High Caliber Radio

The .375 H&H is very popular among hunters looking for a dangerous game rifle that has lower recoil than the true heavies. Most African countries use the .375 H&H as the lightest caliber allowed for dangerous game. The beauty of the .375 H&H is that it is more than capable of taking plains game but still usable on dangerous game so it gives you a good general purpose rifle for Africa where you could go from warthog to cape buffalo in the blink of any eye.

I decided that I wanted the versatility of a .375 H&H but what rifle? There are a great many rifles chambered in .375 Holland and Holland but I had a particular set of criteria for mine. I thought about a custom rifle on a P14 Enfield action but ruled that out as cost and time were both a factor. I wanted a classic Mauser action with controlled round feed, nice wood stock (no monte carlo check pieces or white line spacers), express sights, and a reputation for quality and reliability. The controlled round feed is something I feel is important. This feature was built into the ’98 Mauser action to prevent feeding problems. The last thing you want is a misfeed when you are backing up your shot on a cape buffalo. The cartridge slides up under the extractor and is controlled all the way into the chamber unlike many designs that merely push the round forward with the extractor snapping over the case as it bottoms out in the chamber.

I settled on the CZ-USA Cz 550 African. This rifle had been around for years and is know all over the world as the ZKK or BRNO 602. Manufactured in the Czech Republic and know for quality and old world craftsmanship the big Cz is perfect for anyone wanting a quality sporting rifle, especially a dangerous game gun. Cz chambers it in .375 H&H, .416 Rigby, .458 Winchester Magnum and .458 Lott. Their custom shop can outfit you with even bigger classic magazine rifle calibers. The bolt throw is smooth and the action reliable, based on the magnum 1898 Mauser action. The wood is nice with plenty of checkering to give sweaty hands a firm grasp. The rifle has built in scope bases but I was planning to use iron sights since the ranges rarely go past 100yds. Folding leaf express sights from 100 to 300 yards with a white bead front sight make up the sight system. The front sight hood has a port in the top to allow light in but still protects the front sight. I replaced the factory front sight with a New England Gun Company red fiber optic sight made specifically to fit the Cz’s quick change spring loaded front sight base.

I also attached a sling from Andy’s Leather to the factory QD sling studs. I loaded up with 270 grain Winchester power points to try it out. As the accompanying pictures show, it is an accurate rifle. I found it to be very reliable and actually pleasant to shoot. The recoil is very manageable. I do not shoot hard kicking rifles off of a bench as I find it counter productive to accuracy. I shoot these rifles off of shooting sticks. Sticks gives you plenty of stability but they allow your body to move with the recoil. I was happy that not only did the new fiber optic front sight provide greatly enhanced visibility but it caused no change in point of impact.

For a general purpose load on my Safari, I have chosen the 300 grain cup point solid by North Fork Bullets. This bullet is a precision, lathe turned, monolithic solid copper bullet with a cup point. The cup point allows for a larger wound cavity without compromising penetration. This load should handle any game animal we will come across without having to switch rifles or ammunition. This is important when you consider that there is always the potential to encounter dangerous game even while hunting something else.

Probably the most common heavy caliber dangerous game round is the .458 Winchester Magnum. The .458 WM was introduced in the 1950s as the American answer to the big British double rifle calibers. The .458 WM was designed to fit into a standard length action thus doing away with the requirement for a special Magnum Length action. The .458 came out in one of the slickest, most beautiful rifles ever, the pre 64 Model 70 African. On it’s introduction the .458 WM received a poor reputation because of it’s occasional failure to ignite it’s compressed powder charge. With the development of more modern powders this problem quickly disappeared. The .458 WM generates roughly 3 times the recoil energy of the .30’06 so shooting it is an experience. The .458 WM is inherently accurate and with practice and proper technique, it can be shot well and controlled.

The rifle I chose for my .458 Winchester Magnum had basically the same criteria as the .375. I had always admired the Interarms Mk X Mauser line, especially the Whitworth Express Rifles that were originally build on Zastava made Mauser actions in Manchester, England and later in Alexandria, VA. The stock is a very nice walnut with English shadow line cheek piece, buffalo horn forend tip and English express styling. The Whitworth also sports a barrel band sling swivel and a 3 leaf folding express sight behind a hooded ramp front sight. I plan on replacing the front sight and the hood with parts similar to those on the Cz. The Whitworth fires, feeds and functions great. The action is smooth with it’s controlled round feed. I fired it off of sticks and as you can see in the pictures, it is more than accurate enough for the job.

The bullets chosen for the .458 Winchester Magnum were a result of the failure of a premium bullet used in a major manufacturer’s dangerous game loads. A friend shot a Buff with these, “guaranteed not to deflect “, bullets. The bullet deflected almost immediately upon entry. He sent the bullet back and they sent him a free box of shells.
If the buff had stomped him the point would have been mute. Once again, we talked to the guys from North Fork and they recommended the 400 grain cup point solid. With enough Varget to get 2100 FPS out of the big 400 grain bullet Aubrey says we will be well armed . The .458 Cup Point solids are also extremely accurate.

I was impressed with the accuracy of the North Fork bullets. Even if I were never to make it to Africa, I enjoy shooting these big bore rifles. They are fun and even more fun when you share them with your friends.