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Had a great hunt on the El Sauz ranch last Monday for nilgai. My buddy is a lease holder and called to ask if I'd help him get the last few animals on his lease as his lease year was ending. He had 3 bulls and 5 cows left. 4 of us went down with the intent on each killing an antelope. In the morning I killed 2 middle aged bulls for meat, one guys missed a cow and another connected. 3 animals was a GREAT morning. After butchering them out the leaser told us to head back out and get 5 more. We decided to walk a very remote, very thick area that lay behind 2 gates. Now this area is never hunted because most of the other leasers drive around in trucks looking for animals. Nilgai have unbelievably keen senses so this is not a great way to hunt them. We figured the antelope in this pasture would be pretty calm since it is too thick to drive hunt and there are no other gates on the rest of the ranch so why would anyone hunt here. We started on the south end of this 2000 acre pasture heading North into the wind. 2 of my buddies where walking abreast with me about 8' behind. We walking down an overgrown road when we came to a small natural opening about 100 yards deep. My buddy did a double take on it and kept walking. I naturally looked down it when I got to it and noticed a large black mass that appeared to be another mesquite about 80 yards down. I put up my binos and noticed it was a bull. I unslung my rifle, a Centurion Arms 308, shouldered the rifle and dropped to one knee. The bull spotted me when I dropped. He was standing in the "v" of a large mesquite, that's why my buddy missed him, and one of the trunks totally covered his neck. I decided to hit him in a frontal chest shot. He whirled around and ran straight down the opening. I hit him again square in the ass as he ran. he went another 10' and wrecked in a heap. By the time I got to him he was dead. In my scope I noticed his chest was huge but when I got up on him he was enormous, weighing over 600 pounds. My first shot had done him in. The Black Hills Match 168gr TSX had taken out the top of his heart and bottom of both lungs. I found the bullet on the off side on top of the last ribs, thats 4' of penetration! I have always passed on the trophies to let other guys shoot them but when I saw this guy in my scope I really wanted him. After standing over him I was so proud of him and what a great hunt it had been. I haven't shot a trophy anything in 20 years so this was quite a treat! The recovered bullets weighed 167.2 grs and measured .614 caliber at the widest points (not including the bent petal) and .535 caliber at the narrowist. The rifle is a Centurion Arms custom M700 308. It has a 16", 1:10 Douglas bbl. with an Ops Inc. 12th model suppressor. Topped with a NXS 5.5-22x56. Perry    | ||
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Congrats on what appears to be a very successful hunt along with textbook bullet performance.  But now you HAVE to share a few more details for all us curious types...  Congrats! Bobby Bobby Μολὼν λαβέ The most important thing in life is not what we do but how and why we do it. - Nana Mouskouri | |||
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Yes, just what is that evil looking rifle you are shooting? Mike Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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Nice work! ------------------------------- Some Pictures from Namibia Some Pictures from Zimbabwe An Elephant Story | |||
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Great work. I really want one of those things on my wall. How do they taste? Again, congrats. | |||
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As far as taste goes...From guys who have hunted the world everyone says they are the best tasting antelope. I have had gemsbok and eland and I think the nilgai is better than both. It is a very lean, light colored meat that is extremely tender. Perry | |||
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Perry, Kudos on the kill!!!! Good shooting for sure.That is ONE HUGE animal. Never killed anything that large. Lot's of meat in da freezer... | |||
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Congrats!! What a great opportunity!! They are on my list......... Bob There is room for all of God's creatures....right next to the mashed potatoes. http://texaspredatorposse.ipbhost.com/   | |||
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Very nice bull!! Hope you enjoy the meat as well as the trophy... he looks like an old guy... broomed off tips or his horns... El Sauz...?? Is that part of the Kennedy?? Been a while since I have been back home to south texas...well anyway enjoy your " Valentin" that is what the locals know the nilgai as... again Congragulations!! Ernest | |||
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Congrats.. a good looking bull. I've taken a few of them and they are one of the best game animals in TX... Smart, hard to take down, "exotic" looking, and damn fine eating. If I was still in TX, I'd try to hunt them every year! | |||
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Dam I love hunting nilgai and glad to see others do as well. Very nice bull! I took mine the last weekend in March on the Yturria Ranch with LL Hunt Service! On the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of ten thousand, who on the dawn of victory lay down their weary heads resting, and there resting, died. If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch... Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son! - Rudyard Kipling Life grows grim without senseless indulgence. | |||
