Hello from Namibia

[GerhardDP]

Hi Guys,

just a quick note to say Hi from Namibia, my name is Gerhard and I've been living in the bush/desert all my life.

It all started with FITA archery, then I moved into Bow huting, then I bought my first rifle as an equalizer when walking in the African bush, a .375 Alaskan. one never knows whats around the next bush

our average hunting distance is between 100 and 200 meters and the 375 has enough legs to reach it to there.

I've bought a Rem 700 XHR in 300 Win to use as a long range rifle. Im still waiting for the license. Our fire-arm licensing takes quite a long time (about 3 months). I'm going to fit it with a Nikon Monarch 5-25x50 and a Caldwell bipod.

I dont want to spend too much money as I'm note sure if the RL bug will bite, i really hope it does! but up to now my thing was to get as close to my quarry as humanly possible!

so.. thats me! I know I'm going to learn so much from you guys, and thank you all for sharing your heard earned knowledge with the world!

Desert Greetings

Gerhard

 

[HARPERC]

Hello back! Deserts are interesting places. Have you had opportunity to field test that Ruger. I'm partial to the H&H, but the younger guys I know are all picking up Ruger's.

 

[GerhardDP]

Hi Harperc,

I've taken about 20 animals with the ruger from jackal to Blue Wilde-beast and Oryx. I must say I'm really really happy with the weapon, as long as one realized that it really shines from close quarter to around 200 yards. it is not a long range plains game rifle, but it was also not built for it..

It is almost like buying a big bad 4x4 with a 6" lift, adding a supercharger and wanting to do 200km/h! it can and will do it, but it passes its design qualities!

I shoot a 250gr HPBT at 2660fps and a 300gr DGX point at 2405fps.. the stopping power is awesome. this weekend i saw that the energy released at impact on a marginal / poor shot stuns the animal enough for the shooter to make a followup shot.

The Alaskan with the 20" barren and Hogue stock really pacifies the recoil beast and it really shoots like a dream


H&H is the king of Africa, and will most probably always be just that. 100 years of history does not just come for nothing.

The Achilles heal for the 375 and 416 ruger for that matter will be ammunition availability. where for the H&H every single gun shop i have ever been to (no matter how remote) stocks 375 H&H ammo.

If you dont reload then the ruger will be expensive to shoot, and you must always make sure you have enough ammo when going out.

 

[HARPERC]

I'll likely never walk into an African gun store looking for ammo, LOL, but its good to know its there. Like bullets, with like ballistics, offer similar results. If the Rugers were available 30 years ago, I would likely have bought one instead of building an H&H. I think the 250-270 grain bullets are the most useful. The 300's have a place, but at these velocities they're a bit much in the middle. The 350's would be my load for up close and personal. The 300's like you said have a long record, and todays bullets are better yet, so its just a quirk of mine.