On the Spoor of the Spiral-horned Kudu

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Zimbabwe: 2016
On the Spoor of the Spiral-horned Kudu
By Simon K Barr

If I were going to take a shot at the kudu we’d been tracking all day, it would have to be now.

And it was going to be like threading a needle. There was no way of getting closer – swirling wind and, after cover, open ground. I’d have no choice but to find a path for my bullet through the dense scrub. Time was not on our side: the area was teeming with wildlife, and at any moment we’d be scented. We had already heard a large group of buffalo bounce around to our immediate east, just 100 yards away beyond the cover where we were. Moving slowly and silently, I identified what I thought would be a good enough window through the arid mess of vegetation not unlike a roll of barbed wire. I could see the animal clearly, and steadied the rifle forend on sticks. As I did so, the kudu, though still unaware of our presence, turned to walk away. It was now or never.

Of all the spiral-horned species, the kudu is one I’ve longed to hunt, and I was fortunate enough to be with the MD of Rigby, Marc Newton, in the Savé Valley Conservancy in East Zimbabwe, where the wildlife has free range over a total of 800,000 acres. This extraordinary place, my veteran PH Butch Coates explained, is a product of the late 1980s, when 18 landowners decided to pull down the cattle fences and make the change from farming to safaris: “They realized it was vital to the wildlife and the ecosystem, but also that it would be more profitable. When the area was farmed for cattle, the wild animals were persecuted. Not only did they take up resources by grazing, but there was foot and mouth disease that they were spreading. So they had to be shot to maintain healthy cattle herds.” Zebra and wildebeest were both targeted, and buffalo were wiped out in the region. Kudu, eland and impala remained, though in smaller numbers than today, and of course predators were also trapped, shot or poisoned. The latter, Butch said, made an astonishingly fast recovery, and the Conservancy now has to ensure that they do not become too many in number, as that will affect prey species.

Butch works at various reserves in the valley as a freelance PH, but often hunts with clients from Sango. Sango Lodge, at 160,000 acres is the largest property in the conservancy. Butch makes no bones about the fact that the lodge is a business, so has to make money: “The lodge takes a lot of investment to run, with over 100 people directly employed, but in the end, if we don’t have healthy, sustainable numbers of game animals, there would be no business, so it’s in our interest to maintain a healthy population. There are anti-poaching units on each property, as well as a specific rhino anti-poaching unit, which is run independently. The rhino unit can go anywhere on the Conservancy. They also protect elephants from ivory poachers.” Poaching, it seems, is still an issue, but, Butch says, it is more for meat, and varies from year to year: “This year we had poor rains, so locals are struggling to get by, which means the bushmeat poaching is higher.”

The Conservancy is still suffering from the effects of the notorious “Cecil” incident, despite the fact that both the hunter and the PH were found innocent in court of any wrongdoing. Today, every lion, leopard or elephant hunt in Zimbabwe has to be accompanied by a National Park Ranger, the expense of which is passed on to the hunter. The Conservancy works on a strict quota for certain game species. Six elephants a year, six lions and 23 leopards can be hunted over the entire area, with the individual property’s size dictating their share of this.

Marc and I were also shooting bait for leopard for another member of our hunting party who had booked to shoot leopard, elephant, buffalo, crocodile and hippo, all of which are totally free-range in the Savé valley. Sango is responsible for providing the entire Conservancy with leopard bait.
“Zebra is by far the best,” Butch explained. “There are plenty of them, and it’s fat, soft meat.” Meanwhile, another party of hunters were out hanging bait that Marc and I had shot with Butch’s colleague Thierry Labat. While doing the rounds, the group had spotted a huge old warhorse of a kudu bull, the likes of which are very rarely seen in the wild. The call came on the radio: “Butch, he’s a giant, 57 inches at least. If you want a decent kudu come now!”

The decision was easy, despite knowing that the tracking would not be, for we were at least two hours’ drive away from Thierry’s position. With a piece of white tissue on a thornbush, so we would have a starting point, Thierry had marked the place he’d seen it disappear into cover. But it would need to be a masterclass in tracking. A good two hours after the bull had been seen, we locked in on the tissue, and the challenge ahead of us. Luckily, our tracker Ringisai or Ringi, was one of the most skilled I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing at work. Ringi was immediately able to read sign that was visible only to him and not to my unpracticed eyes. There were no snapped branches, no tracks, turned stones or rocks at all as far as I could see, but he kept on intently following the spoor.

