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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting Pondoro Taylor ...His rifle is still doing its thing !!!Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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People , I had an unusual treat and unexpected highlight this year .. A client of mine , came on safari with none other than Pondoro Taylor’s double rifle , it was a .450 three and a quarter , made by John Wilkes , actually to look at the rifle , it was nothing special , until you knew who carried it across Africa for so many miles and had so many incredible experiences .. I am somewhat romantic about these things , the fact that such great memorabilia is still finding its way to Africa , still being carried over someones shoulder and still being pointed at elephants is awesome to me … We were very fortunate and took a very very nice bull , Here are some fun photos of the rifle and elephant …enjoy    "The greatest threat to our wildlife is the thought that someone else will save it” www.facebook.com/ivancartersafrica www.ivancarterwca.org www.ivancarter.com ivan@ivancarter.com | ||
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Wow! very cool and still in such good shape... definitely hunter porn.  Let's see, one year with Cindy Crawford, or one afternoon shooting that bull with that gun...? If I could afford the gun, I could probably have both. He should post up at the range and charge folks to shoot it. I know I'd give my left..... Kidney.... to shoot it. What's the nationality of the client? Just curious. Fantastic bull as well. "Sometimes nothing can be a pretty cool hand." 470 Heym; 9.3x74r Chapuis, Heym 450/400 on it's way | |||
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I'm not often at a loss for words, but.............ah.........ah...................My, oh, my! Bfly Work hard and be nice, you never have enough time or friends. | |||
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That rifle is pure history. I love it. Oscar.  I am Spanish My forum:www.armaslargasdecaza.com | |||
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Now, THAT would be one hell of a find on gunbroker.com! When you get bored with life, start hunting dangerous game with a handgun. | |||
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Very, very cool! Great photos. "There are worse memorials to a life well-lived than a pair of elephant tusks." Robert Ruark | |||
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he is american .. he also had all the paperwork and even an old hunting permit of taylors ...on of the coolest things was the simple engraving on the silver disk ...simply "JT" says it all !!  you are right , simply incredible , i got to carry the rifle some and even fired a couple of shots (with hornady ammo  ) and i must say that just the thought of what had been seen down those sights was incredible ...."The greatest threat to our wildlife is the thought that someone else will save it” www.facebook.com/ivancartersafrica www.ivancarterwca.org www.ivancarter.com ivan@ivancarter.com | |||
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To hunt Africa for elephant with one of Pondoro's doubles IMHO is the pinnacle of big game hunting  | |||
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I have read and re-read his African Rifles & Cartridges so many times that I've actually got parts almost down from memory... I'd rather have that gun or one just like it than any current new one. | |||
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VERY NICE. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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Cool beans! Gray Ghost Hunting Safaris http://grayghostsafaris.com Phone: 615-860-4333 Email: hunts@grayghostsafaris.com NRA Benefactor DSC Professional Member SCI Member RMEF Life Member NWTF Guardian Life Sponsor NAHC Life Member Rowland Ward - SCI Scorer Took the wife the Eastern Cape for her first hunt: http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6881000262 Hunting in the Stormberg, Winterberg and Hankey Mountains of the Eastern Cape 2018 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4801073142 Hunting the Eastern Cape, RSA May 22nd - June 15th 2007 http://forums.accuratereloadin...=810104007#810104007 16 Days in Zimbabwe: Leopard, plains game, fowl and more: http://forums.accuratereloadin...=212108409#212108409 Natal: Rhino, Croc, Nyala, Bushbuck and more http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6341092311 Recent hunt in the Eastern Cape, August 2010: Pics added http://forums.accuratereloadin...261039941#9261039941 10 days in the Stormberg Mountains http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7781081322 Back in the Stormberg Mountains with friends: May-June 2017 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6001078232 "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading" - Thomas Jefferson Every morning the Zebra wakes up knowing it must outrun the fastest Lion if it wants to stay alive. Every morning the Lion wakes up knowing it must outrun the slowest Zebra or it will starve. It makes no difference if you are a Zebra or a Lion; when the Sun comes up in Africa, you must wake up running...... "If you're being chased by a Lion, you don't have to be faster than the Lion, you just have to be faster than the person next to you." | |||
