Jan 19, 2019 | News
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”View article in E-ZINE” color=”orange” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fafricanhuntinggazette.com%2Fspring-2019%2F%23spring-2019%2F156-157||target:%20_blank|”][vc_column_text]Had a Great Safari? Have Some Great Photos.
By Jofie Lamprecht
Here is some common-sense advice for packing, techniques, and spots not to miss while on safari in Namibia.
Before your leave:
- Synchronize the times on all your cameras and phones. This way, once you get home you can dump all the images into one file and organize them chronologically to have them in the right order of your safari.
- Equipment
- Don’t take too many gadgets – you won’t use them!
- Take equipment that is as compact and useful as possible.
- I am a Canon guy. I am often asked to compare Canon and other leading brands – it is like comparing a gorilla with a chimpanzee…
- My suggestions for a packing list a camera-bag would include:
- Camera body
- Lenses:
- Short lens for trophy photos and scenic shots
- A telephoto – my favorite is Canon’s 70 to 200 mm f2.8. Lightweight and highly light-sensitive, when combined with a 1.4 converter gives you an awesome all-round telephoto lens, with an aperture of f4 that is manageable by all ages and sizes.
- Make sure to put UV filters on your lenses. This is to protect the front element from dust and scratches.
- I am a big fan of polarizing filters. I leave mine on all the time.
- Your phone
- Most photos in the world today are taken with phones.
- Make sure you read up on special features that your phone has before your leave.
- Yes, even that phone in your pocket has features such as: high-dynamic-range, exposure, focus and different cropping styles.
- Avoid zooming in on phone cameras – this is usually not an optical zoom, but a digital zoom – simply cropping down your image and reducing quality.
- Please take note that even if your phone does not have service, the GPS is still fully functional. This is especially important when traveling to places with species like rhino, elephant and lion. Geo-tagging gives poachers locations of animals and you might inadvertently be giving them the information they need to kill these wonderful beasts.
- Tripod
- Full size tripods are great, but rarely used, and a real pain to travel with. Try and find a small collapsible tripod for those moments you don’t want to miss:
- Often you want to get members of the party in the shot, and the camera is handed to someone that has never taken a photo before. Composition and horizon, heads or horns cut off.
- By setting up your camera and either using a timer or a cable release, you can avoid this.
- Batteries
- Make sure you have enough batteries and that they are charged.
- A good idea is to use a permanent marker and write the date you purchased your batteries on each to see when they are getting old and not holding a charge anymore.
- Flashes and any other gadgets should have enough spare batteries too.
- Try and use rechargeable batteries where you can. The wilds of Africa are not the place to dispose of one-use batteries.
- Find out what charging options there are in camp. Car chargers as well as solar options are very efficient and helpful.
- Memory card and back up:
- My advice is to buy smaller memory cards and have a lot of them. A lot of people these days buy giant memory cards and use one or two cards for their trip:
- What if one of these cards fails / gets lost / is broken?
- Back up your photos daily onto a laptop / external storage device – today there are so many options.
- Travel with memory card and back-ups in separate places – hand-luggage and check in – that way you will always have a back-up if something goes missing.
- Internet is too slow or capped in Africa to store image on the “cloud” while on safari. Do this when you get home.
Tips that will help you take better trophy photos:
- A lot of trophies are photographed between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m:
- Harsh light bleaches out these images.
- Try fill flash with heavy underexposure
- Use a polarizing filter – this will make your sky a beautiful blue
- Be respectful to the game and our sport:
- Clean and free it of blood
- Ensure tongue isn’t hanging out
- A packet of baby wipes or a bit of water will help clean you and your trophy
- Motivate your staff to help you
- Don’t ride the trophy like a rodeo bull
- Take your time:
- You can’t go back, so take a few extra minutes to make sure everything is perfect before you start photographing
- Work on different angles for different trophies
- Don’t get stuck in a rut of always taking the same boring trophy photos
- Look for beautiful backgrounds and composition:
- Allow the horns to have skyline
- Horns are lost with cluttered backgrounds
- Make sure there are no distractions such as fences or vehicles in the background
- If you must, load and move the animal to a better location – do so quickly so the animal does not stiffen up (especially cats)
- Try to make best use of location where the trophy was taken
- Keep the sun at your back:
- If possible, but try breaking this rule – you might be surprised with the result
- Take the photo from as low as possible to show the animal at its best
- Be sure to remove any grass or leaves between the photographer and the trophy
- Cameras are coming with flip-out LCDs – this is great for not getting dirty!
- Black & White, Sepia & Colour
- Rather shoot in colour – in post-production you can always convert images. You cannot convert a black and white or sepia image to colour
- Dust and flash
- After sunset – make everyone stand still so that the dust can settle – it looks like snow in your photo
- Use a tripod
- Don’t sit three meters (9 feet) back to make the trophy look bigger. Have the hunter put their hand on the animal to give the viewer a reference point
- Try different poses
- Classic broadside animal with the hunter behind it
- Head-on, with the hunter sitting behind the animal’s tail
- Be sure to take a few vertical shots and frame your subject tightly
- Be sure to get a few pictures with hunting buddies and trackers – and don’t forget the PH
- Look at other hunters’ trophy images and try to replicate the image you like.
- Take photos of signs you pass so that you can remember them and write them down later
Wildlife photography tips:
- Decide before you get there: Do you want a ‘check list’ photographic safari that you try and see as much as you can, get a quick photo and carry, or do you want quality images?
- The best and most memorable images require patience. Get your guide to suggest a good waterhole and spend the day there.
- Get set up and wait. Observe.
- Window mounts and / or bean bags are useful to hold your camera for a steadier shot.
- Anticipate movement, shoot a lot and often. With digital photography you can simply delete images you don’t want later.
- In first, out last with a nice long lunch break. Light is one of your most important factors with photography. The ‘golden hours’ being the first and last hours of the day. Get set up and wait. Take a nice nap at lunch time when the light is brightest and flattest.
- Be aware of what is going on around you.
- Remember to take a break and enjoy your surroundings. Hiding behind your camera will sometimes make you miss magic moments on safari.
- Have fun!
See more than your hunting area. A lot of visitors land at the airport, go to the hunting area, and then once finished hunting, return to the airport and leave. You have traveled at great expense to get there – you might as well stay a few more days and explore the country.
7 best photographic spots in Namibia:
- Sossusvlei or NamibRand – the iconic red sand dunes. Sossusvlei is incredible, but can be crowded. Miss the crowds and go to NamibRand. Year round.
- Skeleton Coast – the historic town of Swakopmund, sand dunes, dolphin cruise, desert tour, and fishing. Year round.
- Damaraland – stark scenery with an amazing amount to wildlife.
- Etosha National Park – wildlife Mecca and is good year-round. From late May into the dry season wildlife viewing becomes exceptional.
- Mahango and Bwabwata National Parks on the Okavango and Kwando rivers – both rivers have an amazing variety of mammals as well as bird life. Make sure to read up on your military history of this part of the world. Stick to marked roads and listen to officials.
