A Lot of Gun… A Long Way From Here

by
posted on July 18, 2011
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
keefe2015_fs.jpg

As this is written, I am less than 24 hours away from a very long airplane ride that will put me, with stops and layovers, in the fabled Caprivi Strip in Namibia three days from now. The rifle I am taking—the Kimber Caprivi—is named for that strip of land in Northeastern Namibia that linked what was formerly German South West Africa to the Zambezi River and Germany’s former colony on the East African coast, Tanganyika. Named for German diplomat Leo von Caprivi, who negotiated a deal with the British for the land in 1890, the Caprivizipfel in German remains one of the wildest parts of Africa, chocked full of African game, including those of the dangerous variety.

Once there, I will be joining up with professional hunter Jamy Traut from Jamy Traut Hunting Safaris, who I have hunted with twice before, to test out the rifle resting in my crammed SKB case, which is similar to the one I wrote up for the November 2007 issue in “Born Of Africa: The Kimber Caprivi.” While that one was chambered in .375 H&H Mag., the Caprivi I’m taking is a bolt-action, dangerous-game rifle—really a magazine rifle in the parlance of those hunting Africa in the Golden age—chambered in the .458 Lott.

I know probably a little too much about the cartridge from another story I wrote in November 2003: “All Business: The .458 Lott.” The stock design of the Caprivi, on which I was consulted, is the best of the American factory dangerous game rifles today. It is thin where it can be and heavy where it must be. The comb is straight and the footprint of the butt pad is wide to better spread the 5,870 or ft.-lbs. of energy produced by pulling the trigger on a Federal Premium cartridge with a 500-grain Trophy bonded Sledgehammer. Shooting the Lott is not a lot of fun with a rifle with a poorly designed stock, but quite manageable with the Kimber.

Latest

BATFE Report Dissects
BATFE Report Dissects

ATF Report Highlights Trends In NFA Sales, Manufacturing Numbers & More

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives recently released a 61 page “Firearm Commerce Updates and New Analysis” report. Figures included are up to and including 2023, the latest available.

Preview: Bastinelli R.E.D. Fixed Stone Washed

Designed for operators in the French National Police’s elite RAID tactical unit, the Bastinelli R.E.D. Fixed Stone Washed knife is also eminently useful for everyday carry ...

Mossberg Introduces SPX & Professional Models To 940 Pro Tactical Line

Mossberg has expanded its popular 940 Pro Tactical shotgun line with SPX and Professional models, with each adding a slate of upgraded components and accessories designed to enhance the shotgun's capabilities.

Preview: Streamlight Sidewinder X

This high-output, multi-fuel, military-style light with a tilting head is perfect for hunters and home defenders looking for more than just a handheld light...

The Armed Citizen® July 4, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

A Guide To Double-Stack 1911s

The 2011 brings double-stack capacity and modular upgrades to the 1911 platform, but not every wide-body 1911 out there earns that name.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.