Our Outfitter picked us up the next day, and we were off for the camp, a 3 1/2 hr. drive. We hunted with:
www.cruisersafaris.com/
And they were great. !st. class, professional, what can I say?
We got to camp, settled in, checked the rifles, then left for a game viewing drive, before dinner. This was the first animals we saw on the trip.
"toto we ain't in Kansas anymore".
Up the next morning, and off for the 1st day of our african safari. Mid morning, we set up on a water hole, and shortly this impala came ghosting in. It dropped its head, to drink, at 50 yds. I put the crosshairs on the neck, between the shoulder blades, and squeezed. WHAM! He was on the ground before the gun quit recoiling. Complete penetration.
Back to camp for lunch, then back out for the pm hunt. We came across a small herd of zebra, and put a stalk on them. We got up on the sticks at 80-90 yds, and I put the crosshair on her chest. I fired. In retrospect, I hit her right, but didn't allow for the slight quarter, and only clipped 1 lung. The next 1 1/2 hrs. was like a vietcong fire fight. Tracked her for 2 miles, found her bedded. She jumps to run, and I unload the Guide Gun on her. Net results were 2 hits, 1 miss, and 2 murdered african trees.
I'm outta gas, so I hand the gun to Craig[my ph], and he goes off running in hot pursuit, with me lumbering along behind. He sees her go down and come and gets me. We have just enough time for pics, before dark.
Zebra are tough. Shot placement is everything. This is the only animal I have ever recovered these bullets from. I should say that I took my Marlin .45-70 guide gun, and handloaded 300 gr. nosler partitions,to hunt with. The bullets performed flawlessly, it was operator error.
Up the next day for another adventure. About mid morning we spotted a herd of blesbok. We proceeded to put a stalk on them, and closed the gap to within 60 yds. Up on the sticks, and WHOOM!, he went straight down. I reloaded, he staggered up, I swung on him and hit him right in the neck, and he cartwheeled like a bunny rabbit.
Later that afternoon, we got on a small group of gemsbok. Got on the sticks, and took the shot. In retrospect, I rushed the shot. The net result was I hit him high in the shoulder. Leaving him overnite, and a 3mile track job, yielded nothing. Well, over there, if you draw blood, you pay for it. That little brain fanny burp cost me $925.
Later that next day we got on another group of gemsbok. I was a little spooked after the day before, and told Craig the only way I would shoot, was if it was a duck soup shot. Well, we get up on them, I take a 70 yd. shot, and its DRT!
This morning, we are off for kudu. About 5 pm., this ole boy walks in. 65 yd. shot and he piles up on the spot.
Over the next coupla days we are looking for critters left on the pkg. We set up on a waterhole, and these cow wildebeest stroll in.
About an hr. later, another herd comes in. About 25 cows and 1 bull. I wait for the bulls to clear the cows. Its a 90 yd. shot across the waterhole. I put the crosshairs on his neck, between the shoulder blades. WHOOM! He's down in the water before the gun quits recoiling. I shot so fast that Craig didn't get both ears plugged, and his ear rang for an hr.
Over the last few days I've seen over 100 warthogs, mostly sows and piglets. Until this ole boy came in. 1 shot at a gimme 40 yds. and he's wartie sammich!
My buddy, Doc, was hunting with his Marlin XLR, .308MX, and the hornady LE ammo. Here is a few of his pics.
The .308 was dynamite on the impala, blesbok, and warthog, but was too darned soft for the 400+lb. animals. Doc lost a wildebeast, that he hit right, but went on to take another. The bullet completely fragmented inside the kudu, and zebra. Doc is probably gonna have a talk with hornady, cause they told him the bullet would work on all plains game. Yeah, right
My son did quite well. He took a NEF handi rifle, .30-06, shooting 180 gr. nosler partition Federal factory loads. He shot 7 animals with 7 shots, all spot/stalk. He was hunting the same pkg. that we were. Here is the 1 animal that he took, that nobody else did. A red hartebeast.
The trip was AWESOME! A trip of a lifetime, with my son and best buddy. My ph was very accomadating. I shot 3 animals spot/stalk, and 4 over water holes. I was very happy with the experience. Cruser safaris, their staff, phs, food, and accomodations were over the top!
If you like to hunt, you need to treat yourself to at least 1 safari, in your lifetime.
Mad Dog
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