- Koakoland – not for the faint-hearted. In the far north-west of Namibia lies this culturally and scenically beautiful area. To drive you will need some expertise, and multiple landing strips give easier access via air.
- Bushman Land – to the first hunters. A trip to Bushman land is both heart-breaking as well as humbling. You are swept up in this ancient and dying culture of people, and mesmerized by their talents and way of life. A must bucket-list stop.
In closing. When you have tagged out, go and see more of the country. Ask your PH if he would like to go home to his family? He has done his job already – and arrange another guide to show you around.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View article in E-ZINE” color=”orange” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fafricanhuntinggazette.com%2Fspring-2019%2F%23spring-2019%2F156-157||target:%20_blank|”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”19754,19755,19756,19757,19758,19759,19761,19762,19763,19764,19765,19766″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Jan 18, 2019 | Bowhunting, News
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”View article in E-ZINE” color=”orange” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fafricanhuntinggazette.com%2Fspring-2019%2F%23spring-2019%2F112-113||target:%20_blank|”][vc_column_text]Extreme Bowhunting
By Dr Adrian de Villiers
There comes a time when you may be forced to take a very long shot because you only have one chance which may not come again…
Extremely long shots in archery are not recommended under normal conditions, and they are not recommended for beginners. I have been teaching bowhunting techniques for 35 years, and I have always taught hunters to stay within their limitations with respect to the range at which they are prepared to take a shot. This range should be determined not only by how accurately you can shoot at said distance, but by the momentum of the arrow at that distance, and the use of laser range-finding equipment to get the exact range.
An arrow shot into the air at a 45 degree angle from an 80 lb bow should travel between 400 and 900 metres, depending on the make of the bow, the draw weight and the weight of the arrow, and the draw length of the archer. With a razor-sharp cut on impact, that broadhead arrow will kill almost anything it hits, including humans. So it must be treated with care and respect like any other deadly weapon.
There are two ways to determine your hunting distance limit. The first – knowing your accuracy at that distance. Old archery videos and books say it is at the distance you can regularly hit a paper pie plate or about an eight-inch circle. I disagree. I would rather say a tennis ball-sized object.
Also, if you have the training and genetic ability to shoot very far and the correct equipment to do so, you’ll be limited by your archery sight, and I’ll explain why. The archery sight has a fibre optic pin that you use to place on the target that you wish to shoot. You will either have five or six pins set up for each distance, or one floating pin that you can set for an exact distance given to you by your laser range-finder. As you shoot further and further out, your pin will drop lower and lower within the sight to allow the bow to be angled higher and higher for the shot.
Depending on a number of factors, your sight will eventually drop to a point where the arrow will hit it, and beyond that you cannot shoot. Obviously, the heavier the arrow, the shorter the draw length and the slower the bow, so the sight will hit the arrow much sooner. I have some very similar bows with a limitation of 75 m and another at 120 m, so that would be their natural distance limitation. By moving the peep sight you could get the bow to shoot further, too, but we won’t go into that now.
At my home I can only shoot 30 m in my driveway, so that is my regular practise distance, but as soon as I get to the farm I practise at 70m. I also walk in the bush and shoot at anthills, usually restricting myself to 90m.
When I teach bowhunting, I tell clients to practise the very long shots – not to hunt at that distance, but to use it when an animal is accidentally wounded and requires a second shot. Often when it is wounded and alert, it’s not easy to get as close as you want for the second shot.
If you have been walking and “Stump shooting” – picking spots on sand mounds, anthills and river banks to keep in tune with your equipment -and you get an opportunity to shoot one of those crazy long shots, you might feel comfortable to do just that. But you must still choose your shot with great care. Make sure the animal or animals have no idea you are there, and that they are relaxed and grazing calmly or snoozing in the shade. If there is a slight rustle in the leaves or a background noise like running water, all the better.
Don’t aim at a small target like the heart – it’s too low down and near the edge of the body, and a near miss could hit a leg or hit too low. I advocate shooting in the middle of the chest where you have the greatest margin for error. I have a crosshair sight, and I place the vertical axis up the front leg and the horizontal axis through the middle of the body. When I’m shooting longer shots I am a lot calmer than when on very close shots.
My statistically proven, most successful bowhunting distance is between 50 and 60 m (55 and 66 yards). At this range, with the arrow traveling at 280 fps (93 yards per second), the animal has less than one second to lift its head, realise the sound was abnormal, and engage four-leg-drive. They usually take .5 sec to register an abnormal sound, and have less than .5 seconds to move enough to escape the deadly projectile. It’s called “String jumping”.
Early one morning I was taking a leisurely walk through fairly open country when I saw a movement through the thick buffalo thorn bush in front of me. The sun was already up and I was trying my best to stay in the shadowy areas. Skirting around the darker side of the tree, I saw 13 gemsbok grazing peacefully, all broadside and all relaxed. Knowing one of them would definitely look up at any second; I took a range as quickly as I could and nocked an arrow. It was 73 m (80 yards). I had been practising 70 m daily all week, and was hitting a small rubber half-size pig at that distance.
I chose the gemsbok offering me the best shot and started to aim, but one of the herd spotted the movement and looked up. I knew one warning blast from that nose, and they would all run.
This was the moment of truth – I needed to shoot quickly and accurately, without rushing it too much or taking too long. The shot went off, and I watched the arrow arcing in the sky. As my gemsbok looked up, I saw a crimson patch develop just behind the front leg. Though the razor-sharp Slick Trick Broadhead had passed through the animal, it stampeded off with the rest of the herd, and 60m from where I had shot, they crossed a road.
The adrenalin rush kicked in and I started to shake, but I knew the shot was perfect. I immediately went to look for blood, and found a huge splash of it on the road, and not 20 m further on lay my trophy.
None of my animals go to waste: they are turned into biltong, T bones, and breakfast sausage. At home we almost exclusively eat low cholesterol, hormone- and antibiotic-free meat.
Another time, a waterbuck had been wounded accidentally when a very close frontal shot was deflected by an unseen branch. The animal was shot very close to a game fence and it had stampeded straight into the fence, and the trackers and I had thought that the animal had gone over the fence. On the dry hard ground no blood was seen beyond the point of impact with the fence. We alerted the neighbour to watch out for a wounded waterbuck, but it was soon forgotten.
Over a week later my head tracker told me saw at the river a waterbuck bull that appeared to be stumbling occasionally, and he wondered if it was the one that was wounded the previous week. I decided to look for it.
On the main road to the river I found fresh waterbuck tracks, and every fourth step showed that the right rear leg had slipped. I tracked him for a few kilometres quite easily.
The river road was almost four kilometres long with 200 m straight sections, and it was difficult to get really close. That day my bow was my 78# Elite “Ritual”, so I needed to be at least 70 m from the animal to get a shot. Finally, along a stretch where there was good shade cover along the bank, I spotted a huge waterbuck bull. Concealing myself in the brush I took out my trusty Leica 10 by 40 range-finding binoculars and watched him. He had no obvious injury and looked perfectly healthy from where I was 180 m away. I watched him for a good 15 minutes till he turned and started walking away from me.
