Senator Bob Smith Surging on Brown? – New Hampshire Senate

Second Amendment: I asked the National Rifle Association in an email today if they intend to endorse NH Senate Candidates for the September primary. They said that they will provide endorsements and grades about 2 weeks before the primary in order to take all information into account on www.nrapvf.org when you provide your NRA Member ID.

Gun owners of America have endorsed Senator Smith over Brown 

Both former Senator Smith and Brown are neck and neck 10 to 12 points behind Shaheen. The fact that Senator Brown has avoided solidifying his Second Amendment position by deferring to his Campaign Chair on Second Amendment issues tells me that he is not being candid with voters.

The fact that Brown is widely endorsed by NH Republicans is perhaps because mainstream Republicans believe he can beat Senator Shaheen more so than any candidate but not because of his Second Amendment stance which still appears clear as mud.

Senator Bob Smith on the other hand appears to be surging. His Campaign is taking over the Rochester NH fairgrounds on  August 29th for a huge gala Freedom Concert. Smith’s NRA credentials have been rock solid for years and his website says that in black and white.  His candidacy surge means that he is going full tilt and money is arriving. Back a month ago he was looking mighty weak but today? What a difference! See Below!

http://bobsmithforussenate.com/ 

The .308 and 7mm08 vs 30-06 and .270 – Updated

Ok, so you don’t have lots of spare cash like me and you reload. A .308 Winchester or it’s necked down cousin the 7mm08 is a highly efficient cartridge to own for hunting or target. Many of us have opted for their larger bretheren the 30-06 and the necked down version in .270 Winchester. Most did this in their younger days like me and shot a box of 20 rounds with a poor recoil pad. That night and the next day your shoulder was not only bruised but in pain. And when it came time to reload them you brain was calling you names including “stupid” among others. Today with the advent of recoil pads like SVL- Simms Vibration Laboratory and Pachmayr Decelerator the recoil is largely cut by 50% so the only factor that adds to the reason to own a .308 Winchester is efficiency, cost of powder and a shorter bolt throw. The power is there, and plenty of it for hunting big game. Today a pound of Powder is around 30 dollars. A further argument for ownership is accuracy. As cartridges go a full cartridge is, in general, more accurate than a less full one. Lets examine a .308 round with a Hornady 150 grain head using Reloader 15 Powder. It uses 45.4 grains to push the bullet to 2700 fps out of a 22 inch barrel. In order to get the same velocity out of the 30-06 you must use 48.1 grains of powder in a longer barrel too 23.5 inches making it more likely that you will need 48.5 grains or so for the same barrel length. There are 7000 grains per pound thus with the .308 you can load  10 more Cartridges for the same velocity and the accuracy is potentially better and the bolt throw is faster and shorter than the 30-06. What about big game? Well for deer and black bear the .308/7mm08 is fabulous and has a shorter range on Moose but the 30-06 and .270 Winchester steps in as a better selection for Moose providing 300-400 fps more than the .308/7mm08 Winchester option out to 100-150 yards but so what, how often are you going to hunt Moose and African game unless you just love the fat side of medium bore as I do. All said and done, the 308 became the cartridge of choice for our Military in WW II, you can shoot faster per second and pack nearly as much energy as the 06. The M1A rifle in .308  is still highly popular at 1000 yards with open sights as a national match course cartridge. I give the .308 and 7mm08 a way thumbs up for hand loaders. The .308 and 7mm08 are at home with African Plains game short of the Big Five but most take the step up to 30-06 and 300 Win for reasons of safety and to have Enough Gun. I used .338 Win Mag and .270 Winchester as a two gun combo in Africa with my son Jason. I did not need the .338 Win Mag for Dangerous situations. Had I taken a lesser firearm than the .338 then Murphy’s Law would have put me in an untenable situation. The most important thing to remember is that shot placement is everything. © 2014

Ruger American .243 Winchester : Power + Accuracy = Wow

Many are aware that I like the Ruger American in .243 Winchester as I tested it and bought it a few years back. See my article on Rifle Tests. I shot it out of the box with Nosler 90g E-Tip deer loads and they shot sub-MOA at 100 yards and retails for under $400 dollars.

