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Just back from Zim.
Will do full report soon.
Hunted with Buzz Charlton's outfit.
Our PH was Alan Shearing-extremely professional,experienced and hard working.
Took my tuskless cow in the Omay-distance from the muzzle of the 500 Searcy double to the elephant 16 yds.
We were surrounded by the whole herd at the time.
Single round frontal brain shot-2nd put in on PH's advice but,as it turned out, not needed.
Fantastic!!!
Plains game taken at Kwe Kwe -zebra,kudu and impala-excellent spot.
Met Buzz and his staff-all great people,went out of their way to help us enjoy our stay.
Will post photos and full report soon.
I highly recommend Buzz Charlton Safaris.

Added 16 Sept. 2007
I have been very busy with life and have not done a proper hunting report yet but here is a video clip in mean time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCpa8OQRosM

Bravo!!
ozhunter

look forward to the full report and photos, Wombat

Excellent! I knew you would enjoy Alan and am looking forward to seeing your Elephant.

Congratulations -- I look forward to a full report.

Well done. Looking forward to reading about it.

Sounds like a great trip. Looking forward to the full report . . . with pictures.

May I ask, what was the weather like???

Weather was perfect-cool evenings and early morning and very warm days

Wombat,

You may have been bitten by the TUSKLESS ELEPHANT bug and the only cure is to go back to the same area and do it over again, .

Buzz Charlton, himself, or his safari company are the ones who seem to excel in this hunt. Personally, I know that Buzz likes to hunt elephants above all other.

Congrats on a fine frontal brain shot with your 500 Seary Double!

Dak

Way to go! You were on one of the most dangerous hunts a man can do. I'm sure the adrenalin was pumping. You didn't mention that you had seen Buzz Charlton's hunting video, but for anyone preparing for an elephant hunt, this would be "must viewing."

wombat, as i was the first person to lay eyes on your searcy 500NE double in Australia (even before you) i cant wait to read about your report.
cheers mate and well done!

Wombat
Any photos and report yet?
ozhunter

It seems uzz has been overwhelmed by Australians this year.

mike

Pictures please!

Please see initial post for some new video footage

Good shooting!

Nicely done! I'm still trying to get my video clip posted so I'm pleased to see yours online. Great shot.

As always, it's great to hear that people had a good time with Alan. He's a great PH. Looks like he has lost a little weight since I saw him in June. I recognized his laugh after your shot...he loves to see those elephant fall down. Taka was right in the middle of it too.

Yukon, I believe the hunt was last September, so Alan has perhaps put weight on since last year, or maybe just gets thinner as the season goes on.

Oh, I didn't even see the date stamp. I kind of wondered how this hunt got past me.

I see it took him a long time to get video online too. My problem is software related but I'll get it before long.

Nice video and a good shot.


hamdeni

Good shooting mate.
I love the sounds of Africa and your video brings back fond memory's.

Well Done !!!

Congratulations ... any more video and/or pics ?

I apologise for bringing this back from the dead but the drink is a terrible thing.
I just wanted to fill in the members how much work went into the above hunt.
I shot my first elephant at age 5 on the stage at school(in my imagination) and worked for the next 40 odd years to let it turn into reality.Things like a medical degree,specialist qualifications in anaesthethics,wife and three children ,morgage etc kept getting in the way.Eventually plans started to be laid in 2001.My wife and I were holidaying in Paris before a plains game hunt in Zim.I visited a great African Double Rifle shop in Paris and priced a Demas 500 double.To ship a Demas to Australia proved too hard(sadly I think the propriator died in the interum).However,the wick was lit!Two years later I ordered my Searcy 500.
We are talking post 9/11 and the shit never ends moving a rifle from the US to Australia.15 monthes later the rifle arrives (a lot of SHIT deleted but would be happy to deal with Butch again any time).I plan two safari's locally to work the bugs out of me and the rifle.Do not go elephant hunting without firing at least 200 rounds at targets and game with your elephant rifle or you may be killed.IS THAT CLEAR ENOUGH!4 monthes out from my hunt,after having read all available texts in relation to animal anatomy,shot placement etc,I started training.I lost 12kgs in weight(~26 lbs),I had an old SXS shotgun altered to match the Searcy's stock dimensions so as to fire rear trigger,front trigger(see old posts as to why!)and put 2000 rounds over several sessions in at the local clay target range.I could fire rear trigger,front trgger without thinking-AFTER 2000 rounds.I highly recommend it.The video does not relate how I had travellers shits that woke me up twice during the night.How the heavy dose of codiene and Imodium left me a bit dazed (but who wants to shit themselves in front of the PH and the trackers when you get close to elephants-trust me the thought will cross your mind when you get close enough!).Unless you have been hunting in Africa it is hard to realise the pressure the client is under.I might belong to a completely different social strata to the trackers but in the field you are all men together.They and the PH do their bit by bringing you within rock throwing distance to an elehant IN THE MIDDLE OF A HERD OF TRUCULANT ELEPHANT.It is up to you to finish it off.If you fuck it up your life along with the PH and the trackers lives are on the line.On this day the Gods smiled but on past safaris I have stuffed up just a plains game hunt and felt the loud but silent humilation that was my due from the other men.I would never have missed a day of any of it-shame and glory-makes a man know he is alive.Bitter memmories of grand days beat no memories hands down.This was a grand day-if you can do it do not hesitate-book today.
This demented raving has been provoked by the celebration drinks surrounding the fact that my hunting partner and I have just booked again with Buzz Charlton for two elephant in
Chirisa in Zim. this October

Wombat,

Goodnews that you are going again.

About the shits, I have got to pass on this story:

I was striken by the runs one day on the hunt and had to peel off into the bush all too frequently while we were on tracks. When we finally caught up to the eles in some thick riverine bush they we eating and dozing and we worked around the herd to find suitable tuskless.

We were 35yds away from the herd when my guts started spasming. No one seemed to have the TP and I'm stipping leaves off a tree fast as I can when the lead tracker takes his eyes off the eles and notices my predicament and hands over the TP, with a chuckle follwed by a giggle. Its contagious and we're all gigling as I work away from the trackers, PH and herd for maybe 10yds to find a suitable bush.

I've got my shorts around my ankles, my rifle propped on a branch and the eles decide to move. Of course they're angling toward me, but things are not going well with my guts. Through a clear lane in the brush I'm watching eles go by at 25yds and pondering the angles for a frontal brainshot while squatting if one of the cows gets my "wind", if you can call the stench that, and objects. At this point I'm just shy of outright hysterical laughter at my predicament.

Finally I can get my shorts up and sneak around my bush and find that the PH and trackers are near hysterical laughter as well, just on the other side of the bush, not three yards from where I was stuck with my pants down watching the eles parade past, but they hadn't abandoned me and had bravely moved in, downwind (they had to be brave to move in downwind of me at that moment), to give me cover if I needed it.

Needless to say, we shot no elephant that day! Thankfully the runs passed and didn't interfere with a fantastic hunt.

JPK

Pictures???

did you see the youtube video?

JPK

Having spent a few days in the bush an having had the "Trots" I can identify with your story. When you have to go you REALLY need to go. Heck! I used some Zim Money for TP. Got a good chuckle from your story . Good read!

Mark

I asked my PH if he didn't just feel like using Zim notes for TP. His reply was classic...yes, but I don't want to get hepatitis!