Suddenly, at about the fourth step he seemed to stumble and catch himself. It was him, and I now knew I had to try and get him while I had him in my sights. As he rounded a bend, I sprinted to the next corner. Knowing that he would be watching his back, I dropped to the ground and crawled out to see where he was.
Humans have a very distinct shape from animals. To avoid detection, you need to change that shape, and a flat, crawling “animal” does the trick really well.
I was hoping he would stop and lie down somewhere where I could get closer than 70 m, but he just kept on walking and stumbling, though still very alert to his surroundings. I was about to run out of options as he was nearing the end of the river fence that now took a sudden right hand turn. If he walked back into the bush, I could lose him.
I was 140 m away with a 70 m pin, but decided to take a shot, knowing that it could be highly unlikely that I would hit him. My other option was to leave him, run back 4 km to the house, get my rifle and then try and find him again – not a feasible plan. So my move was out of desperation and not a decision I took lightly.
As he looked up the road away from me, I aimed about 6 m above him and released an arrow. The bright fletches, clearly visible, dropped well short, and the arrow slithered under his belly into the brush on the other side of the fence. He heard it, and turned to look into the brush behind him, where he had heard the arrow, thinking that was where the danger was.
I knew the next shoot would be ….“Last chance!” I doubled the elevation and concentrated on keeping the line on the shoulder. With a huge share of luck, the arrow struck the shoulder and the waterbuck was down. Strangely enough, when I examined him, I could not see what had caused him to stumble – there were no visible defects to his limbs.
That phenomenal shot was my best 140 m 0r 154 yards, and I don’t plan to try and break it any time soon! For all the critics out there who will be appalled by the chance must understand, I did not think I would be able to find him again if he walked into 600 hectares of thick bush and I did not want it to die a protracted death from a wound. Whenever a dominant waterbuck bull his injured other big bulls take advantage and often kill the wounded one.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View article in E-ZINE” color=”orange” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fafricanhuntinggazette.com%2Fspring-2019%2F%23spring-2019%2F112-113||target:%20_blank|”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”19641,19642,19643″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Jan 18, 2019 | News
By Rudy Mola
With advances in technology, manufacturing, metallurgy and the overwhelming success and popularity of the ARs as sporting rifles, many hunting enthusiasts find themselves looking for something different, and perhaps more personal, in a quality hunting rifle. Many are discovering the emerging popularity of the Light Double rifle.
The double rifles have the distinction of being the only rifles developed strictly for hunting. All other rifles have a bellicose origin as weapons of war and conflict, then were sporterized and adopted for the more favorable sporting use.
Only the double rifle was designed for the exclusive purpose of stopping a large, angry beast from quickly and painfully ending a hunting career. They do this by providing a second independent lock and barrel for a quick and assured second shot.
To accommodate the twin hardware, the double rifle has been a large, heavy firearm, from an average of about 12 pounds up to a massive 26 pounds, and thus creating a job opportunity for a gun bearer.
Previously, accuracy was secondary to reliability and speed, as it was seldom used beyond 50 meters at a large charging beast, and particularly tight shot grouping was a lesser consideration to speed.
From reading Roosevelt, Hunter, Blixen, Ruark, Capstick, Boddington, and many others, I grew up with all the adventure and nostalgia of the great doubles. Except when taken for its original purpose on dangerous game, carrying a twelve-plus pound rifle can lose much of its nostalgic appeal very quickly.
Today we see an increasing interest in the use of these wonderfully historical firearms, not only for dangerous game in their tried and proven calibers, but in a whole new developing branch in the form of the “Light Doubles”, offering the magnificence of a double rifle, as few other rifles can, with an assortment of additional features, opening their use to a wider field of hunting opportunities.
Light Doubles, at first may seem like a contradiction in terms. However, it offers the double rifle all the nostalgia and feel of its ancestors but packing a more adequate caliber for a larger range of game, with improved accuracy, range and much reduced recoil. Although weighing in at less than seven pounds, it’s adequate for big game from hogs to deer, moose, big bears, and even into dangerous-game territory. This is because they’re built on a 20-gauge frame as opposed to its larger caliber counterpart on a 12-gauge or larger frame.
The largest caliber for the light doubles seems to top off with the 9.3 x 74 R, hurling a 286-grain projectile at just over 2,300fps. According to Cartridges of the World, this turn-of-the-century German caliber was designed to compete with the 400/360 Nitro Express, and is on the par with the .375 Flanged Magnum Nitro Express. It is only slightly less powerful than the .375 H&H, rimmed to better feed into the double breech, and carries a history of proven performance on dangerous game. Even more impressive, because of its gaining popularity, it can be found at afordable prices.
Among the inherent drawbacks of the double gun is the fact that it is normally regulated to a single bullet weight and load, but for the modern reloader it is merely a challenge.
Understanding the characteristics of the double rifle is important. Simply stated, the tendency is for the departing projectile to be tossed up and away from the opposite barrel on recoil, due to the center of balance being between the barrels. By controlling the velocity (amount of powder) the reloader can control the point of impact at a given range.
The Light Doubles fit a practical purpose and can provide adequate accuracy and stopping power within 250 meters. Doubles were never designed as long-range guns, but I would be delighted to be proved different. Consider a .338 Lapua Light Double with 26-inch barrels for plains game or American large game?
The Remington marketing folks saw this niche a few years ago and tried the waters with the Spartan 22 from Baikal, Russia in .30-06 and 45-70. It used a jack-screw to regulate second-barrel accuracy, and offered it at about $1,000. It had a small following left longing for more.
From what I see, the main players – Chapuis, Heym, Krieghoff, Merkel, Searcy, Sabatti – are busy producing the latest crop for a new market of hunters desiring quality light doubles with prices at somewhere between $5000 and $1200 depending on accessories and fluctuation of the euro.
Obviously, the great English firms, Holland & Holland, Purdey and Westley Richards continue their time-honored, proven tradition of making the world’s finest firearms for those able to afford them. Design, quality, workmanship and prices will vary and, hopefully, improve as the Light Doubles become more popular.
After many years of longing for a double, I came across the Chapuis exhibit at the SCI show in Vegas 2017. Their Ugex model immediately caught my attention. The gun’s balance, feel, deep checkering, engraving and overall workmanship was impressive, the metal to wood fit well, and the beautiful Turkish walnut was superb. The fact I could use it in a caliber for general hunting and that it was also affordable, made me seriously consider it.
I decided on their largest caliber available for that model, the 9.3 x 74 R with 24-inch barrels, and requested it be regulated with scope at 100 meters with Hornady’s .286 soft-nose. By the time it was over, I had added a quick release Recknagel base and mounts, a set of 28-inch 20-gauge matching barrels and some custom laser engraving, then anxiously waited for their arrivals.
