The first Zebra I shot, the PH told me it was custom to shoot the zebra ONLY in a black stripe! I shot my Zebra, and when we got to it, damned if I didn't shoot it in a black stripe! Then the PH told me the other half of the custom, It must exit in a black stripe as well, then he began to laugh! We turned the zebra over, and to our supprise the bullet exited on a black stripe as well. Of course, I told him I knew the whole story already, and had shot both black stripes on purpose! I still kid him about my masterful shooting, and offer to teach him how to do it everytime! He just says "ENOUGH MAC!"

Have used a 280 Remington, a 30/06, a 375 H&H, and a 378 Wby for zebra. But since bullet placement is everything...

Should the bullet go into a black stripe or white stripe ?

Hammer

Stripes have nothing to do with bullet placement...Since you have stated you have shot 4 zebra... Why ask such a foolish question???

Definitely the black stripe. That way the blood won't taint your rug.

Retreever,



Is it true that Yankees ain't got no sense of humor ?



Hammer

Gentlemen,

Having shot dozens of zebra, I can assure you that you must make sure the bullet exits a black stripe if you place it in a black stripe, and it must exit a white stripe if it enters a white stripe.

If you fail to observe this, you will have an extraordinary chase on your hand.

If the bullet enters in a black stripe, and it exits a white stripe, the zebra will run into a right-hand circle, of at least 22 miles diameter.

If the bullet enters into a white stripe, and it exits a black stripe, you have a worse situation on your hands. The zebra will run into a left-hand circle of 33 miles diameter.

Saeed,

Does it make a difference whether you're north or south of the equator ?

Hammer

Hammer,

What I have said applies when you are SOUTH of the equator.

Everything must be reversed when you are NORTH of the equator.

We have had some discussion if the time of day, the position of the sun, wind direction, caliber and bullet make have any effects on this, and the decisions so far are as numerous as there are hunters discussing them.

At least one important question remains:

If the bullet exit just on the edge of a strip, making a hole covering parts of both the black and white strips, will the zebra run away in a straight line or will it charge?

Regards,
Martin

If the Zebra is going south, then of course stripes do not count, only holes count and like Saeed sez in one hole and out the other or it don't count.

This is the best post in a long time.

Actually the preferred method is to tear the appropriate page out of Kevin Robertson's Shot Placement book, run up the the zebra with page in one hand and contact cement in the other.

Then slowly circle the zebra and when precisely aligned with the zebra and the posted diagram, as directed in the Placement guide, blast the sucker. Entrance holes on black stripes count 20 points, white stripes only 10. Exit holes on black stripes count 15 and on white stripes only 10.

Unless your score is at least 25 points, go home. According to some, anything else would be a trophy "not to be proud of."

Will,

As you know, I have been hunting with my friend Roy Vincent for years. He always praises others whenever they shoot any animals, but has very little nice to say about my shooting.

Any time I shoot an animal, his remarks has always been one of the following:

"Too high"
"Too low"
"Too far back"
"Too far forward"

And more often than not he would complain about my shooting too fast.

He would say "You realize you did one of your stunts again?"
I would answer him "What have I done now?"

Roy "You shot too fast again!"
Me "He is dead, so it does not matter"

Roy "It does matter! You could have missed"

Anyway, one year I took a blow pipe, and some paint balls that you can blow through it.

We gave him the blow pipe and paint balls, and asked him to hit the animals pricesely where he wants me to hit it.

It did not help any, he still complained about my shooting.

Saeed, it is the utmost compliment to be held to a higher standard. As far as myself, the PH is happy with any hit I make! But of course he doesn't expect much of me

.... and what about altitude ???
Considering black / white stripes shot without knowing the exact altitude is just a loosing of time

Of course there is that age old question of white animal with black stripes or black animal with white stripes? Where is the shot going

Egad ... I expected a serious thread on the right shot placement for African game. In fact, I was looking forward to it.

Instead, I got a great belly laugh!

Thanks Guys. Even if it wasn't what I expected (and could probably use), I sure enjoyed the good fun!

