quote:

Originally posted by mouse93:
Nyati the warrior

Morning as usual – awaking at 3.00 AM – cold shower – cup of coffee – pill of Malarone – guys stuffed the truck with goodies. Bulls from the yesterday were indeed on the hole by the lodge (it is a non-hunting area). Trackers picked their tracks and off we go. Since they were moving in some obvious way Gordon, Katchana and I took the truck and went to check the road near.



Soon we found the crossing point and waited for Joshua and Kasirai to came through. Katchana checked the road ahead, and found out that 3 bulls joined their numbers probably with the 5 Duggas from the second day of the hunt. Truck in the shade, kamelbacks and rifles on our backs and we hit the tracks. We spooked a big giraffe (I guess the one with big wound on his leg) that Murphy style went just the way buffalo have taken.
Tracks were going in a lazy meanders through mopane wood, then through a patch of savanna like meadow – sown with single trees - to what seemed to be some kind of bushy acacia stuff. Just before reaching it, tracks turned right toward big kopje – remaining on open grassland. At the foothill of the kopje – another sharp turn going around the granite hill. A lonesome warthog was checking us from the 50 m and let us pass without fleeing. Tracks were still going – approaching a small meadow with some granite rocks in the middle, when all at the sudden all the trackers like one were cut down going prone. So did Gordon with me on the tail. Obviously we found them. We peeked over high grass and here and then manage to get a glimpse on a single reflection from one of the hooks of the already bedded down bulls right beside the granite rocks some 30 m away. It was a standoff that didn’t lasted long – the lone swirl of the wind from the back and a subdued trample sound of the hooves going away was all that remained of the Duggas.
Knowing that they may not be far we were going to flank them – staying downwind, since the wind behind the corner of the kopje was good. We covered some 500 m when they were spotted ahead in mopane wood moving to the left. Speeding up we crossed their tracks to intercept them from their left side. We were moving into position when the before mentioned giraffe came into the scene – looking funny - he was contemplating us from his sky high viewing platform and our efforts to disappear somehow were pointless. And as you may guessed he took off right through the Duggas company – they didn’t needed much to go with him. That was it – no point in pushing them on this morning – we let them to calm down and catch with them latter. Kasirai was sent for vehicle while others just hit the closest road, find a shade and wait for the truck.



At that moment a message came from the radio, Joshua was having an intense exchange of the words with the guy on the other side. I got that belly feeling that something was about to happen. When they finished Gordon told me that it was a guy from “Rhino monitoring†informing us on a sighting of a strange behaving buffalo at the “Dam hole†and said we will go try to find him and investigate his status. Kasirai arrived with truck and we were on the road to the hole, picking up 2 guys from “Rhino monitoring†with their mountain bikes on the way.
Arriving at the hole “Rhino†guys showed us where they saw the buffalo. Katchana didn’t need long to find a spoor and we followed for a 100 m, when the snap of the fingers reported a sighting. Gordon spotted the buffalo some 200 m away bedded down - facing the wind, under the shade covered with some high grass and a broken bush behind his back. Gordon checked the wind with his ash sock and we began our cautious approach – flanking him from the right. We had to go follow some shallow ridges and didn’t saw the buffalo by that time. When we thought we were far enough a sharp left turn was to follow, that would bring us directly behind the bull. According the terrain and the bush we got a sight of him only when we were some 20 m away. Trackers and Rhino guys remained at the background when Gordon gave me a sign to follow him silently. We came to some 15 m to the still bedded buffalo that was taking a nap (he leaned his left horn on the branch). It was a strange position that made think that he was dead. I had to ask Gordon twice if he is sure that buffalo is still alive. He was sure and now even I could see the shallow moving of his chest when breathing. There was a lonely Oxpecker sitting on his back watching us getting into position. Bird didn’t give a single sound to warn his carrier.

Gordon confronted me with facts:

- First we must make him stand up so he would present us his status both on condition and trophy.
- If the trophy would be good, if his condition status was bad or if he would charge us we will have to shoot him.
- If trophy would be bad, and his status not to be concerned about and of course if he would run away we will let him go.
- If we had to shoot him and trophy would be bad, the hunt will continue in search for another trophy bull.

