Dangerous game rifles

This is as close to a dangerous game rifle as I have. When I found out is was for sale I jumped all over it. My dad and I bought it together. It is a sporterized 1903a3. It is rebored/rechambered to 35 whelen. 3 shots is all I want to ever take with it. This year we are having a buffalo shoot at the gun club. Only rifles that are over 30 cal are allowed. It is 600 yards. We will see how it does.

003-5.jpg

002-4.jpg

001-4.jpg
 
Justin10mm's word are valid. If you are planning to hunt a dangerous animal you need to take along a rifle that will get the job done and accept the fact that it will punch back when you pull the trigger. Practice a lot before hand so the first shot isn't at a mad animal 40 yards away and the recoil of the rifle surprises you and affects your ability to quickly fire again. Like most hunting situations, the adrenalin will be flowing to the maximum when you are in an encounter and recoil will not be a big issue at that moment. As stated extra noise that affects those around you is not wanted.

In the videos getfoxy supplied, in the second video normal practice would have been to put a round into the exposed spine the second the Caper raised its head. What you saw was foolish behavior. Cats like a leopard are a whole nother thing as they say. Many PH's would say the would rather track a herd of wounded buffalo than one wounded leopard in heavy cover that will go for the gut with its rear claws moving like a buzz saw on first attack. Many PH's also wear metal body protection when tracking one and they are in the lead as its their job in those situations. I hate to use these words here but you can never use too much gun when hunting dangerous game. Use the biggest you can handle effectively and is lawful or stay home and hunt white tails is food for thought.
 
Yeah, I gotta wonder what happened to that soldier. The guy with the pistol might have had a nice headache, but I'm thinking that soldier could have been seriously injured. Funny to watch though....
 
I have a friend that is quite an amazing hunter. He has hunted all over the world and taken many big game animals in Africa. He shoots a 375 H&H exclusively now. He even uses it for deer. He owns the oldest continuously operating firearms shop in PA. It's been in business since 1868 run by his family the entire time. He actually has many African game on display in his store including a full giraffe. Currently he has shot the largest hyena recorded but has not submitted it yet for the record books. So although it's been mentioned many times in this thread and may not be the most powerful caliber, I'm pretty sure it can do the job on dangerous game. I've often wondered what it's like to shoot myself.
 
Originally Posted By: coyote killa I've often wondered what it's like to shoot myself.

I'm guessing it would be about the same as someone else shooting you? Although maybe not quite the same satisfaction as doing it yourself.
 
Originally Posted By: coyote killaYou got me. What I meant was I've often wondered what it's like to shoot the 375 H&H, particularly the felt recoil.

I've owned one 308 Norma, two 300 Win Mags, a .338 WM and two 375 h&h rifles over the years and IMO, the 375's recoil is not as sharp as the .338 or 308 NM, probably partially due to the fact that both 375's were a bit heavier than the smaller calibers. My 338 has a sharper recoil than either of the 375's (one Mod. 70 and one Savage). Have enjoyed shooting 30 rounds or so off the bench on several occasions w/the 375's; after that, not so much
wink.gif
.

Interestingly enough, my first magnum was the 308 Norma. Shot the barrel out on it and rebarreled to 300 WM. Could be my imagination, but as I remember (it has been 30+ years), the 308 Norma recoil was noticeably greater than the 300 WM in the same rifle. Could be that I just got used to the added recoil, however.

I might add, that none of the above can hold a candle to a 3 1/2" 12 ga. off the bench
blink.gif
!

Regards,
hm
 
Interesting. The largest rifle I've personally owned was a 300 Winchester magnum. I've also owned and fired all manner of 12 gauge shotguns. I imagined the 375 H&H would be more stout, but if the rifle is heavy, I can understand how it might not be too bad. Thanks for the insight.
 
Felt recoil is a very subjective thing. For anyone who has shot other cartridges like the 300 WM and don't find it objectionable, they will probably not notice a great deal more from a 375 H&H.

For shooters who I have seen shoot one the first time, in a properly stocked rifle with the weight usually found in an African type rifle, if the rifle was properly snugged back against the shoulder and the shooter leans into the shot, a common comment is, "That wasn't near as bad as I expected" or even, "That wasn't bad at all."

The 375 H&H is a great cartridge and it would allow you to hunt literally anything that walks the face of the earth. And recoil in a good rifle is nothing to worry about.
 
Heaviest felt recoil....hmmmmm....

I'd say a Armalite 50 bmg off the bench shoved me back the farthest, the 50 Barrett wasn't too bad, even several rounds out of the mag, the .470 Nitro wasn't bad, even when I hit both triggers at once (have the video of that one), a .338 Ultra firing 300 Sierra Match Kings kicks a bit more than a .375 Ruger mag....several 300 Mags firing various bullets...and a bunch of smaller stuff on down.
 
Nastiest recoil I ever felt was a 460 Weatherby followed closely by a 416 Rem. I fired both off hand thank goodness couldn't imagine getting behind one on a bench or prone. I routinely shot my .338 RUM and 300 RUM with little concern unless I'm locked in behind them at the range on a bench without a shot bag to take out the sting. However when shooting at elk or bears I have never noticed the recoil at all. Im sure with a leopard or something else nasty bearing down I doubt recoil would be noticed. Adrenline is amazing stuff!!!!
 
Back
Top