Hunt Africa or a double rifle 470NE?

[Fjold]

Growing up I used to spend a lot of time in the public library reading about hunting Africa. All the stories about trekking across Africa with a double barreled rifle in one of the Nitro Express calibers chasing Cape Buffalo were what fueled all my pre-adolescent fantasies.

About three years ago the last kid got out of college and I started saving money to do this. In 2004 I found one of the last run of left handed Winchester M70s in 375 H&H magnum and bought it sight unseen just to have it for Africa. Scrimping on everything else, I've put away enough money to spend on an 8 day Cape Buffalo hunt in Zimbabwe and am planning on booking it in the next couple of weeks for late summer/early fall.

Then today to throw a wrench in all my plans, I got a great offer on my dream gun! (This is the gun that when someone asks you what gun you would like to own above ALL others automatically comes to mind without a second's hesitation)

A left handed Searcy Double rifle in 470 Nitro Express. Did I mention that this is my dream gun?

This gun is being offered to me at less than about 60% of list price and without the 18 month wait that it would take to order one and I know that I will never see a better deal on this for the rest of my life.

If I buy this gun, which basically cost most of my African hunting budget, I will not be able to go to Africa to hunt with it for at least another 4-5 years and who knows what will happen to hunting there in that time.

What do I do?

[okie man]

look at it like this, spend all your money on a new boat but don't have a truck to tow it. why have it. 375 is plenty of gun to hunt buff. go hunt with what you got!

[fintastic]

Oky Man said it all! 375 H&H is plenty of gun.I personally have a 416 Taylor,500 AHR, and my baby,585 over kill! . Good luck on your hunt!

[YANK N CRANK #2]

.460 weatherby..

[HAYMAN]

go hunting..............

[HAYMAN]

Like you said, the hunt may dry up. You might not get another chance.(health, $$..etc) I think you answered your own question

[Its A Keeper]

My son killed his first Black buck Antelope on spring break this year.

He is 10 years old,,,dropped that Antelope with a 17hmr....both longs and the heart..perfect shot... it jumped up...looked around..walked 10ft and laid down...died right there.

A well placed bullet means more to me than the size of the bullet...If your 375 is accurate and you are confident in taking a shot with it...what else do you need to accomplish the goal?

Not to say that your dream gun is not worthy of the cause...But a 375H&H is more than enough for just about anything in Africa...

About the only thing I would think you would need something larger would be an Elephant...But I am sure that have been many an Elephant killed with the 375...


As far as dream guns go...Reseach the wildcat bullet called the 400 Tempo.... then you will see what a real dream cartridge is...Drops Cape Buffalo out to 250 yds with one shot....

[HAYMAN]

Are you talking about the .17hmr? I own a couple for varmint and plinking. That round isn't near big enough or legal for antelope.

[Skip Jackson]

And your guide will have a cannon anyway.

[Kurt]

xactly go hunting and borrow a gun if you need one.

[Mono Malo]

Buy the Searcy. Save up some more money and I'll go with you next time and split the costs. My next trip to Africa is for Cape Buffalo. I love my WBY378, but that Searcy is just history in your hands. Besides, its just money anyway, you can always make more, just like the government does.

[SNEEKEE]

Ive talk to a lot of people that have hunted the black contenent and people who have consesion's over there 300 WSM is plenty of gun even for cape buffalo.