RE: 45-70 in Africa.
I must comment on this also. If a person reads, I don't care what you read. Gun magazine, news papers, Medical books, it matters not. Reading can teach us many times more that we can ever have time to expierence on our own. That is one thing that is supposed to set us apart from the other animals. Several times I have seen dirt kicked in the faces of people on these forums for conveying things they read or studied such as self defense methods or this artical. Someone will say You can't save your life by reading a book. Or only expierence can teach you something. Well I sure hope my doctors have read some books and learned from mistakes and not kill me just for training.I don't know about all people but when I read something and take an interest in it, I am not about to take one persons word for what works and what don't. Anyone with half a brain is going to research the hell out of a hunt before they lay out that kind of cash. The Artical in question left no doubt that not just anyone can pick up a 45-70 and go on Safari. Pierce has been on many and used in Africa everything from the 17 HMR to the 460 Weatherby. I am sure that just because the hunter BELL killed 2000 elephants with the 757 mauser that most people even with a dim light upstairs would not attempt to duplicate that feat as explained in the old Hornady manual. Give a little credit to some of use who read about that kind of hunting. I never even hinted that the 45-70 is a great DG gun. In the hands Of pierce who was told by the PH that he was a good shot and had already seen him take Zebra and the other big antelope. He had already seen him shoot and saw the penetration of his loads. Then and only then did he ok the rifle for Cape buffalo. And they did have a hard time getting a shot and stalked him three of four times to get an open shot. I will most likely never get a chance to go back there to hunt but I will continue to read and who knows? If I do I will take a 416 Rem mag which I have a lot of hours in on. And yes I may take a 45-70 along. I have been shooting them for thirty years and know pretty much how they work.