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  1. Ryan

    30-06 165 grn TTSX fast enough

    I'd expect either to expand the same and wouldn't change if it shoots great. Barnes doesn't mention any difference in expansion, though an email could clear that up. Straight from their Tipped TSX FAQs about 30 cal bullets "These bullets have different ogive geometries. The 165-grain TSX...
  2. Ryan

    30-06 165 grn TTSX fast enough

    I used factory loaded 168s in my 30-06 on one hunt and handloaded for another in Namibia with approximately the same speed (Barnes claims 2800 on their Vor-TX ammo). Zero issues with eight animals if memory serves me right. Two were kudu, one gemsbok and a zebra for the bigger stuff. Nothing...
  3. Ryan

    Well boys, what's your temperature like now?

    Yep, it appears to be a couple/few degrees warmer up there. I'm in Anchorage. 61 was at Gov't Hill, actually 64 where I'm at on the east side.
  4. Ryan

    Well boys, what's your temperature like now?

    Why I no longer live there. Great place to visit family, in winter. It's 61 F and sunny here in Alaska.
  5. Ryan

    Red Hartebeest help/advice

    For me the skull looked so distinct I preferred it for my first and a shoulder mount if I went again. So, I got mine done in a skull mount and had the whole hide tanned, no regrets. It's one of my favorite reminders of my first hunt. The skull is at the top of my stairs and the rug was on the...
  6. Ryan

    Which Second Rifle?

    WDM Bell used the 6.5 MS for taking a lot of game for the pot, as did a lot of European settlers in Kenya and Uganda at that time. I'm going that direction for the springbok and up to hartebeest sized game. Anything larger the 375 covers.
  7. Ryan

    First Safari - I’ll hunt plains game - What caliber?

    Choosing my first hunt I asked a lot of outfitters what to bring. Without fail the first thing they said is something along the lines of 'do you have a 30-06 (or) 308 you shoot well?, Bring it.' Two hunts in Namibia for everything on your list and more with a 30-06 and 168 grain Barnes TTSX...
  8. Ryan

    What Brass Are You Hunting For?

    375 Ruger.
  9. Ryan

    375 for plains game

    Short answer, which other's already gave. Yes, for most of the shot distance I have shot at in Africa. When my 30-06 shot poorly checking it on my last hunt I just picked up my 375 Ruger with 300s I brought for buffalo and carried on. I dropped a blesbok, steenbok, black wildebeest and impala...
  10. Ryan

    Mountain rifles

    For my one and only Dall sheep hunt I took my Thompson/Center Encore in 30-06. A nice compact relatively light rifle most don't think about, but you may. At this moment it has a walnut stock, factory 24" barrel and topped with a Leupold VX-2 Ultralight 3-9X 33mm. It weighs a grand total of 7...
  11. Ryan

    Show Us Your Hunting Knife

    My old next door neighbor and hunting partner on my Dall sheep hunt used a similar paring knife for all his hunting needs. He's an unassuming guy who's taken a fair amount of what Alaska has to offer and that is his tool of choice for getting it to the table and taxidermist.
  12. Ryan

    Show Us Your Hunting Knife

    Well, I finally found it. I have always wanted a Loveless Drop Point Hunter with Micarta handle slabs. It is the epitome of form and function to me. And I wanted to actually use it. For those who don't know Robert Loveless is legendary in the handmade knife world, and even a basic Drop Point...
  13. Ryan

    Is this Legit?

    I dunno .. Is this for a mini gun? ;)
  14. Ryan

    Welcome To The Wonderful World Of BSA

    I had to look that emblem up, interesting. I'm sure they were making arms prior, just not a common thing in the US. Even the bikes are pretty rare in my part of the world and honestly I don't think I ever saw the one that old coworker talked about highly, which was easily 25 years ago now. The...
  15. Ryan

    Welcome To The Wonderful World Of BSA

    Very interesting. As a middle aged American, when I think of BSA the only thing that came to mind were motorcycles my even older friends have or had. Never realized the company made both. Though it makes sense. Heck, Husqvarna makes an awesome chainsaw (I have two) and started out with arms and...
  16. Ryan

    When hunting species like zebra or gemsbuck does the sex of the animal matter to hunters?

    Gembok, yes. I and the outfitters I've hunted with focussed on the males with heavy horns, not females with long thin ones. Zebra, it depends. My one and only zebra my PH was very particular. He wanted only bachelor group stallions taken out of their herds if at all possible. Not the dominant...
  17. Ryan

    Help with Swift reloading data

    Norma has load data for both of those bullet weights of Swift A Frame on their site for their MRP powder, if you can get that.
  18. Ryan

    Greetings from Michigan!

