Every kid wants an elephant rifle

Happy Antelope

WKR
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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

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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"
 

Happy Antelope

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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

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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

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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

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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
 
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TaperPin

TaperPin

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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

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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

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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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Happy Antelope

WKR
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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!
 

JCS271

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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

PExNF1u.jpg

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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Happy Antelope

WKR
Rokslide Sponsor
Joined
Jan 28, 2023
Messages
1,180
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

View attachment 635333

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

View attachment 635331

View attachment 635332

But the .416 was perfect for buff.

View attachment 635329

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

View attachment 635327

View attachment 635328


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

View attachment 635330
That was about 3 years ago ya? I remember reading about it. Dangerous business....Sad
 
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