A terrific interview with Dr. Kevin Robertson regarding African hunting cartridges with his insight on the proper caliber and bullet selection for big game hunting. Also, he shares a few of his amazing hunting stories as a professional hunter. I'm looking forward to reading his books. Thank you!
I WORKED UP SOME HAND LOADS FOR A REM B. D. L AT MAX IN NOSLER BOOK AND FLOATED THE BARREL, RIFLE SHOT THREE ROUNDS AT A 100YDS I COULD COVER WITH A DIME, EJECTING THE 3rd ROUND, PULLED BACK THE BOLT EMPTY CASE STAYED IN CHAMBER, THE TINY EJECTOR BROKE OFF, THAT'S THE SECOND TIME I'VE SEEN REMINGTON RIFLES FAIL, ALL OF MY DAD'S RIFLE'S WERE PRE 64 WINCHESTER'S, I WAS TAUGHT FROM VERY YOUNG IF THE RIFLE DOES NOT HAVE A CLAW EXTRACTOR IT'S NOT WORTH HAVING
I havwe just went through the video for a second time, a couple of years after my second time to Africa. It is as valuable as the first time I wtached it. I beleive that the conclusions are most important also because can be used as a standard practice in case one shooting club wnts to give a prsctical shooting snd huntingcourse for itsthe members even thay are going to hunt locally. Great Video
A terrific video very educational and Dr.Roberts is a wealth of information I will be going on my first Cape buffalo hunt in 2025 early 2026 I really wanna watch Dr. Roberts more now I was looking for an informative video like this on Cape buffalo hunting thank you keep them coming
The recommendations fit many US areas as well. Many US hunters are "over scoped" for their 50-75 yard woods shot. Out west, one may need more magnification. The fitting of the rifle to the hunter is truly virtually unknown as a requirement.
And the truth is many of those Western hunters are way over scoped, you don't know how many people I see show up at hunting camp with 8-25 power scopes when hunting in the mountains!
Not really most guys got 3x9x40 which is perfect for 10 to 500 yards sometimes you mite need a 300 yard shot or longer Im talking about midwest and northeast deer hunting out west you might need more zoom
I dont think it would make a difference what rifle was used if you shoot a round that is over pressure it wont come out, the problem was the round over loaded for the heat, a round safe in Scotland may not be safe when you add 30 degrees to it
Touching very briefly on the various topics covered in this video: I have a Trijicon 1x8 accupower with the very center of the reticle illuminated mounted on my 375 H&H bolt action. At 1x it is like shooting a red dot, good situational awareness and very fast target acquisition. You do have to avoid being distracted by the view of the barrel past the end of the stock that is visible in the scope at 1x. At 4-8x it is very suitable for longer shots plains game. This on a 20 yr old Winchester Classic Super Express 375 H&H. It's heavy enough (approx 10+ lbs) that felt recoil is like a 12 gauge shotgun - just a firm push. I've spent 100 rds at sitting during load development and it didn't start becoming uncomfortable until the last 10-15 rds. However, I'm not particularly recoil sensitive, so others may differ in their opinion. That model 70 absolutely loves the Barnes 300g TSX bullet., reliably grouping 3 rds at .75" at 100 yds as long as the shooter does their job.
Rem. quit chambering there 700 in the 416 Rem Mag because of pressure problems and broken extractors. Desert dog outdoors has a dissertation on it. I would not own a Rem 700. Trigger and safety problems got people killed. The law suits bankrupted Remington. Winchester Model 70 is superior.
as you said most enlightining conversation. I could obtain one of the books here (Argentina) and it served me well when I reached Limpopo. Thanks for your magnificent effort.
This is why all of the top gun builders change out the finger nail flake extractor on Remington 700s to custom bolt modification to m16 extractors Fact!
IMO putting 10,000 aimed rounds through a rimfire, 1,000 aimed rounds through a centrefire, and 200-500 rounds through the rifle one intends to hunt with, in standing, kneeling and sitting positions, will generally make for proficiency. All the while religiously following safe handling practices. Speed drills and dry firing too. It helps if the rifles all operate the same way. The goal is to make everything second nature, though you still have to think about it.
