I thought about asking what ya'll thought about hunting buff with a single-shot .45/70, but...

Reading through the Hunt Reports, and various safari books for the last 35 years or so, it seems that the problem of a hunter nailing the wrong animal when the PH says to shoot is not uncommon.

Wouldn't this be a perfect use for one of the ubiquitous laser pointers you can buy anywhere for $10?? With another $1 for Superglue it could be affixed to binoculars, so a simple push of the button would project a clear marker even the most myopic hunter could see in a scope, and if guidance was needed on shot placement the "laser designator" would make that easy as well.

I'm sure there's a simple answer, and equally sure this won't be my last stupid question here.

So, what do ya'll think about a single-shot .45/70 for buffalo??

You can't see red lasers during the daylight hours. Don't recommend hunting Cape Buffalo at night.

Jeffive

Welcome to the forum and thanks for not asking the first stupid question about that particular calibre!

Your actual question makes me think that perhaps part of the hunt itself should be to identify the target animal, (with the aid of your PH) and then identify the target area and put the bullet in the right place yourself. To do otherwise, turns the client into nothing more than a triggerman and nothing else.

Well jeffive, you may want to do a search on this forum for 45/70!
peter.

I've shot the wrong animal or have been unable to decipher which animal my PH is trying to get me to shoot more than once. I have found a simple, elegant and inexpensive solution to the problem. It's called the IC-UC Quick Sight.

https://www.icucquicksight.com/xcart/home.php

I've used it hunting on 5 continents for the past few years. The problem is that I always come home without it. My PHs insist that I leave it with them>

Peter,

I think I've read every thread here (been lurking for a few months now)

Steve,

I'll defer to your experience, but I see little difference between a PH saying "Shoot that one on the left" and saying "Shoot that one on the left with the green dot.".

Pegleg,

Yeah, green would likely be better and produces less "dazzle", but I did specify up front this was a stupid question

That IC-UC sight is a neat idea. I can't tell you how many times I have taken people hunting for deer and have had them unable to see that animal that I was looking at.

That can be a problem (at times) when one goes for a cape buff within a herd. No easy answer to that one except to listen as carefully as possible to the PH.

To avoid the problem maybe consider rather holding out or going for the lone batchelor bull whom has seperated from the herds

Cheers, Peter

quote:

Originally posted by Jefffive:


Pegleg,

Yeah, green would likely be better and produces less "dazzle", but I did specify up front this was a stupid question

Yes, you did.

At least you picked the less stupid question of the two.

Jeffive- A quality laser pointer in either red or green will work just fine in daylight or night aplications.You have thought of a clever solution to a potential problem and I say bring one and use it if it is deemed legal where you are going to hunt.

Be aware that some states in the US have laws "prohibiting a device that shines light on an animal". I have no idea if this is addressed by any African countries however so you will need to research that question.

Eyedoc,

I can think of few things that would be as heartbreaking as to finally get to Africa and shoot the wrong one, not only blowing the trophy fee but possibly the opportunity to collect that animal on that trip, and if a $10 gadget would reduce the chances...

Jefffive,

It looks like a neat gadget and sure would come in handy certain situations. I say certain situations as you will find out that normally your shooting window is not big here in Africa unless you hunt the open plains.

What I'm trying to get at is that you must rely more on your PH than the gadgets you have. It would be difficult to work with the IC-UC Quick Sight when your on the shooting sticks with your rifle.

Have a look at some hutning DVDs thats out on the market and visualize yourself as the shooter and see if you would still have time to use it.

But for what its worth buy it and bring it and use it if you can. I can imagine some good use for it for plainsgame not so much on DG.

Frederik,

The IC-UC Quick Sight wasn't mine, I proposed a laser pointer the PH could use to mark the desired animal.

It will be a while before I can plan a hunt, I have these two Federal indictments to deal with first...

I think the laser pointer thing is a great idea though there is always the risk that other animals might be disturbed by it. Fixing it to the binos maybe isn't so good and idea as I'm not sure how accurate the aiming would be but in principle it is an interesting though. Would it reflect enough off a deer at 100+ yards I just don't know but I suppose the only way to find out is to try it.

I got my first ever deer at the start of the year (new to hunting and shooting) and when we got into deer and were getting ready to take the shot the stalker asked me what I could see. I thought that was a good way of being sure that we were both seeing the same thing as because of his position he could see several more deer than I could. It will certainly stick with me should I ever have to identify an animal for someone to shoot. Instead of telling them to shoot the one second from left I will ask them what they can see and then consider how that matches with what I can see.

