Not sure if this have been posted already. If so, I apologize.
This is a accident report from PH Nigel Archer of Miobo Safaris: Report

Meet him at a show here in Norway a couple of years ago. Pleasant guy. Hope for a speedy recovery!

Ouch! He is lucky to be alive.

If ever tested I hope that I stand and shoot and not run off 150 yards leaving him to his fate.

I hadn't heard this. Nigel is a fine PH and gentleman. Hunted with him last year in the Selous. He does like the tall grass. Hope he has a speedy recovery.

As to the earlier post asking if you'd hunt with a PH who had recently been injured, I'd hunt again with Nigel anytime.

This PH is very lucky to be alive.

There is NO WAY I would carry softs in a back up rifle in elephant country - especially not after having spotted elephant in the immediate vicinity, as was the case here.

And I disagree with his opinion that "solids are useless as they provide very little stopping power" on a charging lion.

A .458 or larger solid is a formidable stopper on lion.

Lessons learned, one would hope, albeit at a high price in pain and misery.

classic jug f--k in the recounting. I think I might have to shoot a gunbearer when I got healed up enough to do so. As a client, I hope I would have the balls to stand by the PH and deliver.
I do not think there is any way I would consider hunting with this pack of morons. The PH doesn't think a large caliber solid can do a lion, the gunbearer hauls ass when the shite hits the fan, and the client can't speak english. WTF!!

What a mess...

Rich

I agree with MR, a PH should be loaded for the worst possible situation that might arise. From now on, I bet Nigel would agree that he'd rather face a lion with a solid than an elephant with a soft...

which caliber did he use? surely not a stopper otherweise according to guwriters he could stuned the jumbo with a frontal shot even if the bullet missed the brain

Seems to me the gun bearer lagged behind to avoid spooking the puku and when needed came running. (toward the elephant and the ph!) Some would have run away.

Both elephant and lion become singleminded when attacking but I believe the lion to be less likely to abandon a successful charge especially when wounded. It probably depends on which lion or which ele.

I would hate to be the client and spend the rest of my days rethinking my performance in this situation even tho he only got his gun back as the ele was upon them.

I spoke with Nigel in Tanz once and he seemed like an ok guy. I can't afford most of their hunts but would certainly hunt with Nigel if the opportunity presents itself. I wish him the best.

Adrian

quote:

.

There is NO WAY I would carry softs in a back up rifle in elephant country - especially not after having spotted elephant in the immediate vicinity, as was the case here.

And I disagree with his opinion that "solids are useless as they provide very little stopping power" on a charging lion.

A .458 or larger solid is a formidable stopper on lion.
.

The closest I have ever come to getting hurt by an animal when hunting was a lioness- she took a marginal hit with a .375 Soft (went through the chest but out under her shoulder blade damaging very little) then two .458 Solids and another .375 solid. All the solids were reasonable hits.

I supose that is why they make doubles...

My dad always carried a soft on top and solids underneath on the basis that if you don't let the elephant get too close you can eject the soft or put it through the ele's ear. With a lion, there is no time to muck about changing rounds.

Much of the decision is 'circumstances'. If you were not there...If the country appeared open enough to see the elephant before it was on top of me I wold probably have gone with the soft on top and solid underneath- but I wasn't there.

With regard to choices, they are all coloured by previous experiences

That client/hunter.....what a damned coward. Hunting with a bozo like that could get the whole party killed. I hope he shit his pants and gave up hunting DG altogether. Imagine...standing in the distance watching your PH get gored and crushed to death and unwilling to run to his aid. What an idiot.

As soon as you read that the gun bearer was carrying the PH's weapon, the cluster #@$% begins. I'm sorry, but you just do not do it !!!

These programs on TV with the all so great Johan Calitz, tracking dangerous game, shooting sticks in hand,rifle some 3 men behind...what a moron, dickhead, jerk, asking for trouble.

I'm not going into it too much, the first PH who does work for me and doesn't carry his rifle himself,better start walking home !!!

Neil,

Mate, I reckon you're being a bit harsh about using a gunbearer. If the guy is trained correctly and is 100% steady and reliable, you can get your rifle into action at least as quickly as if you had it in your own hands.........take a look at the old books and you'll find that hunters, including Professional Hunters, have been using gunbearers ever since white men have been hunting Africa.