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You give hope. All I ever hear is Nilgai are bullet proof and you need a 338 win mag or 375 to kill them. I feel much better about using my 338 Federal on Nilgai now. | |||
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CONGRATS Perry! Helluva Bull & Hunt Report. Nilgai is high on my list as well. "A Lone Hunter is the Best Hunter..." | |||
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I think the El Sauz is on the highway, 2209 I think, going to Port Mansfield from Hwy 77 (Raymondville) and covers both sides of the road for several miles. A very large private low fence high dollar lease as I recall. Have been wrong once that I remember!  | |||
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Congrats on your success. Knowing nothing about nilgai, what makes your specimen of trophy quality? Horn length? Skull size? Body weight? Just curious on what merits a trophy nilgai is judged. | |||
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Congratulations on a fine hunt!! I can't wait to whack a big Nilgai bull. They are on my hit list for sure..... As of right now, this is my hit list: 1. Scimitar Horned Oryx 2. Aoudad (tie) 2. Nilgai (tie) 4. Elk 5. VERY LARGE pure-blooded Russian Boar _______________________________________________________ Hunt Report - South Africa 2022 Wade Abadie - Wild Shot Photography Website | Facebook | Instagram | |||
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Congratulations. Great report. | |||
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Although the use of sound moderators (suppressors or "silencers") for game hunting is very civilized and is commonly practiced in Europe, Texas law makes it illegal for game animals. Fortunately, Nilgai are exotics which are not classed as game animals, therefore a legally owned suppressed rifle can be used on them. Don't those little "devil horns" look out of place on such a huge beast? | |||
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Very nice bull. Congratulations mario | |||
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By SCI standards or whoever scores exotics it is calculated by length of both horns and bases of both horns. My standard was that it was a mature animal on a d.i.y. hunt. I don't know what this bull scores and probably will not find out. He had brushed the tips of his horns off over the years so that would keep him from making any kind of "book" I'm sure. Perry | |||
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Did someone ask about this in a response I missed??? Perry | |||
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Perry or Stonecreek: Would you happen to know the particulars on what paperwork is involved to legally own a suppressed rifle? 'Same forms as fully-automatic? It would come in handy on hogs. | |||
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Yes. Go to the BATF's website and you can print out the form. It is very easy to do. Whoever you purchase the suppressor from will also have the paper work. If you are incorporated or part of a trust you do not need the chief law enforcement officers signature. They are great fro non game animals, easy on the ears. Perry | |||
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I recommend setting up a trust and avoiding local LEO's. Consult an NFA Trust attorney. There has been a lot of discussion in multiple forums and threads about obtaining suppressors via an NFA Trust. Using Quicken had been mentioned. I would caution you to read the information below: May 22, 2009 BATFE seeks to seize NFA firearms from an Invalid Quicken Trust Joshua Prince alerted me to a blog post on a developing situation he ran across on Subguns where an individual used Quicken to attempt to create a trust for NFA purposes. Unfortunately the BATFE has now decided that his Quicken trust was invalid and is seeking to seize his MAC-11 and Silencer. He could also be subject to a prison sentence of 10 years and $250,000 in fines. This is a very unfortunate situation that could cost the individual severely. Its important to remember that just because the ATF approves your transfer, it does not mean that you are legally in possession. This is the second situation involving invalid trusts and the ATF that we have seen this month. It looks like the ATF is beginning to look more closely at the trust documents they are receiving. If you created a trust for NFA purchases in Quicken, Legal Zoom, or used another generic trust that was not reviewed before buy a lawyer before submitting it to the BATFE, you should contact a NFA trust attorney to review your trust for validity. A lot of our board members at the Posse have or are in the process of obtaining suppressors, primarily for predator hunting in Texas. Bob There is room for all of God's creatures....right next to the mashed potatoes. http://texaspredatorposse.ipbhost.com/ | |||
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Bob, Could you expound upon what you mean by "invalid". This is VERY disturbing news!!! Perry | |||
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I was going to use a lawyer to create my trust, but the lowest price I could find was $600. I think $600 for less than an hour's work typing into a word processing program is way too much. Ranb ______________________________ In my opinion the best accessory to put on a rifle is a silencer. | |||
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Perry-You will have to ask the BATF. I sure would not take a chance on Quicken. ranb40-$400 seems to be typical around here. It beats having the the BATF on your butt. Once it is set up you are good to go from now on. Bob There is room for all of God's creatures....right next to the mashed potatoes. http://texaspredatorposse.ipbhost.com/ | |||
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