My contact dealer for Chapuis in America is Carl Bush of Blackbern LLC. Virginia. Carl played a pivotal role as liaison on developing details and decisions along the way, and kept me informed of the process.
On arrival, I equipped the Ugex with, a Leopold 1-4 power Hog scope. A Trader Keith sling made it ready for the field. On the first range trial I was impressed with the accuracy. Bullet impact for multiple shots with both barrels was within 4 inches at 100 meters. I felt comfortable I could reach out to 200 meters.
I have hunted Africa several times, but first I wanted to gain confidence with my new gun. I booked a hunt in South Dakota with just that intention, and was rewarded with a 10-point whitetail, dropping him where he stood at 140 meters with my double’s first shot at game.
Now it was ready to travel to Africa. I have hunted South Africa and a couple of places in Namibia, but since my first safari in 2000 I’ve kept in touch with my PH Ernest Dyason of Spear Safaris at SCI events, conventions and social media. Prior to committing to my double, I approached Ernest and showed him the picture of the light double I was considering. “If I get this, can we take that,” I asked, pointing at the large buffalo picture on his display. At his answer I was back at the Chapuis booth.
To be perfectly clear: Despite its wonderful history, in modern times the 9.3 X 74 R, considered within the .375 category, is at the bottom of the power curve and legality when it comes to dangerous game. Proper bullet placement is never at a higher demand, and a trusted PH with powerful “medicine” becomes a very reassuring companion.
With my new Light Double, I booked a cow buffalo hunt with Spear Safaris and made arrangements with Africa Sky Guest House for my firearm paperwork, airport handling, and stayover in Johannesburg. I can’t say enough about their hospitality, excellent service and accommodations.
Your first buffalo hunt, as your first gun, car, girlfriend, (note priorities) is something you never forget, as well as a powerful lesson, for no matter how much you read up, watch, and get advice from the experts, you don’t know what to expect…aside from the PH behind you, you’re on your own. The experience is uniquely your own.
I find that the most important item on a buffalo hunt is comfortable boots. You walk when buffalo hunting! We walked seven to nine miles a day through very dense vegetation comprising mostly thorn bushes. Sometimes we could hear and smell the herd a few dozen meters away, and still not see them until the wind betrayed us, and a roar and dust announced their departure.
I also found that the least important item on a buffalo hunt was the rifle sling, negotiating the maze of thorn bushes, it was just one more thing to get snagged and make noise.
On the afternoon of the third day of following a wary herd, we came into a clearing, and a short way in, Ernest spotted the herd, and signaled us to sit. There we were, a little island of four with no cover. After an eternity of twenty minutes, the herd started feeding our way, mostly young bulls in the front.
As the herd thinned out a bit, a shot presented itself on an older cow at about 70 meters. Sticks went up, and (as best described by Hemingway), I found myself in that familiar “quiet place where one shoot from”, where the world disappears and nothing else matters, the accustomed deep breath, relax… A Hornady .286-gr soft point finds its mark on the shoulder, then pandemonium erupts. Too much commotion for a follow-up solid and we waited for things to calm.
The shot was good, the buffalo was not going anywhere, and some of the herd came around to protect the injured. We waited a while and moved to a more advantageous spot to take a broadside on the opposite shoulder, this one a solid from the left barrel. I take the shot. Nothing seems to happen.
“I heard a ricochet,” Ernest said. Quickly reloading, I switch to a soft-nose on the right barrel. “I didn’t miss,” I said. A second shot dropped the buff, and again we heard a ricochet. With the buff down I gave it a chest shot, and after the bellow, we moved in to give the coup de grâce.
The 9.3 requires accurate bullet placement. All three shoulder shots were within a five-inch radius. The lungs were destroyed. The chest shot was a solid that was recovered under the skin of the right rump. The two ricochets were bullets that punched through and were heard hitting the bush beyond.
In retrospect: Using the 9.3 X74R, I would use soft-nose in any situation other than a quick running away second shot. The reasoning is that the .366 bullet has the velocity but not the mass of larger bullets that may rely on greater shock effect. The smaller diameter gives them more penetration which is best made up by an expanding bullet within the animal for greater wound cavity, and not exiting on the other side.
With time on our hands and a few bullets left, we headed for a zebra hunt. After stalking to about 65 meters, I had a forward quartering shot, and a single shot in the front inside shoulder did the job. The zebra ran and fell forty meters further on, a testament to the toughness and endurance of African wildlife.
After a couple of nights dining on the best buffalo fillets I’ve ever had, I headed back home, with experiences and memories of Africa, and of course a longing to return…next year.
With the dawning of the Light Doubles in a world of cookie-cutter products, mass-produced goods and lack of individuality, I see a growing market for hunting with this new-old design which awakens our early dreams of Africa, and allows us to experience the feel of a great gun carried afield.
Jan 17, 2019 | News
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”View article in E-ZINE” color=”orange” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fafricanhuntinggazette.com%2Fspring-2019%2F%23spring-2019%2F116-117||target:%20_blank|”][vc_column_text]New Huntress, Old Hunter
Two people go on a hunt together – one a seasoned hunter, the other a new huntress. Both have the same experience, but each extracts a different take on that experience…
The New Huntress
When Randy first asked me if I would be interested in going hunting in Africa, of course my first response was, yes, yes, yes. Later, doubt started seeping into my excitement. I had never hunted before, so I did not know if I could do it. I figured I would try my best, enjoy the experience, and at the very least, I could be Randy’s official photographer.
I grew up in a time and place where hunting was for the men and the girls were left home. My father only went hunting a few times when I was growing up, but the trips never included daughters. Thanks to Randy, I would finally have the opportunity. He has been a hunter his whole life and I admire the fact that he included his daughter.
Before our trip, I had the chance to meet our professional hunter, Stephan Joubert, at the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah in the United States. Randy also took the time to prepare me for our hunt. We went target shooting to see how comfortable I was with guns—and probably to see what he was up against. The next thing was actually hunting, because no matter how good of a shot a person is, it does not mean they will be able to pull the trigger when their gun barrel is pointed at an animal. Randy took me turkey hunting and I dropped a nice jake with my first shot. After all the preparation, I hoped I could at least get three animals in Africa. I couldn’t wait!
After a long flight from the U.S to Namibia, with a layover in Amsterdam, Hannes picked us up at Windhoek airport. The lodge itself was like a mirage, an oasis of thatch structures with green lawns, beautiful gardens, and an aviary filled with colorful song birds. We met Hannes’ wife, Geraldine, who had a beautiful table set and lunch in the making. Our PH Stephan Joubert, was there to greet us along with his Rhodesian Ridgeback, Ridgy, and Jackie, the lodge’s Jack Russell Terrier. We were the only guests. Bergzicht Hunting Lodge only takes one group at a time so they can offer a personalized experience.
After lunch, Steph took us to sight in the guns. I was surprised and relieved that, because of the suppressor on the end of the barrel, there was practically no recoil. I also learned that, in Africa, you shoot the animals in the shoulder in what Steph called the diamond of death because that is where their heart and lungs are.
