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Hawkeye African vs Guide Gun

9K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  Ulfberht 
#1 ·
I am trying to decide between a Hawkeye African and a Guide Gun. Both come in the .416 Ruger caliber. I must say the Guide Gun has got a very beautiful stock and a good stainless steel breech and muzzle but the Hawkeye African looks really good too. Does anybody have experience with either of those? Which one would you recommend?
 
#2 ·
Recommend for what? Are you a bear guide? Are you planning a trip to Africa for Cape Buffalo? Do you just want an expensive range toy that shoots ammo that's $5.00 a round? Are you totally comfortable with recoil way past the .375 H&H level? Tell us more about your plans, experience, and abilities and I'm sure someone can offer some constructive advice.
 
#3 ·
If I get either rifle I will get them in .416 caliber. I've already got a .375 H&H and for something way past that, I've got a .600 Overkill. The .600 Overkill I don't use that much as its $20 a round although if I ever hunt really big game I might use it. The .416 would be something that's in between and yes, I do plan to hunt in Africa when I get the chance. I am going to go gator and hog hunting in Florida and for that I will use the .375 but for Africa I would want something bigger but not the .600.

Anyway, as I said both guns come in the .416 Ruger caliber and if I were to get either gun, thats the caliber I would get it in. That being the case I don't see how it would make a difference whether I plan to use it for hunting or range use. They're guns of the same caliber just of different design.
 
#5 ·
I have a .416 Ruger guide gun and can highly recommend it and the .416 as a cartridge. I spotted the guide gun in a Ruger catalogue and ordered it sight unseen and am very happy with it. It points and shoots very well the iron sights are very good on running game in heavy woods. Is easy to carry all day in the mountains or forest either in your hands or on a sling. The stainless finish and the stock are very hard wearing. The factory muzzle brake works well. Hornady makes ammo for it both their solids and the round soft nose are very good. Is lots of different bullet choices and information on reloading it to keep cost down. I have had zero to do with the Hawkeye African so I wont or cant compare the two. But I wouldn't hesitate to buy another guide gun.. Goodluck.
 
#6 ·
I have a Guide Gun chambered in 30-06. I also have a CZ 550 375 and a M70 458 both of which are traditional wood/blue guns. I really like my CZ and M70 but if Ruger offered the Guide Gun in those calibers I'd replace both of them with the Ruger. As a hard use hunting rifle it has no peer IMO. I'll take function and durability over pretty any day of the week.

I'm not a fan of proprietary calibers especially when they don't do anything different than the mainstream caliber they're trying to replace. I'd much rather have a Guide Gun in 375H&H than 375 Ruger. Better yet how about a Guide Gun in 404 Jeffery? They do make the Guide Gun in 300WinMag and 338WinMag but neither of those interest me.

Bottom line, if they make a Ruger Guide Gun in a caliber you like buy it. They're terrific hunting rifles.
 
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