pair of pre-64 M70's in 375 H&H. One is a 1949 with a custom stock and the other a 1950, I think, and is fairly standard. Both have a Leupold Vari XIII 1.5-5.
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Fun video, Curly. And while I appreciate the offer, no thanks. I won't take a turn!
(Ouch!)
(Ouch!)
The 300 H&H is another favorite caliber for me. I have a pre64 M70 Super Grade and a custom #1. The more things change the more they stay the same. Today's 300 H&H is the 300 Winchester Short Mag. Reloading data is interchangeable and the ballistics are about equal. I'll stick with the classics.
HOUSTON RICK
Member
Beautiful firearms. Dumb question that I would rather ask here than Google, could the "Big Game" be effectively taken with Winchester 308 or Russian 39x54R? Is there a significant greater risk of a non-lethal shot or regulatory requirements? From someone who has never been to Alaska or Africa to hunt. Texas deer and wild pigs are not big game. Thanks!
This M70 if also from the Winchester Custom Shop. Put my order in for it while at the SCI show in 2001, it showed up a few months later. This is chambered in .458 Lott, and it's a hoot to shoot. Love the wood - fancy Walnut - and the overall looks of the beast....
.............SmithNut
SmithNut, I have never been or never will hunt game big enough to need one of these rifles. But, I had a thought. How 'bout I send you a nice composite stock for this rifle, and you send me the OLD crummy wood stock.......it looks like I could get a few pairs of target grips made out of it!!
Seriously, beautiful!Larry
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