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Some awesome history there, Ivan.. and you captured the hunt very nicely with your photography.. I love the 1st pic.. Thanks for sharin' this hunt with us. | |||
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Such a nice touch to have the wherewithal, and the good vision to seek out a good use for it. Congratulations to the lucky hunter and thanks Ivan for posting it. John Taylor, my hero. ------------------------------- Will / Once you've been amongst them, there is no such thing as too much gun. --------------------------------------- and, God Bless John Wayne. NRA Benefactor, GOA, NAGR _________________________ "Elephant and Elephant Guns" $99 shipped. “Hunting Africa's Dangerous Game" $20 shipped. red.dirt.elephant@gmail.com _________________________ If anything be of note, let it be he was once an elephant hunter, hoping to wind up where elephant hunters go. | |||
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Thats Awesome!!! | |||
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Cool story. But how could one ever check such an irreplaceable treasure with the baggage goons and fly to Africa?  Hunting: Exercising dominion over creation at 2800 fps. | |||
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Did Taylor own more than one double rifle?? It's been so long since i read his book i no longer remember. DM | |||
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Simply wonderful! (I'd have been a shambles waiting for the luggage off the plane ... sweating blood!) Mike -------------- DRSS, Womper's Club, NRA Life Member/Charter Member NRA Golden Eagles ... Knifemaker, http://www.mstarling.com | |||
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Fantastic! Thanks for sharing it with us Ivan! | |||
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+1 That is so cool! | |||
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Wow!!!! Brett DRSS Life Member SCI Life Member NRA Life Member WSF Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick. And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too. May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep. May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip. -Seth Peterson | |||
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Almost forgot, just out of curiosity, how big was the bull? | |||
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That's very cool...  As usual, great pics Ivan. Thx.Antlers Double Rifle Shooters Society Heym 450/400 3" | |||
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Ivan, Nicely refurbished rifle and a handsome old bull Pity about the left tusk - Won't you tell us the story? | |||
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Ivan, do you know how your client came into possession of the double? The adventures it has been part of. If only. Sigh  Jim "Bwana Umfundi" NRA | |||
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He said he owned these: a .600 NE; a .577 N.E., "I possessed one myself years ago, a 13 1/4 lb. WR"; .450 BP, an H&H double hammerless and a single-loader; four rifles in .450 N#2; two rifles in .470 NE, a Rigby and a Manton; .416 Rigby; 450/.400 NE, two doubles and a single loader; .375 H&H Magnum, two doubles and three magazines; .350 Magnum Rigby; .350 Rigby (400/.350), a single loader; .333 Jeffery magazine rifle; and a .318 WR that he says he used for years, which I guess is like owning it. I'll skip the smaller guns listed in his work and won't even attempt to list the ones he said he did a great deal of shooting with..."at one time or another I think I have used each and every one of them" (from p. 82). He also said he would have liked the chance to own a double .360 N.#2. The .500 Gibbs is one he specifically said he never owned, but used one belonging to another who wanted an opinion of it. Of the .500 Jeffery he said he used three of them and "each time told myself that I simply must get one for myself". I imagine if it worked the same as with some famous U.S. shooters, at times guns and ammo were furnished him free by the manufacturers as gifts or for trial purposes. Hope some find this material interesting/helpful. Does anyone know the whereabouts of other examples of his collection? There apparently were three more of the .450s. | |||
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The "Client " is a friend of mine and he owns a gun store here in Aurora, Co. Besides the Pondoro rifle he has one hell of a fine collection of double rifles. | |||
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Unless my eyes deceive me, here is an example of a double the way they should be built. Taylor talked about the 9 to 9 and half pound 450 class rifles. Maybe you can find out if it indeed weighs about 9 1/2 pounds. It sure doesn't look like a 11 1/2 pound clunker. And the butt stock looks somewhat straighter than the off-the-shelf DR today, but that indeed could be deceiving in the photo. So go find out!! ------------------------------- Will / Once you've been amongst them, there is no such thing as too much gun. --------------------------------------- and, God Bless John Wayne. NRA Benefactor, GOA, NAGR _________________________ "Elephant and Elephant Guns" $99 shipped. “Hunting Africa's Dangerous Game" $20 shipped. red.dirt.elephant@gmail.com _________________________ If anything be of note, let it be he was once an elephant hunter, hoping to wind up where elephant hunters go. | |||