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Since then I have toyed with 55 grain heads from Nosler and shot MOA groups at velocities in the 3500 fps class making it an outstanding Coyote rifle. But I also wanted a deer rifle with which the 90 grain e-Tip, as great as it is, wasn’t the only bullet that I could shoot. I was aware that with 100 grain heads and a 1 in 10 twist rate is a not so great combo for bullet stability e.g., that bullets could be unstable and even keyhole on the paper. I am here to tell you that I shot several 100 grain bullets with Speer’s Spitzer Boat Tail and every shot was true. I pushed the round with AA 3100 powder and RL 19 and they both shot well at 2500 fps which I think is slow yet adequate for deer out to 150 yards. I pushed the round today to nearly 2700 fps and the cartridge and standard CCI 200 primer did the job in stride and with room to spare. So I will look for the limits on this bullet, powder and rifle combination. Every rifle slightly different, even in the same model. But while I was at it, loading the Speer at 41 grains of AA 3100, I shot a 3 shot group at 50 yards that was basically touching each other. I just shot not knowing the group size and I was pleasantly surprised. See below. One thing you have to remember well is that this rifle cost less than 400 dollars and shoots like a $2000 rifle.

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If I were target shooting for score at 600 yards in F class Competition this would be my load. For deer hunting you want power, reach, accuracy to a minute of angle at 100 yards, penetration and mushrooming this combo makes it harder to find that perfect load. But I found one none the less.

This load is perfect out to 200 yards which is most of the shooting on the east coast that most will do unless you are bean field hunting in the Carolina’s, then you will need a big power and accuracy too maybe out to 400 – 600 yards. I hope to write next month about the Nosler 26 as my Nosler friends are trying to get me a rifle and ammo to test.

For the money, this Ruger American is a keeper! Check them out at your local retailer! And start reloading too! © 2014

 

 

 

375 Ruger Load Tests

375 Ruger

Today I tested the .375 Ruger M77 Hawkeye African with three totally different loads and two completely different bullets of shape and grain weight yet at 50 yards they all hit the same spot within an inch from one another. This speaks to the unbelievably enormous versatility of this cartridge. A member friend Andy at my club observed and verified the shot groups.

375 Ruger with three different loads

The lower bullet at 5 o’clock was a Speer 235 grain spitzer round nose bullet chrono’d at 2122 fps shooting a load of SR 4759.

speer hot core

I used the Hornady book for 375 H&H and slowly over time worked up my own loads starting very low, all the time inspecting the case and primer for signs of over-pressure. This reduced load I intend to use as a deer/bear load out to 100 yards delivering 1800 ft-lbs of energy. Recoil is similar to a muzzle loader. Use of software such as QuickLOAD is also highly valuable but expect to pay $150 for it. If you are a real wildcat load developer this, I hear, is a great tool. This software, I believe, does not have SR 4759 listed for load development.

Red Deer

The higher bullet hole at 1 o’clock was the same Speer 235 grain but traveling at 2430 fps with a starter load of IMR 4895. I extrapolated this too from the Speer Manual from the 375 H & H tables. This reduced load I intend to use as my 200 yard shoot anything load for Moose, Deer or Bear  developing 3100 ft-lbs at the Muzzle. Do your homework and be safe. Recoil is very manageable in a standing hunting situation equivalent to shooting a 30-06 with 180 grain heads.

And finally the almost 12 o’clock load which was a 260 grain Nosler AccuBond® Spitzer crono’d at a whopping 2738 fps that has killed a 750 lb Moose and a  850 lb Bison to date. This load was taken directly from the Nosler Reloading Manual using RL-15 Powder.

nolsler bullets for test 2

The Accubond, left. This load develops 4350 ft-lbs at the Muzzle and an deliver 2400 ft lbs at 375 yards to drop a Bull anything with good shot placement and fantastic penetration/mushrooming of this Nosler AccuBond. At right in the above photo is the 300 grain monolithic solid for Elephant.

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This load is intended for Moose, Brown Bear and large African game. It is fine for Cape Buffalo, the Cats, Nile Croc’s, Hippo’s and plains game and is used to take Elephant, though a larger bore is recommended for close shots at a a testy tusker.

Standing, this round is easily tolerable with a Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad and a t-shirt.

At the bench which is where I was to shoot this I had a Decelerator Pad and a strap on shoulder pad and it shot fine with the resultant recoil spread out making it an easy shot.

I have been shooting this .375 Ruger in the M77 Ruger African since around 2008/2009 and I just love it so much for its looks, its accuracy, versatility and it’s ability to pack a whallop when you need it.  The Cartridge brass has been reloaded many times and has paid for itself many times over. This is still classified as a medium caliber. I am no youngster these days but I shoot this rifle just as if I were one, and you can too. If this article gets you interested as it did a shooter from Texas last month then let me know. This round is known for less destruction of surrounding edible meat then the ultra fast calibers. If you are a hand loader this caliber is simply a blast to shoot! Pun intended!

