Have you ever had to hunt with someone that is so consumed with the "tool" that he really doesn't hunt or can't shoot?

Scenario - You arrive in camp. There, to greet you is a bedraggled PH and another hunter. As you greet each other and realize you are sharing a camp, you quickly hear to a level of detail you never imagined, that your compadre is an absolute gun nut. He has it all, knows it all, and is the resident expert on all things guns and bullets. He has brought 5 DGR's in various calibers with about 6 bullet types for each. He knows the hysteresis effect and gravitational pull on all bullets. He has detailed knowledge of how each bullet expands at various speeds.

You look at his PH and you see a guy that needs a drink very bad, that is sun burned and the trackers have staggered off to eat their mealies.

This guy gets his gin and tonic and starts a two hour monologue on the virtues of the 300 grain trophy bonded sledge hammer vs a Woodleigh solid, then compounds this by discussing every action ever made and his absolute reverence for Paul Mauser.

So, how did you handle that guy??? Is he a friend of Saeed's? Morever, is he a friend of Walter's? And better yet, did he bring a Blaser??

Yes...thank goodness. I arrived in Zim for a hunt with CMS about 4 years ago, but my bag with my ammo didn’t. My rifle arrived but my bag was still in Joburg. There was a hunter in camp, leaving the next day, he learned of my plight, I brought a CZ 550 in .458 Lott. One of the rifles he had brought was a .458 Lott, his ammo was exactly like mine with the exception of primer choices. I used CCI, he used Federal. He graciously game me ammo to use until mine arrived, assuming it would arrive, his ammo shot almost exactly to my point of aim. On the fourth day my bag with ammo arrived and I used my ammo to successfully complete my hunt. I invest a fair amount of time and components in my “hunting” loads, I enjoy doing it, but I don’t let it detract from my hunts.
I don’t think Saeed has ever met this gentleman, but I bet they would get along very well, and he didn’t have a Blaser that I saw...but there might have been one hidden in his chalet.

Ross,

A guy that really is a gun nut knows what knows and he doesn't need to tell the whole camp what he knows unsolicited. The real gun nut can loose the average guy in a gun conversation pretty easily and that's rude because gun stuff is down right boring to the average person.

Mark

Nope. Never happened to me.

And I try to make sure that I don't happen to others!

Every time I go hunting I am with a Gun Nut. All I need is a mirror. A real Gun Nut can SHOOT

I would rather hunt with the gun nut, than the guide who has 3 remington green box, 2 federal blue box and a hirtenburger cartridge, with the only thing in common is they are 130 grain .270's. At least the gun nut in my book, can shoot because he spends hours finding the best load for his rifle. (in my definition of gun nut at least).

Three things you should never discuss in Safari camp;

Politics, Religion and Ballistics.

As long as I have my rifle, or rifles, and my ammo I couldn't care less what someone else, in my camp, is shooting. They are paying their own way and can shoot a single shot .22LR single shot for cape buffalo if they want, as long as it is not while I'm with him.
........................................... MacD37

I enjoy the nuances of every aspect of a rifle.

Used to shoot F-Class, and to be competitive you need to look at every avenue of the cartridge, bullet, primer, powder, seating depth, weight charge, barrel, trigger, bedding, scope stock and action and it gets pretty baseball statistics pretty quick.

When a far gone rifle crank meets another one and the shirtless hugs suspense it gets a little nerdy.

My wife calls the youtube content I enjoy the "history of reloading". Pretty boring for someone who isn't a rifle crank.

I work with a lot of gun guys, and even among gun guys there are guys that are rifle cranks for certain genre's of the rifle craft.

I am really only interested in bolt action safari rifles, modern German/Austrian guns, and long range snipery type rifles.

Shooting is my favorite, the idea of flying around the world to shoot one to five animals isn't very interesting.

I wish the days of high volume baboon shooting in South Africa was still legal for visiting hunters. That would be my ideal dream hunt.

Called a ranch near San Angelo that was advertising doe hunts for whitetails. I asked if I could pay extra and shoot 5, and take the meat. We have a big family.

The rancher wasn't interested in that, he was pretty offended.

I guess I wasn't his intended audience.

Every year.

Both my PH and video camera man are gun nuts.

There is nothing about guns that Roy does not know.

We enjoy sharing experiences, and how we do so many utterly crazy thins other would never even imagine.

Several of the friends who join us on safari are like this too.

A few years we hunted with Dwight Scott.

A genius when it comes to building accurate rifles.