Jefffive- Sorry, just couldn't resist. You might think about a hologram sight as they don't have any paralax. Conditions being perfect with the Ph standing next to you and maybe slightly behind, he would be able to see what you see (through the sight) even from an angle. Welcome to the forum.

Why don't we just radio his coordinates to base and call in an air strike with a laser guided missile?

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
Why don't we just radio his coordinates to base and call in an air strike with a laser guided missile?

MR: He doesn't need a missile, after all he's using a 45/70 the world's pre-eminent DG caliber...jorge

When we go to the Kruger Park with hunting friends we all take one of these laser jobs and compare "shot placement" on varoious animals. It is actually a load of fun!

I now have to duct tape a laser pointer to my 45-70

But seriously...

we need to paint the herd animals diff colors, stripes and polka dots to prevent this ever happening again!

So... when the ph says...shoot the pink and yellow dotted bull you know what to do next.

We can hire brave souls to paint them whilst they sleep...$10 a bull.

But seriously...

what we need is a tractor beam...

have an alien space ship read the ph's mind and then the aliens will use thier tractor beam to levitate the right bull over the ground say 10 feet as to not confuse the client...

The beam will then rotate the bull as to get the desired shot...

Also the buff will be moved to exact distances of 50, 100 yards or whatever the gun is regulated to.

Alternatively, why not save on air fares and excess baggage prices etc by staying home and having the PH strap a video camera etc onto his rifle and and a net link on his back. Then he can shoot the animals for the client and then ship the trophies over to him. - A kind of on-line hunting experience. - It'd beat the hell out of any computer game.

Or then again, maybe I'm suffering from too much caffine just now.

The 45-70 will kill any animal that walks, it has proven it in a handgun and a rifle.

Millions of Bison were killed in the 1800's with a 45-70, 44-77, 50-70, and similar slow lead bulleted granddad's guns.

A bison is somewhere between twice as a big as a cape buffalo and 3/2 the size and not any less switched on.

Any further argument against the 45-70 with modern loads is bullshit semantics.

If you want to hunt Buffalo with a 45-70 and your PH will let you have at it.

Anyone who has honestly used a 45-70 against cape buffalo and has a honest report about it is free to comment. Shot placement kills game not foot pounds of energy or bullet weight.

If I shoot you in the head with a 22lr are you anyless dead if I shoot you in the heart with a 505 Gibbs? While I wouldn't recommend a 22 LR as a buffalo rifle it does prove a point.

Well this has been about the best thread I have seen in a while. I do think that the tractor beam idea is a bit far fetched however!
Peter.

I suggest your PH hit 'the one' with a paintball, so you won't make a mistake. Just make sure you agree on the color paint beforehand to avoid mistakes.

George

Didn't someone have the bright idea of shooting deer from their computer a couple of years ago?

You log in, pay your money, and fire the rifle with your mouse.

Saaed,

Yes I recall something like that. And if I remember correctly it was still in the process of getting approved. Maybe it never got approved by the laws.

Heres a link to a small article about it.

Shooting over the net

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Didn't someone have the bright idea of shooting deer from their computer a couple of years ago?

You log in, pay your money, and fire the rifle with your mouse.

Imagine the guy with the remote activated gun 10m from the buff and there is a power failure

Ph in to mic "you Can right click to shoot left click to reload. get ready hes coming left click shit sorry right click o shit where is a tree call microsoft for backup" or he gets a virus or a worm

I should send a bad boy to paint a white cross on the right dagga boy
at the end less meat damage than a missile strike, less science fiction that the tractor beam, is necessary also an agreement with the aliens, better than the paintball shot made by PH, he can always make a mistake in get the rifle and kill or wound our buffalo, and easier for the people not skilled in computer managing.

And if the bad boy, but he must be really bad, has bad time in painting the white cross or is hitted by the shot, oooohhh well I think that it is not a so big problem

OH D99, plese don't pour gasoline on fire of the 45-70 controversy

Hell, I was only joking!.........

Aha, the old 45-70 trick!!

If our heros ever look a charging Cape Buffalo in his big red tennis ball size eyes at very close range they will be enlightened very quickly..but if you have a brave PH standing there with his 500 then all will end well with a tad of luck.

Well, I see we managed to go from (what I thought was) a simple way to possibly reduce mistakes to calling in air strikes with laser-guided missiles and internet hunting.

Maybe just lurking is a better idea...

