My client used a rifle chambered in 375 Holland & Holland and loaded with 300 grain Barnes X Bullets to take this Buffalo. Although the first shot was perfectly placed the Buffalo still needed 3 more shots from both the client and his PH to finally go down. African Game especially the Big Five are tough use enough gun and best quality bullets.

For hunting dangerous game in South Africa the 375 Holland & Holland is the minimum caliber prescribed by law. The 375 Holland & Holland is also the minimum caliber required for dangerous game especially for Elephant and Buffalo in most other African countries. Zimbabwe however still allows the 9.3 x 62 Mauser and the 9.3 x 64 Brenneke to be legally used for Dangerous game hunting. The 375 Holland & Holland is the most widely used 375 but authorities will also allow the new 375 Ruger, the 375 Remington Ultra Magnum as well as the big boy among the 375’s the 375 Weatherby Magnum to be used on the Big Five. Please note do not even consider using a 375 Winchester on any of Africa’s Big Five, it is not only illegal but you might end up getting killed by your intended target.

If you are hunting Elephant and Buffalo I would recommend you use a bigger caliber like a 416 Rigby, 458 Lott or the 404 Jeffery provided you can handle the recoil and shoot it accurately.

I would advise against a first time hunter to Africa using a caliber like the 460 Weatherby Magnum or the 505 Gibbs, not because these calibers aren’t good for hunting the Big Five, but purely and simply because there are very few individuals who can shoot these calibers accurately without flinching. The recoil of the 460 Weatherby Magnum and the 505 Gibbs are substantial and very few people will want to put in the hours of practice from the bench required to become proficient with these rifles.

Always use the best premium quality bullets for hunting dangerous game in Africa. The African Big Five game animals are notoriously tough so please do not try to save money by using cheap ammunition, it can ruin a great safari and even cost you your life. When hunting dangerous game like Elephant use the best monolithic solids available. When hunting Buffalo  it is recommended that you use premium quality expanding bullets like Barnes X for body shots into the vitals, but if you have to follow a wounded Cape buffalo and risk facing a charge make sure you also have some good monolithic solids on hand.

So as far as your choice of rifles and calibers it’s up to you what you bring with, just make sure it is legal to use. Also make 100% sure that you can consistently shoot accurately with that particular rifle from shooting sticks and various field positions. Practice your shooting on the range and do some research on shot placement by reading or watching footage on shot placement. There are good books and videos available by Kevin Robertson, a veterinarian and professional hunter who has made a detailed study on this subject. Remember the more you practice your shooting skills the more rewarding your hunt will be.

The Limpopo Bush-veld is situated in South Africa’s Northern areas bordering Zimbabwe and Botswana. In the Bush-Veld most of the hunting is done on a walk and stalk basis in areas with thick vegetation. Shots are mostly taken at shorter distances varying between 80 and a 150 meters.

Lee Enfield No 1 MK III kitted out with bandoleer just as my forefathers would have used it to hunt .

Antelope hunting in these Bush-veld conditions are better suited to using a rifle that fires a slower heavier bullet instead of fast magnums. Fast bullets at short range run the risk of breaking up on animals or dense shrubbery and leaving a superficial wound without the required penetration to incapacitate your quarry. Even a well placed shot in the kill zone can still lead to the wounding and loss of a trophy or excessive carcass damage that can ruin the cape of a trophy animal.Rather leave your 7 mm Remington Magnum at home if you are just coming to hunt in the bush.

Each year local hunters hunt anything from Warthog up to Eland with rifles chambered in 308 Winchester, 30 06 Springfield, 7 x 57 Mauser and the old war horse the 303 British. The 30 06 Springfield and the 308 Winchester are the most popular calibers used by local hunters according to ammunition sales in South Africa. These calibers are very versatile. With lighter bullets they can be used to hunt in open plains areas while the heavier bullets are suitable to be used in dense Bush. The 7 x 57 Mauser has always been a favorite among South African hunters and it is a good caliber for bush-veld hunting. With 175 grain bullets the 7 x 57 Mauser is deadly on small and medium sized game like Impala. The 303 British has most probably killed more game in Africa than any other caliber from the late 19th century when it was introduced, up to the present day. Loaded with 210 grain Woodleigh bullets it remains a  effective cartridge for hunting medium sized game in the South African Bush.

