Crocodile, I am sure we have all read of the “horror” stories when trophy Croc have not been anchored on the first shot and with a swish of their mighty tail they have reached water and disappeared. I had always assumed that even with a perfectly placed shot (spine or brain) they would still thrash around in their death struggles and could disappear into the water. I am curious to hear of others experiences.

I took the Croc in the photo above with one rd from my Blaser K95 8x57JRS (Woodleigh 220 RN SP at 2450 fps) range was 64 meters, I had crawled into a perfect position, prone and with by Leica wrapped in my scrim scarf I had a solid rest. The angle was not the greatest, he was slightly nose down quartering towards me but I placed a shot in his neck. To my amazement he opened his mouth raising his top jaw high in the air, shut it and never moved an inch after that. I expected him to thrash around and the tracker was calling for me to shoot again so I fired two more rds, from a slightly different angle (I moved along the bank)which broke his spine twice more. I had decided not to aim for the brain as I want his skull as a trophy.

Very curious to hear of others experiences, they are a great animal to hunt, this fellows heart was still beating 4 hours later when he was skinned out.

Nice lizard John, and good shooting! Congratulations

I have seen every variation of responses from croc's upon receiving a bullet. Yours is fairly common for one hit right on the button, which you obviously did. Croc are my favorite hunt in Africa as strange as that sounds. A fine trophy and job well done.

John:
Nice croc but that doesn't look like an 8-bore to me!
Contact me when you can as my bore rifle book is clearing customs in California this week.
Mine was shot with a .450-400 directly to the brain and the tail twitched one side to side movement and that's all.
An Austrian PH told me for several days (in an Arnold accent) that I would lever shoot a croc with a double rifle and I should use his .375 with an Austrian scope. So, the night of the kill I placed the croc in his tent with the mouth open and shut off all the lights claiming a failed generator. All of the Selous could hear the scream and the camp had a good laugh.
Cheers,
Cal

i brained one and he did the tail thrash for abit. Only thing was there was a place about 600 yds down river that would be a convenient unloading place. we had a 10' boat with 3 trackers, one ph and 1 12' croc in it. riding about 2" out of the water and on the way he sort of came to life again like most reptiles. after we got back to camp & skinned the thing there came this godawful smell. the boys believed that the crocs spirit is evil and burned the carcass.

Spined mine . . . DRT.

Nice croc and great shooting. Your crocs reaction is very typical of one getting hit in the next and breaking the spine. I also love that cartridge you used. It is otherwise know as an 8mm mauser. I have an old bruno rifle from my grandad in that cartridge.

shot a 14 footer in Moz with a high spine shot- he opened his mouth like a big yawn, then it fell shut and he never twitched. next year shot a 15 footer in Moz with another high spine sot- he literally never moved a single muscle.

Nice croc John!!!

Are you the Aussie John Hipwell by chance?

Butch, is it the usual custom for folks not to eat croc meat?

Nice croc. we ate the tail of my croc and it was wery good like chicken...

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
...we had a 10' boat with 3 trackers, one ph and 1 12' croc in it. riding about 2" out of the water and on the way he sort of came to life again like most reptiles. after we got back to camp & skinned the thing there came this godawful smell...

If I were in a 10-foot boat with four other guys and a live 12-foot croc, I'm pretty sure I know what we would be smelling afterwards...

Mark
My 8mm here is a rimmed version of the original 8 mm Mauser. My Blaser is a single shot with no ejector so I wanted a rimmed rd for faster loading and unloading. No need to push a rimmed rd in to the chamber and I only have to open the action elevate the muzzle and the empty falls out.

Matt
No I came from the UK, but have I lived in Canada since 82.

I shot mine right between the eyes. You are correct as the skull was blown apart.

Nice!

Thanks for the the post and report. Makes me want to try it too.

Tom

good shooting and a fine lizard.

Mike

John, the instant death shot is one of the many atributes of the fine K-95 :-)

Nice Croc. Great shot. I haven't taken one yet but will one day.