Lions we'll say. Not the springing from the bushes scenario or whatever.More if you had them incoming from a distance and open ground where you would have(some)time to pick the shot.

Will the general headshot always work with a bigbore?
Would you go to one knee to improve the angle?
Do they generally 'trot' in or is it full speed stuff?

Karl.

Karl,

We followed a pride of lions one morning, and caught up with them within a few minutes.

They were in some grass, and sensed us before we saw them. They all took off from a distance of about 30 yards, except one young male. He just sat on his hind legs trying to see what the hell was going on. My PH said I could shoot it, and all I could see was his neck and head. I shot him in the neck with a 416 Rigby Improved, which dropped him in his tracks.

A few seconds later, one of the lionesses that ran off came back charging straight at us!

Both myself and the PH had her in our sights, with him saying "don't shoot! Don't shoot!"

She stopped less than 20 yards from us, walked to her dead friend and stood by him. My PH told me to shoot her too, which I did.

I remember as she was charging towards us, I had her head centered in my scope, and was going to pull the trigger when I thought she was too close for comfort. My intention was to put the bullet in the center of her head, as I knew I wasn't going to get another shot at her.

I told my PH about this, and he said he was ready to shoot her if he thought she is too close, and he was going to shoot her in the head too.

This has always been my own policy, regardless of what animals is charging me, is to shoot for the head.

It is the only sure way of stopping them in their tracks.

Hey Karl,
Yes I reckon a head shot is a good plan...going down on one knee is probably a good idea if you have the time and the presence of mind to do it...only problem with that is that 1) it takes you a second - maybe more - to get down and steady yourself for the shot and 2)if for whatever reason your first shot does not achieve what you intend...you might find it difficult to step back or to the side to get another shot in before the cat is on you.

The obvious benefit of a head shot is also that if you are unlucky and miss the brain, you do still have a good chance of breaking a jaw, hitting the spine and/or a frontal shot through the lungs and if you are really lucky maybe even the heart. Any damage on a lion that wants to bite you should be considered good damage i think.

I have never heard of lions trotting in on a charge...they are so fast in a full charge that it is almost impossible to comprehend...and they come low, most often without noise. Mock charges can be likened to a trot in exceptional circumstances...but in no way could they be likened to a full charge...

One thing is certain...even when they mock charge - when you see them coming for you there seems to be no doubt in your own mind that that cat wants to hurt you!! and my goodness me...WHAT A RUSH!!

No time for fancy stuff. Stay standing especially if you do want to shoot the animal. Most lion will pull up at 8-10 paces and you are only justified in shooting one not on licence inside this range. If the lion has had 20m or so to get up to full speed it will be doing 50mpr when it crosses that 8 yard mark.

Have always found body shots with a 9,3/.375/.404 (high vel load) fold a lion adequately with softs. Had a lioness though take 2x .458 and 2x .375 solids without flinching. None were well placed though.

Last July in Namibia, we killed a big maned male lion at twenty yards that was just getting up from behind a thorn bush to come for us. I had already shot him twice, once high on the shoulder blade and once through the spinal processes and lungs, and he was dying. But he still got up and was coming.

My PH (Vaughan Fulton) and I both fired at the same time, he with his .458 Win. and a solid, and I with my .338 Win. and a Barnes X. Both shots hit the lion square in the chest and he dropped to the ground.

His twin brother (and I do mean twin--the two lions looked incredibly alike) had been with my lion as we tracked them through the scrub, so we had to stay alert to that threat. But his brother wanted no part of the fight and ran off.

As we approached my lion from the rear, I put two more finishers into him where he lay, but they were insurance.

With dangerous game, I am a firm believer in insurance.

If he is at full charge, stay standing, good chance that if you squat, you will lose sight and that can be serious as he will be on you like a duck on a junebug....Stand up and shoot him in the middle of that yellow ball thats coming your way! Body shots are my recommendation as the head may be a tricky shot and if you muff it, you could be in his bubble before you know it...Head shots on charging Lions are cute, but only if they work.

Mostly Lions are easy to stop, but then their are the exceptions that eat your lunch...

I would have to agree entirely with Ray in shooting "the middle of the yellow ball"!
I have a story about a lion at full pace.
Many years ago I was hunting a large herd of Buffalo on the Zambezi floodplain beside Mana Pools.
This was at first light and there was virtually no perceptible wind. The herd split into two because what we did not immediately recognise was that a pride of lions were hunting them also. We chose to stay on a herd of about 200 and using clumps of high standing grass and the odd patch of scrub or trees we continued our stalk.
As we were approaching a particular clump of grass a full grown male materialised between the Buffalo and ourselves [a friend I was hunting with and a game scout].He had been hiding within this sparse cover and advanced some 10yds low to the ground towards the herd. It is always amazing how such a large animal can he hidden in small patches of grass!!??
My friend was leading and headed off slightly at a tangent to the right. He and the lion were oblivious to each other, both being so intent on M'Bogo! The game scout behind me and I froze with my rifle on the couchant animal. Ben [my friend] made about 10-15 yds before realising something was up and nobody was following him. From a lifetime of hunting Ben was almost deaf so it was impossible to alert him without the lion hearing as well.Ben looked back and saw my rifle raised whereupon he followed the point of the my barrels - saw the object in question and immediately raised his rifle to cover him as well.
This chap was too close for comfort - I would guess about 20yds. We continued this pose for ??? and then the lion moved to the next patch of cover still oblivious to us.
He was now about 35yds away hidden in a thick patch of bush.
THEN the wind arrived with a gentle touch to the back of my neck. We were about to wind our 4 legged hunter! Now I knew he was there but could not actually see him at this stage.
It took about 15 seconds for our scent to reach him whereupon a golden streak [ the sun had just risen] appeared moving right to left for the thicker jess in that direction. He was in the open for about 60yds and I shouldered my old H&H double and never got the foresight in front of him before he disappeared!!!
I would hate to have one come on full noise directly - remember that they are covering ground in 20' bounds and will make 100yds in a little more than 3 seconds!
Waiting until they are virtually on their last bound and a half we are talking around half a second to decide and shoot! And you guys are talking head shots!!?? Seriously???
Yikes!!!
APB
PS We copped an earful from Ben's old tracker who had spent almost the whole time we were away on top of an anthill with only his demou [small axe] and a couple of other lions from the rest of the pride for company!