It was all right with me.

Gordon asked me if I am ready. After wiping my sweaty palms against my shorts (my mouth were dry I couldn’t spit a drop and the heart was up there somewhere in the throat and the heat -o-boy the heat become cold), I wrap up the sling around my right hand (I am lefty), cocked the rifle and gave him affirmative answer. I left all my thoughts go and just went with a flow.

Gordon whistled quietly, bull raised his head, still looking into the wind – away from us. Then Gordon shouted loudly – nothing just a couple of nods bull did with his ears. Gordon picked up short stick and knocked with it on his rifle barrel – same result – flapping ears. Huh this tense waiting was exhausting and I could feel something was about to brake if nothing happens very fast. Last try – Gordon throw the stick over the bull – it landed a meter or so in front of him.

That does it. Bull raised slowly with his front legs first and hind ones were to follow – with difficulty – there was something really wrong with that guy. My cross in the scope (Docter 1-4x24 – set to 2) was bouncing around the shoulder joint trying to steady on that magic triangle – awaiting any decision Gordon would make. No pause in the action - raising of the giant with simultaneous turn of the head to the right (putting two and two together – he spotted us right away) was followed by a fluent 270 degree turn to the right and he was – huh – coming!!! Head raised – stunning view I will never forget – his eyes were on both sides of his nose (sun was right behind our backs and I remember every small detail there – those eyes - big brown with an arrow like horizontal pupil fixed on us – like you owe him some money someone said, but there was something more IMO – no words for it) – upper lip rolled up – exposing the front teeth in the lower jaw. It was like in slow motion – no grunt no sound – he just slowly became bigger and bigger. Gordon’s: “Shoot him!†came like deliverance, with Pierre’s voice from one of Saed’s video clips whispering in my brain: “Under the nose†the cross simultaneously landed under the chin, followed by a sweet soft kick in my left shoulder – didn’t actually expect much out of this with my 9,3 – but I was wrong – flawlessly pulling and pushing the bolt I was watching the shot took effect - bull took it hard – head and whole torso rotating down to the left – nose hitting the ground – down on his front knees with hind legs still trying to push him ahead – exposing his right flank to us – Gordon’s shot came in like from a big distance (boy was I happy he is there) hitting the bull high on his back putting his hind end to the ground. But the head and those eyes were coming back up again – “Shoot him again!†was all I remember and with bull raised on his front legs – the cross spontaneously found the shoulder – neck joint and there was again that sweet, sweet push on the shoulder – that knocked the last will to fight out of the guy – the beast was laying down with his head still up, but the eyes weren’t there anymore – he was looking away from us to our left– down to the watering hole and beyond to mopane woods of Senuko he once roamed…



side brain shot behind his left eye put the Mighty Warrior to his rest…



He was A Trophy and we were both carried away with how things developed – I just can not top it – no way – being one lucky SOB ending my first Nyati hunt like this – someone wrote somewhere - there is always something with your first buffalo.



He had some bed injuries on his back – near the tail, on the knees and on the heels of the hind legs. But the biggest surprise came when the skinners cleaned the skull.



There was an 10 inches long and ½ inch thick stick imbedded in the skull just where the horns join the skull on the lower left side. The stick must have been there for some time (couple of years – note the hole is app 1 inch in diameter) and that is why his left horn is so nicely polished – he rubbed his left horn over and over again just to get the damn thing out. One can also see the path of the bullet coming from left to right.

Some stats:

- Distance from the beginning of the charge: 13 paces
- Distance to the end of the charge: 10 paces
- Shots fired: 4 (No1: 9,3 NF solid flat point (copper like) – hitting him in the left lower jaw – continuing to the neck – bullet is still to be found – must have ended somewhere in the lower neck-breast vertebras, No2: 375 H&H Woodleigh solid 300gr. entering in the neck – back joint exiting high bellow the spine in the middle ribs, No3: 9,3 Bridger soild (changed) - going through the shoulder joint above the heart - found in the spine, No4: Bridger solid (changed) entering behind the eye passing through the head – bit quartering – found under the hide below the horn).
- Time of the charge: app. 4-5 seconds from first shot to Coupe de grace.