Why don't you use a 500gr bullet in a lever action,with a Henary 45-70 government. I guarantee that will take down anything in the world. It's not meant for the bush & is used as a backup rifel by guides in Alaska and Montana
Why don’t YOU hunt dangerous game with your 45-70? You’re the one that’s so sure in its performance! I’m sure the zinc action and sheet metal receiver of your Henry will last for generations.
He explains it in his presentation. In essense: 45-70 is illegal for use on African dangerous game in all countries except South Africa. That limits your use quite a bit. Cast bullets can get the job done but they are not for a "stopping rifle" for buffalo, elephant, hippo or rhino.
The 500 grain bullet in a marlin lever action rifle in 45/70 to work through the action it has to be pushed down into the case that far it's impossible to get decent velocity out of the cartridge a 350 grain bullet is a lot better option.
Very interesting, educational and entertaining video. I've never in my wildest dreams ever thought about hunting anything in Africa. Just not in my financial wheel house. I'm too old and not in good enough condition now anyway because of health issues even if I won the big lottery, but Is the 9.3x62 with factory load enough for those very dangerous critters? I don't remember exactly what was said about that number. Is it legal or not, depending on location etc.? Every reputable loading manual that I have shows that the 35 Whelen will push any comparable weight bullet that can be loaded into the Whelen's case somewhat faster than the 9.3x62. Would that be a viable option? Mine is built on a 98 Mauser action with a 24 inch heavy barrel. I also have a custom Siamese Mauser 45-70. I have published loads for the Siamese Mauser or Ruger Number 1 and similar falling block actions that will push a 400 grain to 2200 fps with a resulting 4,298 ft lbs of muzzle energy. I couldn't find data for the 500 grain .458 bullet but I would expect that you could achieve around 2000 fps with the big bullet which makes for over 4,400 ft lbs of energy. Pressure is around 50,000 PSI. Don't try this in your Marlin lever action and especially grand dad's trapdoor Springfield. That would be called an IED. Did I understand that a minimum of 5,000 lbs muzzle energy is required by statute or just a recommendation? Would my 35 Whelen or Siamese Mauser 45-70 fill the bill for my imaginary dangerous game hunt? I wasn't taking notes. I don't have a Ruger Number 1 and wouldn't shoot the hot 45-70 loads in it. It's really not very heavy with its medium sporter barrel. I think the recoil would be too brutal. I would never show up for any African hunt with anything other than a 98 Mauser actioned rifle or pre-64 styled Winchester Model 70. The one exception might be my Remington 721 300 H&H for plains game. Lastly I can't believe how many people have more money than brains. His or Her Lord I CAN BUY ANYTHING I WANT ill prepared to hunt with their NIB rifle that's never been fired by themselves or anyone else!😠 That's disrespectful to the outfitter, their PH and all the required staff. I would hope there would be a serious surcharge for such lunacy. Thanks again for the great interview. Happy hunting boys and girls! 😀
For the most part (there are exceptions) the 9.3x62 is legal for use on dangerous game in Africa. I've cleanly killed multiple thick skinned dangerous game animals with mine. That is not the case with the 35 Whelen though. It's legal in a handful of countries and I even know a guy who cleanly killed a buffalo with a 35 Whelen AI, but you're starting to get into an area where you're playing with fire with it. The 200-250gr bullets most common with the 35 Whelen have sectional density values too low for reliable penetration on really big, thick skinned dangerous game. For instance, a 250gr .358" bullet has an SD of .279. A 286gr .366" (9.3mm) bullet and a 300gr .375" bullet both have an SD of .305. You can certainly kill buffalo and the like with that 35 Whelen, but it's definitely on the light side from both a legal and a practical perspective. With regards to your other question, there's a legal minimum of approximately 5,000 joules at the muzzle (for instance, 5,400J in Namibia and 5,300J in Zimbabwe) in some countries to hunt dangerous game. This works out to approximately 4,000 ft-lbs of muzzle energy (3,909ft-lbs in Zim and 3,989 ft-lbs in Namibia). Even in cases where it's not a legal requirement, most outfitters use those muzzle energy figures in conjunction with either a .366" (9.3mm) or .375" minimum bore diameter as a rule of thumb.
