Thanks all.

Jeff still has no elephant. Tomorrow is the last day. I feel for him.

Let me clarify the Doktor Optik issue. I fired 2 shots at 25 yards. Both about 1 inch low. I was going to go with that. The PH's went on and on about it wanting to raise it up. I had very limited ammo. I didn't want to start messing with it. In addition, the instructions in the DO manual make absolutely no sense whatsoever. The conversion from German to English was horrible. if I had the manual handy, I would quote one of the sentences. The incessant discussion by the PH's annoyed me a bit and shook my confidence. I took the DO off.

I would not describe this as a DO issue at all. This is similar to needing to adjust a scope when zeroing upon arrival.

Question Larry. A couple months ago, I purchassed a D.O for my V-C. I affixed it to the rib with two rubber bands and it was perfect. I received my V-C back from JJ last Saturday with the D.O. installed. Opened the box, raised it to my shoulder and opened my eyes. No red dot. I had to raise my cheek off off of the stock to see it. This reminded me of many older German/Austrian guns scope mounted with a low drop. JJ added 5/16" base. I don't want to have to mentally remember where to position my cheek between open sights and D.O.. What was your experience? Thanks in advance!

Nice bulls, Larry!

Nice shooting with the double.

Congrats!

Chris

The pictures are outstanding. Was looking forward to seeing them.

Btw, something I'm curious about. Was your choice of the 50 caliber based on the theory of using the biggest you could comfortably carry and shoot? Or was it based on a study of comparative ballistics, terminal effects and all that?

And a what if question - if for whatever reason you couldn't have used the 50, would there be a minimum for elephant you wouldn't want to drop below? I mean, suppose your gun had something wrong with it and they handed you on short notice a 450/400 or 375 H&H, what would you do? Or how about one of the 450s? Or a bolt gun like the 416? I have a reason for asking, based on what I already own.

Shack:

I have always liked the 500. It seems to me that it is the best combination of packing a big punch with a rifle that can easily be carried all day as well as not unduly punishing recoil. Ken had this particular 500 NE at SCI. It seemed to fit me perfectly. I bought it.

If my gun had not arrived, I would have have preferred shooting nothing less than a 416. I, in fact, have shot one for many years. Interestingly, my PH on this trip recons that either a 416 Remington or Rigby will penetrate further than a 500 NE.

That's very helpful info. Do you have any opinions about the 450/400 for elephant? I happen to have a Searcy in that.

I've heard enough that I'm satisfied with it for buffalo.

Personally, it seems a bit light to me. Interestingly, our PH's were discussing that caliber. While it will surely kill them, they both preferred something heavier.

One carried a 470 NE Chapuis and the other carried a 500 NE Westley-Richards.

Larry, a quick internet check shows for the 450/400 vs. 416 rem mag (and we know the rigby is supposed to be the same) figures of 3700 vs. 5100 ft lbs. That certainly supports your preference for the 416 between the two.

I guess we could probably agree there's a correlation between energy and how much margin for error - how precise the shot has to be. And what I'm learning here is that the 450/400 will do the deed, but the shot has to be perfectly placed, whereas the larger or faster ones can be slightly off. Is that about how you see it, or how those PHs would look at it?

Larry,

Super report! The Botswana bulls you took have some nice, thick and symmetrical ivory. I like your no nonsense style of describing the hunt and the exploits of the double. The pictures are classic safari...

Thanks too for posting and helping to bring back some memories of my hunt with Greg Butler. Sad to hear that there is still poaching activity going on. It sounds like it is still common and I'm suprised the Bots government is not doing more to deal with it. On my hunt we saw the government anti poaching team twice in a 10 day period loaded with guns to the gills and travelling in a mini armored vehicle. We came on a poached elephant on day 3 of my hunt and it is truly disgusting to see a great animal with just the ivory chopped out and covered in brush left to rot. We all know how much that animal is worth in a fair chase organized safari...truly tragic.

Thanks again for your post.

Paul

great report Larry huge congrats!

Thanks gentlemen.

I am told that 2 AR members took bulls today with B&H.

Congrats- 2 good elephant!

Hopefully the community will start convincing the government of the need for hunting and Bots will change their minds on the whole thing. I would really like to go there some day.

A wonderful brace of bull's as Andrew Dawson would say. Great hunt and great report.Well done.

Thanks for the report Larry. 2 Bulls in 1 Safari - awesome!!!

Outstanding Larry. Well done!

Well done Larry. Might not have been what you were expecting, but still very nice.

Great report Larry you just have to love a 500

Larry,

Congratulations on both bulls. We were getting texts in camp keeping us posted on your progress. Great job!



Doug

Larry - Great job! I'm glad to see you had a nice time with Murray. I really enjoyed hunting Sankuyo with him in 2007.

Thanks Aaron. I saw the place you shot your lion with Murray.

Great pictures and article. Super jumbo. Not a bad looking double either. Thanks.

Thank you for sharing as the story of your hunt and pictures are outstanding. You did very well. I hope that you get to go again quick so we can enjoy another adventure.

Excellent report, Larry as well as superb trophies.


Dutch

I got my DVD of the hunt this week from Osprey.
It is excellent. Osprey did a great job once again.

Beautiful bulls Larry.
Enjoyed the report.
Congratulations.

Superb, well done Larry, even more so cos you chose to do it with a double.
Question, did you have a problem with sand/grit gettin in ur footwear?

A little but it was not any sort of problem. Is is most certainly the sandiest country I have been in in Africa.

Larry- whats the new gun procedure in Atlanta?

There is one room that all of the guns come to. You have to go and stand in line and wait for your guns to be delivered. There are 2 gentlemen inspecting the guns. Only 1 traveler in the room at a time. The doors are locked. it takes far longer than it did in the old terminal.

Well done Larry,two good bulls there.See you in Reno.

Thanks Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I got my DVD of the hunt this week from Osprey.
It is excellent. Osprey did a great job once again.

On sale?

No. I will send you one. Please send me your address again.

Lauri does a good job!
PM sent