Then Steph and our trackers, Fessie and Obed, took us for a drive. I was amazed at the abundance of wildlife. It almost felt like we were on a movie set and someone cued a herd of zebra on the hillside to come down and, in a giant cloud of dust, cross the road right in front of us. We also saw warthog, wildebeest, steenbok, hartebeest, and a large herd of springbok.
Our first day hunting in Africa turned out to be ladies first. We spent the morning getting a blue wildebeest for me—after I completely missed a springbok at 250 yards. We came upon a blue wildebeest and I took my shot. It bucked, then bounded off into the brush, so we had to track it. It was amazing to watch how Fessie and Obed could track an animal –they could find blood on a single blade of grass. We found our wildebeest, and took it down with another shot. It wasn’t perfect, but I got my first animal, earning myself a Bergzicht Hunting Lodge cap.
The day ended up being ladies last also. After our lunch break, we came across a gemsbok (oryx). I didn’t expect to hunt that afternoon, so I felt a bit more apprehensive. We stalked it, stopping in a copse of trees. I made a perfect shot, right in the diamond of death, but unfortunately, it turned just as I began squeezing the trigger, and the bullet went in at an angle. I shouldn’t have taken the shot since it was moving, but my reactions were not quite fast enough to stop. It didn’t go very far and I took another shot for my second animal that day. It was a magnificent gold medal bull.
I had successfully completed my first day hunting in Africa, ending with two beautiful animals. I felt relieved. Even if I didn’t get another animal, I did it.
Our second day was Randy’s, as we came across animals on his list – a steenbok, black wildebeest, and a hartebeest. The experience was phenomenal. I learned that mountain zebras have longer ears and faded stripes on their forehead, making them look more like a donkey than a horse to me. Regular zebras have shorter ears and dark stripes on their foreheads.
Each day we woke to a delicious breakfast, hunted until mid-day, with time to rest after a big lunch. I usually sat by the pool writing, listening to the birds in the aviary, and watching butterflies flutter around Geraldine’s beautiful gardens. We hunted again in the late afternoon until sunset, then returned to a cozy fire at the lodge and a great dinner.
On our third day of hunting, I did it! I got an impala in one quick and perfect shot, right in the diamond of death. The wildebeest wasn’t perfect. The oryx was better. But this time, I did it just right and it was another gold medal bull.
I ended up with eight animals and Randy got ten. For a lady hoping to get three animals, I far surpassed my expectations. I will have six head mounts and two European mounts for my wall—along with a traditional Namibian oryx tail flyswatter. We hunted in perfect weather and wind. Cold mornings and perfect afternoons. We stalked animals in the brush, on rocky outcrops, and across the savanna. We waited by waterholes for warthogs. I learned to use binoculars and spot animals. I learned to drop an animal in one shot and how to track a wounded one. I made a perfect heart shot on a springbok.
All in all, I dropped four of my eight animals with one shot and hit my warthog on the run. I finally got my tiny steenbok after missing three others. I learned that I can shoot spot-on at 150 yards, but to the left at 200. I learned about all the wildlife management that goes into running a lodge, and that Namibia is much more progressive in sustainable trophy hunting than we are in the United States, in wildlife conservation, and in banning the use of hormones in livestock. I also had the unbelievable opportunity to see some of Africa’s amazing animals in the wild. I will never forget the experience of hunting in Africa and meeting some of the amazing and gracious people of Namibia.
My dad may not have taken me hunting when I was young, but thanks to Randy, I finally got to go. Hunting is still predominantly a male sport, but many men are taking their wives, daughters, and girlfriends. More and more women are becoming successful huntresses. Even though I grew up in a time and place where daughters did not hunt, things have changed. If my father were still here, I know that he would be proud of me.
The Old Hunter
I first met Hannes and Geraldine at a Portland, Oregon sportsman show many years ago. They are very nice people with a beautiful lodge, hunting area, and great animals.
Having hunted Zimbabwe a couple of other times, I was ready for a change in scenery and an opportunity for different animals. An added experience would be taking my girlfriend, Kelly, on the hunt with me, not only as a spectator, but as a hunter. Kelly had never been to Africa, so I knew that it would be quite an experience, regardless of the outcome.
We were welcomed at the Windhoek airport by Hannes. It was nice to see a friendly and known face waiting for us. It was an hour’s trip to the lodge, and I made good use of it with lots of questions for Hannes. The lodge and grounds were beautiful, and the lodge was filled with impressive game heads. We were the only guests, so the focus was on our hunt.
We were tired from our travels, but we went to sight in the rifles that evening. I had decided not to bring my personal rifles with me. It isn’t easy traveling with rifles anymore, and the headache and hassle just wasn’t worth it. Being left handed, it didn’t bother me to use their right-handed guns. They used suppressors on all their guns and I was very surprised, not only with the sound suppression, but the minimal recoil that they also produced. Shooting a 7mm mag and .270 with no recoil made me a believer. I plan on buying myself a suppressor one day. It was nice, especially for Kelly. She shot well at the range, so we were ready for the morning hunt. Our PH was Stephan Joubert, a very knowledgeable and adept young man who has acquired the “Dangerous Game” accreditation.
That night, I was amazed to learn that Hannes has twenty-five different species of animals. He even does DNA testing for wildlife management and uses solar and up-to-date technology. No wonder that he was awarded Game Rancher of the Year Namibia (2017) and Game Rancher of the Year, Green Economy, in Southern Africa. Quite an honor and very well deserved.
So, how did Kelly do? In one word—Great! She was in awe. She truly didn’t care about taking animals as much as taking in the whole experience. Men seem to have more of an “I have to harvest “ approach in order to have a great hunt. Believe me, I understand that, but at sixty-four years of age, I understand that there is so much more to the hunt. For me, it was to see Kelly have a great experience as well as the opportunity to hunt. My plan was for her to take four or five animals. Well, she went on to take eight fantastic animals. I ended up taking ten that were all gold medal, I believe. From what I heard, my lechwe will be # 1 in the NAPHA top ten record book, the roan, possibly #12 and a 45-inch fantastic sable. I also took a black wildebeest, hartebeest, mountain zebra stallion, springbok, blesbok, and a steenbok.
To say the least, it was a memorable hunt with great variety of animals. The spotters and trackers, the care of the animals after harvest, the lodge—as well as the generosity, integrity, and friendship of Hannes and Geraldine were second to none. Kelly and I both came away as lifelong friends. It was the memory of a lifetime for us. That is one of the reasons I have booked to go back in 2020 for some of the species I don’t have. I will take my daughter with me next time in order to create some more memories with her.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View article in E-ZINE” color=”orange” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fafricanhuntinggazette.com%2Fspring-2019%2F%23spring-2019%2F116-117||target:%20_blank|”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”19654,19655,19656,19657,19658″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Jan 15, 2019 | Bowhunting, News
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”View article in E-ZINE” color=”orange” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fafricanhuntinggazette.com%2Fspring-2019%2F%23spring-2019%2F52-53||target:%20_blank|”][vc_column_text]Up Close and Personal in the Limpopo
By Joe Gray Taylor, Jr.