If you are going to hunt medium to large antelope in Bush – Veld areas, the 30 06 Springfield with good 180 to 200 grain bullets like Barnes X, or a 308 Winchester with 180 grain bullets will be well suited. If Eland is also on the menu, I will suggest you consider something with more clout than the 30 06 Springfield. The 9.3 x 62 Mauser loaded with 286 grain bullets is a wonderful choice as a bush veld rifle. It has been used with great effect on anything from the smallest game up to the big five. The 9.3 x 62 is no longer legal to use on Buffalo and Elephant in South Africa, so you will be limited to use it on antelope and other non dangerous game. The venerable 375 Holland & Holland is very versatile and you can hunt plains game as well as dangerous game like Lion, Buffalo and Elephant with this caliber. The 375 Holland & Holland will work best on antelope in dense bush when loaded with heavier bullets of 300 grains and more that allow for lower muzzle velocities. The 375 Holland & Holland loaded with solid bullets can also be used for body shots on small game like Duiker and Steenbuck without excessive damage to the trophy.

308 Winchester Rifle built on a Mauser 98 action. This rifle has a 21 inch barrel and is fitted with a fixed 4 x scope. It is well suited for hunting medium sized game in Bush – Veld conditions.

Whatever caliber you choose to bring on your African Hunting Safari is your personal choice. Just make sure you take into account the type of game you are going to hunt and the terrain where the hunt is going to take place before you make your decision. Don’t be afraid to ask your hunting outfitter or Professional hunter for his opinion and input regarding this issue. Lastly put in lots of practice at the shooting range with your chosen rifle before you come on your hunt. Make sure your rifle groups well and is accurate with the load and bullets you decide on. Remember to practice shooting from sticks and field positions. The more preparation you put into your hunt the more rewarding it will be.

A Namibia farmers collection of working rifles, from left to right Savage 340C 22 Hornet, Musgrave 30 06 Springfield with supressor and Sako Finnbear 7mm Remington Magnum

For the rifle hunter Namibia is bound to test your skills as a marksman to the limit. Many areas are quite devoid of vegetation that makes stalking closer to your prey more difficult. This will mean that you might be required to take longer shots at game than you are used to. Namibian plains game animals are also notoriously tough and can take a lot of punishment, so excellent shot placement is vitally important.

As I said in part 1 of this series I am not going to argue the merits of why 1 calibre is better than another, everybody has their favourites and trying to convince someone why I believe another cartridge is better is unwise. To be honest a lot of these calibres are so close to each other performance wise, that arguing about why the 300 Weatherby Magnum is better than the 300 Winchester Magnum is a futile argument. We all know the Weatherby is a bit hotter than the 300 Winchester Magnum, but the reality is that a Kudu or Gemsbok shot with either of these 300′s will not be able to tell the difference and will be equally dead regardless of which of these calibres are used.

Cartridge comparison left to right; 264 Winchester Magnum 140gr. 308 Winchester 150gr. 22 Hornet 45gr and 22LR. All of these cartridges have their application they are suited for. The 264Win Mag will however be the best of the lot for plains game hunting in Namibia while the 308 is better suited to South African Bush Veld conditions. The 22′s are best not used on antelope species.

This why I will merely try and indicate what range of cartridges in my humble opinion are suited for what types of hunting in Namibia. Using the right calibre rifle for the right application is important provided the marksmen has done his job and placed the bullet in the vitals. If you have difficulty hitting the target with your 30 06 Springfield bringing a 460 Weatherby Magnum with you to Namibia will not magically turn you into a Marine Corps Sniper. The opposite is also true, just because you are an exceptional marksman and you have shot everything from prairie dogs to Grizzly Bears with your 243 Winchester, does not mean you should try and emulate that in Africa, rather use a calibre suited to the application it is required for.

So question remains what do you use on what in Namibia? What the locals use are usually a good indication of what works in a specific area. Gun laws in Namibia are not as friendly as in the USA and most locals don’t have the luxury of owning hundreds of rifles in different calibres, so they generally stick to tried and trusted equipment that has stood the test of time. Ask your PH what rifles he uses and owns and what he suggests you bring with.

From my experiences in Namibia I have observed what some of the locals use and have come to the following conclusions. For most antelope species like Kudu, Springbuck and Impala I would say the 270 Winchester with good 130 grain bullets like Swift A Frames, Barnes X or Noslers would be the minimum calibre I would suggest as adequate. South African and Namibian hunters regularly use the 308 Winchester and 30 06 Springfield effectively to take Springbuck, Kudu and even Gemsbok in Namibia. These calibres work and have the credentials in combat to back it up. But just like the US military found in Afghanistan that they needed a cartridge with a flatter trajectory than the tried and trusted 308, for longer range sniping in Afghan conditions, the same logic applies to certain areas in Namibia.