Nothing sounds better in camp than Dwight saying "OH JEEZ"

Or "You did WHAT?"

Saaed, do they tell you that you’re boring them to distraction by having brought the same old rifles every year for as long as they can remember?

I have been in many camps in different places with different professional hunters and fellow tourist hunters over many years. I have learned never to talk about my or anyone else’s rifles except in response to direct questions.

I remember a fellow hunter in Namibia who showed me his Dakota 76. It was chambered in .450 Dakota.

The stock behind the tang was not just cracked, but splintered.

We found a suitable screwdriver, in my kit, of course, and checked the tension on the action screws. Both were loose.

I suggested that the loose action screws were the cause of the problem.

He was indignant, and insisted he would send the rifle back to Dakota and demand his money back.

I heartily agreed with him.

As has been said above, there are some topics you just don’t discuss in camp.

The five times I’ve hunted in Namibia, I always had the camp to myself. My PH, Jan du Plessis I would classify as a gun nut. He owns a number of quality guns, and is a meticulous hand loader. The two guns I brought were a Winchester Model 70 in .300 WSM and a Thompson Center Icon in .308. The Model 70 was a legitimate 1.5 MOA gun, while the Icon was a legitimate .5 MOA shooter. We went to Jan’s range, and the Model 70 performed as advertised right at 1.5 inches at 100 yards. To my disappointment the Icon only shot a 1” three shot group. I explained to Jan that I was a Distinguished Rifleman while in the U S Army and had zeroes for both guns out to 600 yards. Jan wanted me to shoot the .300 WSM due to heavier bullets and higher velocity. It worked out great.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Saaed, do they tell you that you’re boring them to distraction by having brought the same old rifles every year for as long as they can remember?

I have been in many camps in different places with different professional hunters and fellow tourist hunters over many years. I have learned never to talk about my or anyone else’s rifles except in response to direct questions.

I remember a fellow hunter in Namibia who showed me his Dakota 76. It was chambered in .450 Dakota.

The stock behind the tang was not just cracked, but splintered.

We found a suitable screwdriver, in my kit, of course, and checked the tension on the action screws. Both were loose.

I suggested that the loose action screws were the cause of the problem.

He was indignant, and insisted he would send the rifle back to Dakota and demand his money back.

I heartily agreed with him.

As has been said above, there are some topics you just don’t discuss in camp.

I have that problem with friends here.

They keep asking, with all the rifles that I have, and make, why do I keep taking two old ones.

I tell them I try picking the best tools for the job.

For my hunts, there is nothing that even comes close.

We have fun with the trackers and game scouts.

I load my ammo using 416 Dakota brass or 404 brass.

And I am shooting a 375!

They look at my ammo belt and see two types of ammo, and wonder how can that be!

Taking one round out of my belt, pulling the bullet off, and sprinkling the gun powder on a hard boiled egg and eating it does not help either!

Years ago my wife brought some black, rock salt.

Looks like black powder.

She said "I saw this, and thought you might find a way of playing tricks with it"

What I do is take one empty, primed case with a bullet seated in it loosely.

I put some of that salt in it, and put it in my gun belt - I do that when we stop for something, otherwise imagine trying to shoot a charging buffalo with a round full of black rock salt!!

This has become quite a ritual for us every year, and our old staff enjoy playing it on new game scouts, who don't really wish to eat "gun powder" at first.

Some of them are quite clever, and say they will look it up on the Internet.

I tell them to look for "saltpeter" to explain the salty taste of the powder.

Some of them actually think the black Molly I spray on my bullets is poison, as some animal seem to die with what looks like non killing shots.

About twenty years ago in Zimbabwe, a guy leaving camp decided I needed to be "schooled" on double rifles. However, when he realized my hunting partner was JJ Perodeau, he did have enough sence to shut up.

quote:

Originally posted by 7kongoni:
About twenty years ago in Zimbabwe, a guy leaving camp decided I needed to be "schooled" on double rifles. However, when he realized my hunting partner was JJ Perodeau, he did have enough sence to shut up.

Years ago in Texas, there was a very famous gun writer, who never stopped talking.

One day we had a bit of a discussion, then he said "listen son, I wrote the BOOK on shotgun shooting!"

An old man was sitting there, he said "You might have written the book. But I dare you to show us how you can shoot half as good as him!"

He shut up.

If they don’t think blasers are the best rifles in the world I think they are idiots and I don’t waste my time with them

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
If they don’t think blasers are the best rifles in the world I think they are idiots and I don’t waste my time with them

Mike

There. Fixed it for you.

