After seeing the post on PH rifles, I thought about the various game scout rifles I've seen. Never took a picture of one, but they all seem to be pretty sad characters. Thought some of you might have some stories/pictures.

For example, I remember the very nice -- at one time long, long ago -- Mauser in .458 WM that my female game scout carried in the Selous. It was well-abused and she was deathly afraid of it. (She was also deathly afraid of buffalo, elephant and the dark,-- she had declined to accompany us when we met up with the mamba, so I can't comment on her reaction to snakes, - but all in all, she was a very nice lady).

Then there was the Remington Model 700 in .30-06 that my game scout carried this year in Masailand. We were hunting buffalo and he failthfully carried it everywhere he went. It was in pretty rough shape, but it wasn't until my PH pointed out to me, after my buffalo were down, that it had no front sight.

I see pictures of game scouts carrying AK's although I've not been on a hunt where that happened. Seems like a useless cartridge unless you are more worried about poachers than the game.

Would be interested in your experiences in this regard.

every game scout i ever hunted with had an AK47 if he had anything at all. i would have thought a female game scout would have seen lots of black mambas and certainly not be afraid of one. guess i was wrong.

Back in the heydays, the TZ Game Dept. issued its rangers with .375 - .404 - .458 as the standard issue rifle (whichever was at hand in the armoury).
It is also true to say that back in those days the rangers were also a lot more involved with pest control - poachers take care of that today, hence there being very little in that kind of response from the Game Dept.towards marauding elephants except for the occasional sortie of elephants crossing our northern border.
The .404 was among the first to be phased out due to unavailability of ammunition, leaving .458 and .375 as the heavy contenders.
With poaching activities having increased a hundredfold, these heavier calibers are ineffective unless used at close quarters or in competent hands.
The GD has opted therefore to lay preference on lighter calibers for 'long range' shots and cheap ammo: enter the AK-47.
Toady's ranger is not there to assist in sorting out the wounded buffalo but more to 'protect you' from a skirmish with poachers, who are also armed with automatic weapons.
If ever anyone has noticed, when a ranger shows up with a bolt action rifle, whatever the caliber, he/she will have only 3 rounds - if its any consolation, a full clip (sometimes 2) are issued with an AK-47.

Jdollar:

She was a bit of a distraction. I suspect that more than I know it. But we had multiple problems with equipment, and failure to get it repaired overnight, that I've not experienced before or since.

if a female game ranger can't get her equipment repaired overnight, it must have been a very large black mamba that scared her.....

Fujoputo:

As always, I appreciate your insight.

Just realized I totally misspelled your handle. Unintentional and I apologize.

jdollar

I suspect her equipment was working just fine, which is why, I suspect, the gari wasn't.

I've only seen old beat up AK-47's and one FN.

Just AK's.

Anton,

Is that 12gauge a Purdy or is it a Boswell?

Now, that is GOOD photography. Well-done, Sir.

On hunts where a game scout was present, most had AKs, and a couple of them had FN/FALs.

There was one in Save who was a private game scout or game guard who had a pump shotgun with no shells in it. It was just full of sand. Another private game guard in Namibia had a pair of handcuffs, a ablack jack, and a CZ pistol. A private game guard in RSA had a single shot break open 20ga. shotgun. He did have shells for it.

But all the government game scouts I have seen had battle rifles and chest mag carriers. Never saw one with a bolt gun.

quote:

Originally posted by fujotupu:
Anton,

Is that 12gauge a Purdy or is it a Boswell?

LOL that thing was a mess..rust everywhere and loose in all parts. In the middle of this hunt we stumbled upon a loose dog with no owner in the middle of nowhere, the scout decided to kill it! Anyway all the others in the party backed away when he was aiming(afraid of it blowing up) when he squeezed the trigger - a man came and begged us not to shoot the dog..The dog lived and I think the scout saved his life

Thanks BenKK

We had one in Zim that had an SKS.

Most scouts that I have been envolved with carried AK47s. One had a SKS and another a Ruger Mk I in 30-06 with no front site. He only had 4 rounds of soft point ammo. He told me that he had killed one elephant with it.

465H&H

In Zim I have seen mostly Chinese SKS rifles.

Not a game scout but on one of my Brown Bear hunts in Kamchatka Russia, my guide had a 12 gage shotgun with slugs that was in about the same condition as the one above. However, the buttstock was taped together at the wrist. The other guides all had SKS rifles. Not exactly traditional bear medicine but then a 30 round clip would be a pretty strong deterrent with most anything.

Here is a pic of that guide and his 12 gage but you can't see the stock unfortunately.

As usual, incredible photos, Anton! And, I really appreciate your recent touch up
of the photo I sent you.

SKS with chamber empty, but some in the mag.

In the Selous (2001) my GS carried a .375H&H, but I don't recall the make. All others in all countries have carried AK-47s, some with 3 bullets and some with 30. They were all beyond being "well worn". In Kenya the GS guarding the Rhinos all carried FN/FAL - that was back in the early-mid '90s.

One of my favorites:



This dude had seniority!

Pierre is holding my game scouts Martini Henry from a 2004 safari in the Selous.

Here is one from Zim. Some here might recognize him.

Sijarira Forestry Game Scout 2010. No ammo.

Tanzania Selous Game Scout carried a AK-47 in 2010

Cool pics. I would vote for the HK or FN/FAL. Although any of these chaps would probably be more dangerous to themselves and the clients than anything else. I can only imagine there skill set with these issued weapons...Better to have no ammo at all IMHO. Can't wait to see what the deal is in Moz in a week....

Here you go, the .404 carried by our game scout in Tanzania. What you may not be able to see is the hoseclamp around the foreend as a replacement for the front guard screw. I do like the "sling."