We have plenty of lions on our Mozambique concession. Buff and ele (50lb+) as well. Our lions are $22,950 and include the day fees, trophy fees, all amenities, etc. You can add buff for $4,200 and any other trophies from what's there for cost. Hunt is 18 days, no bush plane, in the Zambezi flats on a 15,000 square kilometer concession. I'd say that's pretty fair chase! These ain't young lions, there are several older (7-8yo) males on the concession, and the buff are of the 45" or so variety. Pretty tough hunting though, we hate trucks and won't hunt from them, so get ready for some walking.
Posts: 395 | Location: Florida's Fabulous East Coast | Registered: 26 February 2004
The way around that is to shoot reduced loads for sighting-in and practice. You can always check the sights with a couple full-house loads after the initial settings but at practical ranges I doubt it will make much difference.
And the Pachmayr F990 pad is butt ugly but makes a world of difference.
Recoil from a .375 H&H can be cured with a good straight stock, a premium recoil pad, and about 9 lbs scoped & loaded weight. A nice foam pad - I use one that you slip over a water faucet to keep it from freezing, wrapped in a hand towel - helps a bunch off the bench. A 870 Remington pump, 3inch slugs, and about 8lbs scoped weight - now that can get past both "interesting" and "excruciating". Never felt it when I shot a deer with it though.
Posts: 842 | Location: Anchorage, AK | Registered: 23 January 2004
I dread the thought of sighting in a .375 H&H at a bench. I have this nasty habit of letting the butt ride down on my bicep. I usually don't notice it with my 300 WSM until I get home and take off my shirt.
I imagine the .375 would cure me of that bad habit.
One thing great about hunting is that what bites you at the bench doesn't kick or make a noise when you are in the field focused on something in the crosshairs.
I suppose if I had a buffalo coming my way it would be very comforting to get jarred every time I pulled the trigger.
Posts: 13923 | Location: Texas | Registered: 10 May 2002
Quote: So, what is the average fee for a fair chase male lion hunt anyway?? Is there just as much opportunity to hunt them over bait as well as pursuing them in the field?? Thanks for all the responses. I had originally planned on trying for Africa in 2006, but will go next year if things are getting that bad.
You can count on around $20K in daily fees,plus trophy fee, for a lion hunt today! Most places require a 21 day hunt for lion. That's why I don't have one. A lion hunt today costs about tree times the cost of a SHORT (10 day) Buffalo hunt, and about twice that of a Leopard hunt (14 days minimum)
Posts: 14634 | Location: TEXAS | Registered: 08 June 2000
Anybody serious about hunting lion should consider doing it post haste. I don't see it getting any cheaper or easier in the future, if it even remains possible.
Posts: 3174 | Location: Warren, PA | Registered: 08 August 2002
So, what is the average fee for a fair chase male lion hunt anyway?? Is there just as much opportunity to hunt them over bait as well as pursuing them in the field?? Thanks for all the responses. I had originally planned on trying for Africa in 2006, but will go next year if things are getting that bad.
Quote: Just out of curiosity, what is the SMALLEST caliber that any of you have experienced or seen used to kill a lion? buff? zebra? Doc
In the latest edition of the Barnes Loading Manual #3, a guy writes about his experiences with the .22 Hornet for plains game. The article suggests the .22 Hornet, loaded with the X Bullet for warthog, antelopes and sebra. Indeed the article is illustrated with some trophys taken with that little cartridge, among those a big zebra.
I think that there are some better recommendations from other forists in this thread.
Best regards,
Fritz
Posts: 846 | Location: Sweden | Registered: 19 April 2001
If you are worried about it charging you just get a .50 cal berret or some thing like that. With a 750 gr. Hornady A-Max at the muzzle it creates over 13000 ft/lbs of energy at about 3000 fps. The bullet also looses very little power because of its high BC. It is also capable of shooting sub MOA so accurcy is not a problem either.
I don't know what 375 you guys are shooting. I have used two. A pre 64 model 70 and a kreighoff double. The recoil of either of these is only slightly greater than a 30-06. A single shot 12 ga. shotgun loaded with magnum slugs. Give me a break. If you can shoot a 30-06 comfortably you will have no problem with a 375. 375 H&H that is, the 375 WBY is a horse of a different color. I've never taken a lion but I have taken a Cape Buffalo with a 375 H&H. I would have no qualms about taking a 375 for Lion.
This has absolutely nothing to do with the merits of what to use on a lion. What caught my eye was your mention of your uncle killing a lion with "old fashioned Silvertips". At 74, I want you to know that the 270 AND all Winchester loadings have killed a lot of animals in North America that weigh a heck of a lot more than many African plains animals (and for that matter, have also killed bears that weighed more than any lion) I have to tell you that I am impressed (really)that my old standby, the 270 was killing lions! Isn't it always a matter of bullet placement? (But, yeah, I would like the biggest bullet I could throw!)
Posts: 649 | Location: NY | Registered: 15 January 2004
In regards to cost, come January when my this year hunts are done I will be putting away 1000-1500 a month for a couple -3 years to go over and shoot what I want, I would like to think I could include a lion in there as well when the time comes.
Doug
Posts: 696 | Location: Texas, Wash, DC | Registered: 24 April 2003
Gerald: My uncle is 83 now and he still hunts with his 270. He is a retired OBG/YN and lives in Big Horn, Wyoming. I'm going to try and see if I can get some of the pictures of him and his lion and post them. jorge
Posts: 7151 | Location: Orange Park, Florida. USA | Registered: 22 March 2001
I have not shot lion but have shot Water Buffalo,Donkeys and feral pigs in Australia with .303,.30/06,.375H&H,.416Rigby and .470NE and I have used a new Winchester 1895 in .405Win on pigs and it really flattens them , What would it be like on Lions ? I think it would be ok with a fast second shot. Specs are-
.405 Winchester (.412") 300gr at 2,225fps SD 0.254 BC 0.194 Woodleigh Weldcore RN SN
any thoughts?
RLI
Posts: 276 | Location: Victoria, Australia | Registered: 24 May 2004
If you want to hunt in Tanzania, it takes a 21 day safari with a total cost approaching $60k all up. RSA isn't cheap either, not as much as TZ but likely it will run $40k or so for a true fair chase hunt. Botswana has closed their lion hunting and I don't know if Zambia has any or not.
Posts: 1148 | Location: The Hunting Fields | Registered: 22 May 2002
Larry Potterfield (sp?) took a lion with the 405 winnie last year, but I don't know the recipie. Personally, I like the 405. My grandaddy had a single shot falling block in 405 that was the first "big bore" I ever shot. 10 years old, clay birds at 100. I powdered one on the first shot and was tickled pink, but I couldn't move my arm for a day or so. Great lion caliber, and I'd use it on buff as well, but I'd feel a bit better if there were a 458 in the PH's hands with the buff.
Posts: 395 | Location: Florida's Fabulous East Coast | Registered: 26 February 2004
