We here alot about buff and ele hunting etc ,but what is the ''ideal'' for hippos ,head shots or heart lung shots ?are solids the preferred projectile ,or softpoints .Its just something i havent read much about since, hippo isnt one of the ''big'' five ,even though its a bigger animal than two them !and does kill alot of people !

veldog, i am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination regarding hippo, but i will tell you they are hard to stop. Some say they can be turned , from what i have experienced the did not turn in direction just changed gears. I have had three encounters with grouchy but and all were not too much fun. They are extremely teritorial and dont have any sense of humor. I am sure a well made soft point will down any Hip,but when they come i prefer soilds, and shoot for the brain. They move faster than you think they can, i think its their size that fools you .Just think of a ballerina with a waist size of 150 inches or so minus the tu-tu. Hope this helps you out. Charlie

velodog--just happened to see a video on hippo hunting last nite-starring jim shocky. it is put out by outdoor life--pretty good-it brings you to the edge of the seat when a hippo charges and also when elephants start a charge.--pretty good. hippo's are very fast and dangerous. according to PH in video, they kill more people than any other animal.

quote:

Originally posted by velodog:
Its just something i havent read much about since, hippo isnt one of the ''big'' five ,even though its a bigger animal than two them !and does kill alot of people !

Velodog, let me make one correction. The hippo is larger than any animal in Africa, except the Elephant, as a big bull weighs in at between 6000, and 8000 lbs!

It all depends how you want to hunt him. If you want to take him in water, then he is a push-over, and a 30-06 with a 180 gr solid will take him out, with a brain shot! Sort of like shooting fish in a barrel. Get between him and water, and the war is on! The artillary, and your shooting better be up to snuff. He is surprisingly fast on his feet, and he can soak up some pritty heavy bullets and not stop before he gets to you, or someone else in your party. solid head shots with a heavy bullet will usually stagger him, even if the brain isn't hit. Body shots will get you pleanty of practice dumping rounds in, and out of your rifle,before you put him down, I assure you!

IMO, he is best hunted at day break when he is returning to the water along the well defined trails, on dryland. Sometimes he can be approched on dry land in the day time, by useing a "shield" of reeds to hide your approch. George Hoffman was known to use this tactic to approch all sorts of animals in the open short grass land. even if you have a clear shot at the shoulder, it is better, IMO to try for a brain shot if he is undisturbed. You can always follow up with as many solids as you can muster. I prefere solids of 9.3 or larger in all cases for hippo, and my preference is to hunt him on dry land at day break! Then he is a real trophy, IMO!

I have no experience with hippo, but you should hunt him on dry land for the best challenge.. I saw a video a couple of days ago. The hunter and ph walked over to the river where a hippo bull was located. Up with the shooting sticks, boom.. The hippo sunk to the bottom pretty quickly. The hunters then sat down and ate lunch while waiting for the beast to float up. Normally some hours later..
Maybe not the most challenging ways to hunt them, but an experience after all.

hippos are very teritorial and protect it quite well. Braining one is the correct shot. They are amazingly fast. I've never seen one close to 6000# though. My best bull was a 30" from zambia and he weighed about 4000. Thats plenty enough to flatten a fellow

Put on your running shoes and make sure you can run faster than your PH

Wimpie
Hunting season starts 1May

velodog

If you get the chance to hunt hippo even if it means taking one in the water you should do it. The whole process is an experience you should have. In my case the 3 I shot in the water I found to be somewhat challenging in that the the PH and I both had to get on the same animal and you do have to make a solid brain shot on a animal that is bobbing up and down in the water.

When time allows though I do want to hunt them on land. I understand if you can't make a brain shot you are in for a real gun fight.

As for solids or softs either will work for a brain shot. As suggested a 30 cal. with a solid might be just the ticket as it would make a small hole in the skull. A 375 or larger tends to put a fairly large hole in the skull and this is imporant if you are doing a skull mount. On body shots I can't imagine anythig other than solids would work. A hippo's skin is an incredible 1.5" thick and very elastic.

Regards,

Mark

I want to shoot one on dry land. Of course, every outfit I've contacted either has thousands of hippo but no permits (Matetsi), no hippos at all, or wants two arms, one leg, and a testicle to shoot one, AND they aren't interested in hunting them on dry land, thank you very much.

George

I like dry land Hippo hunting..Get between them and the water for the first shot if you want some excitment, they will come to you like a bee to honey...Solids and big bores are the way to go. If you hit a hippo in the head and miss the brain it will turn him off course a bit or most of the time will knock him down long enough for you to get some more bullet in him..

If you head shoot him in the water I bet a 222 would be plenty of gun..His brain is high and not very well protected by bone mass...I know some guys that have shot them with all manner of light rifles and swear by them as they are so accurate and they can place the bullet with precision...

Try hitting one in the head, in the water and not killing it, but hitting it good enouph that he can't get his act together, took me many shots after that to kill him! He stayed in front of me but kept going under the water and surface in a different place. And to top it off, got the whole thing on video!!!!

I would like to go after one on land, hell! it was a feat to kill it in the water, can't wait to see what's in store for me on a land shot!!!

Butchloc!!

That's a hell of a hippo 30 inches!!! Great going!!!!

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Originally posted by Widowmaker416:

That's a hell of a hippo 30 inches!!! Great going!!!!

WM, I have a 28 incher, and he was the largest, in both body size, and tusk length, and circumference, My PH had ever seen. He was estimated to weigh in at around 7000 lbs. He was gigantic, and had to be butchered in the water because a farm tractor couldn't pull him ashore. He was shot on a sandbar in the middle of the Luangwa River, but made it to the water before dieing. I would love to see the tusks on that 30 incher!

macD37

Great Hippo!!! Can you post a photo? Would love to see that one!!!!!