@@ThebiggamehuntingblogThanks for responding. On my imaginary African hunting safari, even if it was legal, I would not consider using the 35 Whelen with the 250 grain bullet. It would consider the Woodleighs of 275 and 310 grain weights which the Whelen can push up 2400 fps according to data supplied by Woodleigh. I think, but not sure that Barnes made one of their "solid" in 35 caliber with those weight ranges. I would also think about my hand loaded Siamese Mauser 45-70 with the big .458 diameter bullets. No matter what, I would never show up with any push feed action rifle for anything remotely considered dangerous, especially a Remington 700. The extractor is so small that you can hardly see it.😄
Can someone explain why he, Mr. Robertson, preferred the Ruger m77 Mk. II, but not the Ruger M77 Hawkeye? Was the complaint the low weight and Ruger 375 cartridge? Or something else that I missed?
That's basically it. Kevin has since softened in his stance on both the Ruger Hawkeye and the 375 Ruger. If I recall correctly, the test he initially conducted of that rifle was back in 2009 or so right after both the rifle and cartridge were first introduced. As is often the case, they still had a few bugs that he discovered, but those issues have since been worked out over the past decade. Among other things, the Ruger Hawkeye African is a full pound heavier now than it was initially (and when he shot it). In my more recent conversations with him, Kevin basically considers the 375 Ruger and 375 H&H to be almost interchangeable for the typical American hunter.
@@Thebiggamehuntingblog I have a Ruger Alaskan in both .375 Ruger and .416 Ruger - the .375 with scope, sling and ammo tips the scales at 10 pounds. The .416 with scope, sling, ammo weighed 9.25 pounds. I am adding weight to the recess under the recoil pad to bring it up to 11 pounds.
@@Thebiggamehuntingblog maybe the 460 weatherby in the mark V isn't a good idea? Maybe the 458 lott in a CZ maybe isn't a good idea? Or a 505 Jeffery in a CZ isn't a good idea? Maybe you should check it out first before you declare an opinion.
What a weird comment. There's a big difference between shooting a 460 Weatherby or a 458 Lott in a modern action specifically designed to handle that sort of pressure vs jacking up the loading for a 50-110 black powder cartridge in an action design that's over 100 years old and was originally designed to handle a cartridge delivering with waaaaayyyy less than 6000 ft-lbs of muzzle energy...
Frankly, it's shocking all the African hunting vids where the client, even "big time hunters", totally fumbles and/or jams his bolt at his second shot. "Oh, the gun jammed." No, YOU jammed. Practice sufficiently before an expensive and dangerous hunt. Yeeesh.
EXCELLENT! Doesn't get any better than this level of wisdom.
A terrific interview with Dr. Kevin Robertson regarding African hunting cartridges with his insight on the proper caliber and bullet selection for big game hunting. Also, he shares a few of his amazing hunting stories as a professional hunter. I'm looking forward to reading his books. Thank you!
Excellent video and a huge amount of such useful information! Thank you both!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I WORKED UP SOME HAND LOADS FOR A REM B. D. L AT MAX IN NOSLER BOOK AND FLOATED THE BARREL, RIFLE SHOT THREE ROUNDS AT A 100YDS I COULD COVER WITH A DIME, EJECTING THE 3rd ROUND, PULLED BACK THE BOLT EMPTY CASE STAYED IN CHAMBER, THE TINY EJECTOR BROKE OFF, THAT'S THE SECOND TIME I'VE SEEN REMINGTON RIFLES FAIL, ALL OF MY DAD'S RIFLE'S WERE PRE 64 WINCHESTER'S, I WAS TAUGHT FROM VERY YOUNG IF THE RIFLE DOES NOT HAVE A CLAW EXTRACTOR IT'S NOT WORTH HAVING
How did it take me this long to find this! Ive been wasting my life! Great video thank you
Glad I could help!