In fact, why not give it a practice try. Have a tracker carry your rifle a la African carry and you walk a pace behind him, then reach out and grab the rifle and as you do so, have him let you take it and step to the side or sink down onto his knees etc. All you do is take the rifle and pull it back and into your shoulder....... I promise, you'll be suprised how quick and easy it is.

Of course, the gunbearer has to be 100% trained, steady and reliable and perhaps in this case, he wasn't!

Gentlemen,

Very sad to hear this, and I do hope he has a quick and complete recovery.

I think some of us are jumping to conclusions without actually being there.

How many of us have gone after a non dangerous game animal - like a puku - with the PH only carrying the shooting sticks?

In my case, many times, with many different PHs.

There is nothing wrong with that.

Loading a soft when one is likely to encounter a lion is also adviceable. Just as loading a solid if one is after an elephant.

But, ultimately we cannot take into consideration EVERY situation that might arise, hence things do go wrong sometimes, and ther is really not much anyone could have done to avoid them.

Hindsight is always 20/20.

This very thing was brought home to me last month.

I shot a waterbuck - he was quartering to our right, and my bullet went in at the point of the shoulder, going out at the rear of the stomach on the other side.

He was with another bull.

They both ran off into the bush after the shot, and we ran after them.

Us in this case were myself, Roy and Alan Vincent. Both are very experienced PHs.

After a few yards in the bush, and not finding the waterbuck dead as we had expected. Roy and myself waited by one track, as Alan went back to where the waterbuck was standing when he was shot, just to make sure we follow the right one.

We found some blood high up on the grass, and Roy and myself followed those tracks for about 10 yards. We lost them, and stood there waiting for Alan to come.

There was a tree to our left, and the area was relatively clear. We stood there talking.

Suddenly, we heard something coming from the direction of the tree, and as we turned to look, were faced with the waterbuck which was lying down 7 yards from us!? He seemed to want to charge us, but he was very wobbly on his feet. I swung around and put a bullet into his neck, Roy was unswinging the video camera from hsi shoulder as if it was a rifle!

Alan came back running, with a big smile on his face.

quote:

Originally posted by yes:
which caliber did he use? surely not a stopper otherweise according to guwriters he could stuned the jumbo with a frontal shot even if the bullet missed the brain

Not with a SOFT!

JPK

jpk
did he shot an elephant frontal with a soft point

Steve,

I will never allow a gun bearer to carry my weapon when tracking dangerous game, or even if walking in an area with dangerous game present, I just can not trust another person to stand their ground and pass me my weapon. I have seen it too often when trackers and game scouts turn and just run.....I am not prepared to take the chance.

How many times have you "bumped" into game lying under some brush, been ambushed by uninjured buffalo.....%$# happens, be prepared.

quote:

Originally posted by yes:
jpk
did he shot an elephant frontal with a soft point

Yes, he used a soft point on an elephant. Read the original post and some of the follow on posts. He was loaded with softs for lion, which he believed to be the bigger risk.

JPK

Neil,

Of course all these things are up to the individual but I started using one about 5 years ago and it works for me...... More importantly, I've never come close to an occasion where I was running out of time by using a gunbearer.

The point is that you don't nned to wait for the guy give you the rifle, you just put out your hand and take it when you need it and if done correctly the rifle can be bought into action at least as fast as if you had it in your own hands........ I'd honestly suggest you give it a practice try. Like I said, gunbearers have been used all the time white men have been hunting Africa. If it's worked and been popular for so many years, it's gotta have something going for it!

All that said, although I'm happy to use a (properl;y trained) gungearer on the long tabs, I always have the rifle in my own hands with my thumb on the safety when I get onto final approach or as soon as I start to smell a rat.

Interesting how these things seem to go in fashion. Another thing I like to use is an ash bag, which hangs from my wrist (when hunting) and can be used and then dropped to hang as I like. Yet I haven't seen a young PH use one in years and in fact, I've often had young blokes ask me what that bag is hanging from my wrist or belt.

I guess it shows the individuality of PH's. What works for some, doesn't necessarily work for others. As for the ash bag, a simple idea which should be utilised more often, perhaps something which should be added to an apprentice's training schedule.