© 2014

 

Will the .223 Kill Deer?

Yes. Under circumstances that have a measure of control the .223 is adequate for deer that are lung/heart area shot with some bullet weights and barrel twist rates so that the bullet is traveling at a minimum of 1800 to 2000 fps to mushroom and deliver 1000 ft-lbs at impact, a guideline that has been used by many. Using the Matunas Optimal Game Weight Formula (OGW) formula V³x W² x 1.5 x 10 ‾¹²  where a (60 g)² bullet traveling at (3100 fps)³ has an OGW of 160 pounds at the Muzzle but at 100 yards the deer size is closer to 125 pounds.

For those folks that are shooting AR models in .223 you may want a slower twist rate barrel to shoot heavier bullets like the 60 grain with a higher Sectional Density. I prefer a caliber with a higher Sectional Density where the bullet weight and diameter have been documented more clearly as adequate in kill charts.

The above data is not a rule, it is a guide and is subjective.

If you want to hunt with your AR for deer just know that shot placement is even more critical. The .223 is not recommended by me for big deer as in Northeast Whitetail above 150 pounds which is the norm for a small Northeast Buck. I would choose a 6 MM/.243 caliber or larger if given the option before using a .223. But that is just me…

NH Senator Jeanne Shaheen wants to destroy the Second Amendment

As a refresher, it is vital that we Citizens of New Hampshire be aware that Senator Shaheen has voted to cede your Second Amendment rights under the Constitution to be controled by the United Nations.

She has tried to destroy these Constitutional words in the Bill of Rights;

A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. – See more at: http://constitution.laws.com/2nd-amendment#sthash.zSpFzcXJ.dpuf

The horror of it is evident when you realize that the Senate vote was only four (count em’) four majority votes short of passing.

I began this article writing about the corruption in government and when Government becomes lawless, choosing to enforce only those laws they deem important to the government even though the other laws are, under the Constitution, supposed to be equally enforced. Back in April of last year you recall Shaheen’s vote to destroy the Second Amendment? Here is a refresher!

http://www.nhforliberty.com/nh-senator-jeanne-shaheen-votes-to-hand-2nd-amendment-rights-over-to-un/

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NH Senator Jeanne Shaheen Votes to Hand 2nd Amendment Rights Over to UN

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) introduced an amendment to the NH Senator Jeanne ShaheenSenate Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2014 to help protect and preserve the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.

Amendment 139, which upholds Second Amendment rights and prevents the United States from entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, passed 53-46.

New Hampshire Senator, Jeanne Shaheen was one of the 46 US Senators that swore and oath to uphold the Constitution, yet voted to hand our 2nd amendment rights over to a gang of unelected bureaucrats calling themselves the United Nations.

Although the amendment passed, it’s nothing more than symbolic victory as the votes on the Senate Budget amendments are non-binding. The budget has no chance of passing.

Here are all 46 US Senators that favored ceding your Constitutional rights over to the United Nations:

Baldwin (D-WI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bennet (D-CO)
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Coons (D-DE)
Cowan (D-MA)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hirono (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kaine (D-VA)
King (I-ME)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murphy (D-CT)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV) 
Rockefeller (D-WV) 
Sanders (I-VT) 
Schatz (D-HI) 
Schumer (D-NY) 
Shaheen (D-NH)
Stabenow (D-MI) 
Udall (D-CO) 
Udall (D-NM) 
Warner (D-VA) 
Warren (D-MA) 
Whitehouse (D-RI) 
Wyden (D-OR)

 

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Perhaps when the President finds a way to place more leftist activist Supreme court judges on the Supreme Court and gets them to agree that the Second Amendment’s meaning is no longer necessary is another way to do the same thing.  Democrats like those above are certainly working on circumventing the Constitution and the distruction of the Second Amendment.

Truly, I believe that Democrat Party initiatives are aimed to move us in the direction of a truly socialist state where laws are chosen outside of the three branches of government such as those by this President are grounds for movement toward a lawless government. Having recognized this, the People should act accordingly. The Democratic Party in large part above wants to destroy your ability to keep and bear arms and is in direct conflict with the intent of the Second Amendment and with Constitutional Government.

Stipulations of the 2nd Amendment:

Quote from Constitution.laws.com 

“The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the right of the individual to keep and bear firearms.