Any of the various 300 Magnums with good quality 180 grain bullets will work well on all antelope encountered in Namibian conditions. The 7mm Remington Magnum and my personal favourite the 264 Winchester Magnums with 140 grain Barnes X bullets are also viable options. I love the 264 Winchester Magnum but that is just because it has been in the family for longer than we care to remember and it has never failed to bring home the venison. I will in no way try and convince anyone to rather use a 264 instead of a 7mm or 300 Magnum. In my opinion any of the Magnums from the 264 Winchester Magnum up to and including all of the various 300 Magnums will get the job done for hunting anything from Springbuck up to Gemsbok. If you have difficulty handling the recoil of the magnums, I suggest you rather bring a 30 06 Springfield with good quality 168 grain bullets.

If you have larger antelope like Eland on the menu a 338 Winchester Magnum or 338 Lappua Magnum with premium quality bullets between 220 grain and 250 grains will be an ideal choice, provided you can handle the recoil and shoot it accurately. The 375 Holland and Holland is extremely versatile round and with lighter 220 – 250gr. projectiles it can be effectively used for longer range shooting. With the lighter bullets a 375 will almost emulate the 300 Magnums trajectory. By switching to heavier bullets like the 300 grain Barnes X you can confidently hunt Buffalo as well. So if you are bringing only one rifle, a rifle in the class of the 375 Holland and Holland will be quite a good choice. Another cartridge that is ballistic wise very close to the 375 Holland and Holland is the 9.3 x 64 Brenneke which is also referred to as the German 375.

Something else to take into account is if the calibre rifle you are bringing is a popular calibre in Namibia and if ammunition for your rifle will be available locally. It can happen that your luggage with ammunition supply can get lost on route by the airlines and if that happens, it will be better to have a rifle that you will not have trouble getting ammunition for in Namibia.

Have fun deciding what calibre rifle or rifles you want to use on your African Hunting Safari, but don’t forget to prepare properly before getting on the plane. Get fit and practise a lot of long range shooting from sticks and field positions, get to know your rifles trajectory and its limitations. Marksmanship is still the most important factor in helping you bag your trophy.

***Join me in part 3 on what calibres are suited for hunting in the South African Bush-veld of Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

The choice of calibres, rifles and different bullet types are personal and discussions about this can lead to highly emotional arguments between the adherents of different calibres and brands. In this series of blogs I will not venture into arguing one calibres merit over another. I will merely try to point out what range of calibres are in my opinion best suited for different types of species and terrain when hunting in Southern Africa.

When it comes to guns, hunting and calibres there are millions of experts each with their own opinion as to what is the best. Unfortunately many of these experts base their arguments on their personal preferences as well as what they personally own and shoot. It does not help to try and argue the merits of the 243 Winchester against the qualities of a 30 06 Springfield, they were designed to do different jobs and although you can load a 30 06 with 125 grain bullets to get a flatter trajectory you cannot turn it into a true varmint rifle, just like a 243 cannot match a 30 06 loaded with 220 grain bullets for bush-veld hunting on species like Impala and Kudu.

When you decide on what rifles you want to use on your safari you need to take into account what species you are going to hunt and in which types of terrain most of the hunting will take place. If you are hunting plains game in Namibia where long shots in open terrain is the norm rather than exception, you need to choose a calibre that has a flat trajectory and sufficient killing power to down tough animals like Gemsbok and Kudu. If you will mostly be hunting in the Limpopo bush-veld in thick brush, with shots taken varying between 80 and 150 meters, a fast calibre like the 7mm Remington Magnum or the 264 Winchester Magnum which might work well in Namibia, will not necessarily be the best choice for the bush. With a fast calibre the projectile will have a greater risk of breaking up on bone at short distances leaving excessive carcass damage or worse superficial wounds and possibly wounded game.

Hunting in Africa is definitely not a one dimensional proposition and there is most certainly not an all-round rifle calibre that can do it all, not in North America and definitely not in Africa. Like Golf, where a 3 Wood and a putter have different uses and areas where they are used, the same applies to rifles and hunting.  If you are paying a huge amount of money for the trophy of a life time, use a rifle of a suitable calibre for the terrain and species you intend to hunt. Rather have your trophy in your trophy room and the pictures to prove it, than being left ruing the fact that your equipment was not up to standard.