Saeed:

With all due respect,I think you are unnecessarily complicating the question. You were being asked a simple question and you didn't answer it. Is it better to hit the zebra on a black stripe or on a white stripe? The answer is obvious. Any taxidermist will tell you that the entry point of a bullet can be smoothed over more easily when the zebra is shot through a black stripe. Cheez! Do I have to tell you everything? I am beginning to have serious reservations about your expertise and I would advise Hammer to seek answers to his searching question elsewhere. Luckily, he can always consult me.

I shot my zebra in the chest in a frontal shot and the bullet didn't exit. The bullet entered a white area. He ran 60 yards to the opposite side of the shot (hit left, ran right) and bowed over about 50 saplings before he died. Interesting follow up tracking, didn't need a blood trail just follow the downed "trees".

I don't understand all this stripe business. I shot my zebra in South Africa. The bullet entered the zebra in South Africa and exited the zebra in South Africa.

So what happens if the zebra is a burchell's with the pesky 3rd brown stripe and he's quartering away? What if you aim for the 14th stripe from the ear on the left (which happens to be black on YOUR side) and the exit is on stripe 14 on the other side which happens to be white? Since the stripes are lopsided and the painter was obviously bribed in some way, would this be a Zimbabwean Zebra?

I am planning on shooting a zebra on my upcoming trip to RSA. You can all be assured that I will be thinking of this thread when I pull the trigger with a big smile on my face (assuming I don't miss both the black and the white stripes because I will be laughing inside so much!).

Don't wear Ray Ban sunglasses when you hunt the ole striped donkies. The green glass will blur the black and white stripes and you might shoot a wildebeest instead!

I would have to say a Zebra is black with black and white stripes since the skin is black.

I'm pretty new at this site. You all guys seem like real sportsmen and hunter people, and I think I'll be visiting this site in the future quite a lot. I haven't actually laughed as much for a while since reading this thread!

Marterius and Saheed confuse me.

What happens if you hunt zebra exactly at the equator, and in addition hit a blak plus white srtipe on entry and exit? I'm told that since they can neither run clockwise or anticlockwise [being at the equator] they then start flying until they run, or should that be fly, out of steam and drop down?
Verewaaier.

Babamkulu,

But did you find your zebra in South Africa ?

Hammer

I can only recomend my PH:s solution to this after he saw how nervous I was to this stripe problem.

He let me shot a donkey and then we painted all the stripes and were able to put the black stripes over the bullet entrance and exit.

Hammer,

It went right over my head...But I shot for the top of the chevron..where the black chevron meets the base of the shoulder...I aimed for the vertex but missed by 1.5 inches and hit him in the black stripe...
I am still laughing...

Mike

Gentlemen,

For those who are still confused about shooting a zebra, here is the ultimate solution.

Man made zebra skin

Hammer



One more important advice The meat tastes very different depending if the has been under a dark stripe or white stripe. If you are going to have any BBQ you might want to try the dark striped and white striped meats to decide which is best. Some say black striped meats is usless for BBQ? Soo keep the cape as a map when it's time for butcher the animal



I read this advice on a Chilean "hunters" website, be careful. This advice seems to be common in South America for some reason



Saeed-

Very nice trophy, do you think it's possible to see some pictures of the mount I guess Walther would't mind shareing



/ JOHAN

Verewaaier,

From my limited experience, if you hit a black stripe and it exits a white stripe they do not fly until they drop down.

They run just above the surface until someone can catch them by the tail - however our test was not at the equator so perhaps you are correct.

.

Yes, I did find my zebra in South Africa. It was there before I shot it and after I shot it. It tumbled down a steep hill, but not far enough as we had to walk up the hill to retrieve it. Next time I'll try to tumble one into the back of the truck.

My PH said to shoot it on a black stripe to make the job of the taxidermist easier! I cheated and placed it through the ball of the shoulder and now the stallion graces the game room and you cannot tell where the bullet went in or out!
Have fun and go to Africa!
Jeff in Texas

Your point of impact must touch both the black and white stripes or Jesse Jackson will immediately jump out from the bushes(in a loin cloth)and accuse you of being racist.