Ya know...after giving this question some serious thought I have decided that probably the best POA - (plan of action)- would be to run...run forrest run...as fast as your little legs can carry you. This will usually result in the cat following you.

Then you just follow three easy to remember steps.

1) Holding your rifle over your shoulder (aimed backwards!)
2) Slip safety off (whilst still running of course!)
3) Empty magazine in general direction of pursuing cat.

By which time your PH should have dispatched aforementioned errant cat.(If you havent already taken him out with one of your own bullets!)

IMHO

Are there any indications that a lion's charge is just a bluff charge?

There are a number of theories on this, but I am afraid I don't believe any of them.

I would just take my chance by standing my ground, and if he gets too close for my comfort, I will shoot him in the head.

Subconsciously, I must agree with Saeed...but with a weird twist.

Before my first trip to Africa, I had a nightmare in which I was asleep in a stone hut with a thatched roof. I awoke to the sound of low growls near the door. As I sat straight up in my bunk I saw the silhouette of a lioness' head in the doorway. Without hesitation, I grabbed my handy Marlin 45-70 Guide Gun and shot her in the head, dropping her in the doorway. Immediately, another lioness appeared and was immediately dispatched as the first. And finally a big male stood just inside and got the last two rounds between the eyes, dropping by my bunk.

I awoke in a cold sweat...realizing that my life had just been spared by the unlikely presence of an AR favorite...

RHS- the nightmare wasn't the lions at the door rather it was the caliber you chose!

Saeed
I have watched a couple of your video clips and can see that you are a fast accurate shot. The side brain shot on the moving elephant was a case in point - great shot! I would have passed on that shot because I don't have that level of confidence. That was a high level of skill to pull that changing angle and accelleration of the animal! Maybe the camera angle/distance/lens makes it look more difficult than it actually was or ... you realize my appreciation of that angle and speed.
However if you ever have a lion coming at FULL noise and you brain shoot it inside 20yds I will pay to watch it and it will be probably be the most challenging shot on dangerous game you will ever make.
I don't believe there is a scoped rifle or shooter on this planet that can stay on a lion's head inside 20yds at full speed.
I guess an interesting question would be - what shot would I take if I were alone and not relying on any backup?
Have you ever seen a lion at max speed up close and on foot? Compared to one just shambling in curious for a look?

Ganyana - if you read this I would be interested in your comments as well?
APB

There are several PH's that have done this, but I do not know details.

The one PH that told me of one tale was that he and another PH (who I know also), whose client had wounded the lion, went after the lion with his .416 Rem (what else!) and the other PH's 10 gauge shotgun with buckshot.

When the lion came boiling out of the bush, the PH with the shotgun gave the lion a face full at about 10 yards with no effect whatsoever and the other PH then dropped it with a .416 solid through the brain.

I was polite enough (if you can believe that!) not to ask him if hitting the lion in the brain was planned or just a fluke.

APB. If the ground is flat a lion charge is actually a reasonably easy target. It runs very "flat", unlike a leopard. I have faced several mock charges and one full charge pressed home - The lioness died on top of my rifle- I was doing a fast retreat and getting a handgun into action.- You can certainly see the head, and it is as good an aiming mark as any- and if you are aiming at it you may actually hit it

There is a pride of lions at Chitake springs that do a regular show for tourists. Steve Pope -one of the local guides - can guarantee a charge for tourists to film. The agro bitch always pulls up at arround the 10 yard mark and it is very spectacular. Book with him and have a watch! Only thing that bothers me is one day that bitch will press home that charge and steve will still have his rifle slung and have a shocked expression on his face. The warden will say "I told you" - So, don't book with Steve that week

RE: Pride of lions at Chitake Springs tourist show -

Maybe they can try converting them like this fellow did:

http://www.local6.com/news/3887764/detail.html

I have a mpg clip of a lion hunt that involves shots fired, a charging lion that knocks the hunter off his feet, more shots fired (8 shots in all) and eventually a dead lion and lots of high fiving.

It's 3.16 megs in size.

If someone has the addy to a server I'd be happy to upload it and share. It's called 'Huntn Biz Bizness Plan'(sic).

Here are some photos of a man trying to convert lions to christianity !!! www.local6.com/news/3887764/detail.html

Ray

I believe it was a hunt in South Africa.

Do you know where it occurred in South Africa?

Thanks for filling in the gaps Ray .

I still think it's an incredible video and I can't believe how lucky the hunter was not to end up with the lion on top of him. The lion sure took some stopping