This year may have been the best single season for client selection. Of all the hunters and photo tourists I did not have a single one that was a whiner or just miserable to be around. As many of you know and read last year I had the worst folks of my 15 year career in that group of guys that was very unethical about their hunting and none could shoot even remotely good. This season made up for that by a huge margin! These folks were without question the most well prepared and confident hunters as a whole I have ever had. We did not lose a single animal and only had a few short and a couple "exciting" tracking jobs.

My 30/06 "loaner" with the 165 grain interbonds was used for 9 animals for a couple visiting lady hunters and for 4 animals of my own. I was only able to recover a single 165 grain interbond. The others were all exits, This bullet continues to impress me with it's non-magnum velocity performance on all the game that has been shot. It's expansion and penetration seems perfectly matched to sub 3000 fps cartridges.

I also recovered plenty of 270 grain Aframes from 375HH which always seem to provide the typical perfect mushroom so common with them. I much prefer the A frame for game over 750 pounds **or** when shot faster then 3000 fps. The Aframe is a tougher bullet to handle those big bone conditions, at least from my experience.

It's hard to find fault with that old, boring, pathetic slow 30/06 when it continues to get the job done. The lady hunters using it made great shots and the game was never further then expected when following them up. I'm a strong beliver in this simple lightweight 30/06 for plains game.







There was also a single X bullet recovered from a 375HH that was shot into a Black Wildebeast quartering towards us at 150-175 yards. This is the first bullet in the photo. It was under the skin on the entry side near the hind quarter. I still see enough of this with the X bullet to spook me away from them. I just don't get that 100% performance that the bonded core bullets provide me. I love them and use them in my 458 Lott 100% now. However the smaller the caliber and higher the velocity the X bullet the more wierd performance they seem to have.

At the first shot the wildebeast bucked like a horse so we knew it was hit. The second shot into that Wildebeast was a centered chest shot and exited with a bore diameter hole as well. The third was the finisher put into him at at least 350 yards. Since when do you need 3-375HH bullets for a 450-500 pound animal? A single GS custom bullet was recovered as well. The waterbuck it came from was a near loss of the trophy due to the wierd bent and deforemed bullet. It did not open and just had the tip bent over. The follow up shots exited with bore diameter holes. They have massive penetration but seem to have the same issues as X bullets were consistancy is concerned. If this happened on the only one recovered then what did the others look like that blew right through? I'll never know but seeing one like this was enough to spook me! It was involved in the only animal that required tracking and follow up by that hunter who is among the best shooters I have ever met. The loss of that animal would have been heartbreaking and expensive. It would have also been hard to sleep at night knowing "he screwed up the shot" when it was not the shot at all but rather the bullet!

I also shot a personal trophy this year at a camp I will be using next season. It's Nyala heaven and this photo should prove that! It's a remote bush camp no electricity, only tents, cook your own meals. It's a bit rough but very comfortable. plenty of other activities besides hunting in the area too.

This Nyala was just over 30" on one horn and just under on the other horn. I was not even hunting Nyala but rather scouting the property for next years hunts. However there was no way I could let this huge bugger walk! I would have been telling people what I saw with raised eyebrows in disbelief. This settles it as I have the Proof!





I'm not sure where to begin with the photo's I have of my other hunters so I'll just trickle them in as I get the time to post the text properly. There were some really great tropheis taken along with exciting events and some great friendships made on this trip.

Those of you that hunted with me this year I want you to all know that you made my job easy and it was never at anypoint like a "job" thanks for reviving my dissapointing 2004 season!

Great photos, Jim I am looking foward to the ones you took of Sarena and I. I should have the video in a couple of weeks. I am trimming it down to about an hour for family and friends. I will keep the long one for myself. It will have your warthog calling episode. I have one bone to pick with you. You will have cost me many thousands of dollars in my lifetime. I HAVE to go back. And not just once, either. I will probably have to eat cat food in my retirement now. But at least I will have some great hunts to remember when I am old. See you around. I hope we can go on another one.

Roger

JJ,

Welcome home. Congratulations of a good season and a fantastic Nyala. I need one of those for my collection. I have been shooting 165 grain Hornaday Interbonds for the past two seasons and find that bullet also performs beyond my expectations. I have only recovered one from over 10 animals killed so far. It was a perfect mushroom. The other seem to give good expansion and very straight line penetration. However, I have not shot anything over 250 lbs. Can't wait for the rest of the stories.

Perry

Great report and great Nyala !!!!
Thanks for sharing
L

I assume that the GSCustom was a HV rather than the FN?
Peter.

Thanks for sharing!

Fantastic Nyala! Congratulations.

Will you be offering tent camp hunts on the new property? That might be fun.

Peter, You will have to ask Canuck which bullet it was. The Waterbuck involved was his animal. As I recall it had a hollow cavity similiar to the X bullet, but that may have been impact damage? He will have the details on this.

Don, There are now three completely seperate facilities. The 5 star luxury of Landelani which you know well. There is another property about 25% less cost (dirt cheap) with a converted farm house and a seperate bunk house that has bathroom, small kitchen area and two bunk beds. Only suitable
for guys who come as a group. I would not mix folks in this cabin.

The farm house has 4 bedrooms, and then there is a braai area with a pool and bar for the meals. The same cook( Anita the wonderful) and staff will be used at both locations. These are both north Province locations. The bush is much more open at the new place. It has never been trophy hunted as it was a private farm owned by a wealthy German fellow. He died this past year and I'm running the hunts for the new owner now.While I was there this year I saw a dozen Kudu over 50" in the first few hours of my second visit there. I'm setting this up for Archery specific hunts. Gun hunters are welcome but there will be significant efforts made to prepare this for Archery hunters. We have already modified several hides near the water for bow hunting.