Jeff,

There was some good responses, and some off ones.

What people are trying to get across is what we call hunting.

In hunting it doesn't matter where you are or what you are doing always involves Oh Shit situations.

Oh shit could be I shot a little buck instead of the really big one next to it.

It could be Oh Shit, I missed.

And it could be Oh Shit, thats a big snake. (normally more expletives will be used here though)

The oh shit factor is what making hunting fun. While I would always want to kill the THE RIGHT animal with my first ONE Shot, that is not always the case. But a PH who has a laser pointed, I would feel cheated. I want the animal described to me, and if I am not good enough to sort it out, thats my problem. And when I pull the trigger, the PH might say, Oh Shit, that was the wrong one. I will have to deal with that. If I shot a small buff, impala etc. That is my mistake and I will have to live with. Did it cost me a lot to screw up the shot on the wrong animal, Probably, but it happens. I would definitely want the animal described though then pointing it out.

So, do you think the PH will be putting the laser pointer where you should shoot it. Do you want him to pull the trigger for you next???

There is a point with technology that it gets to be TOO MUCH (This is coming from a guy who uses technology every day and teaches people about it.)

Getting the animal described to you, you finding it, and pulling the trigger is the most rewarding experience. Going back a few years when I shot my first mule deer, the buck sat out at 350 yards away. My friend had to describe to me where it was bedded down, it actually took about 15 minutes, when I finally found it I through my scope, I looked at him, and said thanks I found it. Then I said Oh Shit, it only took me 10 minutes the next time to find it. Wasn't the biggest buck I ever killed, but it sure was the most fun.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Didn't someone have the bright idea of shooting deer from their computer a couple of years ago?

You log in, pay your money, and fire the rifle with your mouse.

That was some computer nerd in Texas who tried that, and the legislature convened, and outlawed the practice in a heartbeat! Originally it was an idea to let quadriplegics be able to shoot from a motorized wheelchair. That was noble gesture, but the guy got the idea to make a lot of money by coupling it to the Internet, for pay!

The laser sight was applied for the same purpose, and that is legal for the handicapped. This was, and is done from motorized wheelchairs with laser pointers on the rifle, and operated by electrical vertical, lateral, and trigger fired from a workable control panel designed for the individual using it with proper license. A partner goes along with the wheelchair bound hunter, to help him stay out of trouble with the wheelchair in un-improved terrain.

I think where the laser pointer is most applicable in Africa is from a leopard, or lion over bait blind, so the PH can show you the very best spot to place your shot, depending on the body position of the cat, to avoid a dangerous follow-up!

I see no ethical reason not to use the laser pointer to point out the proper animal to shoot! The pointer should be given to the PH, and left with him, along with a good supply of batteries for it, when you go home!

Jefffive,

Welcome to the forum.
As you can see it doesn't take much to detract AR members from the question at hand.

My opinion of using a laser pointer is that in a true hunting situation regardless of whether you are in Africa, Alaska, or Alabama it's unpractical.

Most guides/PH's either will want to be watching the animal through Bino's or spotting scopes, or in a dangerous close up situation through the sights of their rifle.

For me personally it is also a matter of the KISS system. Keep it simple stupid! That way Mr. Murphy has less of a chance to intervene.

I think the best way to avoid confusion is to study your quarry as thoroughly as possible so that you can tell the difference between a 34 inch bull with a "soft boss" and the 38 inch dugga boy your PH wants you to shoot.

Counting points on deer or elk is quite simple compared to animals that you must estimate mass and length measurements. With alot of studying in taxidermy shops or videos, or where ever you can see your quarry in can become clear.

Don't let the assholes/know it all's scare you off!
I like to think of them as the spice in the chili. Sure it gives you heartburn, but without them you just have beans.

KC

I have spent a lot of time hunting, pretty much as soon as I could pack a rifle. I have better game eyes than most, and can't say that I was ever even close to shooting the wrong animal. I have however spotted game for others and sat there for two or three minutes trying to tell them where the animal was, while they just can't see it at all. That is probably how it happens.

Mac,
At least a few saw what I was trying to get at anyway. Thanks.

Jefffive,

I should think that in a strong single shot action you should be able to load that old black powder straight wall case to near 458 Winny performance. That should be enough.

Wish you the best on your impending safari.

Rusty,
Actually I think I would prefer my Savage .308 pistol, at least it gives me three bites at the apple and will put them where I point them

Hey, It's your money! Take what you'd like to shoot and go have fun!