I've been watching Cape Buffalo hunt videos on YouTube lately and admit I'm getting the itch again by doing it.

I flinch every time though when I see anyone doing the African Carry and pointing the muzzle at the backs or heads of the trackers, PH, or hunter.

I never used that carry when I hunted Africa because I just wasn't brought up that way. If my dad were to ever catch me with my rifle pointed at a person, or in the direction of people, I'm sure I would no longer have had that rifle.

After growing up, I've been on hunts when guns were discharged by accident, or a shotgun fired at a bird, and another hunter caught in the pattern. Scary! My impression is that hunters are less safety conscious now than they used to be. Maybe because we're not handling guns as often as we used to.

It seems like in the videos, the American/Brit hunter in the video, not really used to the African Carry, is usually the guy with the poorest muzzle-management.

Another reason I can't do the African Carry is that my rifles and shotguns are priceless....to me. From the first gun I ever held, I can't bring myself to put a bare hand on blued metal. It would be like putting your fingerprint on Mona Lisa's face.

I'm assuming Saeed and others here are probably very comfortable with the African Carry, but it's not for me.

I'm sure I get laughed at for doing this but I always just use a sling and my rifle is on my shoulder, muzzle pointed up. That's unless crawling through bush or game is spotted and moving into a shooting position.

I'm with you Ken. This gets argued in the African forum from time to time and I just don't buy the claim that it is a safe way to carry a long gun. The video cameras don't lie.
Ann, no one will ever be harmed by your slung rifle.

My PH claimed the slung barrel sticking in the air would scare the game. Nonsense! My twenty inch barrel did not clear my black cowboy hat. Catch a branch, again nonsense! When you see some of the barrels with the blue completely rubbed off or with a rag wrapped around the barrel, you wonder. Much slower to shoulder from the barrel carry. When you are in Rome do as the Romans, not me! I will sling carry mine! I too watch the buffalo hunting shows, a lot more sling carry now. Saw one when the PH put up the binos and hit the hunter in the head with his barrel carry!

I have a little different thought, let your guide do and perform as they see best, that's why you hired them. If they're swinging the muzzle at you I can see mentioning it to them, but if they shoot their trackers or each other I guess it their circus and their monkeys.

I don't hear or read about ph's or guides shooting anyone. I do read about hunters shooting themselves or each other as well as nearby objects. As a client I try to put all my attention in to not making a mistake myself.

Anymore guns scare me quite a bit due to the meathead holding it. Just last week I was cutting fruit for lunch with a good knife and nicked myself twice. Glad it was just a knife. When I open one of my guns up and can't remember in advance if there is anything in the magazine or not it bothers me. Lately I find it more common than not to be handed a weapon that the sender didn't clear in advance.

I think we the clients/ amateurs/ recreational-ists/ weekend warriors are the true hazard.

quote:

I think we the clients/ amateurs/ recreational-ists/ weekend warriors are the true hazard.

For sure some are. I've had military and career law enforcement so dealing with weapons was/is a part of life. For me the hard part was not being respected simply because I am female and my experience wasn't taken seriously. Lots of people who go on safaris and other hunts are in fact very proficient with firearms by nature of occupation.

I recall comments made to me on some trips because I used a sling but I never shot anyone or had any other mishap. Reminds me of my time in Zimbabwe and my party got charged by a very cheeky herd of cow elephants and the game scout, who ran ahead, stopped and started pointing his rifle at all of us with the cows coming up behind. Nothing like seeing that barrel pointed right at you. I hit the dirt.

The "African carry" makes sense for the first hunter in the stick, especially since the PH probably doesn't have a sling on his rifle. I won't use it when there are people in front of me, and frankly, I don't find it a comfortable way to carry a rifle. I either use a sling, or, carry it in the crook of my left arm, which I prefer and is a little faster, maybe. Either way, the muzzle is pointed skyward. If it looks like things are imminent, the rifle is in my hands.