It's a basic hunting camp, nothing fancy, Clean with great food and excellent hunting.

The Natal camp is tented only and cook your own food. There is a propane freezer and fridge. Also a propane stove. Each tent has oil lamps inside. It has no electricity and a wood fired hot water shower. There is a single bathroom with running water and a flush toilet. It's very comfortable and rustic. Phinda game reserve is 300 meters away from the camp. Elephants and Lions are frequently heard as are leopard and hyena. There was a leopard walking through the braai area one night as the tracks were visible. It's a much warmer climate as well in winter. This tends to be a species specific location more suited to the second time hunter. Nyala, Red Duiker, Reedbuck, are the strongest species. We are sorting out Buffalo now as well. I should have details on that before end of summer.

This is a strictly run property. No shooting of anything but game species and no shooting within 200 meters of a vehicle. The owner will not even kill a scorpion or snake. They are all part of the "ecosystem". Trophy quality of Nyala and Red Duiker are the best in the world though!

JJ,

Please check your PMs.

Thanks,

JJ,

Welcome back and keep the stories coming. Very nice nyala!

BigBullet

quote:

Originally posted by JJHACK:The Natal camp is tented only and cook your own food...This tends to be a species specific location more suited to the second time hunter. Nyala, Red Duiker, Reedbuck, are the strongest species.

JJ - Sounds great, any bushpig on the property? Realizing it is challenging hunting, how large of an area is it? Thanks!

This area will likely be the biggest single hunting consession in all of RSA in the very near future. Right now there is a concervency being put together between several huge landowners and parks. All will have shares in the hunting and tourism of this land. Hluhluwe, umfolozi, Phinda, and many other large land holdings are in the in the process of dropping all the fences between the properties. At least half already have all the big five and allmost all the general selection of plains game species.

It's why I mention that I will have buffalo prices end of summer or early fall. Each camp will likely be fenced from dangerous game so that the visitors can wander freely around the "safe Area" near camp. Not all land owners will do this. Some have already said we are returning it back to "old Africa" tent camps and big five together free ranging. Some will likely have both styles based on the desire of the visitors.

This is one of the most exciting things to happen in RSA in a very long time where Africa tourism and hunting are concerned. I sat with landowners in great discussions about this. The parks are interested in getting some more room and income from the hunting. Hluhluwe has thousands of ancient old buffalo which will draw lots of attention when the permits are issued! The income from this will also add to the facilities they offer. Land right now in Natal is completly unavailable for sale. The prices have skyrocketed with this proposal for dropping fences. There will be lots of new 5 star lodges with direct road access to the park now, no gates or fences, nothing in between. It will be spectacular!

A Natal Concervancy in RSA modeled after the Save Concrevancy in Zim. I like that idea. I like it a lot. If you need an experienced hunter to come and hunt the place to try it out and do a write up about it, I'm your man. By the way I work cheap.

I`m just in the planning phase of next years (hopefully) hunt in Africa.. Nyala is one of my main goals, and this post really got me started. One word covers those photos: WOW

Congratulations on a Great Nyala Looking forward to more pictures.

Thanks for sharing, a great Nyala. Your shooting results pretty much confirms my thoughts on the Hornady IB, a good bullet for impact vel. below 2800fps or so.

JJHACK,

Don't mean to change the topic on this but just wanted to throw in my 2 cents. I'm pretty sure I hunted the same area/concession last year. I saw a 30" nyala right at camp. Just very well could have been the same if found around that area.

I posted a story with pics about a year ago for those interested in my hunt. I have pics of all the tent, camp, etc. also if interested.

Thanks for the pictures and the report on the consevancy---sounds exciting!

Yes, keep us posted. This sounds quite interesting.

quote:

Originally posted by JJHACK:
Hluhluwe has thousands of ancient old buffalo which will draw lots of attention when the permits are issued!

but the price will be ...... ?

Sounds good anyway.

What price are you charging for the Natal hunts ie on plains game? Will you also be able to offer DG?

Nitro, as I said in the post there in the process of sorting out some details about the fence dropping and the shares issued to each landowner for hunting. It's close to complete but not finished yet. I'll hopefully have prices by end of Summer( North American summer)

They will very likely be auctioning Buffalo hunts in HluHluwe as well I spoke with the rangers there just a couple weeks ago and she said the plan was moving forward. Only licensed outfitters and residents will be able to bid on these buffalo, or so she said.

I know the area well. Phinda includes a place called Zinave Ranch which I hunted extensively many moons ago. It is home to some of the biggest Nyala I have seen and the sand forest is full of Suni. I think some RW trophies for this little crittur are listed as coming from Zinave.
I am taking a gang of ecotourists to Phinda in Sept, 5 star luxury today, not the little bungalows from yesteryear at Bushcamp, overlooking a vlei with Reedbuck whistling at night. So much for progress.

Hi Jim,

Congratulations, I love your splendid Nyala.
He is up on my wishing list.

I am a A frame 375HH fanatic too
my post on NitroX forum :



1 an efficient 458 Lott 500 gr Woodleigh soft remove from the chest of an Derby eland.
2 A 458 Lott 500 gr Woodleigh soft which disintegrated on an Derby Eland neck.

3 A 375HH Swift A frame 300gr which smashed both lungs, the heart and the liver of a lion and stopped under the skin of the abdomen.
4 A poacher’s pellet removed from the lion’s shoulder.
5 A 375HH Swift A frame 300gr which entered the chest and stopped in the left thigh of a yellow-backed duiker (KENGU)

A 375HH Swift A frame 300gr is more crushed by 32 inches of yellow-backed duiker than by 50 inches of lion.
In Sango language, Kengu (the yellow-backed duiker) is meaning tough or hard too. The bullet deformation won’t deny it.



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