Every kid wants an elephant rifle

[TaperPin]

As a kid I always dreamed of Africa and big bore rifles. Now a 458 Winchester Magnum is my favorite hands down after a close encounter with a wounded Cape buffalo in thick cover with a medium bore. View attachment 614530 l

Wow - what a story! Our rifle range needs a charging elephant target!

 

[Happy Antelope]

Nice. Can you give a little more info on your switch barrel rifle? Custom or one of the commercial variations?

My own stable of bigger bores, 9.3X64 Brenneke, .375 H&H Flanged (double rifle), .416 Rem, .458 Lott. Briefly owned a CZ 505 Gibbs. There is a significant step up in recoil from the .416 to .458 Lott to 505 Gibbs. The Gibbs weighed 12lbs with two mercury recoil reducers, but still rocked you. The .416 and .458 both weigh 9-10lbs depending on scope or no scope.

For some reason I've always liked the big bore rifles.

Jeremy

Who made your flanged? I have 1912 Rigby made for a pretty famous White Hunter, my favorite item in the world.

 

[Happy Antelope]

A close encounter with the potential of life changing / life ending results can certainly have its influence. One has the tendency to reevaluate what his/her personal "enough gun" and/or "enough bullet" really is.

Lot of discussion over since early 1900s on "enough Gun". Lot of dead Brits over 75 years related to "Enough Gun"

 

[Wapiti1]

Who made your flanged? I have 1912 Rigby made for a pretty famous White Hunter, my favorite item in the world.

I made the barrel set for a Valmet 412s. Wish I had a bespoke British double, but can't get my mind around the cost of a decent example.

Jeremy

 

[Happy Antelope]

I made the barrel set for a Valmet 412s. Wish I had a bespoke British double, but can't get my mind around the cost of a decent example.

Jeremy

Mine started out as a .350 Rigby and was converted by Rigby to a flanged in the 1950s unfortunately, was taken to Kenya in 1912 by Charels Bulpett. I have all the records from Rigby and Kenya, when he checked the rifle in Phillip Percival was in line right in front of him.

The prices on the used doubles are coming down a lot, there are deals to be found for sure, something new is ridiculous of course. None of the kids want them, the brits can barely own a rifle anymore. Had the luxury of a private tour at H&H last Xmas with my son, got to hold a .600 Nitro and Mr. Berettas new doubles being made. The big guns are so much more fun than a 6.5.

 

[TSnave]

I also read a lot about Africa (and Alaska) when I was a kid. Did some bear hunting when I was younger and came to the conclusion that while a 7mm mag is enough to kill a bear, I wanted something with a little more oomph which led to a 358 win, and then a 444 marlin, and then a friend brought me a box of 375 H&H brass and a couple of hundred 300 grain Barnes bullets with instructions to "make these go away." Umm, ok.

I'll never get to Africa or probably even Alaska and I don't hunt bears anymore, but they're sure getting more common and the 375 makes for peace of mind when elk hunting.

 

[Choupique]

I had a 375 for a while and I want another one, but I'm pregnant with a .338 and that's just too much close to the same thing.

Now my fetish is a .404 jeff

 

[Happy Antelope]

I had a 375 for a while and I want another one, but I'm pregnant with a .338 and that's just too much close to the same thing.

Now my fetish is a .404 jeff

The Jeffery is the best big bore ever made imo.

 

[Choupique]

I'll have either a 404 or a 458 win mag one day. I hate to admit to myself that it'll probably be a 458 just because of availability.

 

[Wapiti1]

Mine started out as a .350 Rigby and was converted by Rigby to a flanged in the 1950s unfortunately, was taken to Kenya in 1912 by Charels Bulpett. I have all the records from Rigby and Kenya, when he checked the rifle in Phillip Percival was in line right in front of him.

The prices on the used doubles are coming down a lot, there are deals to be found for sure, something new is ridiculous of course. None of the kids want them, the brits can barely own a rifle anymore. Had the luxury of a private tour at H&H last Xmas with my son, got to hold a .600 Nitro and Mr. Berettas new doubles being made. The big guns are so much more fun than a 6.5.

That is a storied rifle. Very cool.

Pricing is within my means, I just can't get my mind wrapped around the idea that I want that rifle more than I want to go on several hunts those funds would enable. One day, just not quite yet, and it will be a .500NE just because.

Jeremy

 

[TaperPin]

I'll have either a 404 or a 458 win mag one day. I hate to admit to myself that it'll probably be a 458 just because of availability.

There is a Ruger m77 458 barrel on ebay calling your name.

 

[Marbles]

As a kid I always dreamed of Africa and big bore rifles. Now a 458 Winchester Magnum is my favorite hands down after a close encounter with a wounded Cape buffalo in thick cover with a medium bore. View attachment 614530 l

How would the outcome have been different? Did a shot that was well placed not kill due to inadequate penetration?

 

[Dennis]

Marbles thank you for the question about what would be different. I did kill the buffalo with one shot and I did not get full penetration. However it was the follow up over two days that lead to several close encounters and near death experiences while tracking that formed my opinion.