Taking that jab at Boddington made my evening! Thank you Dr. Robinson.
Ha! Not many people pick up on that...
I believe they do. It was a very smooth and polite one which speaks volumes about Dr. K.R. character.
I havwe just went through the video for a second time, a couple of years after my second time to Africa. It is as valuable as the first time I wtached it. I beleive that the conclusions are most important also because can be used as a standard practice in case one shooting club wnts to give a prsctical shooting snd huntingcourse for itsthe members even thay are going to hunt locally. Great Video
Glad you enjoyed it and found this video helpful!
A terrific video very educational and Dr.Roberts is a wealth of information I will be going on my first Cape buffalo hunt in 2025 early 2026 I really wanna watch Dr. Roberts more now I was looking for an informative video like this on Cape buffalo hunting thank you keep them coming
Wealth of experience
100%!
The recommendations fit many US areas as well. Many US hunters are "over scoped" for their 50-75 yard woods shot. Out west, one may need more magnification. The fitting of the rifle to the hunter is truly virtually unknown as a requirement.
And the truth is many of those Western hunters are way over scoped, you don't know how many people I see show up at hunting camp with 8-25 power scopes when hunting in the mountains!
Not really most guys got 3x9x40 which is perfect for 10 to 500 yards sometimes you mite need a 300 yard shot or longer Im talking about midwest and northeast deer hunting out west you might need more zoom
I dont think it would make a difference what rifle was used if you shoot a round that is over pressure it wont come out, the problem was the round over loaded for the heat, a round safe in Scotland may not be safe when you add 30 degrees to it
Touching very briefly on the various topics covered in this video:
I have a Trijicon 1x8 accupower with the very center of the reticle illuminated mounted on my 375 H&H bolt action. At 1x it is like shooting a red dot, good situational awareness and very fast target acquisition. You do have to avoid being distracted by the view of the barrel past the end of the stock that is visible in the scope at 1x. At 4-8x it is very suitable for longer shots plains game. This on a 20 yr old Winchester Classic Super Express 375 H&H. It's heavy enough (approx 10+ lbs) that felt recoil is like a 12 gauge shotgun - just a firm push. I've spent 100 rds at sitting during load development and it didn't start becoming uncomfortable until the last 10-15 rds. However, I'm not particularly recoil sensitive, so others may differ in their opinion. That model 70 absolutely loves the Barnes 300g TSX bullet., reliably grouping 3 rds at .75" at 100 yds as long as the shooter does their job.
Sounds like a really nice set-up!
Excellent Advice
Rem. quit chambering there 700 in the 416 Rem Mag because of pressure problems and broken extractors. Desert dog outdoors has a dissertation on it. I would not own a Rem 700. Trigger and safety problems got people killed. The law suits bankrupted Remington. Winchester Model 70 is superior.
as you said most enlightining conversation. I could obtain one of the books here (Argentina) and it served me well when I reached Limpopo. Thanks for your magnificent effort.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is why all of the top gun builders change out the finger nail flake extractor on Remington 700s to custom bolt modification to m16 extractors Fact!
I have a leupold VX3 on my Remington custom rifle in 375 H&H MAG. To me my life is worth every penny to have the best scope ever made.
I agree, that's an excellent scope and a great value.
But its a Remington rifle😒
My 45-70 is awesome and I do use the hard cast 500 gr bullet 😅 and there used in Alaska & Montana by pro PH's all over this country and canada
No rhino, lion, buff or elephant here
How about "How to hunt Wildebeest", "How to hunt eland", "How to hunt oryx"?
Anything on slings, pros and cons, and also how to carry rifle thru the hunt?
IMO putting 10,000 aimed rounds through a rimfire, 1,000 aimed rounds through a centrefire, and 200-500 rounds through the rifle one intends to hunt with, in standing, kneeling and sitting positions, will generally make for proficiency. All the while religiously following safe handling practices. Speed drills and dry firing too. It helps if the rifles all operate the same way. The goal is to make everything second nature, though you still have to think about it.