Steve,

Another topic that simply can't be discussed is single malts. There can be no agreement.

I've come to the conclusion that rifles are simply tools, expensive tools, but tools nonetheless. So I've gone to synthetic stocks and not caring if they get knocked around a bit.

I love rifles, but you really only need a few and I'd classify them by the weight of the bullet they fire. I need a 180 grain -- I like the .30-06, but any of the 30 magnums would work. I need a 400 grain -- any .416 will work, but my .416 Rem. is my go to rifle for everything. I need a 500 grain and now it gets complicated.

But somehow, I've managed with the .30-06 and the .416 Rem., the latter will work for anything.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
If they don’t think blasers are the best rifles in the world I think they are idiots and I don’t waste my time with them

Mike

The feeling is mutual Mike.

Anyone with a Blaser is nothing but an idiot, in our minds too.

Had a guy here a few days ago asking me to make a barrel for him for his Blaser.

I told him to jump in the croc pond we have here!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
If they don’t think blasers are the best rifles in the world I think they are idiots and I don’t waste my time with them

Mike

The feeling is mutual Mike.

Anyone with a Blaser is nothing but an idiot, in our minds too.

Had a guy here a few days ago asking me to make a barrel for him for his Blaser.

I told him to jump in the croc pond we have here!

Haters going to hate

Mike

I had one chap show off his brand new .470 Double and then ask me to sight it in!

Most PHs have a fair idea of ballistics but rarely take it to the campfire.

I would say Saeed is a gun nut and not being satisfied with off the shelf calibre went and designed and made one of his own!

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
If they don’t think blasers are the best rifles in the world I think they are idiots and I don’t waste my time with them

Mike

The feeling is mutual Mike.

Anyone with a Blaser is nothing but an idiot, in our minds too.

Had a guy here a few days ago asking me to make a barrel for him for his Blaser.

I told him to jump in the croc pond we have here!

Haters going to hate

Mike

Fishermen can never, ever, be accused of being gun nuts.

All they keep thinking about is some fishy business!

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:
Three things you should never discuss in Safari camp;

Politics, Religion and Ballistics.

Well 2 outa 3 ain’t bad.

When I go...about 2/3s of the conversation is politics.

quote:

I had one chap show off his brand new .470 Double and then ask me to sight it in!

quote:

Originally posted by bwanajay:

quote:

I had one chap show off his brand new .470 Double and then ask me to sight it in!

Not as bad as the man who arrived in camp with a custom built 416 Rigby.

He had one box of ammo.

Has never shot the rifle, he said his dealer put the scope on it.

Could not hit the cardboard box the target was on.

Tried shooting a kudu cow for lion bait. Missed it and killed a young bull standing 5 yards away.

He came for a lion!

In my sporting travels, I have really only been on one "gun nut" hunt. It was a Double Rifle deal for Water Buffalo in Australia.

It was with Cal Pappas, Scotty Boy, Mike Brooks and Rob (?)

Cal is as close to my definition of a gun nut as there is. We all know Cal's life passion is Pre-war, English Double Rifles. He lives it, breaths it and has the knowledge to back it all up.

It was really enjoyable.

Since then, Cal and I have discussed the merits of a hunt, based on the hunt itself versus the use of the firearm of choice.

Back when the African Hunter magazine was still around, Cal had a column. We were going to co-write an article discussing this.

Our analysis was that Cal was 70-30 firearm-centric vs. hunt-centric and I was exactly the opposite. We never had the chance to publish it.

Cal, being a DR nut, wasn't (isn't) pushy or aloof about it. His passion is plainly there to see and to be shared when wanted.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
If they don’t think blasers are the best rifles in the world I think they are idiots and I don’t waste my time with them

Mike

The feeling is mutual Mike.

Anyone with a Blaser is nothing but an idiot, in our minds too.

Had a guy here a few days ago asking me to make a barrel for him for his Blaser.

I told him to jump in the croc pond we have here!

Worst are the self professed gun nuts that can’t come to grips with modern firearms.
I doubt that even Paul Mauser would have thought in 1895 that the pinnacle of repeating rifle design wouldn’t change for 126 years, particularly given that the basic bolt action design was already 70 years old at that point.

As I recall the Blaser is the most popular rifle in Europe.

Sometimes if you disagree with the many it may be that you’re a genius. Most times it’s because you aren’t.

