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rifle while in the wilderness or in camp in case predators (lions, cougars, wolves, black bears, tigers or leopards) attack unprovoked?
Isn't .30-06 the largest practical caliber for an autoloading rifle carried in the African bush (or other rural areas of the world) for personal security against charging animals with teeth and claws? I have learned that Namibia (dunno about other African nations) permits autoloading rifles for hunting as long as they don't look "assault-weapon-like".
Autoloading means the gun can be fired repeatedly fast as a charging lion can come at you close to 50 MPH and often it may take two or more rounds (even in .375 only available in bolt action guns as far as I know) to put him down before he can get a hold of you! Shooting an quick attacking animal can be a hurried race for survival (for both the shooter and the animal) whereby split seconds count.
I have learned that Browning makes or has made an autoloader chambered in .300 Win. Mag or even .338 but wouldn't this rifle be too heavy or cumbersome to carry a lot? I think the .338 is the biggest chambering for any sporting autoloading rifle on the market today.
Bolt actions are available in heavy calibers but are also slow to shoot a number of times considering attacking animals can move at you at automobile speeds!
I did find this here http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifles_dangerous_game.htm and I quote:
"Autoloading rifles are the fastest of all repeaters for second and subsequent shots. They are easy to scope. Gas operation definitely reduces the effects of recoil, an important consideration given the powerful cartridges recommended for hunting dangerous game. The best examples are almost as reliable as the better manually operated actions. If properly cared for, reliability should not be a problem. They can also be very accurate, roughly on a par with bolt action and single shot rifles for big game hunting purposes.
The biggest problem with autoloaders is that, with one popular exception, they are not chambered for the sort of powerful magnum cartridges generally regarded as the best medicine for dangerous game. The exception is the Browning BAR Mk. II Safari, which can be had in .300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Winchester Magnum. This makes the BAR Safari a viable choice for hunting any of the world's great predators. In .338 Magnum caliber it is also suitable for all of the world's bovines (where legal). A .338 Win. Mag. BAR may be the best of all possible worlds for stopping an angry predator."
Isn't .30-06 the largest practical caliber for an autoloading rifle carried in the African bush (or other rural areas of the world) for personal security against charging animals with teeth and claws? I have learned that Namibia (dunno about other African nations) permits autoloading rifles for hunting as long as they don't look "assault-weapon-like".
Autoloading means the gun can be fired repeatedly fast as a charging lion can come at you close to 50 MPH and often it may take two or more rounds (even in .375 only available in bolt action guns as far as I know) to put him down before he can get a hold of you! Shooting an quick attacking animal can be a hurried race for survival (for both the shooter and the animal) whereby split seconds count.
I have learned that Browning makes or has made an autoloader chambered in .300 Win. Mag or even .338 but wouldn't this rifle be too heavy or cumbersome to carry a lot? I think the .338 is the biggest chambering for any sporting autoloading rifle on the market today.
Bolt actions are available in heavy calibers but are also slow to shoot a number of times considering attacking animals can move at you at automobile speeds!
I did find this here http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifles_dangerous_game.htm and I quote:
"Autoloading rifles are the fastest of all repeaters for second and subsequent shots. They are easy to scope. Gas operation definitely reduces the effects of recoil, an important consideration given the powerful cartridges recommended for hunting dangerous game. The best examples are almost as reliable as the better manually operated actions. If properly cared for, reliability should not be a problem. They can also be very accurate, roughly on a par with bolt action and single shot rifles for big game hunting purposes.
The biggest problem with autoloaders is that, with one popular exception, they are not chambered for the sort of powerful magnum cartridges generally regarded as the best medicine for dangerous game. The exception is the Browning BAR Mk. II Safari, which can be had in .300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Winchester Magnum. This makes the BAR Safari a viable choice for hunting any of the world's great predators. In .338 Magnum caliber it is also suitable for all of the world's bovines (where legal). A .338 Win. Mag. BAR may be the best of all possible worlds for stopping an angry predator."
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