The initial bullet broke the jaw just in front of the teeth and continued – yet to be found.



Penetration on those Bridger solids (changed) was a bit fishy – they are long, they did bend – and shooting was close from an 20 inch barrel with (I guess) app 2100 fps – maybe someone with more ballistics knowledge might have an explanation. Tho they did the job.

How ever – after all the congratulations, trophy pictures, embarking the buffalo on a tractor trailer – we called it a day – went to the lodge to pick up some stockpile get into Gordon/Glenn’s house and get ourselves “beer-wiserâ€.

In the afternoon a storm graze us on the north-west – poured the dry land with some drops – change was on its way.

Eland

Well feeling some kind of empty but on the other hand more relaxed, we set our sights on finding a decent eland bull. We were driving around checking immense numbers of different plains game,







saw quite some Dugga boys even if we were not after them.

Oh and almost forgot the real ganyanas:





Got mock charged by black rhino:



Those elands found to be quite difficult – they were shy and spooky like hell – even taking a picture of them (out of the car) was an achievement. All I ended with was a couple of long legs disappearing in the bush,



That one is the most decent I got.

We saw quite some numbers of them, but they were all cows. We also got some cold front 2 days there – with temperatures dropping down to 11 C – 52 K with pouring rains – even game didn’t like it. So with 2 days of hunting left, we decided that the spectrum of the hunted animals should be broaden, so we add the wildebeest, warthog and impala on the menu.

One the last but one day of the hunt we were cruising around looking for an eland, checking impalas for a trophy – we found one that might be decent. We took of on a short stalk after impalas that were grazing away from us into a grassy bush – Gordon put me on an anthill from which I took a quartering shot on a big guy disappearing into bush.



Bullet (RWS TUG soft) entered at the hind leg, break the thighbone went all the way to the opposite front leg and was found in the windpipe.




We had some failed stalks on wildebeests and warthogs. But at the dawn of our last hunting day, we were just out driving, when the snapping of the fingers reported a sighting – eland – bull - 300 m ahead! Gordon checked the guy through the binos and said to the trackers: “Futi!†Which means rifle. Eland was disappearing into the bush. We (Gordon, Katchana, Joshua and me) set on his tracks, while Kasirai remained in the vehicle. Gordon advised me to use a Bridger solid (changed) for the eland – so be it.

We followed the bull for an hour or so, when we found that he joined the herds of wildebeest and zebras. Soon after that we catch them. They knew that there is something out there and they were quite nervous – wildebeests snorting and zebras stomping – with eland keeping them between himself and us. But he did a mistake – he positioned himself in a bush keeping an eye on his trail. We spotted him app. 180 m away, peeking in our direction with just a part of the shoulder and neck exposed quartering our way – with zebras on the left and wildebeest on our right we couldn’t raised ourselves so Gordon found a hole in the bush and ask me if I can take a shot – with a rest on his back. I needed some time to pick myself together – at first glance I thought it would be no way – cross in the scope was all around – after all tho eland is quite big a distance of 180 m is not to be taken easy with 4x magnification assuming it was our last day. So I pulled myself together lean on Gordon’s back put a cross on eland neck-shoulder joint and let the bullet go. At the hit the bull jumped back and took off with zebras. We waited for a minute or so and got to the place he was standing. We found deep prints of his hoofs on the spot he was shot. And there nearby first blood. Shooting him with Bridger solid (changed) I was expecting a long tracking. But he made just 80 m with good blood spoor - and there he was – big – giant - dead already when we reached him. Bullet went in on the neck – exiting right behind the opposite shoulder – cutting the veins above his hart. Impressive noble animal, taken with impressive work of a tiny bullet.



So at the end it was all over. Long drive back to Harare ended like it has began – a great bunch of people in a “Williams Pubâ€. Met Don Heath there and he just reminded us that it was a good moment to drink some “Scud beer†that will leave some smell of Africa in my nostrils – and he was right!

quote:

Originally posted by mouse93:
Nyati the warrior

Morning as usual – awaking at 3.00 AM – cold shower – cup of coffee – pill of Malarone – guys stuffed the truck with goodies. Bulls from the yesterday were indeed on the hole by the lodge (it is a non-hunting area). Trackers picked their tracks and off we go. Since they were moving in some obvious way Gordon, Katchana and I took the truck and went to check the road near.



