FIREARMS TYPES FOR BIG GAME HUNTING
Hunting is an ancient tradition, as old as humanity itself. But as civilization developed, the need for hunting for sustenance reduced to the point where we are today. Now we can buy our meat from the supermarket or the local butcher down the street. But for some of us, hunting remains one of the few activities that link us to our ancient past. We no longer hunt for survival but for recreation and sport and a means to enjoy the outdoors.
As hunters, we are also concerned about the environment and we do our part to conserve it. We don’t hunt to kill, but we kill in other to have hunted.
FIREARMS FOR HUNTING
Basically, there are two categories of firearms for hunting. Shotguns and Rifles
The Shotgun
A shotgun is a smoothbore shoulder weapon designed to fire a number of pellets, or shot, that spread in a diverging pattern after they leave the muzzle. It is used primarily against small moving targets, especially birds and rodents and small antelopes. Shotguns are also used for the sport of skeet and clay shooting, which are Olympic events.
Bore
There are several bores of shotgun, .410(which is a guage proper) 16, 20, 28, 12 and 10 bores. But the most common is the 12-bore
Several Shotgun types (all are 12 bore) A 12bore shotgun cartridge The Rifle
A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting and higher stopping power, with a barrel that has a pattern of grooves (rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with both hands and braced firmly against the shooter’s shoulder via a buttstock for stability during shooting.
Riles cover a generality of firearms for very widely differing purposes, from assault rifles used by soldiers and law enforcement to Sporting rifles used by hunters and competitive sports shooting to target rifles used for Olympic shooting.
Sporting rifles
Or simply hunting rifles are the second main categories of hunting firearm. These firearms, depending on the calibre, are used for small game like duiker to medium game like Bush Pig, Bushbuck, Sitatunga, and the bigger antelopes like Roan, Hartebeest and Eland to big heavy dangerous game like Lion, Buffalo, Hippopotamus and Elephant.
Action
This refers to the operating device employed by the rifle to discharge its projectile. Hunting rifles are made in about 6 or so types of actions. The majority of action types you will encounter in Africa are the Single, Double and the Bolt action types of rifles
- Single shot
- Double
- Lever
- Bolt
- Pump
- Semi auto
Rifle Calibres
There are so many calibres of sporting/hunting rifles and the calibres range from the tiny .22 to .700 Nitro, that to list them all would be pointless. Listed are the most common ones use in Africa.
.22
.222
.223
.243
.260
.270 Winchester .308 Winchester .30-06 Springfield .375 H&H
.404 Jeffery .416 Rigby
.458 Winchester
A modern bolt action hunting rifle. This type of rifle can be chambered in calibres of from the .222 to the .700
- Hunting, Photography
- April 30, 2024
