Terry Wieland On Shooting

Practically Africa – Real Rifles for Real Hunters

Some months ago, a reader asked why we never write about the common rifles in use in Africa – rifles that Africans use when they go hunting on a regular basis.

His point was that no one hunting in Africa, no matter where or for what, really needs one of the new hyper-velocity cartridges, or the hot short-shorts that deliver the same velocity from less rifle.

“Remember the 7x57?” he asked.  “Great cartridge, and every bit as good now as it ever was.”

Our reader was absolutely right.  The old Mauser 7x57 (116 years old and counting) was, and is, one of the finest all-around plains game cartridges for Africa.  Forget the fact that Karamoja Bell hunted elephants with it; that proves nothing except that Bell was an extraordinary shot with a precise knowledge of elephant anatomy.  The 7x57 has probably killed more plains game in southern Africa than any other cartridge, with the possible exception of the .303 British.

For that matter, the .303 is every bit as good as the 7x57, for the same game.  In their original loadings, they launched a relatively heavy bullet at relatively modest velocities, penetrated deeply, and killed consistently.  There was no magic, no razzle-dazzle; also, no ear-splitting bellow or jarring recoil.  Just consistent performance.

Tony Henley, the famous Kenya and Botswana professional hunter, long believed that no rifle for Africa should have a muzzle velocity greater than 2700 feet per second.  When Tony advanced that view to me, I was rather puzzled.  Later, it made sense.  As a cutoff point, 2700 fps is an excellent line.  Below that velocity, normal bullets expand but do not disintegrate, and so you get good penetration.  When velocity is greater, it means you probably are using a lighter bullet, and one that is more prone to break apart on impact.

That limit allows you to use the following cartridge/bullet combinations:  .303 with a 190-grain bullet, 7x57 with a 150-grain, 6.5x55 with 140-grain, .30-06 with 180-grain, and 8x57 with a 180-grain.  Every one of those combinations is proved deadly on plains game.

People sometimes wonder about cartridges for the biggest antelope, such as eland.  The cartridges mentioned above will do just fine for eland provided the range is not too long, and the bullet is placed properly.  This raises two questions, of course.  Regarding range, it is not an issue for the vast majority of eland shot today, which are taken under increasingly controlled conditions in South Africa.

If you hunt them where ranges reach out to 400 or 500 metres and it is difficult to get closer, then you may need something on the order of a .340 Weatherby, but that’s a special situation that, these days, occurs one time in a thousand.

The same applies to gemsbok, sable, greater kudu, zebra - any of them can be handled more than adequately inside 200 yards by one of these old military stand-bys.

Regarding the second point – accurate shooting – any shot inside 200 yards will be easier to make, and these rifles with their moderate recoil are vastly easier to shoot consistently well.

Now let’s look at the rifles themselves, because this is probably more important in hunting terms than the ballistics of their cartridges.

Most of the 7x57s in use in southern Africa arrived during the Anglo-Boer War.  They were mostly Mauser Model 95s, a modification of the famous Spanish Mauser 93.  This is a cock-on-closing bolt action.  Since the war took place after the introduction of the Mauser 98, it is not surprising that many different Mauser models showed up in the hands of the Boers, and that many are still lurking in South African farmhouses.

The 7x57 became the mainstay cartridge, not only in South Africa, but also in neighbouring countries like Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.  As a result, ammunition is freely available in these countries where one might have difficulty finding such cartridges as the .308 Winchester or 7mm Remington.

Likewise, the .303 British was the cartridge on the Anglo side of the war, and hundreds of thousands of Lee-Enfield rifles were left behind in Africa.  Although these were older models, the Lee-Enfield evolved as the rifle of the British Army throughout the 20th century, and later Enfields are common from the Cape to Cairo.

The Lee-Enfield can be cut down, barrel shortened and wooden stock trimmed, to make a very handy and effective hunting rifle.  The No. 5 Mark I ‘Jungle Carbine’ is a great little hunting rifle as issued.  The action is smooth and the 10-round detachable box magazines are very useful in some circumstances.  This cartridge was another favourite of Karamoja Bell, who often used it to brain-shoot elephants.  According to some reports, Bell used the .303 more than he did the 7x57.

As issued, of course, neither the Mauser nor the Lee-Enfield had provision for a scope, and mounting one on either rifle is a difficult operation calling for more gunsmithing ability than was generally available in South Africa.  Crudely cut down to make them lighter and handier, and with military iron sights, hunters used these rifles to great effect on everything from springbok to eland.

Even today, if one were hunting greater kudu on foot in thornbush, these would be great rigs.  Ranges are short – usually 75 to 100 yards at the most.  Shots have to be quick, because you will get a glimpse of grey hide and then a blur.  So you need to carry the rifle at the ready all the time, like a quail gun, or at the very least in one hand, ready to bring to the shoulder.  These rifles, unscoped, carry beautifully this way and more than make up in speed what they might lack in ballistics.

In 2001, I found myself in the mountains near Lesotho, hunting on a ranch.  Some eland crossed the line onto the rancher’s property and he asked me to shoot one.  The only rifle available was an ancient 7x57 with a grab-bag of ammunition.  I guessed at the bullet weight, tried to match half a dozen rounds, and ventured forth.  We caught up to the eland, and I dropped one on a mountainside.

Although the mountain valleys were wide and generally grassy, it was no problem to stalk to within decent shooting range, and the 7x57 did the rest.  The killing bullet was a 175-grain roundnose, probably idling along at about 2400 fps, and the rifle’s bore, while rusty, was accurate enough.

The third great rifle to be found throughout Africa is the Mauser 98.  In its military configuration, chambered for the 8x57, it is every bit as good as a .30-06.  The rifle is the last of the Mauser models, with virtually every feature perfected to Paul Mauser’s satisfaction.  Because Namibia was a German protectorate until 1918, with German troops and German settlers, the 98 is especially popular there, just as the 7x57 is in South Africa.

First World War lore said the Americans were armed with a target rifle (the Springfield), the British with a battle rifle (the Lee-Enfield), and the Germans with a hunting rifle (the Mauser 98).  There is a lot of truth in that, and the Mauser 98 military rifle as it comes out of the box makes a very acceptable hunting rifle.  It is not as long or cumbersome as the others, it balances nicely in the hand, and the bolt is quick and easy.  On departing game, nothing is faster to the eye than open sights.

Although the .30-06 was never a military round in Africa, it is still very common because many rifles in this calibre were imported over the years and ammunition is widely available.  If your outfitter has a camp rifle for client use, it could very well be a .30-06.  Of the .30-06 ammunition I have seen on African shop shelves over the years, I would estimate 90 per cent was loaded with 180-grain bullets, and most of the rest with 220s.

Over the years, other cartridges have established good reputations in Africa.  The various 6.5mm cartridges (Mauser, Mannlicher) in both military and civilian guise show up from time to time.  Not surprisingly, Karamoja Bell also used a 6.5mm rifle extensively, again for brain shots on elephant.  And the .308 Winchester has made some inroads in Africa.

When you think of it, even the .375 H&H is really a larger-bore version of the .30-06, delivering a heavy bullet, at modest velocities, with great and dependable penetration.

These are the cartridges that have nothing left to prove in Africa, and will still be taking game there long after many of today’s hot-shot cartridges are but a memory.