Initially, we covered the ground fairly fast, and it was clear the wind was in our favor, but it was also clear that we had a lot of catching up to do.
“It’s in a group,” Ringi said. “They’re feeding.” It seemed to me like some sort of magic as we worked our way through thick bush in pursuit of an animal we hadn’t yet laid eyes on. The area was the real deal. True, Big Five country, with elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion and leopard all in residence, and all of which could jeopardize not just the hunt, but our lives as well. The thickness of the bush meant that we might not realize danger was upon us until it was too late. At one point, the sounds from nearby told us we were in close proximity to a herd of buffalo, one of the most dangerous of animals. Tensions rose, as not only were we worried about being charged, but also that the animals might spook the bull.

Two-and-a-half hours of following an unseen quarry in an area that carried a high density of dangerous game takes its toll on the nerves, so when we first spotted the kudu, a behemoth of a bull, my heart pounded in my chest. At 200m away, we were in thick brush, and the kudu was below us in a patch where the ground opened up a bit more. We needed to get closer for a shot with the open sights, and crept through the brush to get within range, trying to be as silent as possible. At 150m, I knew it would be very soon.

Finding a gap through which to shoot was no easy task, and to complicate matters even more, the animal was now facing away but lower than us, its back and spine the only real target I could see. The bull started to move off. I focused, trying to push the intensity of the moment to one side and not think about all the effort that had gone into tracking, or the kudu’s daunting size. Taking the best shot I could manage, I dropped the bull on the spot – it was one of the best I can remember taking under pressure. The 400-grain DGX had punched though the cover and landed between the spine and scapula. We wasted no time in approaching the awesome creature. He was huge, and old. The front of his horns were worn smooth, almost to ivory, and the “bell” which is formed by the first curl at the bottom of the horns was enormous. Butch thumped me on the back. He estimated the bull at eleven years, well past breeding age.

Marc and I waited by the kudu. Butch also left his rifle with us – this was predator country, after all. He warned that it might be an hour or two before he came back.
“I’ll have to cut a path to get the bakkie here, so sit tight.” While the wait for Butch’s return was tense, and every crack or sound set my mind leaping, it also gave me time to reflect on the day: A pure masterclass in tracking, and the experience of conservation at its best that had culminated in a kudu bull of a lifetime – something I’d not forget in a hurry.

Simon K. Barr has been a photojournalist since 2005. His fascination for wild places and heady adventure has taken him from the peaks of the Himalaya to the thickets of the African bush. He is now the CEO of global communications agency Tweed Media International, which he founded a decade ago with his wife, Selena. Simon is a dedicated outdoorsman and conservationist. When not involved in business or sport, he enjoys spending time outdoors with his daughters, Ptarmigan and Skye. Simon now lives with his family in the Scottish borders, where he can indulge his lifelong passion for fishing whenever time permits

Tragelaphus strepsiceros, or greater kudu is listed as of “least concern” on the International Concern for Conservation of Nature, unlike its cousin, the lesser kudu of Tragelaphus imberbis, which is “near threatened”. With an estimated population of 480,000 occurring in eastern and southern Africa, the kudu is currently rising in numbers, particularly on conservancies and private land. Classified as an antelope, Tragos is the Greek for “he-goat” and elaphos the word for deer. Strephis is the word for twisting and keras for horn, which is where the scientific name comes from.
As with many of the antelope species the males tend to be solitary, though they can live in bachelor groups. Males only join the females during the mating season. Calves grow quickly, and are almost independent of their mothers at just six months. The bulls tend to be much larger than the cows, and are very vocal, using grunts, clucks and gasps. The horns start to grow when the bull reaches six to 12 months old, producing one twist at two years old and the full two-and-a-half twists at six years old. Very occasionally, they will have three full twists to their horns. One of the largest species of antelope, bulls can weigh up to 270kg or more, and can be 160cm tall at the shoulder, while cows are much smaller at around 100cm high at the shoulder, and are hornless. Also, the cows don’t possess the white strip across the nose that bulls have. Like all antelope, kudu are extremely hardy, but unlike many antelope do not have the speed or stamina to escape predators in open country. They are athletic and nimble, however, and can leap over shrubs or bush to avoid being caught – hence a favored habitat being thick bush.