Thank you!
great information, thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Why don't you use a 500gr bullet in a lever action,with a Henary 45-70 government. I guarantee that will take down anything in the world. It's not meant for the bush & is used as a backup rifel by guides in Alaska and Montana
Why don’t YOU hunt dangerous game with your 45-70? You’re the one that’s so sure in its performance!
I’m sure the zinc action and sheet metal receiver of your Henry will last for generations.
He explains it in his presentation. In essense: 45-70 is illegal for use on African dangerous game in all countries except South Africa. That limits your use quite a bit. Cast bullets can get the job done but they are not for a "stopping rifle" for buffalo, elephant, hippo or rhino.
The 500 grain bullet in a marlin lever action rifle in 45/70 to work through the action it has to be pushed down into the case that far it's impossible to get decent velocity out of the cartridge a 350 grain bullet is a lot better option.
Cracking Ep
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very interesting, educational and entertaining video. I've never in my wildest dreams ever thought about hunting anything in Africa. Just not in my financial wheel house. I'm too old and not in good enough condition now anyway because of health issues even if I won the big lottery, but Is the 9.3x62 with factory load enough for those very dangerous critters? I don't remember exactly what was said about that number. Is it legal or not, depending on location etc.? Every reputable loading manual that I have shows that the 35 Whelen will push any comparable weight bullet that can be loaded into the Whelen's case somewhat faster than the 9.3x62. Would that be a viable option? Mine is built on a 98 Mauser action with a 24 inch heavy barrel. I also have a custom Siamese Mauser 45-70. I have published loads for the Siamese Mauser or Ruger Number 1 and similar falling block actions that will push a 400 grain to 2200 fps with a resulting 4,298 ft lbs of muzzle energy. I couldn't find data for the 500 grain .458 bullet but I would expect that you could achieve around 2000 fps with the big bullet which makes for over 4,400 ft lbs of energy. Pressure is around 50,000 PSI. Don't try this in your Marlin lever action and especially grand dad's trapdoor Springfield. That would be called an IED. Did I understand that a minimum of 5,000 lbs muzzle energy is required by statute or just a recommendation? Would my 35 Whelen or Siamese Mauser 45-70 fill the bill for my imaginary dangerous game hunt? I wasn't taking notes. I don't have a Ruger Number 1 and wouldn't shoot the hot 45-70 loads in it. It's really not very heavy with its medium sporter barrel. I think the recoil would be too brutal. I would never show up for any African hunt with anything other than a 98 Mauser actioned rifle or pre-64 styled Winchester Model 70. The one exception might be my Remington 721 300 H&H for plains game.
Lastly I can't believe how many people have more money than brains. His or Her Lord I CAN BUY ANYTHING I WANT ill prepared to hunt with their NIB rifle that's never been fired by themselves or anyone else!😠 That's disrespectful to the outfitter, their PH and all the required staff. I would hope there would be a serious surcharge for such lunacy. Thanks again for the great interview. Happy hunting boys and girls! 😀
For the most part (there are exceptions) the 9.3x62 is legal for use on dangerous game in Africa. I've cleanly killed multiple thick skinned dangerous game animals with mine. That is not the case with the 35 Whelen though. It's legal in a handful of countries and I even know a guy who cleanly killed a buffalo with a 35 Whelen AI, but you're starting to get into an area where you're playing with fire with it. The 200-250gr bullets most common with the 35 Whelen have sectional density values too low for reliable penetration on really big, thick skinned dangerous game. For instance, a 250gr .358" bullet has an SD of .279. A 286gr .366" (9.3mm) bullet and a 300gr .375" bullet both have an SD of .305. You can certainly kill buffalo and the like with that 35 Whelen, but it's definitely on the light side from both a legal and a practical perspective.
