When I went to Zambia in '99 for buffalo we also had several opportunities for bird shooting which introduced me to the culinary delights of francolin - yum!

Is it possible, advisable or even make sense to bring along a combination gun (Emil Kerner 8x57JR/16ga for instance) on our hunt next May in Namibia?

I have a call in to our agent about this, but thought I'd ask here while they were looking into it as well.

I have taken my 9.3X72R and 16 Ga on both my hunts in Namibia, enjoyed some good wing shooting. Take your drilling for sure! I normally take mine where ever I hunt in Africa, be it RSA Zim or Namibia.

while not a combination gun I usually take a set of shotty gun barrels for my doubles. fun can be had

I have an 8X57JR, 16 GA cape gun (side by side cambination gun) that is about the handyest firearm I can think of for a second gun for Namibia, or, in fact, any place in Africa! I have taken everything from jackrabbits to Moose with the rifle side, and from snipe to wild turkey with the shot side.

Deffinately take your combo gun with you to namibia, along with your primary rifle! If the combo gun has a QD scope mounted, that will return to zero after being removed, and replaced than it can do for your primary. With the 8X57JR pushing a 196 gr bullet at about 2500 fps, it will handle most anything you will run accross in namibia, as long as you are not going to hunt Buffalo as well, as plains game.In that case you need a 375 H&H or the like to be legal, if I'm not mistaken. My sugestion is, though,if buffalo is not included, take something like a bolt action 7mm rem Mag with a good 2-7X40 scope on it as primary.

Is you combo a Cape gun,an O/U,or a drilling?

In any event, good luck, and good hunting!

Thanks for the tales, that's good news! No buff this trip, looking for kudu and haartebeest, maybe blesbok and warthog. The Kerner is an o/u combo with a detachable scope and it shows promise with handloaded 200 gr Woodleighs.

I'm no long range sniper, so 200 yards is my limit; either a 9,3x62 will come with me or there's my partner's 9,3x74R if I feel undergunned with the 8mm.

That is a very nice looking combo, and I wouldn't be worried about being under gunned, that 8X57JR will do some things that will suprise you on some heavy animals! I've taken elk at 200 yds and dropped them in their tracks, and black bear over bait DRT, and it will senda 350 lb running wild boar tail over tea kettle,never to rise again. Your rifle is a nice set-up! Go gett-um!

quote:

I have taken my 9.3X72R

Have you used the old 9,3X72R as well? Would like to read details. I own an Ferlach "Cape Gun" in 9,3X72R - 16/65, built in 1919.

The airline cracked the stock in Oct, but used the 16ga for my red Duiker, I have also taken my Dik-Dik and Blue Duiker with the 16ga but have not taken anything with the rifle yet. Right now I am having a hard time getting it to shoot hand loads. I have tried barnes X in 250 gr (which are keyholing) as that is the bullet I use in my 9.3X74R with great sucess, so I am looking for a bullet weight that will work.

Those 9,3x72R barrels typically have a pretty slow twist and often won't group worth a darn with bullets over 225 grains or anything pointy. Have you slugged the bore? Quite a few of the 72Rs that I have come in contact with are pretty small, like .360", and really like the 200 grain round nose .358" bullets made for the .35 Remington.

Take your favorite rifle and shoot a bunch of stuff. Bring some 12 ga and .22 ammo. Utilize the ranch ahotgun for wingshooting and the .22 for dossies and such.

When I was in Namibia in 2007, we were up to our ankles in guinea fowl and francolin, but the PH said he didn't really want to develop the bird shooting for fear the additional volume of gunshots might spook the big game. I have since concluded that it would a lot of fun to hunt the birds with a bow, or with a decent spring-air pellet rifle, and may take one or both along if I am so lucky as to return to Africa some day, just for the purpose of bird hunting.
My PH was amused by the thought of sniping go-away birds in near silence ...

The first time I went to Namibia my PH showed me a cape gun in 11.15r x 16ga. It was a really neat old JP Saur of Shul. He said that his wife still used the shotgun barrel to shoot snakes in the garden. He said he would love to take a gemsbok with it but that ammo was no longer available for 11.15r.

I promised him that I would find the ammo when I got home and send some back to him. He said that many people had looked for the ammo but failed. After doing some research I found that the 11.15r is the same as the 43 Mauser. Old Western Scrounger had it in stock.

I took a box with me when I returned the next year. Imagine how I felt when it would not fit in the chamber!


Well, I stopped in for a visit when I was traveling through a few years later. Hermann showed me the rifle and explained that a gunsmith in Windhoek had fixed it. I have no idea what he did, but now the ammo fit.

We headed to the range and took a couple of shots each. The sights were a bit off but we decided to go look for a gemsbok in the afternoon.

Once we got under way Hermann explained that he wanted me to do the shooting as he felt that I had shot better than he. I was very excited to put this lovely old gun back to its intended use. Now we just need to find a "meat" gemsbok.

After quite a bit of unsuccessful searching we came across a band of Kudu led by an old male. His horns were both broken off about a foot from their bases. Hermann said, "I've been wanting to get that old boy for a while. Go ahead an shoot him."

He was not aware of our presence so I took my time and let the front sight settle right behind the shoulder and began to squeeze the trigger. At the shot the kudu jumped straight up then ran to some brush about twenty yards away then slowed to a walk. I finished reloading as he came to a stop. His hind legs slid out from under him and he sank to the ground dead.

That big lead bullet did the job. It entered the ribs on one side, penetrated both lungs and exited through the off-side ribs. The kudu traveled less that 25 yard after the shot and was dead in about five seconds.


So I guess my answer is yes, do take your combination gun.

Jason