Kit box

Rigby London Best in .416 with open sights
www.johnrigbyandco.com

Hornady Dangerous Game
400-grain DGX
www.hornady.com

Courteney for Rigby Selous boots
www.johnrigbyandco.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”16465,16466,16467,16468,16469″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Krieghoff Semprio—One Rifle, Many Possibilities

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Krieghoff Semprio—One Rifle, Many Possibilities

By Monty Hudson

It’s been several years since Krieghoff unveiled the technology-laden Semprio. Krieghoff is perhaps best known for world-class shotguns and double rifles, and the Semprio is an entirely different kind of rifle. On close examination, Semprio is an engineer’s dream, complete with a reverse slide action and takedown technology that allows the shooter to change calibers quickly. That said, it’s not a traditional design, and requires a bit of study to fully appreciate it. Given the flexibility of the system and the maturity of the design, we thought this hunting season was the time to give the Semprio a new African field test.

For our field evaluation, Namibian PH Gunter Schwalm of Omalanga Safaris put Krieghoff’s

Semprio to work on plains game in northern Namibia. On a series of hunts in June and July 2017, the Semprio was front and center on impala, oryx, kudu and warthog. To add to the fun, the rifle was tested in the hands of both experienced Professional Hunters and clients with moderate hunting and shooting experience. The trophy results speak for themselves. For this test, rifles in 9.3×62 and .300 Winchester Magnum were combined with Schmidt and Bender optics, and produced consistent “dead right there” results.

Aesthetics: Taste in design is in the eye of the beholder. Semprio is sleek and clean. It appears almost futuristic, there are no bolt handles to catch or snag, and the optional synthetic stock eliminates most opportunities for water damage or scratches. Our PH evaluators call Semprio “Sleek and functional, all business”. Semprio is available with a high-grade Turkish walnut stock or a synthetic stock.

Handling: The rifle has fine balance, and at around nine pounds (with an appropriate scope) you can carry it without needing a masseuse at the end of the day. The traditional style stock is stable and does a fine job of distributing recoil, and the reverse slide action makes follow-up shots lightning-fast. This unique slide action where the bolt is stationary and the detachable magazine slides works beautifully and naturally with the recoil to set the shooter up for follow-on shots. Semprio excels when shooting moving targets off hand. Our PH staff especially appreciated the quick handling when used with open sights for off-hand follow-up shots. Off hand, the shooter never has to remove the stock from the shoulder or release the grip to reach for a bolt handle. The cheek weld also stays in place—the recoil actually assists in moving the fore stock forward, and closing the action readies the rifle for the next shot. Smooth. Shooting from sticks, the barrel must be lifted from the rest in order to cycle the action, and this takes a bit of practice.

Accuracy: The test rifles were very, very accurate. For this field test, all hunting and range work was conducted at distances of 200 metres or less. On the rifle range with factory Hornady ammunition, the rifles consistently produced groups of less than 1.5 inches, and many groups of less than 1.3 inches at 100 metres. The test rifles didn’t seem to care much about bullet weight, but I suspect a bit of effort in handloading could produce even better results. Punching paper is one thing, field accuracy can be something else. In the Namibian bush, the quick handling and no-slip stock allowed our hunters to get on target and stay on target.

Flexibility: The ability to quickly change calibers to suit the application, game, and hunting conditions truly makes the Semprio a multipurpose rifle. This takedown / caliber change feature sets Semprio apart from its competitors, allowing discreet travel and straightforward assembly. It takes a bit of practice to change barrels / calibers quickly, but this task becomes second nature after a few minutes of practice. Clients using the Semprio during this test reported that, “once you change calibers a couple of times you find it’s a simple process”. Our PH evaluators and clients all give the takedown design high marks.

Reliability: During this test the rifles were completely reliable and never failed to operate as advertised. The strength of the design, engineering and manufacturing makes Semprio a strong contender for hunts in the toughest conditions. PH Gunter Schwalm calls the rifle’s action, “Africa Proof – dust doesn’t stop it, the rifle works on time, every time”. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Value: To evaluate a rifle honestly, you have to set aside personal preferences, or at least try to admit any bias that may exist. I confess I am a bit of an old-school dinosaur, and I did not want to like this rifle. It’s different. It isn’t a double and it isn’t another bolt action rifle. My unwarranted bias to the “traditional” was exposed by the quality of this rifle. Semprio is just an entirely different animal – strong, reliable, flexible, accurate. Priced at around $5000.00, Kreighoff’s Semprio is not an inexpensive hunting rifle. This rifle is about value. Given the takedown design, the ability to configure for multiple caliber requirements, the tough construction, the fine accuracy and uber-fast off-hand handling, there is definitely a place for Semprio in our camp.