With regards to your other question, there's a legal minimum of approximately 5,000 joules at the muzzle (for instance, 5,400J in Namibia and 5,300J in Zimbabwe) in some countries to hunt dangerous game. This works out to approximately 4,000 ft-lbs of muzzle energy (3,909ft-lbs in Zim and 3,989 ft-lbs in Namibia). Even in cases where it's not a legal requirement, most outfitters use those muzzle energy figures in conjunction with either a .366" (9.3mm) or .375" minimum bore diameter as a rule of thumb.
@@ThebiggamehuntingblogThanks for responding. On my imaginary African hunting safari, even if it was legal, I would not consider using the 35 Whelen with the 250 grain bullet. It would consider the Woodleighs of 275 and 310 grain weights which the Whelen can push up 2400 fps according to data supplied by Woodleigh. I think, but not sure that Barnes made one of their "solid" in 35 caliber with those weight ranges. I would also think about my hand loaded Siamese Mauser 45-70 with the big .458 diameter bullets. No matter what, I would never show up with any push feed action rifle for anything remotely considered dangerous, especially a Remington 700. The extractor is so small that you can hardly see it.😄
Great. Really enjoyed this
Glad you enjoyed it
Excelent, just excelent
Can someone explain why he, Mr. Robertson, preferred the Ruger m77 Mk. II, but not the Ruger M77 Hawkeye? Was the complaint the low weight and Ruger 375 cartridge? Or something else that I missed?
That's basically it. Kevin has since softened in his stance on both the Ruger Hawkeye and the 375 Ruger. If I recall correctly, the test he initially conducted of that rifle was back in 2009 or so right after both the rifle and cartridge were first introduced. As is often the case, they still had a few bugs that he discovered, but those issues have since been worked out over the past decade. Among other things, the Ruger Hawkeye African is a full pound heavier now than it was initially (and when he shot it). In my more recent conversations with him, Kevin basically considers the 375 Ruger and 375 H&H to be almost interchangeable for the typical American hunter.
@@Thebiggamehuntingblog I have a Ruger Alaskan in both .375 Ruger and .416 Ruger - the .375 with scope, sling and ammo tips the scales at 10 pounds. The .416 with scope, sling, ammo weighed 9.25 pounds. I am adding weight to the recess under the recoil pad to bring it up to 11 pounds.
Very interesting. What are your barrel lengths with those 2 rifles?
@@Thebiggamehuntingblog The Alaskan model has a 20” barrel.
@@danielbeach4855 Excellent barrel length to get into action quickly.
1886 50x110 with 6000 ft pds of energy in a Leeever action.
That sounds like a great way to severely damage an 1886
@@Thebiggamehuntingblog you will have to check out Leverguns 50, if I am remembering right.
I have no doubt that somebody has done it, but that still doesn't necessarily make it a good idea...
@@Thebiggamehuntingblog maybe the 460 weatherby in the mark V isn't a good idea? Maybe the 458 lott in a CZ maybe isn't a good idea? Or a 505 Jeffery in a CZ isn't a good idea? Maybe you should check it out first before you declare an opinion.
What a weird comment. There's a big difference between shooting a 460 Weatherby or a 458 Lott in a modern action specifically designed to handle that sort of pressure vs jacking up the loading for a 50-110 black powder cartridge in an action design that's over 100 years old and was originally designed to handle a cartridge delivering with waaaaayyyy less than 6000 ft-lbs of muzzle energy...
375 rifle will shoot anything dead
I think the 416 Ruger shorter action is calling my name!
2023 - Toyota Landcruiser
.416 RM
What’s the thinking on using a 9.3x62 for a one gun buff/leopard/plains game hunt…where it is legal…
That's an excellent idea and a deadly set-up (for the animals)
Legal in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and some provinces in South Africa, it certainly can do the job
Idk who thinks that a 35 yo woman is young?? This dude must be the wrong side of 90
So you think a 35 year old woman is old?
Frankly, it's shocking all the African hunting vids where the client, even "big time hunters", totally fumbles and/or jams his bolt at his second shot. "Oh, the gun jammed." No, YOU jammed. Practice sufficiently before an expensive and dangerous hunt. Yeeesh.
Tough to practice to face a 2-16000lb animal that can kill you.its a different situation id guess. Not a squirrel shoot.