***Follow me in part 2 for suggestions on what calibre rifles are suited to use on plains game in Namibia.

Genesis 1 verse 26 states;  And God said let us make man in and our image after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and over cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. As a Christian I believe that the Holy Bible is the true undiluted word of GOD that has been given to us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as a guideline to explain how the Almighty expects us to look after His creation. It means that I believe that we as humans have a God given instruction to protect manage and look after His creation. If we fear God and accept the salvation of our sins through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ we must accept this massive responsibility to conserve our wildlife and natural environment for future generations

Had it not been for the Safari Hunting industry, I doubt if there would have been any wildlife left outside of the few game reserves that dot the map of the African continent.

To use my country South Africa as an example, today you find much larger numbers of game animals of all varieties and species all over the country than there was 50 years ago. The irrefutable fact is that in South Africa most of these game animals are bred kept and preserved on private farms and game ranches and not in national parks managed by government. Game farms all over South Africa stock huge numbers of antelope and other game species and one only needs to look at the prices generated at game auctions to realize what a vibrant and dynamic industry it is.

Studies have shown that in 1964 game numbers in South Africa were extremely low, but since the advent of game farming game numbers have grown substantially and one now finds free roaming game in areas where they had once been extinct for many decades.

One of the main motivations if not the most important reasons behind the establishment of the game farming industry in South Africa was and will always be hunting. The total land mass of South Africa is approximately 128 600 000 hectares of which agricultural land makes up 72%. Government protected areas like National Parks and reserves amount to 7 500 000 hectares around 5.8% of the total land mass of the country. Private Wildlife Ranches and reserves measure 20 500 000 hectares a total of 16% of the total hectares in South Africa.

The hunting industry and trophy hunting has been instrumental  in the recovery of species like the Bontebok, Black Gnu (Wildebeest), Cape Mountain Zebra and the White rhino due to these animals being reintroduced into areas where they were once extinct. Trophy hunting is a huge industry that generates huge amounts of foreign currency for countries in Sub Saharan Africa. Hunters are a great stimulus behind conserving these natural resources for future generations as the hunting industry spends millions each year to breed animals, run anti-poaching programs and supply jobs to people in  rural communities, who otherwise would have had no vested interest to conserve wild animals that  compete for grazing or pray on their livestock. Trophy hunting generates in the region of 200 million US dollars a year in Sub Saharan Africa from international hunting clients. An area of more than 1.3 million km2 is used for trophy hunting, which is an area more than 20% larger than, all the national parks combined where hunting is not permitted.  This is an added area where wild life is actively conserved, where anti-poaching programs are run and where species are preserved because they hold commercial value for local communities.

I am proud to be a hunter and to do business with hunters. To all the people who do not care about hunting and hunters that say it is not possible for one to be both a hunter and conservationist, I say look at the statistics and think again. I am sure my opinion that hunting is an integral part of conservation will be disputed by them and my claim to support both hunting and conservation places me in danger of being labelled as a hypocrite by these the greatest hypocrites of all. But I don’t care about their opinions it is the results of hunting’s contribution to conservation that I care about.

Ethical hunting is the harvesting of sustainable amounts of the game population in given areas and at the same time preserving the majority to multiply so we can keep on hunting for many more generations to come.

Hunting is necessary to ensure that the carrying capacity of the land is not exceeded. Due to human habitation natural game migration routes have been blocked and the balance of nature disturbed. This means that grazing does not have the normal time periods per year to recover due to animals staying permanently in specific regions instead of migrating towards other areas as seasons change. This phenomena coupled with the disappearance of the larger predators in most areas can lead to a population explosion in the short term, which in the long term can result in mass starvation and the extinction of some species when the carrying capacity of the land is exceeded. Hunting is an essential tool to control game populations to ensure that long term ecological damage to habitat does not occur.

Trophy hunting is a responsible contributor to the long term sustainable preservation of our natural resources and wild game species. Trophy hunting generates large sums of foreign currency of which a large percentage is re invested in conservation. Legal hunting is one of the greatest contributors to conservation in Southern Africa and most probably Africa as a whole. Trophy hunting generates considerably more income spent per head than the money spent by photographic tourists. In poor countries like Zimbabwe and Tanzania each hunting client can spend between 10 and 30 times more per head than the money spent per photographic client. Hunting generates higher revenues per client with lower environmental impacts from fossil fuel use and loss of habitat from infrastructure development than other forms of tourism.

I believe that hunting and other forms of tourism cannot exist separate from each other, they need to work together to ensure the future of wildlife preserves all over Africa. Let’s hope and pray that our hunting tradition will continue to flourish for many years to come and that the future generations of hunters will play an ever increasing role to preserve our natural heritage.