One rifle – many possibilities.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”12590,12591,12592,12593,12594,12595,12596,12597,12598,12599,12600,12601,12602,12603,12604,12605,12606″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Remington Model 700

 

Remington Arms Company originated from the gunmaking of Eliphalet Remington II (1793 – 1861) of New York. Remington’s father was a blacksmith and refused Eliphalet funds to replace a shot-out rifle. Eliphalet promptly proceeded to build his own rifle in 1816. He could not do the rifling himself so he went to a nearby gunsmith who was sufficiently impressed to offer Eliphalet a gunmaking apprenticeship, which he turned down.

He designed his own rifling machine and soon began building rifles. The fame of his rifles enabled Remington to acquire a farm on the banks of the Erie channel during 1828. This farm in due course developed into the city presently known as Illion. The Remington works are still situated there. Remington’s sons Philo, Samuel and Eliphalet III joined the business in due course and in 1856 the firm became a partnership under the style of ‘E. Remington & Sons’. Remington passed away on 12 August 1861. In 1865 Remington’s sons incorporated the business. In March 1888 a New York firm by the name of Hartley & Graham acquired a large percentage of the Remington shares. This step resulted in the Remington company coming under the guidance of one Marcellus Hartley, a very astute businessman. The rest is history as they say.

After WW-I Remington introduced the M-30 rifle, which was a civilian version of the Enfield P-14/M-1917. This was followed by the M-721/722 Remingtons in 1948, which for all practical purposes, were almost identical to the present M-700 series introduced in 1962.

 

Design

The Remington action design can be summarized as follows:

  • Round receiver
  • Clamped recoil lug
  • Large load port
  • Several magazine configurations
  • Tang mounted 2-position safety
  • Drilled for scope mounts
  • Composite bolt shaft
  • Protruding forward dual opposed locking lugs
  • Non-rotating extractor
  • Plunger ejector
  • Adjustable trigger

 

Remington bolt action rifles are offered in three action lengths plus the lightweight Model Seven. Although the .458 Winchester Magnum cartridge was available, it was the only large bore cartridge except the .416 Remington Magnum offered by the company at one stage. The Model 700 action simply is not sufficiently well-girthed to handle bottlenecked cartridges larger than the basic .416 Remington Magnum configuration. Theoretically it is able to handle the .458 Lott, but it seems that Remington has realized that their strength lies in plains game rifles and chamberings as neither the .416 Remington or the .458 Win Mag are offered any longer.

The round receiver profile delivers reasonably constant flexing in all directions and the design has acquired a reputation for good accuracy. Remington rifles therefore generally are fine out-of-the-box choices for savannah and plains range hunting. They are however not more accurate than can be achieved with less concentric designs. The ejection and loading port is conveniently large, although it is not that much of a consideration on non-dangerous game rifles.

The rifles are offered in a bewildering array of magazine configurations and chamberings. Some rifles have blind magazines (no floorplate), others have traditional swing-open floorplates and other models are available with removable magazines. This provides the hunter with the ability to make a selection along his lines of preference.

The side mounted two-position safety is very similar to that of the well-known Brno ZKK and CZ-550 rifles, even though it works in opposite directions. This is however different from the bolt sleeve three position safeties found on Winchester, Kimber and modified Mauser rifles, so hunters are advised to properly acquaint themselves with these differences before going afield.

The absence of controlled feed, the history of trigger problems in dusty conditions and the recessed circular extractor riveted to the bolt are objections raised against Remington rifles from a dangerous game hunting perspective. Hunters coming to Africa where dust and dirt are abundant, are advised to have their Remingtons retrofitted with the X-Mark trigger system prior to coming.

 

Cartridge Model 7 M-700 Short M-700 Std M-700 Long
.17 Rem Fireball 26”
.204 Ruger 22”∆ / 26”
.223 Rem 20” 20” / 22”∆ / 24” / 26”
.22-250 Rem 22”∆ / 24” / 26”
.220 Swift 26”
.243 Win 18” / 20” 20” / 22” / 24” / 26”
.25-06 Rem 22” / 24”
.257 Wby Mag 26”
.260 Rem 20”
.270 Win 22” / 24”
.270 WSM 24”
7mm-08 Rem 18” / 20” 20” / 22” / 24”
.280 Rem 22”
7mm Rem Mag 22” / 24” / 26”
7mm RUM 26”
.308 Win 20” 20” / 22” / 26”
.30-06 Spfld 22” / 24”
.300 WSM 24”
.300 Win Mag 24” / 26”
.300 RUM 26”
.338 Win Mag 26”
.338 RUM 26”
.35 Whelen 24”
.375 H&H Mag 22” / 24”
.375 RUM 24”
* The ∆ symbol indicates a VTR triangular barrel only.