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Category: Ammo
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Omusha .223 Remington Ammo Review
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Remington 219 Zipper
A double rifle and dangerous game go together perfectly; almost all of your shots at dangerous game—especially African dangerous game—are inside of 100 yards, and that quick second shot when facing these animals in the thick bush. It’s a specialty rifle, expensive to produce (at least properly) and is usually associated with the professional hunters. As a visiting sportsman, having an opportunity to use a double rifle against the largest beasts on earth evokes a definite connection with the hunters of a century ago.
While the bolt-action rifles are certainly adequate, and much more affordable, hunting with a double rifle is a unique and fantastic experience. I’m often asked by prospective double rifle buyers for advice on which cartridge to choose; there is a lot of overlap and yet some definite difference in performance. There are also a good number of double rifles chambered for rimless and belted cases, but the classic double rifle cartridge is rimmed, and so my choices will be confined to those. Here are my top five cartridge choices for a double rifle.
1. .450 Nitro Express
Here is perhaps the most historically famous of all the classic cartridges; Rigby released the .450 Nitro Express in 1898, and it became the industry standard. Based on the .450 Black Powder Express, the .450 NE uses a 3¼-inch case and propels a .458-inch-diameter 480-grain bullet to a muzzle velocity of 2150 fps (a formula later replicated by the .458 Winchester Magnum). Most every hunter serious about large game in Africa and India had a .450 NE at one point in time or another, as it was actually considered an all-around rifle cartridge. Straight-walled and smooth to load under stress, the .450 NE generates just over 4,900 ft.-lbs. of energy at the muzzle, and can be housed in a rifle which is easy to carry. The .450 NE will comfortably take any game on earth.
2. .450/400 3″ Nitro Express
Here is another cartridge based on an earlier black powder development, having been released in 1902, it is also known as the .400 Jeffery Nitro Express. Based on the .450 case, shortened to 3 inches—there is a 2½-inch and 3¼-inch version of the .450/400 as well—and necked down to hold .410-inch-diameter 400-grain bullets, the cartridge would find fame in the hands of tiger hunter Jim Corbett, not to mention receiving praise from many of the African hunters. Having an excellent sectional density value (.340), the .450/400 3″ offers plenty of penetration in spite of its mild muzzle velocity of 2050 fps. It has a favorable reputation among visiting hunters, though most PHs feel it is a bit light for a stopping rifle. Generating 3,730 ft.-lbs. of energy at the muzzle, it makes a great choice for buffalo and the cats, and though some feel it’s on the bottom of the scale for elephant, it has taken many, many pachyderms over the years. I used the first Heym Model 89B rifle, chambered in .450/400 3″ NE, to take a good Cape buffalo in the forests of Mozambique’s Coutada 11 with Zambeze Delta Safaris. It’s mild on the shoulder in comparison to the heavier cartridges, and if buffalo are as high up the scale you intend to go, there is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing a .450/400 3″ NE as your double rifle cartridge.
3. .500 Nitro Express
The modern iteration of the .500 Nitro Express dates back to the 19th century and is based on a previous design which was fueled by black powder. The big five-hundy is a true stopping rifle, capable of settling the score with charging buffalo, hippo and elephant alike. Driving a 570-grain bullet of .510-inch-diameter to 2150 fps for 5,850 ft.-lbs. of muzzle energy, the .500 Nitro uses a 3-inch, straight-walled case. Recoil is not for the faint of heart, but is surprisingly manageable for such a big rifle. If you’re serious about elephant hunting, take a long, hard look at the .500 NE; it handles a pachyderm better than any lesser cartridge and is a very popular choice among professional hunters.
4. .470 Nitro Express
This one is my personal favorite, and is the cartridge I chose for my own double rifle. I’ve used it for both Cape buffalo in Africa and Asiatic water buffalo in Australia, with excellent results. With a 3¼-inch case—based on a 3¼-inch-long version of the .500 NE—the bottlenecked .470 Nitro Express was designed to replicate the ballistics of the .450 Nitro Express. Colonial insurrections in both India and Sudan caused the British Empire to ban .450-caliber rifle and ammunition in those colonies, and gun makers scrambled to create alternatives. There were many, including the .500/465, the .475 and .475 No. 2 Jefferys, and .476 Nitro Express, but the Joseph Lang-designed .470 NE became the most popular, and remains so to this day. Pushing a 500-grain .474-inch-diameter bullet to a muzzle velocity of 2150 fps for 5,140 ft.-lbs. of energy, the .470 will take any game animal anywhere. Rifles will weigh between 10 and 12 pounds, depending on manufacturer, and recoil is manageable. Of all the rimmed double rifle cartridges, ammunition for the .470 NE is the most plentiful.
5. .416 Rigby No. 2
This is, undoubtedly, the newest on this list, and the newest safari cartridge, being released at the end of May 2019. The .416 Rigby No. 2 is nothing other than the famous .416 Rigby with a rim; the same 45-degree shoulder is maintained, and even the same reloading dies can be used, just with a different shellholder. Quite obviously, the .416 Rigby—driving a .400-grain bullet to 2400 fps for just over 5,100 ft.-lbs. of energy—has an unparalleled reputation among African hunters; it offers fantastic penetration, and gives a trajectory that is surprisingly flat for a big rifle. John ‘Pondoro’ Taylor—famous ivory poacher and author of African Rifles and Cartridges—sang the praises of the .416 Rigby and wished for a rimmed version for a double rifle all the way back in the 1940s. Well, John, it only took 75 years, but here it is. Yes, the .500-416 NE offers a similar performance level—albeit a bit slower—the panache of the .416 Rigby No. 2 will definitely appeal to shooters.
