Parkwest SD-76 Dark Continent Rifle in 375 H&H – First Impressions
To summarize the below:
What: Parkwest Arms SD-76 Dark Continent rifle with NightForce ATACR glass.
Why: I’m heading to Mozambique! First African safari. Most likely not the last.
When: Got my paws on this masterpiece this last weekend, heading on safari this September.
How: Lots of research, reading this sight (!!!!), and engaging with people I trust and respect.
Who: Parkwest Arms located in Sturgis, South Dakota, USA. Tim L, Wade D., and Jason R. are my primary touch points.
First impression: simply amazing craftwork, fit and finish, and function upon visual and hands on inspection.
To set the stage, I am heading out on my first African safari this coming September, with a mix of DG and PG on the list. I’m counting days! A very big tip of the hat to members Gary and Dave for getting me scooting in this direction. I’ve been thinking about thinking about going for years to decades now, and from a happenstance meeting with Gary on a Gould’s turkey hunt, I’m now a lifetime member of SCI, and avid reader of AfricaHunting.com.
I tend to use outings like this as my primary rationale to upgrade my hunting gear – optics to clothing to rifles and all in between. For this safari, I wanted to go in with a nod to yesteryear, and a full ration of modern tech. I started my research in earnest well over a year ago as to what platform I was going to go with. As well as caliber selection. I won’t bore with all those details, other than to say I didn’t leave much off of the table of consideration.
I narrowed in on several solid solutions and am beyond ecstatic to say I am now the proud owner of a Parkwest Arms SD-76 Dark Continent rifle in 375 Holland & Holland.
https://parkwestarms.com/product/dark-continent/
First a point regarding my choice of optics. Through education, and more importantly experience, NightForce was the only optic I considered. I’ve owned everything from Tasco to Leupold to Swarovski to Schmidt and Bender. Not taking anything away from these options or start a ferocious debate. I’ve seen and experienced enough that I am set with my choice of an NF ATACR in 1 x 8 – 24mm F1 with an FC-DMx reticle.
https://www.nightforceoptics.com/riflescopes/atacr/atacr-1-8×24-f1/
In terms of the reticle, it is the only option available in this particular optic. I’m more than good with it, especially after getting my hands and eyes on it. At low power, 1x you get both eyes open operation with a red circle to focus on. At 8x, you effectively get a T-post with red dot aiming point. On the lower end of the magnification, you get a segmented circle with a 4-mil diameter. That’s 7.2” at 100 yards, which is less than the effective kill zone of an African Cape Buffalo at 100 yards presenting broadside. Very helpful aiming benchmark so to speak. Also beats the standard 8” paper plate at 100 yards requirement. J
https://www.nightforceoptics.com/technology/reticles/fc-dmx/
I am not milling anything with a purposed DG rifle and optic. They are obviously meaningful in the appropriate applications, and based upon training and experience, my eyes and brain housing group know how to interpret and put to use that functionality. I get the math, the physics, etcetera so forth and so on. Again, as my now new to me mentor Dave puts it – leave the lasers and digital calipers in the shop. J
Disregard the sub-tensions for this platform all together. It’s all about reliability and image quality here.
Now for the SD-76! Some more perspective is in order. The last wood stocked firearm I purchased was my Winchester Model 70 Sporter in 7 RM back in 1994. It’s all been some manner and combination of plastic and fiberglass and carbon fiber since then. For this rifle I am entering it into the “family heirloom” category. Legacy (?!) to follow. I wanted first and foremost reliability and function. That really is that. I figured a classic safari rifle should be wood stocked by experts. As I sit and type this very sentence, WOW did I get it right. Parkwest started me off with roughly 10 blanks to choose from. My criteria were dark in color and lots of fiddleback. As it turns out the first blank I chose stood the eyeball test over the entire selection process, and it’s absolutely gorgeous as finished.
The rating systems for wood are rather all over with respect to nomenclature. Suffice it to say this is an absolute top of the line grade piece of lumber – special select black walnut. The checkering is simply stated as masterful to my eyes and touch. Beyond my expectations. The craftwork and attention to detail is just flat incredible. And all done by hand. I was given several examples of the patterning and placement, and the end result is as stated. Incredible.
At the heart of the rifle, we have the Parkwest Arms SD-76 action with 3 position safety, which I really appreciate and embrace, and perhaps most importantly it sports controlled round feeding. The fit and finish is impeccable, graphite on glass smooth operation of the bolt, clean lockup and relief upon working the bolt to full stop and back again.
The bottom metal is an insider release drop with hinged floorplate. Fit, finish, function perfect.
The barrel is premium match grade chromoly steel with button rifling in a 1, as a nod to the past as well as mating up with like-on-like materials at the threads with the receiver.
I went with Talley quick disconnect rings to be able to go to irons if / as needed, and subsequently return to glass with no shift in POA / POI. Field testing is to be conducted over the next month with purposeful practice to follow.
All the metal was case hardened, and it looks fantastic! I also adorned the stock grip cap with initials and went with a custom serial number.
The rifle was field tested for function and initial accuracy with a total of 17 rounds down range. The targets I received all showed ~ ¾ minute accuracy at 100 yards, and a little over that right at 1 MOA with irons at 50 yards. The bar has been set, and it’s now up to me to get soft points and solids to near same POI at 100 yards and be minute of buffalo inside that. J
Next steps are to start with several loads I have information for from members here as well as Parkwest. Huge leg up on load development. I will be using several different bullets with a heavy eye on CEB 300 grain Safari Solids and the quintessential Swift A-Frames in 300 grains as well.
https://cuttingedgebullets.com/products/375-300gr-300gr-safari-solid?_pos=1&_fid=7c1a5b680&_ss=c
Powders to be checked and run include Varget and IMR 4350. I’ll be using Winchester large magnum rifle primers as that’s what I have on hand, and new Norma brass.
Results to follow.
In Hunting –
Matt
