Equipment

Not all rifles and projectiles are suitable for big game hunting. The proper equipment varies depending on which game to hunt. Next to the question of the perfect projectile, hunters ask themselves how many rifles to bring for a big game hunt to Africa. Our tips and tricks well ease the planning of your next hunting trip to Africa. You can also find further usefull information about big game hunting in Africa on grosswildjagd.de.

The ideal rifle size for big game hunting

There are no generalities for which rifle to use for big game hunting in Africa. Every hunter can take their favourite gun with them. It doesn’t matter if you prefer a repeater or a double barrel rifle, everything is allowed. Although please consider the different requirements and circumstances for a hunt in Africa.

Next to the question which rifle to use hunters often ask how many guns to bring to a big game hunt in Africa. They want to be prepared perfectly for any possibility. Ideally one rifle fits for hunting small antelopes as well as hunting elephants. An ideal rifle could hit a target in 150 m with an 500 gr projectile as well as one in 200 m with a 400 gr bullet, without a change of the break point.

One big reference point is the weight of the gun. Due to the hot weather and long stalkings heavy rifles are uncalled for. Today’s hunting safaris don’t last some weeks anymore. In just a few days hunters have to get their trophy. That’s why they have to be mobile and should reconsider every gramm of equipment on their hunting trips.

Due to the few possibilities of a kill big game hunters have to be quick in movement and confident in their hunting skills. A gun with a max weight of 5 kg allows the hunter a quick reaction and adjustment to the situation.

Another big reference is the kickback of the ideal rifle. Hunters should choose a gun which they’re used to and feel confident with. Pass on heavy, bulky rifles which you’ve never use before.

The perfect bullet for big game hunting

Nowadays trend leans towards heavy patrons. The perfect projectile can kill both an elephant and an antelope. An example for one of these is the .416 RemMag, which we can warmly recommend to you.

More important than the size and performance of the bullet is the placement of the shot. Even with a smaller projectile a shot directly to the heart of the game is fatal. Although to be on the safe side you should pick a stronger bullet for hunting elephants, buffalos or hippos.

Which game requires which bullet?

The minimum bullet size for game hunting in Africa is .375’’. Your aren’t allowed to hunt with smaller sizes in all of Africa. Furthermore these projectiles aren’t suitable for a big game hunt in Africa anyways. 

When hunting an elephant we recommend to use a full metal jacket. These kind of projectiles are made for high penetration. A shot to the head of an elephant requires a bullet like this to be effective.

Professional hunter Tony Sanches Arino’s favourite bullet for elephant hunting is the .500 Jeffery. Please consider as listed above that a strong bullet doesn’t replace a perfectly located shot. Although the bullet has to have enough power to kill an elephant with a shot to the head.

The hunt of buffalos and hippos require two different kind of projectiles for the first two shots. For the first one we recommend a soft point bullet. The second one should be a full metal jacket, in order to stop the approaching game.

Big cats like lions, leopards or cheetahs can be hunt with soft point bullets. You can use these kind of bullets as well for hunting antelopes. Therefore we recommend a size of 400 gr or bigger.

Nowadays trend leans towards heavy patrons. The perfect projectile can kill both an elephant and an antelope. An example for one of these is the .416 RemMag, which we can warmly recommend to you.

More important than the size and performance of the bullet is the placement of the shot. Even with a smaller projectile a shot directly to the heart of the game is fatal. Although to be on the safe side you should pick a stronger bullet for hunting elephants, buffalos or hippos.

How projectiles work

The main aspect for picking the right rifle and bullet is the penetration of the projectile. Every combination of the equipment has its own level of penetration.

Next to the destruction of the hard materials within the game a projectile cuts the aqueous parts as well. Furthermore the projectile causes a wound cavity down the shot channel. On one hand its size depends on the diameter of the projectile and on the other hand on its penetration.

Professional hunter recommend to use a bullet with an initial velocity of 2.400 f/s for big game hunting in Africa. This assures, that there is enough energy throughout the whole length of the shot chanel and not just at the entry point of the projectile. Please note that a through-and-through wound is more effective than a bullet lodged in one half of the body.

Nowadays bullets bullets ar build to have a relatively small shot channel. The focus lies on the penetration to damage vital parts of the game. That’s why the SuperPenetrator is one of the best projectiles to use on a big game hunt.

The penetration is the most crucial criteria for a bullet when hunting an elephant. In fact a high penetrating projectile can kill an elephant with a shot to the head even if the brain isn’t damaged. A shot with low penetration causes only a short knock down of the elephant. Many times these animals recover quickly and flee into the wildernes or put the hunters in danger. That’s the reason why a very quick second shot to the heart is necessary.

Monolothics

The boom for big game hunting in Africa started with the introduction of faster projectiles. Allthough with the raising amount of big game hunters the stories about ineffective projictiles rose as well. Especially copper cladded, lead core full matel jackets stood under critisism. In this time of negativity “monolothics” were introduced. These projectiles also faced a lot of critisism. Nevertheless they became the favourite bullets for big game hunters. The hunters complaint about

• the length of the procetiles and the therefore smaller powder chambers
• the unstable ballistics and low penetration
• the possibility of an explosion of an older rifle.

Nowadays hunters use the newest generation of steel cladded, lead or tungston core full metal jackets due to the higher penetration, stalilization and reliability. Monolothics tend towards deformation and therefore ineffectivity.

The importance of momentum for penetration

In many cases hunters holds the momentum account for high penetration. A sports shooter, who has to knock back metal targets, relies on the momentum of the bullet. In this case all of the pressure is concentrated on the point of contact. Nevertheless the momentum is irrelevent for big game hunters. There is little evidence that a high momentum generates high penetration.

The most importent indication for high penetration is the momentum density. It’s defined as the momentum of the projectile to its cross sectional area. Another important indicator is the top of the projectile and its form. That’s why the SuperPenetrator with its caviation disk has a higher penetration than all the standard projectiles.