For no good reason other than nostagia... I want a rifle with a connection to Africa and all of the great hunters of the past. I can't justify $8 - 30 G's for an old dbl...I was thinking of either a Ruger No 1 (Single shot - like early days of the big game hunters) or a CZ 550 (Classic mauser action, controled feed, still very popular in Africa today). I am thinking .375 H & H. Beside "plinking", I could us it for a pig or two. Maybe some day an elk or that plains game Safari I dream about. Both are reasonable prices for good working guns.

Any suggestions on which one.

If I go with the CZ 550, which stock, the classic european, or the american style. I like the thought and looks of the european, but don't think it is as favorable for recoil or a scope. Agian any suggestions?

Any alternatives I might consider?

Once again, thanks for any input that the memebers will give.

Jerry

I've always liked the idea of a Ruger No 1 with a nice hunk of wood in a big bore.

how about a nice Mauser actioned rifle in 9.3x62 a classic African rifle in what was at one time the most widespread and popular medium bore

A Colt-Sauer Grand African in 4-5-8!
A brut of a rifle - sold the one I had some years ago for 1500.00!

A Mauser in 375 is about as classic as it gets. A Winchester mod 70 classic (the controlled feed version) probably comes next in look. Of course, you could also get a 404 or a 416. In the heyday of single shots for Africa, people tended to use bigger bores, often black powder. A four bore would be really nice!!!!

Ruger is reportedly working on the No.1 in .450/.400 3" with Hornady building the ammo. Perfection!

How about a Mannlicher-Schoenauer? Used by Bell, Hemingway, and many others. You can choose among many calibers from classic 6.5mm to .458 Win. Mag. My personal favourite is a model 1910 rebereled to 8mm Mauser. - Regards, Jani

If you want a modern, classic design then I could not recommend more strongly the new Ruger Hawkeye African in .375 Ruger. Unlike the older Ruger .375 HH which weighed a ton, the new Hawkeye is a slim, control feed rifle with a standard length action. It "feels" like a pre-war sporter with a modern comb. The open sights are first rate, and when married with a replacement set of Warne detachable Ruger rings, it is a very huntable package. Recoil from the bench is a factor, but managable; when fired from sticks it was no issue at all. As a bonus, mine, at least, has a very nice piece of dark walnut. All of this is in a very affordable package because of the standard length action. The new caliber is loaded by Hornaday, using H&H bullets and throws the 300 gr RNSPs a couple hundred feet per second faster than the old magnum. Just a real neat rifle.

Didn't Teddy Roosevelt use a Winchester lever in Africa, was it a .405?

Yes, it was also the most expensive safari mounted in it's day.

The question is which Africa are you being sentimental about?
W.D.M. Bell and Ernest Hemingway both had a foundness for the 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer. Bell latter "moved up" to the 7x57 Mauser.
Or you could go with a four bore black powder gun!

Pete

. . .and a Springfield 1903 in .30-06 and a Holland and Holland Royal in .450.

The first Americans on Safari were men like Teddy Roosevelt who carried a 1903 Springfield in 30-03 and a Winchester 95 in .405. Next was Stewart Edward White with a 1903 Springfield in .30-06. Of course both had big-bore double rifles for back-up and things like Elephant.

This is what Stewart Edward White’s rifle looked like. This is THE American classic Africa rifle IMO.

All Great Suggestions... keep them coming!

Jerry

My buddy and I found a .405 Model 95 takedown with 3 leaf express sights,marked Lyon&Lyon Calcutta. It was in a pawn shop and we both saw it at the same time. A flip of the coin and..........it was his....cheap!

My all time favorite ctg is the .375 H&H. I refer to it as the gentile giant. I can not pass one up at the shows without at least a look. If you can spend the money get the Dakota action. for 5 rounds in the magazine. Go with a top barrel maker in a 1 in 12 twist. Stay with 300 grain Woodleigh bullets. Stock it however you please. If I could own, only one center fire rifle, it would be in .375 H&H. When friends come to visit and need a rifle to take along for sight seeing, I lend them a Mauser actioned fiberglass stocked, open sighted rifle and a box of shells (.375H&H).

All too often these days it looks like the classic African gun is a AK-47. That is the gun that I see in all the news about Africa and I suspect that it has killed most of hte game over there for that last few years.

If you really want a classic you should look at one of the old Black Powder guns. You can pick any you want if practicle stopping power is not your main concern. Several European doubles seem to croup up in odd calibers. We forget that all of Europe went ot Africa, not just the British. And a Contential gun will bring only a fraction what a British version will bring.

I bought sight unseen just what you wanted 13 years ago for $1,000.00. Knew and trusted the seller so I took a chance. Sold it the next month for over fvie grand. Last I heard it had been resold for over twice that amount. If it were German or French it still would be south of five grand. Might find a odd caliber for your budget range. Two triggers are more fun than one.

For all but Africa's biggest and most dangerous game, I'll propose a nice .35 Whelen, which could still be used for elk and bear in N. America (of course the .375 H&H could likewise be loaded up or down, depending on the critter). Going down from there? Nothing is much more "classic" than the 7x57 (and a great deer gun stateside), while a classic in a larger caliber would be a .416 Rigby. Happy hunting. TT

Jerry, A 577/450 from 1885, $700, and with bayonet attached it's quite sporting!!
1885 Martini Henry

How about a Ballard single in .375 H&H?

Thanks for more great suggestions...
Since I am primariliy a duck and bird hunter, the gun is really just to enjoy. I was thinking of the .375 H & H becuase it is a classic that could be use in America with better trajectory and less recoil than a .416 or .450.