The morning had begun like many hunts for Cape buffalo anywhere. Our hunting team cruised traces cut through the thick jesse in the early morning cold looking for fresh tracks that may have crossed during the night or early morning. Our sharp-eyed tracker, Josias, naturally saw them first, and immediately my PH and outfitter Phillip Bronkhorst, and the rest of us – assistant PH Pieter Taylor, and a young videographer, Rickey – bailed off the cruiser to study them in detail.
The extremely fresh sign indicated a small group had just crossed, no doubt drifting into the very thick thorn brush for a rest, or to find their way to water. A particularly large set of prints indicated the likely presence of at least one mature bull. We carefully trailed the group for no more than a kilometre, when a breath of the fickle morning wind touched the back of my neck. As dust rose above the brush, large animals could be heard running off in the distance.
We had all started to relax and consider our next move when Josias suddenly knelt to one side pointing into the bush. Looking up, I could see just bits of an approaching black mass coming directly up our scent line. Josias moved behind us and, leveling rifles, we began to back up, hoping the bull would eventually break away. As we backed across a very small open patch in the jesse, a young, but mature buffalo, burst forth on the far side perhaps 35 metres away. He halted, head up, belligerently staring at us. With a lot of shouting, we slowly backed away, eventually breaking contact. On his first DG hunt, our young videographer provided a marvelously rich and descriptive commentary as we made our way back to the Land Cruiser.
It was something of an accident that I was hunting buffalo at all in South Africa. Previously, I had the privilege to hunt them in the Caprivi and twice in Mozambique. I had expected my next buffalo hunt would have been in Zimbabwe or Zambia. However, two years previously I was sitting at a banquet table at the annual Central Texas Wildlife Legacy gala in Austin. My table mate was Phillip Bronkhorst, and he had donated a cow buffalo hunt to our organization for the evening auction. As it came up, I happened to ask Phillip if the hunt could be upgraded to a bull at the usual trophy rate. It could. He also said that these were managed herds, not purchased and released animals. I have rarely bid on an auctioned hunt, much preferring the comfort of some research. However, on this evening, the hunt had no bidders, and rather than let a generous donation to our organization go wanting, I raised my hand. We sealed the deal with a handshake, and late June found me departing Austin, Texas to link up with the SAA flight to Johannesburg at Washington, Dulles.
Sited on his own property, Phillip’s lovely and very comfortable camp is in the Northern Limpopo some five hours from the Johannesburg airport. It offers easy access to a number of ranches in the area offering a wide variety of game and covering a huge range of biodiversity from sandveld, through bushveld, to the Waterberg. We would be hunting on Rudy Heinlein’s vast “Circle N” property in the heart of the bushveld near the Limpopo River.
I had hunted high-fenced property with Jamy Traut when he was with Eden in Namibia almost a decade before. Therefore, I knew large properties with self-sustaining herds could offer an outstanding hunting experience. However, my only buffalo hunting had been in wilderness areas. I was curious about hunting the big black bulls on one of the Limpopo’s huge fenced concessions, but after the first abortive effort and the belligerent youngster, any concerns were quickly fading.
Late morning found us many kilometres away, the morning coolness having given away to the dry warmth of a typical southern African late fall day. We had found additional tracks crossing the roads and around waterholes, but nothing quite fresh enough to take up pursuit. Suddenly Josias tapped my forearm and the top of the cruiser – an electric moment everyone recognizes who has experienced an African Safari. As we halted we could pick up several dark shapes moving slowly but steadily through the thick thorn bush. In moments they had disappeared.
A quick look at the tracks indicated a couple of large bulls in a small group of animals. We immediately took up the spoor. Phillip was convinced they were heading to water, and we possibly might catch them in the open ground around the pan. Like all ethical outfits, Phillip would not allow us to attempt a shot there, but with a bit of luck we would have the opportunity to clearly evaluate the animals.
We followed at a forced march over the next four to five kilometres. A walking buffalo can set a blistering pace compared with humans, particularly those constantly monitoring wind and thorns, As the sweat worked into my eyes, I noted that two or three miles sprinting after buffalo felt pretty much the same whether along the Zambezi, the Kwando, or Limpopo Rivers.
The breeze had settled for a bit, and we were able to carefully maneuver around one side of the group of bulls. We could see eight animals ranging from three or four years of age to a couple of large bulls clearly pushing eleven or twelve. One of these was very wide (40+) with fairly flat curls and bosses, while the other was a bit narrower but with the massive helmet that some older bulls develop. Either was a very respectable candidate to take back to Texas. I should note that we had no limitations on the size of the bull that we could take. However, the goal was at least an eleven- or twelve-year-old animal.
We backed out and found a shady tree where we could unpack the cooler for some lunch and water – we would take up the track again once the animals had left the waterhole. I said to Phillip that both bulls were fabulous, but given a choice, the wider flatter one looked awfully good. Little did I know at the time, another might have a vote in that decision.
Around 2 p.m. we were again on their track, and by 3:30 we had closed to where we could see the animals bunched in a large group in the thickest brush. They had apparently joined another group, bringing the total number now to 15 or 20. Sorting out “my bull” was going to be tricky. The late fall light was also telling us we only had so much time.
We had just begun to probe the brush, when again we felt the light breeze touching the backs of our necks. Immediately the main herd began to move off, and in a replay of the morning, a large shape detached itself and began moving purposefully up our scent line. We carefully tried to back away, but our options were limited. Getting into brush so thick that we could only see a few feet would be asking for real trouble.
Fortunately, at about 50 yards, Phillip could see it was the old bull with the huge boss. With our backs to thick thorn we would not be given a choice. He finally set the sticks and whispered “Joe, this is your bull!” At 25 – 30 metres the buffalo’s head and chest cleared for an instant. The Blaser R8 was steady as I hit him with a 300-gr Swift A-Frame, loaded by my friend Lance Hendershot with his “Extreme” line of custom ammunition. The bull staggered off approximately 60 metres, giving me a rear quartering shot which put him down. Although sad, it was a relief to hear the mournful bellow. It seemed as though the big-bossed bull had, in fact, chosen me.
However, we were not quite done. As Pieter headed out for the truck, the death bellow caused the original bachelor group to break off from the larger herd and return. Phillip and I backed carefully away while Josias and Rickey scrambled up a nearby tree. For the next half hour or so, we watched the incredible sight of half a dozen bulls violently hooking their fallen comrade. It was a behavior about which I had read, but never seen. Then the arrival of the truck scared off the other animals, so we were able to take a few pictures in the late afternoon light, and load our massive old prize for the drive back to camp.