The right to arm oneself is viewed as a personal liberty to deter undemocratic or oppressive governing bodies from forming and to repel impending invasions. Furthermore, the right to bear arms was instituted within the Bill of Rights to suppress insurrection, participate and uphold the law, enable the citizens of the United States to organize a militia, and to facilitate the natural right to self-defense.

The Second Amendment was developed as a result of the tyrannous rule of the British parliament. Colonists were often oppressed and forced to pay unjust taxes at the hand of the unruly parliament. As a result, the American people yearned for an Amendment that would guarantee them the right to bear arms and protect themselves against similar situations. The Second Amendment was drafted to provide for the common defense and the general welfare of the United States through the ability to raise and support militias. – See more at: http://constitution.laws.com/2nd-amendment#sthash.zSpFzcXJ.dpuf

End Quote

 

Future Hunter On the Cover

My grandson Christian wearing my safari hat stands beside my SCI Gold Medal Kudu. A future hunter and conservationist. Yes a Kudu is a very large and beautiful animal, taken at 150 yards with a .338 Winchester Magnum and Nosler 250 grain Partition bullets.

The .375 Ruger Cartridge – A Handloaders Dream Cartridge

Wouldn’t it be neat to own one rifle/cartridge that you can hunt large jack rabbits with a reduced load without blowing it to bits and the next day hunt deer with a more powerful load in the same rifle and the next day hunt the largest game on the Planet with a 300 grain Dangerous Game Load – All in the same Rifle? YES! You can only do this if you hand load your own ammo for the .375 Ruger.

 

Shown here is  the Ruger® Hawkeye® African with a 23 inch barrel verses my 20 inch barrel. See the Ruger website below.http://ruger.com/products/HawkeyeAfrican/models.html

My Ruger is less embellished with the ebony cap and sling on the barrel. But it is very accurate indeed with the .375 Ruger Cartridge and so versatile for handloaders.  The .375 Ruger Cartridge was a joint collaboration of Hornady and Ruger back in 2007. Wikipedia has a write-up at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.375_Ruger.  

As I said, If  you hand-load you can load to shoot varying bullet sizes and energies for small game all the way up to dangerous game.

 

It has been tried before on older .375’s like the H&H magnum, very successfully, I might add! Most African hunters shoot a .375 H & H for everything from the 15 pound Dik Dik Antelope up to and including Elephant. Africans don’t often change loads though, most all sizes are taken with big bullets. Hornady made 220 and 225 grain heads but has not made any for a while. The 235 grain Speer Hot Core is still available as are lead cast bullets with gas checks. Sorta like “Quigley Down Under” cast bullets at 260 grains.

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Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia (Kirks Dik Dik)

and then shoot Impala (impala venison is fabulous)

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(Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia – Impala)

Then Shoot Cape Buffalo with the same Rifle

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Photo Courtesy Wikipedia – Cape Buffalo

Or Elephant Below

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Photo Courtesy Wikipedia – African Elephant

 

Enter the newer 2007 Cartridge, the .375 Ruger that is stronger than the .375 H & H cartridge, Shorter, Has no belt to be concerned for head-space,  and fits in a standard bolt action and holds 6 % more powder than the older .375 H & H.

375 ruger unprimed new cases

 

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At left is the .375 Ruger Cartridge loaded with 235 grain Speer Hot Core bullets and the 243 Winchester at right for comparrison.

The problem for many .375 Ruger owners is that there has been little published data out there to aid the .375 Ruger Cartridge Owner to establish a cross section of bullet types and weights, powders and loading data that take you from small game, medium game. Most data is about really big game or African Game.  So I went into student mode and gathered data over the years and worked up my own loads using available .375 Caliber published data for starting loads, small game loads and lower bullet weights with copper jackets. As with all load data work from low to higher very slowly, examine the spent round for primer and case indicators with a good Reloading manual as a Reference, like Hornady or Nosler. Pay attention to case length and Cartridge overall length COL making copious notes to refer back to.

I think that for medium and small game lead bullets can be cast and SR 4759 starter data can be found for reduced loads at 1200 fps and for 220 to 235 grain heads pushing a small game load at 1500 fps to a deer load at 2100 fps for 100 yard or less shots. The trick here is to shoot either a flat point to deliver more energy on impact or a bullet that is traveling at near to 1900 to 2000 fps at impact in a spire point to mushroom adequately. I have created a new lower power load of IMR ( )  from Hodgdon®  that provides 235 grain Speer Bullets at 2400 fps for most North American Game at 200 yards and easier recoil like a 30-06. Yesterday I shot 3/4 inch 3 shot groups at 100 yards with that new load.