Soon we found the crossing point and waited for Joshua and Kasirai to came through. Katchana checked the road ahead, and found out that 3 bulls joined their numbers probably with the 5 Duggas from the second day of the hunt. Truck in the shade, kamelbacks and rifles on our backs and we hit the tracks. We spooked a big giraffe (I guess the one with big wound on his leg) that Murphy style went just the way buffalo have taken.
Tracks were going in a lazy meanders through mopane wood, then through a patch of savanna like meadow – sown with single trees - to what seemed to be some kind of bushy acacia stuff. Just before reaching it, tracks turned right toward big kopje – remaining on open grassland. At the foothill of the kopje – another sharp turn going around the granite hill. A lonesome warthog was checking us from the 50 m and let us pass without fleeing. Tracks were still going – approaching a small meadow with some granite rocks in the middle, when all at the sudden all the trackers like one were cut down going prone. So did Gordon with me on the tail. Obviously we found them. We peeked over high grass and here and then manage to get a glimpse on a single reflection from one of the hooks of the already bedded down bulls right beside the granite rocks some 30 m away. It was a standoff that didn’t lasted long – the lone swirl of the wind from the back and a subdued trample sound of the hooves going away was all that remained of the Duggas.
Knowing that they may not be far we were going to flank them – staying downwind, since the wind behind the corner of the kopje was good. We covered some 500 m when they were spotted ahead in mopane wood moving to the left. Speeding up we crossed their tracks to intercept them from their left side. We were moving into position when the before mentioned giraffe came into the scene – looking funny - he was contemplating us from his sky high viewing platform and our efforts to disappear somehow were pointless. And as you may guessed he took off right through the Duggas company – they didn’t needed much to go with him. That was it – no point in pushing them on this morning – we let them to calm down and catch with them latter. Kasirai was sent for vehicle while others just hit the closest road, find a shade and wait for the truck.



At that moment a message came from the radio, Joshua was having an intense exchange of the words with the guy on the other side. I got that belly feeling that something was about to happen. When they finished Gordon told me that it was a guy from “Rhino monitoring†informing us on a sighting of a strange behaving buffalo at the “Dam hole†and said we will go try to find him and investigate his status. Kasirai arrived with truck and we were on the road to the hole, picking up 2 guys from “Rhino monitoring†with their mountain bikes on the way.
Arriving at the hole “Rhino†guys showed us where they saw the buffalo. Katchana didn’t need long to find a spoor and we followed for a 100 m, when the snap of the fingers reported a sighting. Gordon spotted the buffalo some 200 m away bedded down - facing the wind, under the shade covered with some high grass and a broken bush behind his back. Gordon checked the wind with his ash sock and we began our cautious approach – flanking him from the right. We had to go follow some shallow ridges and didn’t saw the buffalo by that time. When we thought we were far enough a sharp left turn was to follow, that would bring us directly behind the bull. According the terrain and the bush we got a sight of him only when we were some 20 m away. Trackers and Rhino guys remained at the background when Gordon gave me a sign to follow him silently. We came to some 15 m to the still bedded buffalo that was taking a nap (he leaned his left horn on the branch). It was a strange position that made think that he was dead. I had to ask Gordon twice if he is sure that buffalo is still alive. He was sure and now even I could see the shallow moving of his chest when breathing. There was a lonely Oxpecker sitting on his back watching us getting into position. Bird didn’t give a single sound to warn his carrier.

Gordon confronted me with facts:

- First we must make him stand up so he would present us his status both on condition and trophy.
- If the trophy would be good, if his condition status was bad or if he would charge us we will have to shoot him.
- If trophy would be bad, and his status not to be concerned about and of course if he would run away we will let him go.
- If we had to shoot him and trophy would be bad, the hunt will continue in search for another trophy bull.

It was all right with me.