On the way back, I relived the long day and mused about both my preconceptions and the actual hunting experience. I shall always love the wild places and I hope I can again pursue the truly wild buffalo herds that inhabit them. However, I had just taken part in an incredibly exciting buffalo hunt in the Limpopo, far and away the most adrenalin-packed in my experience. Although the animals we had pursued had been born on the vast property we hunted, their behavior showed that they were still the big, truculent beasts they are by nature – we could have been in any wild place in Africa. I have no hesitation recommending the experience to anyone.
With the big bull down early in the hunt, the remainder of my time in the Limpopo passed almost lazily. We hunted the beautiful Porini Ranch in the foothills of the Waterberg trying to better a pair of 55-inch kudu I had taken in Namibia several years before. Despite the arrival of extremely cold and blustery weather, and a nearly full moon, we saw wonderful bulls every day.
At least a half-dozen mature animals were easily over 50 inches; magnificent choices at any other time. On the third day we glimpsed a huge bull from the Cruiser that we felt would have surpassed our self-imposed minimum, but were unable to regain sight of it once we entered the thick brush where most seemed to be hiding from the cold wind.
Another day, we decided to ease down a thickly wooded, spring-fed stream with towering ridges on either side. A pair of klipspringers eyed us suspiciously from less than 50 metres away, their beautifully marked ears flared in our direction. Leopard tracks covered the ground, and although one particularly large set looked like they could have had been left by a lioness, they would have been from one of the huge male leopards often found in the Limpopo. Scattered bones all along the streambed bore mute witness to the richness of their hunting area.
As noon approached, a dry rustling and the sour pungent odor of pig alerted us to the presence of a bushpig sounder somewhere in the brush immediately ahead of us. We carefully maneuvered around and through the green tangle trying to get a glimpse of the rooting animals. Suddenly, Phillip paused and pointed ahead and to the side. On the opposite bank of the stream, quartering sharply away stood the largest boar that I had ever seen. In this instance, speed was far more important than pinpoint accuracy, and we made no attempt to set the sticks. The Blaser barked and the animal collapsed where he stood.
A wise bit of guidance about safari, says to take what Africa gives. We had not found the kudu we sought, but we had been given at high noon a giant of a bushpig, a far rarer, and to me at least, desirable achievement.
In the ensuing days, we successfully stalked an impala and a beautiful zebra. We capped our last morning with South Africa’s iconic black wildebeest. A careful stalk on a typically nervous herd gained us a 150-metre shot at a truly magnificent old bull. I have no doubt that he would score very highly in either SCI or Rowland and Ward’s system.
All too soon, the hunt was over. On the long flight home, I replayed the extraordinary experience time and again. I look forward to continuing to relive those adventures in the years to come. Phillip is a fine a gentleman, a passionate a hunter and a great conservationist. Whether a general mixed plains-game hunt, a buffalo hunt without the usual logistics drama of Zimbabwe or Mozambique, or a specialty hunt for night creatures, this outfitter should be on anyone’s shortlist of potential destinations. It certainly will remain on mine.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View article in E-ZINE” color=”orange” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fafricanhuntinggazette.com%2Fspring-2019%2F%23spring-2019%2F52-53||target:%20_blank|”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”19621,19622,19623,19624,19625,19626,19627,19628,19629,19630,19631,19632,19633,19634,19635″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Jan 15, 2019 | News
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”View article in E-ZINE” color=”orange” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fafricanhuntinggazette.com%2Fspring-2019%2F%23spring-2019%2F136-137||target:%20_blank|”][vc_column_text]A HUNTER’S RIFLE
Johan van Wyk
If ever there was a hall of fame for famous African hunters, the first entry would no doubt be the name of Frederick Courteney Selous. Selous was born in London in 1851, and first arrived on African shores as a 19-year-old, in South Africa, intent on making a name for himself as a hunter of big game. At the time, muzzle-loading rifles were still the primary weapon of choice for the hunter in search of dangerous game, and Selous used various muzzle-loading big-bore rifles on beasts big and small, although he complained bitterly about their excessive recoil and claimed that they made him recoil-shy for the rest of his life.
The 1870s saw the start of the breech-loading era, however, and Selous was quick to grasp the advantage offered by the newer technology firearms then being developed by various British makers. He quickly built up a good relationship with George Gibbs of Bristol, one of the premier riflemakers in Britain at the time, especially renowned for their accurate match rifles. The Gibbs-Farquharson falling-block single-shot action (a joint development by Gibbs and Scottish gamekeeper John Farquharson) was initially developed for military and target shooting purposes, but it didn’t take long for the sporting potential of the action to be recognised, and it was quickly made up in sporting rifles and later chambered as well for a host of Nitro cartridges such as the .303 British and .256 Gibbs Flanged (or 6,5x53R, if you prefer). Selous, however, ordered his Gibbs-Farquharsons in a proprietary Gibbs chambering: the .461 Gibbs No 2.
Both the No 1 and No 2 versions of the .461 Gibbs cartridge were initially developed for target shooting, and used heavy, paper-patched bullets that gave good accuracy from the Metford rifling in the bores of the Gibbs-Farquharson rifles. The .461 No 1 fired a 540-grain bullet at 1 300 fps with the help of 75 grains of black powder. The slightly later No 2 version of the .461 was introduced in the late 1870s and was created by lengthening the neck of the cartridge to make space for a heavier 570-grain bullet and 90 grains of black powder. Bullet diameter for both versions of the .461 was identical. The ballistic performance of both was broadly similar to the .577/450 Martini-Henry cartridge, the British military cartridge of the day.
Gibbs no doubt derived great publicity and enjoyed increased sales as a result of Selous’ writings. For some reason Selous referred to his beloved falling-block hunting rifles as a “.450” on several occasions, notably in A Hunter’s Wanderings in Africa which was published in 1882. The Gibbs rifle plays such a central part in the recounting of Selous’ adventures, however, that the reader is left in no doubt that a Gibbs falling-block rifle was the weapon of choice for anybody wishing to indulge in a bit of sport in Africa. Selous used a number of Gibbs .461 rifles throughout his travels in what is today Zimbabwe, and the effectiveness of both rifle and cartridge no doubt played a big part in his hunting success.
With the advent of the Nitro era and a host of more efficient and powerful cartridges, the .461 slowly disappeared from the scene to be replaced by more modern contenders. Likewise was the case with the great old British falling-block single-shot rifles; they were effectively killed off by the readily available and reasonably priced M98 Mauser bolt-action. Selous himself also eventually discarded the single-shot rifle for the bolt-action, and towards the end of his hunting days used cartridges such as the .425 Westley Richards and .275 Holland&Holland Magnum. The much-lamented falling-blocks were to a large extent relegated to the safes of collectors and die-hards.