The data for starter loads can be extrapolated from published data by experienced wildcatters and reloaders.  After that there is a plethora of published data for Elk, Big Bears, Moose, Bison, and larger African Species up to Elephant. The .375 Ruger with my M77 African  Ruger Rifle 20 inch barrel can throw a 260 grain spitzer out of the muzzle at 2800 fps for Brown Bear or a 2000 pound Bison. Then Switch to 300 grain AccuBonds backed up by 300 grain Monolithic Solids for Africa’s Big Five. As Robert Ruark says: Use Enough Gun! I would choose a bigger rifle for close work on testy Bull elephants may be a 470 Nitro Express Double gun with 500 grain solids.

© 2014

Bench Rest Best Practices to Determine Cartridge/Bullet Accuracy

We all want to shoot these tiny groups at the Bench Rest don’t we, especially at your local range where we often can earn bragging rights for such a fine group.  Recently I struck up conversations at the range about “Best Practices” of accuracy basics at the Bench. What I got for feedback was seemingly all over the place! You can have a $5000 dollar rifle/scope combo and still shoot average without good rests and shooting techniques. Of course the cartridge/bullet and load must be tuned as well to your rifle barrels harmonics, another article.

 

SAND BAGS AND RESTS

Yea, said the shooter I bought this bag or that bag to place my rifle on at the bench and it works fine. So I query the shooter, so your rifle rests on the bag but how do you hold the stock of your gun still? Well, comes the answer, I put the butt firmly into my shoulder and shoot. My rifle shoots nearly one inch groups comes the further response. So I ask them to show me how they did that. Upon seeing the setup it is clear that the rifle is still moving as the shot is taken. Minor movement of course results in a combination of the shooter skill and the gun together. If you really want to see only what the rifles performance is then you must either take the shooter out of the equation or have a rifle that is already on target and all you have to do is pull the trigger. Shooters that listen to the logic of my recommendations have found greater accuracy inherent in the rifle they are shooting and more work on their part to keep the rifle steady.

Once the rifle is proven itself, If the shooter wants to change to a different shooting style such as prone or kneeling they can do that knowing the rifle is not the problem when accuracy issues arise.

Leather or fabric sand bags can do that when place forward on the stock, never on the barrel and rear under the butt of the rifle. Also the rifle should be high enough above the bench so the shooter can ease into shooting position without undo squirming. I raise the front rest up about 1.5 inches higher with a 2×6 piece of wood (cheap and dirty) or better yet I bought an adjustable front rest from Caldwell. See below. Other manufacturers make them but this Caldwell rock Jr is mine and costs about $35 bucks. I can adjust the rifle vertically just by spinning the black star like nut on the threaded shaft. The rear rest should be a bag type.

 

Or a shooting bag combo.

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TRIGGER PULL

Second problem is trigger pull weight. I own a digital scale and know the break point for my rifles. Poor grouping can also come from too heavy a trigger or a trigger that creeps unpredictably (replace or fix the trigger). Many rifles have a trigger pull of 5 plus pounds. This is too heavy, in my estimation. For Hunting it should be between 3 to 4.5 pounds. For target it can be less but needs a skilled shooter to handle a light trigger.

When shooting begins, all the shooter should be doing is squeezing the trigger once the cross hairs are on the bullseye. squeezing trigger evenly without jerking.

A while back I demonstrated a sub-moa rifle shooting a group of 3/4 inch was really a 1/4 minute of angle rifle with the right rests. For a target shooter that can mean the difference of winning a match verses placing in a match. For a long range shooter it can mean the difference of 7.5 inches at 1000 yards with a 3/4 group at 100 yards or  2.5 inches at 1000 with a 1/4 inch group sighted at 100 yards.

SCOPE-EYE ALIGNMENT

The next error comes in where the cheek touches the comb of the stock to align the eye into the sight or scope. Where there are so many scopes we will discuss scope picture.

It is best to raise the cheek so the eye is to be even with the scope. Some buy a device to raise the cheek. I believe it is not needed for normal hunting say out to 200 yards but will have value of LR shots.

At 100 yards a 3 x 9 scope for example should be all the way to 9x and the image of both the crosshairs and the image should be crystal clear. Some rifle scopes have parallax adjustments, please do not use this to focus the reticle or target. There should be another adjustment for target focus and another for crosshair focus for high power scopes. Or built into one adjustment for less magnification scopes. If you move your eye in the rear of the scope and the crosshairs shift around on you then you need to fine tune that movement with the parallax adjustment. Often they are marked like the Vortex brand. My Leupold scope has no parallax adjustment as it is pre-adjusted for say 100 yards. In addition, by keeping your eye centered in the scope where any outer shadow you see is centered then you also have minimized parallax and this is valuable for long range shooting.

