Big Game/Safari Rifles - Let's see them...

[dsf]

Reading through the thread and chamberings I realized having them in handguns 1st - 375 H&H, 405 Winchester, 350 Rem Mag and 458 Win Mag - courtesy of the T/C Encore with 15" barrels.

I didn't see the old Whitworth mentioned. Mine carries a Leupold Swing Lo base with an old Weaver attached. Should probably carry a 1 to 4X.

 

[SmithNut]

I'm too lazy to be a hunter so I can't really call mine a big game rifle, but I do have a left-handed .460 Weatherby with Lazermark stock that I like to take to the plinking range once in a while.

My target of choice is a one-gallon can of hominy corn at about 20 yards.

Interestingly, the gun which I bought NIB in 1994 via Shotgun News came with a 100yd test target with a three shot group that measured 1.3". After firing a few shots from the bench to zero the scope, I shot a 100yd group of 1.7" with virtually identical relative shot placement.

Like many others posting here, I also have a nice 1895 Marlin in .45-70. I was at a gun show in OKC (also in 1994) and happened to run into my oldest nephew. We cruised the aisles for a bit together until we came to one of my favorite dealers at the time. I spotted the Marlin on the table and quietly said to my nephew, "I can probably get that for $250."

The dealer came over and I asked him what he had the Marlin priced at and he said, "$250." I told my nephew, "Dang, he called my bluff!" and paid the man.

I made the mistake of shooting a friends .460 - one time - that's all it took. We were in an indoor shooting range with several big and husky fellows, I should have taken a que when one guy - who weighed ~250ish was blown backwards a couple steps....
No sir, never again.... Your picture is evidence enough.....

 

[CLASSIC12]

I bought a new 1967 Winchester M70 super grade in .458 Magnum last year. It's a pretty rifle

I use it mostly to shoot at criminals

 

[poprivit]

Big Boomer

Ma Duce - not mine, but a ball to shoot

 

[SmithNut]

....snip

A .416 will probably be my choice if I take two rifles. I have a Model 70 and a Weatherby Mark V DGR, both .416 RMs. I like them both. It will be a hard choice, probably slightly favoring the DGR. Though it is not cool to say so, I like the Mark V action.
...snip

I always thought that a .416 would be a great choice fitting between the .375 H&H and the .458's.....

To that end, back in the late 90's, I bought a Remington Big Game Synthetic in .416 Rem Mag.

The combination of that cartridge and a light weight Synthetic stocked rifle was - uh... well brutal in recoil....

I sold it to a one of my friends that went to Tanzania in 2000, he shot it less than a box and literally handed it to the other friend that joined us on that trip (he's a big man, ~ 300ish lbs... and he even had some trouble keeping that rifle under control.)

Anyway, it did go with us to Tanzania where our PH arrived from another country without his normal rifle, and he played with that Remington, but didn't carry it because it was a push feed rifle, not controlled round feeding, and he didn't trust it.

I ended up with it again after that trip and sold it as soon as I could find someone who was interested in it.

I mentioned somewhere in this thread that I was interested in a Ruger M77 in .416 Taylor (but missed it unfortunately), that was a chunk of a rifle and would have probably been a joy to shoot the .416 round with, so if someone ever gives you a chance to shoot a Remington Big Game Synthetic in .416 Rem Mag - just run.....

 

[SmithNut]

Ma Duce - not mine, but a ball to shoot

The M2 is really fun to shoot.....

This is a friend shooting another friends M2 back in 2003 up in the mountains just east of Snoqualmie Pass in WA.

I'm the guy behind the camera.

We all had an opportunity to make some noise with it, I can't imagine what
it would be like if it actually could shoot full auto.

It was fun nonetheless.

 

[AJ]

Ma Duce - not mine, but a ball to shoot

The M2 is really fun to shoot.....

This is a friend shooting another friends M2 back in 2003 up in the mountains just east of Snoqualmie Pass in WA.

I'm the guy behind the camera.

We all had an opportunity to make some noise with it, I can't imagine what
it would be like if it actually could shoot full auto.

It was fun nonetheless.

Took 25 of them to Quantico to for a Reserve Company Shoot. Also had 2 6X6's filled with ammo. The boys had a good time and we came back with some dirty M2's and 2 empty 6X6's...........a real good time.

 

[brendonjames65]

My Remington Model 700 Custom Shop North American Custom 375 Remington Ultra Magnum. Why I got it I'm not really sure other than I got a pretty good deal on it.

I will say it's the hardest recoiling rifle I've ever shot, ever! I've owned and/or shot 416 Rem Mag and 458 Win Mag, and this kicked far worse primarily because this 375 RUM is a 7 1/2 lb rifle (with scope), far too light for the caliber! The 416 and 458 were 9-10 lb rifles and that made a huge difference in felt recoil.

It's capable of under 1 inch groups at 100 yards but requires a PAST shooting pad and even then feels like you're getting punched in the shoulder by Mike Tyson!

After taking a buffalo, elk and receiving a small permanent scar between my eyes, I had a KDF muzzlebrake installed and now it feels like shooting a 300 Win Mag but boy, you better wear ear plugs, because the muzzle blast can peel paint!