    Welcome. Very interesting avatar picture. Where in Michigan? I'm heading back to the family not far out of Ann Arbor in a week.
  19. Ryan

    Malaria Medication Next Week in Limpopo - Take or Not

    Things I learn. Thanks.
  20. Ryan

    Found: 338 Win Mag brass in Alaska

    To anyone looking for 338 Win Mag brass in Alaska, I saw several boxes of 50 count Hornady brass in the 3 Bears store in Chugiak, just north of Anchorage. The guy at the counter said it had just arrived. It won't last long. Hopefully this is the sign of some more calibers brass coming back.
  21. Ryan

    Malaria Medication Next Week in Limpopo - Take or Not

    Ask your outfitter. They are far more likely to get it living there than you just visiting. If they worry about it, take it. If not, don't. I was in the Limpopo region in 21 around Louis Trichardt area. Zero worries. But it's a big region.
  22. Ryan

    A ? for Anchorage/Alaska members...

    Hawks Gunsmithing. He's been around a long time, works out of a shop connected to his house. If it needs to be done immediately I'd give him a ring ahead of time, he is a one man shop with no shortage of work on his calendar.
  23. Ryan

    Full body mounts

    Definitely closer to elk. Like young bull elk. Wikipedia has their weight in pounds in the mid 500s to nearly 700 pounds max and a big bull elk in the mid 700s tops. Bushbuck are more in the smaller whitetail deer range, nyala in line with larger whitetail.
  24. Ryan

    Full body mounts

    Uploading photos seems to be fickle today. Umpteenth try is a charm.
  25. Ryan

    Full body mounts

    Not a full body, but a possibility to show off a kudu. A half at an angle. My nylala shows of the stripes and such but works better for my house. There is an amazing full body kudu in the Sportsmans Warehouse in Wasilla, Alaska, but I'm not heading that way soon to take a pic. Anyway, it's...
  26. Ryan

    Vortex Razor Scopes

    I have a Vortex Razor HD 2-10X 40 on my Savage M16 in 7MM-08. To my 53 year old eyes it is as crisp and clear as my Leupold's and has worked without issue since 2017 I believe. I wouldn't hesitate to take it to Africa if I wanted to use that rifle.
  27. Ryan

    TC Encore Pro-hunter SS 4 BBL Set

    Heading to somewhere slightly chillier than its current home.
  28. Ryan

    LH Model 70 416 Listed On Cabelas Website Today

    That's damn near a unicorn in this lefty's view. Hope it goes to a good home and gets some good hunting.
  29. Ryan

    African style rifle buying sweet spot

    ^^This ^^ I bought a Ruger #1 with custom wood, engraving, checkering and stippling in 2020 for $1250, and that was after days on Gunbroker with some healthy bidding. It's my perfect PG rifle at this time. I've seen the cost of basic #1's now that start bidding higher than that. I'm pretty sure...
  30. Ryan

    210gr Copper Solid 300 Win Mag?

    You want maximum effect and minimum organ and meat damage using a 300 Win Mag. My first thought is not the bullet but bullet placement. Head and neck shots. In that case this bullet works wonders. Peregrine monolithics out of South Africa makes copper solids in this caliber, Discrete Ballistics...
  31. Ryan

    Lets see some Kudu!

    I can't find the files so here they are on the wall. 2013:on the left and 2016 on the right. Both on the same farm Namibia, just south of Etosha.
  32. Ryan

    Alaska fishing question

    Easy there, He's talking on the road system. Breath. Breath.
  33. Ryan

    African Huntin Boots

    You just went down a rabbit hole. People lose a lot of sleep over this subject around here for some reason. I've had four Ph's and they wore four different boots. First was some heavy soled hiking boots, no gaiters. second, old school chukka type boots with leather gaiters, third slip on...
  34. Ryan

    Famous Users Of The .30-06 Springfield Against African Dangerous Game

    While he used a .375 H&H quite a bit, I recall Wally Johnson claiming he killed elephant and/or buffalo with a 30-06 during his ivory hunting days in the book The Last Ivory Hunter:The Saga of Wally Johnson, written by Peter Hathaway Capstick. I also recall him talking about taking lion with a...
  35. Ryan

    Osceola

    Beautiful mount. He reminds me of a similar mount to that in a research station in North Florida I worked in 20+ years ago. We named him Jebediah.
  36. Ryan

    ttsx in 375 caliber - i see nothing above 250 grains

    Here's a report of a very dead buff using a 270 grain LRX. Post in thread '270 grain Barnes LRX (375 H&H) for Buffalo??' https://www.africahunting.com/threads/270-grain-barnes-lrx-375-h-h-for-buffalo.51244/post-562159
  37. Ryan

    Gaiters or blousing garters?