Probably as a result of the writings of Selous (and in spite of the fact that less than a thousand Gibbs-Farquharson rifles were ever made), the odd Gibbs-Farquharson .461 pops up here in Africa from time to time. If memory serves, I have seen half a dozen or so, including a very rare double on a Gibbs & Pitt action. Some were engraved, others not. One was even a very early example with an external cocking arm which resembles a hammer. Another example was fitted with what is known as Selous sideplates. Selous sideplates are often attributed to Selous himself, and certainly his own Gibbs-Farquharsons were fitted with them, but whether he actually had a hand in designing them is unknown. The sideplates themselves are made from sheet steel and are a skin-tight fit on both sides of the grip, extending all the way from the action body, contoured to the wrist and pistol grip of the stock. They are held in place by means of dozens of small screws, and on the example I have seen, these little screws were neatly aligned. The amount of work that must have gone into shaping and fitting a pair of Selous sideplates is truly staggering.
A friend of mine who also happens to be a keen collector of vintage British guns and rifles is the lucky owner of a near-mint Gibbs-Farquharson chambered for the .461 No 2 cartridge. The rifle itself spent many years on display in a gunshop here in South Africa, unfired and unmolested as a result of the fact that .461 ammunition has for long been but a distant memory. When the gunshop changed hands the new owners decided to sell the old Gibbs, and my friend did what was necessary to put the rifle in his collection, where it now resides in the company of a number of pristine examples of some of the finest firearms ever made. Another Gibbs .461 spent many years on display in the public library of a small town in South Africa, simply gathering dust as it hung from the wall on a set of rusty nails. When the powers-that-be decided to demolish the library, the rifle was destined to be destroyed until a gunsmith who recognised it for what it was saved it. It is fitted with Selous side-plates and is a treasure by any yardstick.
Being a practical sort of fellow, however, my friend soon turned his attention to getting the old Gibbs shooting again, and thus kicked off a practical doctorate thesis in handloading. The first order of business was to determine the exact bore diameter, and for this purpose a soft copper plug was gently squeezed through the barrel from the breech end. Next up was a set of reloading dies from the United States, and here Hunting Die Specialties were glad to oblige. Cases for the .461 No 2 are made by Bertram in Australia, and Bruce Bertram had a package in the mail in no time.
As the original ammunition was loaded with paper-patched bullets, the next step was not as simple as just having a mold made that would turn out .461” diameter lead bullets. The reason for this is that a lot of further research revealed the fact that Gibbs preferred the bullets to be slightly undersized in order to allow them to “bump up” to the bore diameter to ensure a snug fit. This was done for the sake of better accuracy, and is a perfectly safe and acceptable way to go about things with a soft lead bullet. Thus, a mold that turned out a round-nosed 570-grain lead slug of .458” diameter was ordered from a South African mold maker. Next step was paper-patching the bullets to ensure a tight fit in the mouth of the case and the shallow Metford rifling. This is a time-consuming process calling for more than just a little bit of skill by the patcher, but my friend eventually mastered the art, and the first batch of paper-patched, lubed bullets were, apart for a few last details, at long last ready for Bruce Bertram’s cases.
With a case capacity slightly greater than that of the .458 Winchester Magnum, it was logical to use a Magnum primer to load the .461 No 2, and as black powder can sometimes be a pain to obtain here in South Africa, a Nitro-for-black load was the obvious way forward, but this route presented challenges of its own as well. Those of us who reload here at the southern tip of the African continent sometimes have to do with what we can get, so the only sensible choice left was a South African propellant called S265, a close copy of the US-made IMR-4227, a fast-burning propellant normally used for loading handgun cartridges but usable for loads with cast bullets in some rifle cartridges as well. With the propellant selected, a prodigious amount of experimentation ensued to arrive at a load, but with this done, along with a handful of Dacron filler to ensure that the air gap between the base of the bullet and the powder charge was tightly filled, the old Gibbs and its owner set off to the shooting range with an air of nervous expectation.
To make a long story short, it wasn’t long before the Gibbs-Farquharson shot the way it was supposed to. What was also apparent was that Gibbs itself certainly deserved their reputation as a maker of fine rifles. The old rifle with its newly constituted loads shot right on the sights, and getting nice and tight groups with the wide-V backsight and the tiny bead up-front was a relatively simple matter.
A great many hunters over the years cut their hunting teeth on the .577/450 Martini-Henry rifle in Africa and, with its virtually similar ballistics, the .461 was in the same league – certainly a useful starting point from a ballistic point of view. Due to cost, however, the Gibbs would probably have been the choice of the better-heeled sportsmen of the day who could afford something slightly more upmarket than a military-surplus Martini-Henry carbine. Whereas the Gibbs rifle and cartridge is synonymous with Selous, another interesting character who also used one was Dr Leander Starr Jameson, leader of the ill-fated Jameson Raid into the Transvaal in 1896 and confidant of Cecil John Rhodes. During the course of an expedition down the Pungwe River in Mozambique in 1890, accompanied by his co-explorer and friend Frank Johnson, Jameson, managed to set fire to a grass hut they were sleeping in.
As the dry grass caught alight, in a frenzy they had to grab what they could and run for their lives. Ahead of them lay a very treacherous journey through some of the wildest country Africa had to offer, to reach a rendezvous with a ship called the Lady May that would wait for them at anchor at the mouth of the Pungwe River. They made it with mere minutes to spare and scrambled aboard as the ship was about to cast off. Interestingly enough, Johnson later recalled that among the possessions salvaged from the fire were a rifle and bandolier and 26 Gibbs-Metford .450 cartridges. It was undoubtedly a Gibbs-Farquharson .461 rifle of sorts. As Selous himself was active in Rhodesia at the time, it is probably a fair assumption that he was consulted on the question of suitable armament by Jameson and Johnson before the onset of their trip.
After going through the immense trouble of getting his own .461 No 2 shooting again, my friend decided that a hunting trip with the Gibbs in hand was a fitting finale to the saga. With a number of carefully assembled cartridges, he traveled to a remote farm in South Africa’s Limpopo Province. He set off with the old rifle balanced over his shoulder, in much the same fashion as Selous would have done more than a century ago in the untamed country to the north of where my friend was hunting. Soon, a suitable quarry in the form of a blue wildebeest bull showed itself, and with the bead of the foresight low on the animal’s shoulder, 570 grains of what used to be wheel weights were sent on its way.
At the shot, something strange happened. The bull he had aimed at was down in its tracks, pole-axed. Behind him, though, lay another hitherto unseen wildebeest, also down and out for the count! The solid lead bullet had killed two of the toughest antelope Africa has to offer, cleanly, with one shot, and the bullet was found under the skin on the far side of the second wildebeest. It was slightly deformed, but with that type of performance, even if wholly unintentional, any doubts about a lack of penetration was certainly laid to rest in a clearing in the bush by the accidental death of a wildebeest.
I suspect that it was this same quality that endeared the Gibbs-Farquharson and the .461 No 2 cartridge to Selous as well. The rifles were very well made, shot straight, and got the job done with a minimum of fuss: essential qualities for a hunter’s rifle.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View article in E-ZINE” color=”orange” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fafricanhuntinggazette.com%2Fspring-2019%2F%23spring-2019%2F136-137||target:%20_blank|”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”19722,19723,19724,19725,19726″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