I will tell a little bit about the story to hopefully explain my comments and why I switched to a big bore rifle following my Africa hunt. We were hunting along a river that was several hundred yards wide and had very dense reeds about 13' tall (see photos). The trails in the reeds were hippo trails winding through the reeds. We were back off the river in thick cover when my buffalo appeared fairly close at about 30 yards for a quick broadside shot. He stopped broadside, however as the shot broke he started to spin away and there was no opportunity for a follow up shot due to the thick cover. No one saw the actual impact of the shot, but I felt it was okay. We waited about an hour to follow up and start tracking. On his track we had blood very soon on one side only, so no pass through During the early track the visibility was about 50 yards max and we expected a charge at any moment. The track soon reached the river where visibility was 5 yards at max (see photos). Once we entered the reeds I realized I wanted/needed a bigger gun, not only for my wounded buffalo but also for the hippos. Upon entering the reeds and tracking for about a 100 yards the buffalo charged to where we had just stopped moments before. He ran by at about 10 yards and we could not see him to even shoot. It sounded like a locomotive coming through the reeds. Once the buffalo passed the PH looked over at me and said I can't believe you are still here. This went on for two days and I think my lesson was I never expected to have so much adventure in such close quarters. While some might not follow the buffalo into the reeds, I felt it was my duty to finish what I started.

 

[Happy Antelope]

Marbles thank you for the question about what would be different. I did kill the buffalo with one shot and I did not get full penetration. However it was the follow up over two days that lead to several close encounters and near death experiences while tracking that formed my opinion.

I will tell a little bit about the story to hopefully explain my comments and why I switched to a big bore rifle following my Africa hunt. We were hunting along a river that was several hundred yards wide and had very dense reeds about 13' tall (see photos). The trails in the reeds were hippo trails winding through the reeds. We were back off the river in thick cover when my buffalo appeared fairly close at about 30 yards for a quick broadside shot. He stopped broadside, however as the shot broke he started to spin away and there was no opportunity for a follow up shot due to the thick cover. No one saw the actual impact of the shot, but I felt it was okay. We waited about an hour to follow up and start tracking. On his track we had blood very soon on one side only, so no pass through During the early track the visibility was about 50 yards max and we expected a charge at any moment. The track soon reached the river where visibility was 5 yards at max (see photos). Once we entered the reeds I realized I wanted/needed a bigger gun, not only for my wounded buffalo but also for the hippos. Upon entering the reeds and tracking for about a 100 yards the buffalo charged to where we had just stopped moments before. He ran by at about 10 yards and we could not see him to even shoot. It sounded like a locomotive coming through the reeds. Once the buffalo passed the PH looked over at me and said I can't believe you are still here. This went on for two days and I think my lesson was I never expected to have so much adventure in such close quarters. While some might not follow the buffalo into the reeds, I felt it was my duty to finish what I started.

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You tracked a wounded buff in that grass? Wooooo!

Thats dangerous business there.

I have seem them take round after round right in the boiler maker with doubles only to keep chugging along. Hitting one in the vitals really means nothing I have found out, they can kill you very easy with 1-2 round right through the heart. Killing one is easy, convincing them they are dead is another deal all together.

Congrats nice Buff!

 

[4090Sharps]

Nothing is goofier than having a rifle with such a big hole in the muzzle, but it sure is fun! Lol

Agreed. My .223 is for hunting, and this one is for fun.

 

[Happy Antelope]

Agreed. My .223 is for hunting, and this one is for fun.

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.577!!!!!!!

 

[4090Sharps]

.577!!!!!!!

It's not what I would consider a REAL 577. It's a 2 3/4" .577 Black Powder Express.

 

[Happy Antelope]

Really is the best Hobby!

 

[JCS271]

Finally a great topic....

I have been acquiring big bores for about 35yrs. Started with a .375HH bolt gun and now goes all the way up to .577NE (3") double.

I just enjoy hunting with them.

You don't really need a .416 for wolves



Or a .505 Gibbs for bears or moose, but there I was.....





But the .416 was perfect for buff.



And there really is nothing better than a .450 Nitro double when braining elephants at 9yds in the jesse bush.






And a heartfelt thank you to PH Phillip Smythe. Taken way to young while following up a bull ele after a client's failure to make a proper kill shot. RIP

 

[Happy Antelope]

Finally a great topic....

I have been acquiring big bores for about 35yrs. Started with a .375HH bolt gun and now goes all the way up to .577NE (3") double.

I just enjoy hunting with them.

You don't really need a .416 for wolves

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Or a .505 Gibbs for bears or moose, but there I was.....

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But the .416 was perfect for buff.

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And there really is nothing better than a .450 Nitro double when braining elephants at 9yds in the jesse bush.

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And a heartfelt thank you to PH Phillip Smythe. Taken way to young while following up a bull ele after a client's failure to make a proper kill shot. RIP

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That was about 3 years ago ya? I remember reading about it. Dangerous business....Sad