I have been looking for quite a while and ANY dbl BP or Nitro is expensive, thats why I have narrowed it down to those two guns. I haven't seen any other afordable Singles in 375 or any "African" caliber other the Ruger. Been loking on GA and other sites awhile.

The idea is it is to be affordable and fun.

Thanks for the dieas, keep them comming.

Jerry

This looks promising.
Just want to help you before they convince you to buy something old that no longer works.

"If I go with the CZ 550, which stock, the classic european, or the american style. I like the thought and looks of the european, but don't think it is as favorable for recoil or a scope. Agian any suggestions?"

Like you and for the same reasons I am thinking about the CZ 550. I am going to go for the european style stock. It looks like a classic safari gun and can't believe I will shoot it enough to worry about any recoil difference between this stock and the american one. And how many old pictures show these guns with a scope? It's the folding blade being used in shots that were very close!

I am inches away from buying one. Maybe even this week...

Dave

1910 Mannlicher Schoenauer. Mine was purchased from a gunshop where I was working. A gentelman had walked in and sold it and another rifle. The seller was Audley Stewart Jr. (9.5M/S caliber equipted with a Lyman bolt peep site.) Not necessarily a rifle for heavy African game but I believe it's one that has actually been there, been used, and so has a bit of nostalgia if not some history attached to it. It's still in fine condition and a great shooter.

Here's a project but the starting point seems reasonable.

Martini

Here's another that claims to be from South Africa.

Martini

If you get one make sure it has firing pin spring retaining NUT and not the stupid cheap C-clip gizmo. It you get one with C-clip arrangement get CZ USA to replace firing pin assembly for you.

What about an early Oberndorf sporting Mauser in 9.3x62?
Not sure what they are worth there but I can get very tidy examples here for around $1500 USD.


GDU

The last one I looked at was the cheap Modell B and that was tagged at over 3000USD. No thanks, I will just wait for the new Kimber. I seen some good deals on 9,5s in the past like Sako-FN Mauser for $850, ZCZ 'Whitworth' for $475, Sako 'Safari Grade' (AIII action) for $1400 (that included Leupold 2,5x scope),....but ever since that stupid Mauser Sporter book came out one can get no good deals on pre-war sporters from Oberndorf.

Dave,
I am very close too.... Where are you looking to buy it. I have done quite a bit of shopping. I have an FFL and have some Retailers selling at close to "wholesale."

Really!?
I had no idea they were that collectable.
Makes mine look like a bargain then at $800 NZD.
Not really an African classic in 8mm and without express sights,but it will do me.

I'd take my 1950 CZ 7 X 57. Everyone here is a good shot. I had a beautiful pre-war Oberndorf set-trigger 7 X 57 Mauser owned by a German baron but let it go after a gunsmith damaged it making a telescope mount.

Mauser 7x57. It served Karamojo Bell quite well!

Please don't dismiss a double as way outside your budget. While it takes some hunting, you can find great calibers, like 450-400 3 or 3&1/4, or 9.3x74 (which is ballistically just below the .375 and still legal for buffalo in SA and elsewhere) for prices in the 5-7,000 range.

If you go with a bolt and really want open sights, you should also consider a peep sight which, particularly for gentlemen of a certain age, will be quicker on target and more accurate than express sights, because you are only looking to place the front sight on target rather than lining up the v and the bead correctly with express sights.

.375s are really not my thing, but I have been tricked into buying two. One is a London Rigby ordered by a late good friend when he was station chief for the CIA in Kabul, during their war with the Russians. He hunted Gaur, but was late to the party for tiger hunts in India while he was there. It is equipped with multi leaf sights as well as a Griffin and Howe style double lever mount made by Rigby. I guess there are more out there, but I've not seen one. My other .375 is a first year Model 70 Super Grade built by John Oberlies and equipped only with a Lyman 48, never scoped. It is probably the epitome of understated custom bolt guns, by a maker that would be hard to duplicate. This is a Robert Patterson gun that he apparently never used.

Yes, and it looked something like this


And killed big dangerous game something like this:



Factory ammo comes in 300 grain at 2225 fps, but you can handload 210, 300, and 400 grain ammo. On the upper end it packs the same punch as the 450/400 .

Lots of choices none better than the other so its a good question. Some options;

Rigby 416
Rigby 350
Rigby 275

Mannlicher M-1903

Jeffery DR
Any pre 1960 Rigby DR

Win. M-70 pre-64 375
Win. M-70 pre-64 30-06
Win. M-70 pre-64 300 H&H

Holland Royal 500/465
Holland Magazine 375 H&H
Holland Magazine 300 H&H

Joe Smithson Custom
Ralf Martini Custom
Duane Weibe Custom
Ron Paul Custom

Heym "Martini"
Heym 89B DR

Brno ZKK-602 375 or 416 or 458

Ruger No. 1 7x57 or 300 H&H or 375 H&H

Sako African in 375 H H. Had one that I used n Alaska. When I left the service I sold it to my hunting buddy
Can’t go wrong with a 375.

I was partial to a .45-2.6-535. Worked just fine. Bought a Martini 577/450, but could not get it to shoot so it stayed home.

I don't know if I will ever get to Africa. I bought these with hope that I might someday.

Here are my Ruger M77 Hawkeye Africans, one is a .275 Rigby and the other is a 9,3x62mm. They shoot and handle great. Plus, even setup with optics the weren't that expensive.



Out with the .275

SlowpokeBill, Your handle is appropriate I guess, but do not delay. Plan that trip right now. Time is wasting away, and anything and everything will try to get in the way. Just go!