Okay, we've all seem the news and movies and know that there are tons of AK-47s and G3s floating around in Africa. I am not really interested in military weapons.
Also, I am sure we have all know of the reputation of the 375 H&H as 'the' African cartridge...as well as the 416 rigby, 500 nitro express, etc etc. However, those are really for people planning on hunting lions, or going after the 'Big 5'
I think lion hunters and Big 5 huntes are almost exclusively tourists.
However, there is a lot of game hunting going on in Africa that ISN'T the famous stuff. Wildebeest, Impala, Blesbuck, Springbuck, Kudu, Zebra, Warthog, Zebra, Eland, Leopard, Oryz, etc.
There's a lot more tourists going to Africa to hunt off of that list, and I am sure a lot of the people of European Ancestry who have been living in Africa for a while and hunting for sport spend more of their time hunting from that list than from the 'big 5' list.
I have heard that 'for your first hunt in Africa, the best weapon to bring is your .270 winchester'
That got me thinking. What is the 270 winchester/30-06 "General Purpose Hunting Rifle" equivalent in Africa.
I suspect that just like here roughly 40 years ago there are probably a ton of old WW2 bolt guns that have been sporterized. And I also suspect that just like most of our modern new hunting rifles come from our own military cartridge of the two world wars (the 30-06) the same would hold in Africa. I suspect that the 303 enfield, 7mm mauser, and 8mm mauser are probably the African equivalent of the 270 and 30-06.
But I am just speculating. Anyone here gone there and done much hunting or looked into that kind of thing?
As an American going to Africa, if say 7x57mm is a very common round, wouldn't it make even more sense to bring an American rifle in that chambering rather than a 270 winchester, 30-06, 308, or whatever? It seems to me the ability to use readily available 'local' ammo is going to be a big plus.
After all 'you can find the 30-06 ammo on shelves of even the smallest gun or fishbait store' is often a line you see when someone is taking about getting the fancy new wizbang deer/elk chambering, or is pontificationg on some rare obsolite chambering.
With all the FN-FALs an G3s floating around, does that make the 308 a good choice for a rifle because again you have the opportunity to use 'local' ammo if necesary.
Also, I am sure we have all know of the reputation of the 375 H&H as 'the' African cartridge...as well as the 416 rigby, 500 nitro express, etc etc. However, those are really for people planning on hunting lions, or going after the 'Big 5'
I think lion hunters and Big 5 huntes are almost exclusively tourists.
However, there is a lot of game hunting going on in Africa that ISN'T the famous stuff. Wildebeest, Impala, Blesbuck, Springbuck, Kudu, Zebra, Warthog, Zebra, Eland, Leopard, Oryz, etc.
There's a lot more tourists going to Africa to hunt off of that list, and I am sure a lot of the people of European Ancestry who have been living in Africa for a while and hunting for sport spend more of their time hunting from that list than from the 'big 5' list.
I have heard that 'for your first hunt in Africa, the best weapon to bring is your .270 winchester'
That got me thinking. What is the 270 winchester/30-06 "General Purpose Hunting Rifle" equivalent in Africa.
I suspect that just like here roughly 40 years ago there are probably a ton of old WW2 bolt guns that have been sporterized. And I also suspect that just like most of our modern new hunting rifles come from our own military cartridge of the two world wars (the 30-06) the same would hold in Africa. I suspect that the 303 enfield, 7mm mauser, and 8mm mauser are probably the African equivalent of the 270 and 30-06.
But I am just speculating. Anyone here gone there and done much hunting or looked into that kind of thing?
As an American going to Africa, if say 7x57mm is a very common round, wouldn't it make even more sense to bring an American rifle in that chambering rather than a 270 winchester, 30-06, 308, or whatever? It seems to me the ability to use readily available 'local' ammo is going to be a big plus.
After all 'you can find the 30-06 ammo on shelves of even the smallest gun or fishbait store' is often a line you see when someone is taking about getting the fancy new wizbang deer/elk chambering, or is pontificationg on some rare obsolite chambering.
With all the FN-FALs an G3s floating around, does that make the 308 a good choice for a rifle because again you have the opportunity to use 'local' ammo if necesary.