    Not since I left the Air Force 30 years ago. And while I was fortunate to get the ones from Texas Hunt I have heard good things about Boyt's gaiters. The leather ones mentioned would make my feet too hot.
  38. Ryan

    Gaiters or blousing garters?

    The only reason I wear gaiters is fo keep rocks, twigs and thorns out of my boots. And yes, I'm usually wearing shorts in Africa. So, if the cuff of your pants is low enough to stop stuff from ending up in your boots and you've never had that issue elsewhere you don't need gaiters. I've yet to...
  39. Ryan

    What Caliber For Dangerous Grizzly Bear, Open & Read This Link You Won't Believe This

    Fair enough. We're all after the same thing, how to best keep from becoming bear food. I wish I could track down the article I'd read. I had a copy for years. It convinced more than one friend to get off his duff and get to the range more.
  40. Ryan

    What Caliber For Dangerous Grizzly Bear, Open & Read This Link You Won't Believe This

    Alaska Magazine had an article 10 or so years ago on bear protection weapons compiling data from every incident they could. Their data did not agree with yours. In terms of handguns the 357 Mag faired better than a 44. Not that the round couldn't do it, but the person behind the gun couldn't...
  41. Ryan

    What Caliber For Dangerous Grizzly Bear, Open & Read This Link You Won't Believe This

    I swear I'd read an article somewhere of a native in Alaska killing a polar bear in a similar way with a .22. it can be done if you're spitting distance and the shot is in the eye. If you aren't, you're now bear food because a bad shot didn't even slow it down.
  42. Ryan

    Spoke with Bill at Swift Bullets yesterday

    Yep, as an example, go to Federals website. They have a small supply of Trophy Bonded Bear Claw in 300 grain 375 caliber, a bullet I have read great things about, for a mere $167.99 per 25. They aren't moving. I have seen a few boxes of those around Alaska, a state with more 375's than most...
  43. Ryan

    The Perfect Shot by Kevin Robertson

    The mini edition worked nicely for me along with the free shot placement gallery provided on this site.
  44. Ryan

    Any fly fishing recommendations for chasing King Salmon in Alaska?

    I don't want to derail this thread but after working out of Dutch Harbor for five years on commerical fishing vessels I can say it's not foreign vessels, it's us. With all the satellites and surveillance by the USCG very few if any foreign vessels get across our Exclusive Economic Zone lines...
  45. Ryan

    Other activities

    I have been to Etosha NP in Namibia, Addo and Bontebok NP in South Africa along with a couple private reserves and enjoyed them all. Personally I'd go to Marakele NP. You aren't going to see elephants, rhino and possibly the big cats on your hunting area. The rest of the activities are personal...
  46. Ryan

    Other activities

    Ask your outfitter first, they know where you're hunting and what's within easy driving distance. Kruger National Park comes to mind immediately, but South Africa is a big place and you may be hours from it or it may be right next door. Find out where you'll be and look up the SANPark (South...
  47. Ryan

    Any fly fishing recommendations for chasing King Salmon in Alaska?

    Silvers average 5-15 pounds depending on the watershed, record book is in the 20s as I recall. Kings more like 15-30 average in most waters, big is over 35 and record book in most places is over 50, except the Kenai river, which used to be notorious for 40-60 pound fish and a record of almost...
  48. Ryan

    Any fly fishing recommendations for chasing King Salmon in Alaska?

    Red (sockeye) and in some cases pink salmon stocks have increased, the rest have not. King (chinook) salmon has decreased enough that some areas have been shut down for fishing. I have heard rumors it might be listed as am endangered species in certain systems. Over the 30+ years I have fished...
  49. Ryan

    Any fly fishing recommendations for chasing King Salmon in Alaska?

    I love silvers. Always have and always will. They will smash a lure or fly when they want. But sadly, even they have taken a serious hit in the past decade. As for kings, To the OP, if you get into one, hang on, and if you can get in a boat to fight it. They'll play the river on you.
 
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