Gordon asked me if I am ready. After wiping my sweaty palms against my shorts (my mouth were dry I couldn’t spit a drop and the heart was up there somewhere in the throat and the heat -o-boy the heat become cold), I wrap up the sling around my right hand (I am lefty), cocked the rifle and gave him affirmative answer. I left all my thoughts go and just went with a flow.

Gordon whistled quietly, bull raised his head, still looking into the wind – away from us. Then Gordon shouted loudly – nothing just a couple of nods bull did with his ears. Gordon picked up short stick and knocked with it on his rifle barrel – same result – flapping ears. Huh this tense waiting was exhausting and I could feel something was about to brake if nothing happens very fast. Last try – Gordon throw the stick over the bull – it landed a meter or so in front of him.

That does it. Bull raised slowly with his front legs first and hind ones were to follow – with difficulty – there was something really wrong with that guy. My cross in the scope (Docter 1-4x24 – set to 2) was bouncing around the shoulder joint trying to steady on that magic triangle – awaiting any decision Gordon would make. No pause in the action - raising of the giant with simultaneous turn of the head to the right (putting two and two together – he spotted us right away) was followed by a fluent 270 degree turn to the right and he was – huh – coming!!! Head raised – stunning view I will never forget – his eyes were on both sides of his nose (sun was right behind our backs and I remember every small detail there – those eyes - big brown with an arrow like horizontal pupil fixed on us – like you owe him some money someone said, but there was something more IMO – no words for it) – upper lip rolled up – exposing the front teeth in the lower jaw. It was like in slow motion – no grunt no sound – he just slowly became bigger and bigger. Gordon’s: “Shoot him!†came like deliverance, with Pierre’s voice from one of Saed’s video clips whispering in my brain: “Under the nose†the cross simultaneously landed under the chin, followed by a sweet soft kick in my left shoulder – didn’t actually expect much out of this with my 9,3 – but I was wrong – flawlessly pulling and pushing the bolt I was watching the shot took effect - bull took it hard – head and whole torso rotating down to the left – nose hitting the ground – down on his front knees with hind legs still trying to push him ahead – exposing his right flank to us – Gordon’s shot came in like from a big distance (boy was I happy he is there) hitting the bull high on his back putting his hind end to the ground. But the head and those eyes were coming back up again – “Shoot him again!†was all I remember and with bull raised on his front legs – the cross spontaneously found the shoulder – neck joint and there was again that sweet, sweet push on the shoulder – that knocked the last will to fight out of the guy – the beast was laying down with his head still up, but the eyes weren’t there anymore – he was looking away from us to our left– down to the watering hole and beyond to mopane woods of Senuko he once roamed…



side brain shot behind his left eye put the Mighty Warrior to his rest…



He was A Trophy and we were both carried away with how things developed – I just can not top it – no way – being one lucky SOB ending my first Nyati hunt like this – someone wrote somewhere - there is always something with your first buffalo.



He had some bed injuries on his back – near the tail, on the knees and on the heels of the hind legs. But the biggest surprise came when the skinners cleaned the skull.



There was an 10 inches long and ½ inch thick stick imbedded in the skull just where the horns join the skull on the lower left side. The stick must have been there for some time (couple of years – note the hole is app 1 inch in diameter) and that is why his left horn is so nicely polished – he rubbed his left horn over and over again just to get the damn thing out. One can also see the path of the bullet coming from left to right.

Some stats:

- Distance from the beginning of the charge: 13 paces
- Distance to the end of the charge: 10 paces
- Shots fired: 4 (No1: 9,3 NF solid flat point (copper like) – hitting him in the left lower jaw – continuing to the neck – bullet is still to be found – must have ended somewhere in the lower neck-breast vertebras, No2: 375 H&H Woodleigh solid 300gr. entering in the neck – back joint exiting high bellow the spine in the middle ribs, No3: 9,3 Bridger soild (changed) - going through the shoulder joint above the heart - found in the spine, No4: Bridger solid (changed) entering behind the eye passing through the head – bit quartering – found under the hide below the horn).
- Time of the charge: app. 4-5 seconds from first shot to Coupe de grace.



The initial bullet broke the jaw just in front of the teeth and continued – yet to be found.



