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I have hunted just over 500 big games in Africa, because I was lucky to get great deals for culling/management hunting, and with many calibers, from .223 Remington up to .470 Nitro express. But I would say my first choice for plains game will be the same than yours. I really like the .300...

It makes me think to this video : The full video

Hello PeetMeech I used them in 2017 and I shot several plains game with EXR bullets but not enough to have a strong opinion on them. I didn't buy factory ammos, I just purchased bullets and I reloaded them. All the bullets went through animals, except one in an oryx with a quartering away...

I have had the opportunity to use two brands of bullets in Africa with my .458 Lott so far. The first one is Barnes that is known by everybody. But at that time, I loaded a pretty lightweight bullet for the caliber, because I used the TSX 350 gr. It worked great on plains game from warthogs...

Some very nice photos and stories about this animals. Thank you for the sharing. I know a PH who charged baboons, just because he was scaried to see people who wanted to hunt only this animal, thus he would not get a lot of money at the end of the safari. But when he knew me, he told me to...

Is there someone else who likes to hunt baboons ? It might be a tricky subject because I met people who refused to shoot them, because they look like to humans, while I met others who absolutely hate them, and even more some farmers living close by. Baboons are crop raiders, goat killers and...

Don't worry, I have left a couple of them for my next trips and for my fellows as well :giggle: The last one I saw through my scope ;) But if you have the opportunity, do not hesitate to try Hyena hunting. These critters are just incredible.

Despite a lot of training, I miss from time to time. I'm just a human and not a machine. At home, during summertime, I like to hunt foxes and I kill between 15 to 30 animals a year. However, I have never had a year without a miss or two, and sometimes more. The last animal I missed was a...

If I have to keep only one scope, It will be my Leica Magnus 2.4-16x56 with its BDC turret. It has a huge field of view at the lower magnification, an incredible glass for low light conditions and also a very good after-sales service just in case. I had a little problem with its illuminated...

Many hunters refuse to hunt zebras during their first hunting trip because they compare them to horses. But once they have seen how wary this animal can be in the wild, many hunters change their mind. I love hunting zebras and it is one of my favourite plains game with wildebeests and elands...

It's a high fenced territory with a game proof. Inside you can find a lot of games who have been introduced and that are not native of the area, and even sometimes from Namibia like Nyala. We find more and more game ranches in that country but they are usually much bigger than those you find in...

I have a buddy who is an avid duck hunter and he tells me everytime how impressive is the TSS on birds. For sure, it allows longer shot and it provides a tighter pattern, carrying more energy and momentum for an effective results, much further than the classic lead. I have no experience with a...

My experience remains limited but I had the opportunity to borrow a Ruger 77 in .308 Winchester, topped with a Burris Eliminator, in 2015. Ammunitions were cheap Sellier & Bellot SP 180 gr, but accuracy was very good. I didn't shoot a lot of animals with it : an impala, and a couple of...

We love our animals and I know what it is to be in this situation. Best wishes to Charlie for a full recovery and to you too !

I met Nico and his wife in october 2023 thanks to a friend. We hunted 2 days in his farm and I shot two elands and a girafe. At this moment, he was very scary with the drought. Very nice people ! I had a good talking with them. He has a classic game ranch and an open area along the...

If we admit prices are not a problem and my eyes were better to use open sight, I would say : 1. Elephant : A Rigby Rising Bite in .577 Nitro express loaded + CEB Safari Solid 750 gr 2. Hippo : On Land, a Heym 89 in .500 Nitro express loaded + CEB Safari Solid 570 gr 3. Lion : My Blaser R93...

From what I heard, VC has familly problems and some grand-aunts, who are still partners, refused any improvement of the factory to not lose any dividends. But they also made poor choice about some of their products, however I don't speak about "L'atelier Verney-Carron" that was before Paul...

I saw a lot of tracks of black rhinos, but I have never been able to see one in real. The first time, it was in a big private farm along the Nyae-Nyae conservancy in Namibia where rhinos were placed by the government. I don't remember how many black rhinos there was in that farm but tracks...

The .416 Rigby operates indeed at a lower pressure than most of "modern" calibers but overpressure is indeed possible. I have loaded a bit this caliber and its big cases have a huge capacity, in comparison to the .416 Remington magnum, but the thickness of its wall remains pretty "thin" at the...

I had a good success with Vihtauori N150.

In France, we have 2 factories that load big bores. The biggest one is Sologne. https://www.cartouches-sologne.fr/ https://www.cartouches-sologne.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/tarif-public-GLOBAL-2024.pdf Back to 90's, Sologne introduced the GPA, a lead free bullet with bands, that...

I have hunted and culled throughout years a good numbers of warthogs, and of course wild boars. If everything goes well, I should be able to add the bushpig to my list this year. My dream remains the giant forest hog, but too expensive for my wallet. Some of my warthogs : Culling before...

