#HUNTER RIFFLE PROFESSIONAL#
And because they have to deal with “worst-case scenarios,” a professional hunter’s rifle needs to be more than enough gun.ĭangerous game cartridges found in the magazine rifles of professional hunters include (l. Although these animals can be killed under ideal circumstances with lighter calibers, using enough gun makes good sense.
#HUNTER RIFFLE SKIN#
400- or larger-caliber cartridges designed to cope with the large size, thick skin and heavy bones of buffalo, elephant and rhino.
But its stopping power is marginal against Africa’s largest game-a role better suited to the. 375 H&H Magnum, classified as a medium-heavy cartridge, is perhaps the most universally accepted caliber for hunting the world’s big game, including most of the dangerous species.
There are accepted minimum calibers determined by common sense, or as legally required in some countries. A good rule to follow when hunting dangerous game is to use as much gun as would be suitable for following the animal were it wounded-in other words, a rifle/caliber combination capable of stopping a charge. Because animals vary so much in size and temperament and are found in such differing terrain, there’s no single gun or magic bullet that’s perfectly suited for all situations. Several factors determine which rifle and cartridge best suits a specific hunt for a particular animal. The topic of suitable guns and calibers for hunting dangerous animals has filled volumes of books and magazines and fueled countless campfire conversations in hunting camps all over the world. They also came chambered in a wide variety of cartridges ranging from the. Compared to other repeating actions, like the pump or lever-action, bolt-actions were considered to be more accurate and cycled ammunition more reliably. Many of those early professional hunters firmly believed that a double rifle provided the advantage of two certain shots without having to cock or reload, as opposed to a possible three or four shots from a magazine rifle.īut faced with the rising cost of high-priced doubles and dwindling ammo sources following World War II, many of the young up-and-coming professional hunters gravitated to the more economical and available magazine rifles. All of these rifles serve as reliable back-up guns and big-bore stoppers in the areas where they’re used.ĭouble guns were the rifle of choice for most East African professional hunters during the first half of the 20th Century.
475 Linebaugh, and the Model 444, which comes in. In Alaska, you might also include big-bore lever-actions like Marlin’s Model 1895, which comes in. In Africa, there are basically two types of rifles used by professional hunters: the bolt-action magazine rifle and the double-barreled, side-by-side rifle. Reliable quality means the rifle should be the very best firearm the professional hunter can afford to buy. Suitable caliber relates to the cartridges that are large enough to stop a charge. Correct configuration relates to action type, style and fit of stock, barrel length, sight type, safety position, trigger pull and overall weight-all important features that enable the rifle to be brought to play quickly and accurately. Long before an aspiring professional hunter will have to brain a charging elephant, or down a brown bear at 15 paces, he should be so familiar with his rifle that it comes up as quickly and as naturally as pointing his finger.Įach individual professional hunter’s rifle embodies the characteristics of correct configuration, suitable caliber and reliable quality.
Whether hunting Africa’s Big Five-elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard-on the African plains, or tracking a large Kodiak bear on the Alaskan tundra, the guides and professional hunters who lead their clients to dangerous game carry rifles on which the lives of many people depend.īearing in mind that an animal is only dangerous when at close quarters, it’s imperative that a professional hunter’s rifle shoot exactly to point of aim at close range and function flawlessly in the heat of the moment. To subscribe to the magazine, visit the NRA membership page here and select American Rifleman as your member magazine.Ī professional hunter’s rifle is possibly the most important tool of his trade, and that which often keeps the close calls from becoming radio calls for help. This article, “The Perfect Professional Hunter's Rifle,” appeared originally in the October 2004 issue of American Rifleman.