I'm no physicists, but I checked out some online recoil calculators and before I had the KDF muzzlebrake installed, the 375 RUM at a weight of 7 lbs bare and 7.5 lbs total with scope, mounts and sling, I was getting approximately 100 ft lbs of recoil! Way more than your typical safari rifles in 416, 458 and even 460 Wby, which will weigh 9-11 lbs. only the 577 and 600 Nitro surpass it. Even the similar 378 Wby is typically found in a much heavier rifle.

I think had I purchased the 375 RUM in the typical safari or ABG configuration, weighing 9-10 lbs I'd probably have a different opinion and wouldn't have needed the muzzlebrake but at 7 to 71/2 lbs, I felt it was absolutely necessary unless additional weight was added or a mercury recoil reducer.

I added a photo of the 375 RUM at one of my favorite elk hunting spots with the Clark Fork River in the background. I now use a 7mm Rem Mag primarily, kills elk just as dead.

 

[M29since14]

…I mentioned somewhere in this thread that I was interested in a Ruger M77 in .416 Taylor (but missed it unfortunately), that was a chunk of a rifle and would have probably been a joy to shoot the .416 round with, so if someone ever gives you a chance to shoot a Remington Big Game Synthetic in .416 Rem Mag - just run.....

My Model 70 .416 has a plain barrel and does kick a bit, but it is tolerable. The Mark V DGR has a screw-on brake and is nothing at all to shoot. Since I cannot shoot a single round of anything without hearing protection, I'll tend toward taking the Mark V - and earmuffs.

Rifles and recoil are funny things. People complain vigorously about the .378 Weatherby. If I stay out of the way of its telescope, I hardly notice the kick. The Model 70 .458 is a five-shot gun for me. The sixth one will probably be a flinch. Not a good thing. The .375/.378/small .416s are really about my personal limit. Recoil numbers, and even rifle weight, don't always tell the whole story, IMO. And the older I get, the more I like muzzle brakes.

 

[CB3]

. Recoil numbers, and even rifle weight, don't always tell the whole story, IMO. And the older I get, the more I like muzzle brakes.

Muzzle breaks on big bores make a very significant difference. Yup, PHs and others standing to the sides hate them, but they aren't the ones paying for the experience.

 

[GSP Fan]

Muzzle breaks on big bores make a very significant difference. Yup, PHs and others standing to the sides hate them, but they aren't the ones paying for the experience.

Oh they pay for it no doubt about it. It's called loss of hearing.

 

[Warboar]

The M2 is really fun to shoot.....

This is a friend shooting another friends M2 back in 2003 up in the mountains just east of Snoqualmie Pass in WA.

I'm the guy behind the camera.

We all had an opportunity to make some noise with it, I can't imagine what
it would be like if it actually could shoot full auto.

It was fun nonetheless.

Shooting the Ma-Duce puts a grin on your face ear to ear in full Auto. The only other big Machinegun to do that for me was the MK-19. That thing with HDPE rounds was no fun for those on the receiving end when they were taking shots at you and hiding behind mud/adobe walls.

 

[max503]

I made the mistake of shooting a friends .460 - one time - that's all it took. We were in an indoor shooting range with several big and husky fellows, I should have taken a que when one guy - who weighed ~250ish was blown backwards a couple steps....
No sir, never again.... Your picture is evidence enough.....

Dad had a 303 Enfield. I was home alone one day, so I took the rifle down to the basement with 2 bullets.
Ended up only shooting one.

 

[AJ]

Dad had a 303 Enfield. I was home alone one day, so I took the rifle down to the basement with 2 bullets.
Ended up only shooting one.

A .303........?

 

[RayRay7]

It's borderline but the title did say safari and big game…

70s era No.1 in .300win mag with an old wide view -

Hope to bag my first elk with it one day…

 

[Darkenfast]

I bought a new 1967 Winchester M70 super grade in .458 Magnum last year. It's a pretty rifle

I use it mostly to shoot at criminals

Put a ladder sight on it and you could probably use it to shell French territory across the lake! In self-defense, of course.

 

[AJ]

It's borderline but the title did say safari and big game…

70s era No.1 in .300win mag with an old wide view -

Hope to bag my first elk with it one day…

When coming back from my second tour in South East Asia (1972), I stopped at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. They had a gun shop on base at the time. I wanted a .300 Weatherby, but all they had in .300 was a .300 Winchester Magnum in a Remington 700 C out of the Custom Shop. It cost me $113 for the rifle, about $70.00 for a Bushnell Scopechief 3X9 with command post and IIRC a Samsonite rifle case was $40.00. Brought it home and shot it a few times. Then decided it was way to big for any game in Florida. Sold it for a lot more than I paid for it, which was good for a newlywed.

 

[GSP Fan]

I have never been a fan of the 300 Win Mag but love my 300 H&H in a custom #1. Go figure

 

[88IROC]

For Black Bear in Canada

Submitted for your approval, my outfit for my first Canadian black bear later this year. My Remington M700 Classic in 35 Whelen, Leupold 7x30 IF binoculars, Wayne Hendrix custom and 60 rounds of Barnes 200 grain Vor-TX.

 

[AJ]

Submitted for your approval, my outfit for my first Canadian black bear later this year. My Remington M700 Classic in 35 Whelen, Leupold 7x30 IF binoculars, Wayne Hendrix custom and 60 rounds of Barnes 200 grain Vor-TX.

A friend has a TC Contender pistol in .35 Whelen. It is quite a handful!