Spare a thought for us who have to put up with Walter.

He is the only individual I am aware off who has shot himself, many times!

He used to work in a gun factory in Germany.

On several occasions, he has shot his finger with an air rifle.

He says the only way to check the pressure of a spring air rifle is to cock it, block the muzzle with your fingers, and fire it.

It gives an indication!

Apparently sometimes people brought air rifles with pellets stuck in!

Then to crown it all, he was checking the firing mechanism on a double shotgun.

He took the stock off, put a live round in it, turned around, and closed it.

It went off.

Taking half his thigh with it.

Luckily it missed the bone!

I know, it is very hard to believe, but I can guarantee you it is all true!

He has a horrible wound, and he tells peop,e it was a shark attack!

quote:

He says the only way to check the pressure of a spring air rifle is to cock it, block the muzzle with your fingers, and fire it.

It gives an indication!

quote:

He has a horrible wound, and he tells peop,e it was a shark attack!

Damn, and he has spawn. That's spooky. Hopefully, they have not turned out like him.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:

quote:

He says the only way to check the pressure of a spring air rifle is to cock it, block the muzzle with your fingers, and fire it.

It gives an indication!

quote:

He has a horrible wound, and he tells peop,e it was a shark attack!

Damn, and he has spawn. That's spooky. Hopefully, they have not turned out like him.

Don't bet on it.

We were hunting in Zimbabwe, with him and his son.

His son did not want to hunt.

One day we were shooting doves over a water hole.

His son was helping me.

I said "would you like to shoot some doves?"

He said yes.

I gave him the shotgun.

The doves come from our left.

He fired a few shots, never hit anything.

I told him to aim a meter to the right.

Same thing.

Then one dove lands on a tree close by.

I said "shoot that one"

He did.

The dove took off.

I said "bloody hell, how could you miss that? Where did you aim?"

He said "a meter to the right, as you told me to!"

quote:

I said "bloody hell, how could you miss that? Where did you aim?"

He said "a meter to the right, as you told me to!"

The acorn does not fall far from the tree!

No, I'm the gun nut. I keep my mouth shut on guns and related.

Dave

I'm a gun nut.

I pray I know when to keep my mouth shut and ears open when around those more knowledgeable/experienced and that I am humble and helpful when around those less knowledgeable/experienced.

Hi Ross,

My son and I really enjoyed hunting with our mutual friend in New Mexico. Chris sure knows rifles and cartridges and shooting.

Brad

I suppose you can be an avid hunter and not be at all interested in firearms .. but to me, a good deal of the pleasure is putting an interesting firearm to its intended use. So I have no problem discussing firearms around the fire or the dinner table.

Now a discussion is not a monologue! Anyone boorish enough to conduct a monologue is, well, boring, no matter what the subject.

What bothers me is the hunter who does not know enough about his firearm, or especially firearm safety. Rather share a camp with one of the former than the latter.

I suppose some gun "nuts" can't hit what they are shooting at, but that would be the exception in my opinion.

On several occasions, I have fixed firearms problems in camp for friends and strangers. Cracked stock. Bolt won't close sufficiently to release the striker. Loose scope mount. Scope won't hold zero. Shotgun doubling. Even regulated a Blaser for a guy once in camp. I think those guys were happy to have a gun "nut" in camp.

Ill personally draw a bold line between ballistics and guns.

Ballistics bore me to tears, but fine rifles are a whole different thing. Come to think of it, the cartridges I am most interested in are considered ballistically obsolete. Ah well...

quote:

Originally posted by buckeyeshooter:
I would rather hunt with the gun nut, than the guide who has 3 remington green box, 2 federal blue box and a hirtenburger cartridge, with the only thing in common is they are 130 grain .270's. At least the gun nut in my book, can shoot because he spends hours finding the best load for his rifle . (in my definition of gun nut at least).

And likely 90% or more of those "practice" shots are off a lead sled.

I respect someone who has a passion about a topic. I'm happy to be lazy and absorb as much of their hard earned knowledge by listening.

Cal, has been mentioned and he certainly is a fount of knowledge on Old English Doubles.

That said, I just enjoy being around people who enjoy shooting as much as I.

http://youtu.be/dFOlBR5oNPQ

This topic has been fun to read. I consider myself a gun nut because I really enjoy them but I pretty much keep it to myself. I much prefer learning more and enjoy talking/listening to truly knowledgeable people.

quote:

I just enjoy being around people who enjoy shooting as much as I.

Yep!