When selecting the right Rifle for you Africa safari there are several things you need to put in to question.
What will I be hunting?
Are you going to stick to small plains game such as impala, bushbuck, Nyala etc. Or will you be hunting larger game up to Kudu or Eland or Bongo. Will you be adding some dangerous game into the mix such as Cape Buffalo or Hippo?
This question really needs to be address because it really dictates what rifle or rifles you should take.
Second question is what type of terrain will we be hunting will it be open where we might have to take shots 300+ yards or will we be in the thicker brush were shots will be relatively close
This question helps you pick what rifle you bring with what scopes you might have on your rifle options.
Small and median sized Antelope
If you plan on hunting Smaller plains game species with a Kudu and a eland added to the list its always best to just take a bigger rifle if you don’t want to take two. The 7mm up to the 30 calibers are the perfect set up to hunt the big bodied Kudu or Eland that inhabit southern Africa.
Larger Bodied Antelope
When hunting the larger bodied Antelope know as the Lord Derby Eland or the Bong its recommended that you use a larger caliber rifle such as 375 or 416 to puncture the thick skin of these large bodied animals. Plus on a Bongo hunt and on some occasions on a Lord Derby hunt your going to be shooting in some thick vegetation and might not always see that limb or branch covering the vitals and will need a bigger bullet to keep traveling,.
Dangerous game.
In most countries the minimum cartridge to use on a dangerous game hunt is a. 375 or 9.6.
For cats you need a bullet with a faster speed that carries more hydraulic shock because that’s what kills the cats.
On buffalo the rifle that best fits you that fits the legal size is what you need to use so if a 375 is your best companion your good to go or if you can shoot that 500 N.E just as well as a 12 gauge shot gun by all means use it. We suggest shooting Barnes X & Swift A Frames bullets on buffalo.
For hippo and croc your shot placement has to be precise your target Is super small and could be the hardest shot in your entire life.
You need a rifle that shoots flat and that has a scope with great magnification 3-9 variable would work just fine. You need to make sure that, that rifle & scope is 100% dialed in for these shot because on crocs and hippos it could just end being an expensive splash if you don’t make the correct shot.
Elephant
For hunting the largest land mammal, the Elephant you’re going to want hit hard because most times your first shot is always going to be a frontal or side on brain shot so you’re going to need to break through bone to make a lethal shot. From Personal experience and from talking with all of our trusted African Outfitters we recommend shooting any monolithic solid one of which is Federal Woodleigh.
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