Another big leopard and big buffalo taken on Sango in the SVC. June 1-15, 2009. Thierry Labat PH. Outfitter Zambezi Hunters.

EXCELLENT TROPHIES ...wow

ooohhh... 12 months to go. I hope they don't all get shot before I get there.

Great trophies! congrats

Very nice!

Dang that leopard looks like a monster!

Ivan:

We seriously talked about leop and buff (and almost booked it) at Dallas SCI 2008 before I booked with Johnny & ZH. You did not tell me that Johnny was your brother in law at that time. In fact, it was not until 18 months later when I was spending the night at Johnny and Nina's home that she told me, over breakfast, that you were brother and sister. Small world!

quote:

Originally posted by ivan carter:
EXCELLENT TROPHIES ...wow

I think it was Groucho Marx that posed the question "Did you shoot that elephant in your pajamas?"

Great leopard! The bride in the photo looks like she was waiting up for you!!!

Nice buff and leopard!

jpj3

Congratulations on great trophies. What equipment did you use? jorge

Remington KS Safari Rifles in 458 WM and 375 H&H.

http://www.remington.com/produ...model_700_safari.asp

Swarovski 1.5-6x42 on the 375 and 1.25-4x24 on the 458.

Federal premium ammo.

Third safari for the 375, first for the 458.

Both performed flawlessly.

Thanks, Will and congrats once again! jorge

WOW....Congrats ! Looks like the buff took some punishment..I can count 4 bullet holes from the neck and up ! Can we get a story please !

Way to go - what a hunt!

Two magnificent trophies, and sharing it with your wife (?) as well.


More details, please.

Fantastic. I leave to hunt with Jonathon on 7/20. I can hardly wait. No leopard but buffalo for me and plains game for the boys.

crl

Nice trophies, I particularly like the trail cam pic of the leopard before you shot him!! I hunted with Thierry in the CAR two years ago, he's a very nice guy. Congrats!

quote:

Originally posted by A.Dahlgren:
WOW....Congrats ! Looks like the buff took some punishment..I can count 4 bullet holes from the neck and up ! Can we get a story please !

The buffalo actually soaked up 4500 grains of 458 Win Mag and 458 Lott before he gave up the fight.

We had been tracking a group of four dagga boys for several hours. All of the sudden we were upon the buffalo. They were standing at 30 yards, facing us, aware that we were there. A big buff was in the front facing us through heavy bush. The trackers dropped to the ground, Thierry gave me the command to shoot, and I flipped off the safety and shot. At the shot, the buffalo split into two groups, with two bulls running right past us and two running another direction.

As we sorted out the track and tried to determine which group my bull was in we started talking about the shot placement. I confidently reported that I shot the bull right on the point of the shoulder as he was quartering towards us. Upon hearing this, Thierry started looking concerned. "He was facing us straight on" he said. After a discussion about how the bull was positioned, and an agreement to disagree, we took up the track.

At first, we were on great blood. I thought we would find the bull in a matter of minutes, dead, and I would win the disagreement about the bull's body position and the location of the shot. To my great disappointment, the blood gave out and we were soon following dry tracks.

After 20 or 30 minutes tracking, we caught the wounded bull and his mate. They were not very close and it took a few moments to sort out which bull was the wounded bull. By the time we determined the wounded bull was the one "on the right", both bulls were running away. I took an offhand shot at the bull and got a second bullet in him. At my shot, elephants started trumpeting and we noticed for the first time a herd of elephant cows and calves just ahead through the bush. To my surprize, the buffalo actually ran right into the elephant herd. As we waited for the elephants to feed away, an elephant bull walked onto our path headed toward the cows and the young. The elephant bull actually walked right into our buffalo and flushed him from his bed. At that time, we were able to see that the buffalo was alone and that he only ran some 30 yards before lying back down.

After all of the elephants finally cleared the area, we were back on the buffalo trail. As we inched forward into the mopane scrub, a tracker spotted the buffalo lying down, facing us. At 20 yards, I shot a black blob and hit it. I reloaded, and as the buffalo began to stand, I shot the black blob again. At that second shot, he came. He'd had enough and he was coming to get us.

PH Thierry Labat got off the first shot during the charge and hit the bull through the nose and into the mouth, throat and neck. Amazingly, the buffalo did not flinch, turn, or show in any way that he even felt the shot. We reloaded and acquired the head of the buffalo in my 1.25 power scope. I pulled the trigger, as did Thierry, and the buffalo crumpled under the force of 1000 grains of bullets smashing into its face.

While the front end of the buffalo did a "faceplant", the rear of the buff was still going 20 mph. His rear end catapulted straight up into the air before he toppled over on his side. Insurance shots were not necessary, but you better believe the insurance was paid, twice. We broke into a chorus of hoots, hollers, high fives, and certain expletives. If we had only had a cameraman.

Upon examination, the PH was right (imagine that) and the bull was standing straight on at the first shot. As a result, my point of the shoulder shot, which would have been perfect if he was quartering to us, was badly misplaced and would not have killed the buffalo for several days. The second shot was in the chest, but low. Shot three was in the neck/back while the buffalo was lying down. Shot four, just before the charge, was through the horn. Shot five (PH) was through the nose. Six and seven in the face. Eight and nine, in the spine for insurance.

I can still see the buffalo standing ahead of us and I can still see a mass of dark body out to the side of the buffalo. I've concluded one of the other buffalo was behind this bull and that I misinterpreted the bull's body posture because of the other buffalo. I know someone is reading this thinking how could that blind fool not see every detail of a 2000 pound buffalo at 30 yards, but until you've been there and it all happens in three seconds, you just don't know.

Thirty days have passed since that day. While it was way too close for comfort, nobody got hurt, and it was way too much fun to wish it had happened any other way.

Congrats on some Amazing Trophys!!!

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:
PH Thierry Labat got off the first shot during the charge and hit the bull through the nose and into the mouth, throat and neck.

So lesson learnt? Don't aim for the nose on a charging buffalo

Very nice. Congratulations on a successful safari. It's the leopard that we really want the story on.

Great story and a brut of a leopard!!!!

Brett

Nice animals and great story

Leporad hunt details please

Congratulations on two fantastic trophies!!!

Wishing continued success for Zambezi Hunters.

Congratulations Safari-Lawyer!

I must comment on the fact that the Buffalo, and leopard are not the only trophies you picture in your post! All are fine sir!

.......Again Congratulations.

What a fantastic buffalo hunt, Will. Congratulations,and that leopard is everyone’s dream cat. You will remember this hunt for ever.Thank you for sharing

Regards
Aziz