I prefer "big" games but there is really something special with these tiny antelopes for sure. So Far, I have hunted 4 members of the tiny ten : Steenboks, Grey duikers, Klipspringer and Damara dik-dik.

I had the opportunity to reload SST 180 gr in Africa for my .300 Winchester magnum. It was the only bullet available on the farm and I used Somchem 385 powder. I shot several wildebeests and a kudu. They worked well, even pretty far, but even at distance, this bullet is really fragile like...

I have shot almost 50 plains game with my .458 Lott as well as few european games. It includes impalas, warthogs, kudus, wildebeests, oryx, Burchell zebras, wild boars and also a red hind. I have also killed a good number of elands and two giraffes with that caliber. At the beginning, I...

I think, it might be possible to get a .404 Jeffery from Blaser, but we need to be very very patient ! I already saw a photo with a factory barrel in this caliber made by Blaser a long time ago. However, I think it's easier to get a Custom made barrel ! Currently, the easiest way to make...

The 8x64 S has never been a popular caliber in my country and I would say the most "common" rifles in this caliber are old military Mauser rifles that were reamed to accept this cartridge, as well as the 8x60 S, because the original 8x57 JS was forbiden for hunting in my country from 1939...

Thank you for the report and very nice buffalo. It reminds me good memory with Dawid but also Brutus and Da Silva. The first time I hunted there, Dawid was not able to guide me, so I hunted with Wayne Cilliers and I also had a great time with another great PH. Hippo that comes at few meters...

Here are some more Degol bullets. The recipe is always the same : Hornady Cases, Federal 215 GM primer, Reload Swiss 52 powder and the bullets go at around 2210-2220 f/s. Degol Lion Load 500 gr recovered in an eland shot with a quartering toward shot at ~90 meters. Weight retention ...

Interesting report. My experience with Berger bullets is limited because I only used the Elite Hunter 300 gr in my .338 Lapua magnum for hunting. The accuracy was very good, but I didn't like this bullet for hunting purpose. I shot many foxes and in Africa, several impalas, warthogs, a...

If my memory serves, this bolt was made by Sommer & Ockenfuss to convert classic bolt action Mauser 98 K into a Straight pull action. I think they also tried to make the same kind of bolt for the Remington 700 too. It was in the end of 90's and in the Kettner book.

Great report and very nice buffalo. How is Dawid ? I heard last march, when I was in Namibia, he had a stroke earlier but he felt better. I hunted with him several times and I really like this man. His farm in the Khomas is also a great place to visit for Hartmann zebra hunting.

The only problem that happened to me was with my R8 ultimate in .338 Lapua magnum. Despite the barrel channel was well opened to fit the Match barrel, I had some flyers from time to time and even more when I was using my bipod in prone position. I noticed that this forend was not stiff enough...

The prince Franz Albrecht also used a Blaser R93 in .30-06 and a Sauer 404. I remember I saw him having some issues when pushing the bolt forward of his 404 and I had the same problem with this rifle too and especially if you put too much pressure upward. The Sauer 505 has solved this little...

Does anyone have reloaded the .460 Weatherby magnum with 600 gr bullets ? I tried them in my .458 Lott but this weight is too heavy for that caliber which doesn't have enough case capacity to push them at a decent velocity ! I was able to get only 1939 f/ and the bullet (Degol Starkmantel)...

I had the opportunity to try on target a Browning A-Bolt III in .243 Winchester that belongs to my neighbour. The finition is not at the same level than previous versions but for the price, it remains a good rifle. With the only ammunition he gave me, Winchester Ballistic Silvertip 95 gr, the...

I'm not really sure, but I think FN manufactures the barrel and the rifle is assembled in Portugal. I handled a couple of Winchester SRX, but only in 7x64 and .300 Winchester magnum. I know someone who has one in 9.3x62, but so far, I have never had the opportunity to try it on target. In...

I also love them. They are premium bullets and not really expensive as reloading conponents. I can even say they are pretty cheap when you buy them directly to mister Degol. I have used them in .308", .338", .375" and .458" with a full satisfaction.

.458 Lott and Degol Starkmantel 500 gr at ~ 2265 f/s. Buffalo shot at more or less 60 meters. The bullet under the skin. Weight retention 479.8 gr : 96 %

I have hunted all my dangerous games with my Blaser rifles : A R93 in .375 Holland & Holland magnum and a R8 in .458 Lott. The first time I hunted an elephant in the Caprivi strip, I used my good old R93 in .375 H&H magnum, that was my driven hunt rifle. My PH was Wayne Cilliers (an awesome...

.338 Lapua magnum and Degol Starkmantel 300 gr reloaded with Vihtavuori N570 at ~ 2624 f/s Young giraffe bull shot at 60 meters right into the shoulder with a full broadside shot. He ran 15 meters and fell down. The bullet was recovered in the opposite shoulder. Retention weight : 185.5 gr =...