Traditional "African" game cartridges...

[magnumwheelman]

Saw the new Uberti Stalking rifle thread posted here... singleactions.proboards.com/thread/29935/uberti-1885-courtenay-stalking-rifle
after drooling on those rifle pictures... I never really gave thought of the 303 cartridge as a traditional African game cartridge, but suppose as the British were there, I guess I can see why...

it's funny that that thread gave me an idea... I just bought my 1st Encore & after having a pretty extensive Contender collection ( I'm trying to limit how the Encore barrels could multiply ) have I mentioned, I still want a Stainless action to go with my stainless 500 JRH barrel being commissioned...

But... I'm thinking about having this blued action engraved with "African Styling" & assembling a collection of African game cartridge chambered barrels to go along with it... got a start... my 1st barrel is 375 H&H... I have quite a bit of ammo in 375 H&H as I recently sold off my Browning in that caliber...

thinking a 300 H&H, ( but maybe that 303 is better??? ) I currently don't have either so choice would be a new cartridge to me, as well as brass & dies, & special bullet diameter if it's to be 303, to buy...

also want a 416 Rigby barrel for sure... I have a bolt action rifle in that caliber & maybe 50 cases ( Unfortunately now isn't the time to try to find more )

oh, and the 7 X 57, but with the 275 Rigby stamped on the barrel... you guys that have the 257 Rigby rifles, have you found cases with the 257 Headstamp??? I have only really found listed is the Hornady brand, & of course they are out everywhere as well

... that's 4 African caliber barrels... wondering if I can, & if I'd really want to go anything bigger than 416 Rigby... maybe a custom barrel in one of the "Nitro" calibers... thinking, in talking with Bullberry not much available over 50 caliber, as things start getting too thin???

Hmmm... do I dare even think 470 Nitro Express???

any other traditional African game cartridges that would fit in with what I have listed, or better replace one that's listed above???

Also the stock that came with my Encore is the basic Composite... have any of you guys shot a boomer with the standard composite stock, & then again with the Flex Tech stock, which is supposed to absorb a good amount of the recoil???

[Encore64]

We took a Ruger #1 303 British to Africa in 2018. I'd handloader the ammo using ACP Bullets. They're very similar to Barnes Bullets.

Load pushed 174 grn to 2500 fps. It was one shot effective on two Blue Wildebeest, Impala and Blesbok.

The head man there said more game had been killed in Africa with the 303 British than any other cartridge in history.

Hornady does make 275 Rigby Brass.

[Lee Martin]

9.3x62 Mauser would be nice too. It has quickly become one of my favorites. Though I must admit, I like more than one-shot. That's why I chose to do mine on a Mauser 98.

-Lee
www.singleactions.com

[Encore64]

Also, I bought one of the limited run of 405 WCF 24" Encore Barrels. Before I ever fired it, found a Ruger #1 so chambered.

Have never fired the 405 WCF Barrel, but might one day. Was TR's choice for Africa...

[Ken O'Neill]

The .303 is still found in use in some African countries. The .375 H&H, and .458 Win.Mag. are in very common use. I'm the only one I ever saw using the classic .300 H&H, but obviously some others do use it to some extent. Believe it or not, the .308 and .30-06 are far more commonly used. Classics, as you say, also include the 7x57 or .275 and .416 Rigby. The various 9.3's are also popular, mostly among European hunters.

[bradshaw]

Killed my first whitetail with a SMLE (Short Model Lee-Enfield) No.4, .303 British, with Remington 180 Round Nose soft point. In those days, "NRA Very Good” would be called "mint condition” today. Left hand, deep, 5-groove rifling, probably perfect for cast bullets. Sam Cummings came out of WW II with gunrunning on his mind, started Intertarms, sold these rifles for $12.95. Which means he probably paid 13 cents a rifle at the battlefield. As the little island's ambition to colonize the planet spread, so too distribution of the Lee-Enfield rifles. Thus, just as the .303 British may have accounted for more game in Africa than any other cartridge, I’ve heard the parallel claim in Canada and wouldn’t be surprised to hear such in Australia, India, etc. Which didn't stop the British from driving on the wrong side of the road, and putting locking lugs to the wrong end of the bolt.
David Bradshaw

[magnumwheelman]

I kind of like the idea of the 303 ( not that the 300 H&H isn't a great cartridge ) just probably cheaper / easier to pull components together & load for...

not sure how tough it would be to get a encore rifle barrel in the right bore... Bullberry is who I'm using for the 2 barrels commissioned 1st... they use .308 barrels instead of 32 caliber for the cartridges they chamber... not sure if another maker can get me the correct bore size??? or I may end up with the 300 H&H just to have correct bore size for the chamber...

not that a couple quick changes to the die expanders & it becomes 303 with a .308 bore... just would prefer to be true to the cartridge historically...

[Encore64]

Feb 10, 2021 15:58:47 GMT -5 magnumwheelman said:

I kind of like the idea of the 303 ( not that the 300 H&H isn't a great cartridge ) just probably cheaper / easier to pull components together & load for...

not sure how tough it would be to get a encore rifle barrel in the right bore... Bullberry is who I'm using for the 2 barrels commissioned 1st... they use .308 barrels instead of 32 caliber for the cartridges they chamber... not sure if another maker can get me the correct bore size??? or I may end up with the 300 H&H just to have correct bore size for the chamber...

not that a couple quick changes to the die expanders & it becomes 303 with a .308 bore... just would prefer to be true to the cartridge historically...

Match Grade Machine...

[magnumwheelman]

Thanks... I think there are like 3 places to get barrels right now??? I think I have a Contender barrel from MGM I'll check on that after I get the 2 back from Bullberry

[Encore64]

I've actually got a G2 Contender Carbine in 303 British. I shoot the 150s at 2650 fps and the 174s at 2400 fps in it.

Plenty strong for any published loads. But, not my Ruger #1 Loads...

[x101airborne]

I love the 303! I have 5 SMLE's and shot one this Monday. PPU soft point ammo running 200 grain bullets north of 2k feet per second hits with authority!

[bearskinner]

You can add an African Revolver to your tools of the trade. It just must have at least an 8” Barrel and some sort of sight.

[bigbrowndog]

I believe at least one of the Maneaters of Tsavo was taken with a 303, so classic is a fitting term.

Trapr

[magnumwheelman]

Just got off the phone today with engraver Michael Gouse... looking like my Encore is getting some Cape Buffalo on one side, and a pride of Lions attacking a Cape Buffalo on the other side should make a nice vehicle for those classic African cartridge barrels... should be back home by spring

[squawberryman]

I wanna see a youtube video of a guy firing a 470 Contender