BREATHING

If your are out of breath, or your heart is beating fast then wait on the shot till your composure is relaxed as if meditating and relaxing your core self a technique that helped me in Archery over many years. Once I am relaxed then I breath a few deep breaths and exhale half way and hold while I squeeze the shot off. At high magnification you can see your heart beat in the movement of your crosshairs if you are tightly connected to your rifle. Experts say shoot between heartbeats. Snipers teach the BRASS Method:Breath, Relax, Aim, Stop, Squeeze. It makes a lot of Sense…

An expert long range marksman also suggested letting your tongue hang loose in your mouth as you squeeze.

It is what you do at the Bench Rest that makes a difference what happens at a far away target.© 2014

 

 

 

 

Hunt Africa Now!

If you ever had a dream to hunt Africa now is the time! Airfare and Safari Hunt Packages are very stable at this time. A complete hunt with 6 animals including airfare and taxidermy of mounts for 2 people would be less than some western hunts for one animal.  It seems like only yesterday that I took my son Jason with me on Safari and wrote my e-book African Safari Rifle and Bow and Arrow.(click the link) the e-book is only $12.99, a bargain. Get a copy today!

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My dream was  to hunt plains game with my son and harvest animals like the Greater Kudu, Gemsbok/Oryx, Impala,Springbok, Blesbok, and Red Hartebeest. The timing of my Safari was in early August when days were warm and nights were cold. Every day was nearly the same with bright beautiful sunshine. The landscape of the hunt is very important to me. I did not want to be in heavy brush, I wanted to see Africa not be swallowed by it. I lucked out because we hunted the open bush-veld where we could often see nearly a mile in every direction. Below a spectacular View.

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Here a herd of Wildebeest cross our path heading far from us while on the Toyota Truck.

 

Typically we hunted with our Toyota Land Cruiser where we would do spot and stalk hunts or for Bow and Arrow we would use Hides near watering holes.

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Spot and stalk hunts were challenging as the game has been hunted and they knew what we were after. I was eager to take game with Bow and Arrow so some of my days were spent sitting in a grass blind called a hide. Game came in from all directions and it was never dull. From that Hide we saw every manner of game Blue Wildebeest, Gemsbok, Impala, Kudu, Red Hartebeest and Giant Eland. I depended 100% on my PH’s Andries Van Zyl and Joan-am for determining male from female and trophy from non trophy.

The e-book shares heart pounding Plains Game hunts by Jason and me, a Live Cheetah Capture, how we prepared for the Safari, equipment practice and clothing, rifle and bow accuracy, medical considerations, Taxidermy and so much more including a Safari Checklist. All of South Africa has hunting concessions that are fenced to control disease and predators. If the concession is 50 square miles, it is fenced or 5 square miles like mine. Game is monitored by a bevy of Veterinarians and meat is sold and or used/cooked  by the Safari Outfitter for hunters and guests. Nothing goes to waste!

Our hunt included all wild and domestic meals, beverages, wine and alcohol after Safari’s, washing of clothes, transportation.

Below is my Cape Kudu that made the SCI Record Books. Now that was a Hunt because a few hours earlier I took a fine Red Hartebeest with bow and arrow!

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Below I arrowed this fine Red Hartebeest, a one shot  kill! Further down is the Blind I was in and at far right of the window in the hide is just the top of the horns of this cautious beast.

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Sunset at this Watering hole is spectacular.

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Live Capture of the Cheetah below. The Vet prepares a drug dart.

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I had no gun! There in the spotlight in front of me was a real Cheetah! Just a camera in hand in the top of the Toyota fully exposed. If that Cheetah wanted a piece of me, it would have only taken a few seconds to close the distance.

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Luckily the Vet was a good aim with the dart gun! All went well, safe at last!

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A 150 yard shot at this Record Book Impala with my Ruger M77 338 Winchester Magnum with my own hand loaded 250 grain Nosler Partitions. Sweet! My PH Andries at left. I used some camo tape on my rifle barrel and it did not spook game.

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My e-book is full of these terrific photo’s and so many more! This could be you!

Live the hunt with me again and again with your own copy of African Safari Rifle and Bow and Arrow!

 

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