Hunting picture thread--weak bellies beware!

[LHS]

A lifelong dream, finally achieved this summer in South Africa.

Ruger 77 African in 9.3x62mm Mauser, using 286gr Barnes TSX over RL15.

MyKudu.jpg

[SeriousStudent]

A lifelong dream, finally achieved this summer in South Africa.

Ruger 77 African in 9.3x62mm Mauser, using 286gr Barnes TSX over RL15.

MyKudu.jpg

Greater Kudu bull?

Awesome beast! Did your father go with you? And was it to the same place he went last time? We need more pics!

[LHS]

Greater Kudu bull?

Awesome beast! Did your father go with you? And was it to the same place he went last time? We need more pics!

Yep, greater kudu bull. I went with Dad, his hunting buddy Tom, and another guy they know from back home. This was Dad's fourth trip with Johan Human of Limpopo Pro Hunt.

This is my impala. He was an old, old ram, so old that he'd left the herd and was off on his own. One shot from the ol' 9.3 put him down pretty effectively. The entrance and exit wounds were nothing spectacular, but behind him we found a chunk of lung the size of a child's fist, so the Barnes projos did their work rather well.

MyImpala2_Small.jpg

[LHS]

This blesbok was the first critter any of us shot on the trip. We were looking for kudu, but ran into this herd and Johan said that the bull had a very unusual facial coloration along with a good set of horns. I had a little wiggle room in my budget, so I said let's go after him and we put a stalk on him. We chased that herd all around the bush for a while. Every time they'd stop, the bull would position himself where I couldn't get a clear shot, and the herd would move off into the thick stuff before we could maneuver around them. Eventually, though, Johan got us positioned for a good shot, and I took the bull from the sticks with a single shot. He ran about 50 yards and collapsed with both lungs deflated.

MyBlesbok_Small.jpg

[LHS]

MyWildebeest.jpg

This was my second wildebeest. For some unknown reason, I just couldn't shoot wildebeest well. My first one seemed like a solid hit, but we never found him despite hours of tracking. We distinctly heard the bullet hit, and he jumped and hunched just like he'd been well slugged, but we couldn't find any blood or any tracks that indicated a disabled animal. This second animal was in a larger herd, and I had to maneuver to get a clear shot that wouldn't risk shoot-throughs. I put one round too high, and one too far back, but we followed him into the bush and one of the PHs anchored him with a Texas heart shot from his .416 Rigby. I think the PHs expected me to be upset with them for that, but I was only upset with myself for shooting poorly and putting them in the position of needing to prevent the animal from escaping. The PH, Neil, did exactly what he should have done as an ethical hunter.

I think I'm done with shooting wildebeest.

[LHS]

MyWarthog.jpg

After that second wildebeest, I was pretty demoralized with myself. So Andre, our third PH, took me to a warthog blind for an easy chip shot to rebuild my confidence. We sat around for a couple hours until this old piggy came wandering in to see what was going on. Once again, I had to wait until the line of the shot was clear, because there was a female and several young piglets in the mix as well. But once they got out from behind the old boy, I flipped him ass over teakettle with the 9.3. It was a chip shot, maybe 20 yards if that, but it helped turned things around. We ran into the kudu while taking this guy back to the skinning shed, and I think that perfect shot on the warthog put me in the right frame of mind to engage the kudu.

[Leaveammoforme]

Finally got my first recovered squirrel with a bow. First kill with the new bow I bough this summer. I've killed one before (definately vital shot), but the rat disappeared.

This one was 20yards...

Hope to have a deer in the next week or 2.

I'd say you're ready for deer if you're hitting squirrels at 20 yards.

We used to put a tape ball ,about the size of a golf ball, on cheap arrows to shoot at squirrels. Not so much for the humane factor but more towards I am a lousy shot and didn't arc as many arrows off to never be found again.

Nice shooting.

[SeriousStudent]

MyWarthog.jpg

After that second wildebeest, I was pretty demoralized with myself. So Andre, our third PH, took me to a warthog blind for an easy chip shot to rebuild my confidence. We sat around for a couple hours until this old piggy came wandering in to see what was going on. Once again, I had to wait until the line of the shot was clear, because there was a female and several young piglets in the mix as well. But once they got out from behind the old boy, I flipped him ass over teakettle with the 9.3. It was a chip shot, maybe 20 yards if that, but it helped turned things around. We ran into the kudu while taking this guy back to the skinning shed, and I think that perfect shot on the warthog put me in the right frame of mind to engage the kudu.

That warthog looks suspiciously like my senior prom date.....

That's very cool, dude. I know you have been working towards that safari for years. I'm glad you got to go with your father. Please give him my best regards.

It's sounds like that 9.3 Ruger really did the trick.

[MegademiC]

I'd say you're ready for deer if you're hitting squirrels at 20 yards.

We used to put a tape ball ,about the size of a golf ball, on cheap arrows to shoot at squirrels. Not so much for the humane factor but more towards I am a lousy shot and didn't arc as many arrows off to never be found again.

Nice shooting.

Haha, good stuff. Thanks.

I've never been able to bag a squirrel(archery) after many attempts, many close shots, shaved fur, etc. I was on a mission, now that I have a bow with more speed (I'm terrible at ranging). My old bow was slow enough a few yards off in judgment meant a miss on small game.

I was so into it I was shaking after the shot like I just bagged a nice deer!

Edit: LHS, nice pics. Looks like an awesome trip, great experience to share with your father. Thanks for sharing!

[akssdude]

175lb with BCM 16" + 62gr Fusion

Good stuff. Those fusions shoot good in my BCM as well and plan on trying them out on deer here in the next month or so.