Penetration on those Bridger solids (changed) was a bit fishy – they are long, they did bend – and shooting was close from an 20 inch barrel with (I guess) app 2100 fps – maybe someone with more ballistics knowledge might have an explanation. Tho they did the job.

How ever – after all the congratulations, trophy pictures, embarking the buffalo on a tractor trailer – we called it a day – went to the lodge to pick up some stockpile get into Gordon/Glenn’s house and get ourselves “beer-wiserâ€.

In the afternoon a storm graze us on the north-west – poured the dry land with some drops – change was on its way.

Eland

Well feeling some kind of empty but on the other hand more relaxed, we set our sights on finding a decent eland bull. We were driving around checking immense numbers of different plains game,







saw quite some Dugga boys even if we were not after them.

Oh and almost forgot the real ganyanas:





Got mock charged by black rhino:



Those elands found to be quite difficult – they were shy and spooky like hell – even taking a picture of them (out of the car) was an achievement. All I ended with was a couple of long legs disappearing in the bush,



That one is the most decent I got.

We saw quite some numbers of them, but they were all cows. We also got some cold front 2 days there – with temperatures dropping down to 11 C – 52 K with pouring rains – even game didn’t like it. So with 2 days of hunting left, we decided that the spectrum of the hunted animals should be broaden, so we add the wildebeest, warthog and impala on the menu.

One the last but one day of the hunt we were cruising around looking for an eland, checking impalas for a trophy – we found one that might be decent. We took of on a short stalk after impalas that were grazing away from us into a grassy bush – Gordon put me on an anthill from which I took a quartering shot on a big guy disappearing into bush.



Bullet (RWS TUG soft) entered at the hind leg, break the thighbone went all the way to the opposite front leg and was found in the windpipe.




We had some failed stalks on wildebeests and warthogs. But at the dawn of our last hunting day, we were just out driving, when the snapping of the fingers reported a sighting – eland – bull - 300 m ahead! Gordon checked the guy through the binos and said to the trackers: “Futi!†Which means rifle. Eland was disappearing into the bush. We (Gordon, Katchana, Joshua and me) set on his tracks, while Kasirai remained in the vehicle. Gordon advised me to use a Bridger solid (changed) for the eland – so be it.

We followed the bull for an hour or so, when we found that he joined the herds of wildebeest and zebras. Soon after that we catch them. They knew that there is something out there and they were quite nervous – wildebeests snorting and zebras stomping – with eland keeping them between himself and us. But he did a mistake – he positioned himself in a bush keeping an eye on his trail. We spotted him app. 180 m away, peeking in our direction with just a part of the shoulder and neck exposed quartering our way – with zebras on the left and wildebeest on our right we couldn’t raised ourselves so Gordon found a hole in the bush and ask me if I can take a shot – with a rest on his back. I needed some time to pick myself together – at first glance I thought it would be no way – cross in the scope was all around – after all tho eland is quite big a distance of 180 m is not to be taken easy with 4x magnification assuming it was our last day. So I pulled myself together lean on Gordon’s back put a cross on eland neck-shoulder joint and let the bullet go. At the hit the bull jumped back and took off with zebras. We waited for a minute or so and got to the place he was standing. We found deep prints of his hoofs on the spot he was shot. And there nearby first blood. Shooting him with Bridger solid (changed) I was expecting a long tracking. But he made just 80 m with good blood spoor - and there he was – big – giant - dead already when we reached him. Bullet went in on the neck – exiting right behind the opposite shoulder – cutting the veins above his hart. Impressive noble animal, taken with impressive work of a tiny bullet.



So at the end it was all over. Long drive back to Harare ended like it has began – a great bunch of people in a “Williams Pubâ€. Met Don Heath there and he just reminded us that it was a good moment to drink some “Scud beer†that will leave some smell of Africa in my nostrils – and he was right!

quote:

Originally posted by 500grains:
Mouse, where did you run onto NF and Bridgers? Those Bridgers appear to be 300 grain 9.3's, which is long for caliber, resulting in bending (we would not know that without experimenting and people like you reporting), consequently the consensus seems to be that brass solids should be about 10% lighter than a standard lead core solid to keep the bullet length appropriate for caliber.