While I am limited to just five cartridges for this article, there are many good, useable choices, such as the .375 Holland & Holland Flanged, .450 No. 2, and the .475 No. 2, which I wouldn’t hesitate to use in the field. However, with any one of the five listed above, you’ll have a sensible cartridge in your belt and a smile on your professional hunter’s face.
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#10MinuteTalk – The Ol’ 30-30
Dawn broke crisply over the high elevation desert, chasing night’s shadow across sagebrush draws and sandstone outcroppings. A small brushy flat wrapped over the rim of a nearby canyon, fingers of sunshine just beginning to feel their way between sage and scrub oak. Sweeping the flat with my field glasses, I spotted a big buck, antlers towering above the sage. I ranged the distance, dialed my turret and settled in behind the scope. This was the moment I’d planned and prepared for months to meet.
A mature mule deer buck is considered one of the hardest animals in North America to harvest. To successfully find and kill a big buck you’ll need skill, the determination of a pit bull and good equipment. Shots in the wide-open arid country mule deer call home are commonly long, so you’ll need to hunt with something that can “reach out and touch ‘em.” Translated, you should hunt with a cartridge that’s accurate and maintains downrange energy well beyond “average” shot distances.
Mule deer are not hard to kill, but they are prone to soak up punishment from small(ish) calibers, acting undisturbed until they suddenly fall over dead. For that reason, I’ve left cartridges like the .243 Winchester off this list in favor of rounds that impact with more authority. Similarly, I’ve left away bigger calibers that deliver more recoil but don’t offer the ability to make a mule deer any more dead. Choose any of the cartridges featured below and you’ll be set to hunt mule deer anywhere they reside.
1. 6.5 PRC
For a dedicated deer-hunting cartridge, in my opinion, it’s pretty hard to top the 6.5 Precision Rifle Cartridge (PRC). Recoil is mild, accuracy is generally superb and retained downrange energy is outstanding. I have killed a handful of big muley bucks with the 6.5 PRC (including the one featured in the beginning of this article) and experienced impressive results every time. Shooting a .264-inch diameter bullet weighing in the 125- to 150-grain range and starting out around 2960 fps, the cartridge isn’t built to take out Sherman tanks, but rather to kill with accurate finesse.
2. .280 Ackley Improved
Were I to choose the ideal all-around cartridge for hunting Western big game it would be the .280 Ackley Improved. Why? Because it hits hard enough for moose but not too hard for deer and pronghorn, is very aerodynamic, sports a slender case that enables good magazine capacity, and owns the panache of James Bond. Recoil is firmer than the 6.5 cartridges but less than the 7mm Rem. Mag.
The .280 Ackley sends a .284-inch diameter 140- to 175-grain projectile downrange at velocities ranging from 2850 to 3150 fps. While it used to be a wildcat cartridge, Nosler, Hornady and Federal now build factory .280 Ackley Improved ammo. My personal widest mule deer fell to a rifle chambered in .280 AI; a beautiful buck sporting double cheater points that stretch his spread to just north of 34 inches.
3. 6.8 Western
The .270 Winchester should have been on this list, you say? You’ve got a point; the venerable .270 is an awesome mule deer cartridge. However, barrel twist rate is generally slow, necessitating light-for-caliber projectiles that smoke downrange at first, but lose steam later. Not to worry; the 6.8 Western will tag into the fray in its behalf. The “Western” shoots the exact same diameter bullet (.277-inch) as the .270 Win., but is designed to stabilize long, heavy-for-caliber projectiles that offer superb long-range performance.
Brand-new on the hunting cartridge scene, the 6.8 Western is rapidly gaining popularity in the hunting field. It’s new enough that I personally have not killed a muley buck with it, though I have harvested a great bull elk and watched a buddy harvest a beautiful Coues deer buck, both at extended distances. I am comfortable in opining that the 6.8 Western will build a reputation as a fantastic mule deer and all-around Western hunting cartridge. Bullet weights will average 165 to 175 grains, with velocities ranging from 2800 fps and up.
4. 7mm Remington Magnum
The “Seven Mag” has maintained a reputation as a great mule deer cartridge for half a century, and the modern long-range shooting movement has enabled the 7mm Remington Magnum to become a headline cartridge. It seamlessly transitioned from shooting light, fast projectiles to shooting heavy-for-caliber, aerodynamic bullets, and is now considered to be one of the finest long-range hunting cartridges available. One of my favorite big muley bucks fell to my 7mm Rem. Mag.; a massive old warrior with huge, bladed brow tines and 13 inches of forked drop tine. I still feel giddy when I think about that buck.
5. 6.5 Creedmoor
This list would be incomplete without a mule deer cartridge dedicated to our ladies and youth. While many of them can shoot the above-listed cartridges with ease, some are recoil sensitive and benefit from a hunting round that is a bit more friendly on the shoulder. In my opinion, the 6.5 Creedmoor is an awesome mule deer round, and while it lacks a little of the punch offered by the afore-mentioned cartridges, it still possess deadly oomph out to ranges beyond the distance most hunters have any business shooting. My wife and oldest daughter have shot handfuls of mule deer with the Creedmoor—many of them great bucks—with awesome results. It shoots the same projectiles as the 6.5 PRC, but starts them out about 200 to 250 fps slower. It’s supremely accurate, boasts excellent aerodynamics and is beautifully comfortable to shoot.
Conclusion
Dozens of cartridges that didn’t make this list are great mule deer killers. I had a particularly hard time leaving the legendary .30-06 Springfield off, but this article is about the best mule deer hunting cartridges. The ones listed here are, in my opinion, the best of the best when climbing sage slopes and stalking rocky crags in search of mule deer. Choose a premium bullet, settle your crosshairs and squeeze the trigger well. If you’re shooting one of these cartridges, it won’t let you down.