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the bull was just over 70# i overjudged it but it had a terrible nerve ,simply huge i thought mid to high seventies , it was 19 and a half at the lip and sticking out 36 inches . the owner of the rifle is a great guy LOVES to hunt elephant and is practical enough to take this rifle with him ... i am off on safari today so forgive me if my replies take a while , imc "The greatest threat to our wildlife is the thought that someone else will save it” www.facebook.com/ivancartersafrica www.ivancarterwca.org www.ivancarter.com ivan@ivancarter.com | |||
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Thanks Ivan. what a treat that must have been.Glad to see the rifle back in action. | |||
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Will, I've held that rifle many times it is indeed NOT a clunker. I'd say it weighs about 9.5 to 10 lbs but I'll check with Len for exact numbers. One thing that I noticed about that rifle is how slim and lively it feels in your hands. | |||
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Thanks... The reason i asked is, i knew a guy that many years ago bought one of Taylors doubles, and had a LOT of documentation with it. I wondered if this is the same rifle, but i was sure the one my friend bought was 45 cal... It's been so long ago since i've seen him, i forgot anything else about the rifle, i bet he still has it. I know my friend researched a lot about Taylor, including in time, contacting some of his realitives, in Ca. as i remember? It seems the realitives rather disowned him, and didn't want to talk too much about him... Anyway, now i know this is a different DR. DM | |||
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I remember he wrote about a hippo upsetting his boat and costing him a .470 and a "fine battery of rifles." Elmer Keith wrote about aquiring Jim Corbet's 450/400. That one had a lot of history as well. Gpopper | |||
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Way to cool... Mike | |||
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Ole John must be smiling! I remember one of his rifles being for sale about 15 years ago, prehaps this one, The price was surprisingly reasonable but still well beyond my means as a young Army officer. If I remember the story correctly Taylors long time tracker Ali borrowed the rifle to shoot a meal and got nabbed by the fish and game guys who confiscated the rifle. A government official realized the value of it and "diverted" it to a collecter and from there to the U.S. | |||
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Great stuff and congrats to you and the hunter. Curious, though: in the pic with you, the rifle and the tusks, behind the cartridge wallet the tusk seems to have a smashed bit/ hole/distressed area. Was it from a round fired, or just from the ele being an ele? ______________________ Hunting: I'd kill to participate. | |||
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+1 Keith IGNORE YOUR RIGHTS AND THEY'LL GO AWAY!!! ------------------------------------ We Band of Bubbas & STC Hunting Club, The Whomper Club | |||
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unfortunately the second barrel hit that tusk , but we were lucky in that the main piece came off clean and so will be very easy to put back without too much damage ... thats the one bad thing about being fast on your second trigger (which you need to be 0 is that sometimes there is a lot of movement in the head at that time and when the tusks get in the way its bad !!! "The greatest threat to our wildlife is the thought that someone else will save it” www.facebook.com/ivancartersafrica www.ivancarterwca.org www.ivancarter.com ivan@ivancarter.com | |||
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Oh, come on. If you can't get that second shot off before the first bullet leaves its barrel, you just aren't qualified to be a double owner! ------------------------------- Will / Once you've been amongst them, there is no such thing as too much gun. --------------------------------------- and, God Bless John Wayne. NRA Benefactor, GOA, NAGR _________________________ "Elephant and Elephant Guns" $99 shipped. “Hunting Africa's Dangerous Game" $20 shipped. red.dirt.elephant@gmail.com _________________________ If anything be of note, let it be he was once an elephant hunter, hoping to wind up where elephant hunters go. | |||
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WOW, great story! Thanks for sharing! Now, if I can only get Mark to sell me that 450/400 from his "Uncle Bob". . . .? Rusty We Band of Brothers! DRSS, NRA & SCI Life Member "I am rejoiced at my fate. Do not be uneasy about me, for I am with my friends." ----- David Crockett in his last letter (to his children), January 9th, 1836 "I will never forsake Texas and her cause. I am her son." ----- Jose Antonio Navarro, from Mexican Prison in 1841 "for I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." Thomas Jefferson Declaration of Arbroath April 6, 1320-“. . .It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.” | |||
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So the point of repairing the bullet-busted tusk is moot...ivory is not importable into the USA. Correct? | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting Pondoro Taylor ...His rifle is still doing its thing !!!
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