A Surgeon Among Client Shikaris

[Kawshik Rahman]

Some times l write accounts here of events which did not go so well during my career as a professional Shikari in Darjeeling , India from 1962 to 1970 . On other times , l give accounts of Shikars which went unexpectedly smooth . Today , with my dear forum members , l would like to share such an account of a Shikar where everything went perfectly . Let go back , dear readers to 1966 , spring time. This is the story of a client hunter who had surgical precision in his marksmanship.
It was mother’s birthday , so father and l had both contributed to buy mother a piano ( mother loved classic pieces of music such as Mozart ) and there was a small birthday party in our gardens , where we had all invited our friends. Sundar Raj sir was among the guests present ( it was tradition to invite one’s employer during the weddings or the birthdays of one’s immediate family , in Darjeeling ) . During the party , Sundar Raj sir told me that the following week , an American gentleman client would come to Darjeeling and that l was to be his professional Shikari for the Shikars. I was to be given 4000 Rupees for this Shikar. I agreed to guide the client.
The next morning in Sundar Raj sir’s office , l met my respected client . He was from Memphis in Tennessee , the state. The gentleman had booked a triple package with Sundar Raj Shikar : Chukar birds , a Darjeeling bush boar and a leopard. These were certainly demands which Sundar Raj Shikar could accommodate easily and l certainly felt like these were all things within my capacity. I had an opportunity to examine my fine client’s fire arms . What can l say about them ? They were classic American pieces. Robustly beautiful.
One fire arm was a beautiful 12 bore pump operation shot-gun with 70 millimeter chamber and quarter choke barrel made by that redoubtable American firm , Remington.
For this shot-gun , the gentleman had brought boxes of plastic cartridges from the firm , Remington . There were number 6 cartridges and rifled slug type bullets weighing an ounce.
The other fire arm was a beautiful model 700 bolt operation rifle , made by the American firm , Remington. It was calibrated for the magnum 7 millimeter cartridge by Remington.
For this magnificent rifle , the gentleman had brought soft head cartridges from the firm , Remington as well. These were of 175 grain weight , according to their boxes.
And so , the next day we set off after chukar as the next part of this three part account shall relate .

The details of this picture will unfold in another part of this account.

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

We all set off early in the morning . Our party comprised of myself , our respected client , Rishi , Jeddiah and three coolies. I carried my old Ishapore Arms Factory 12 bore side by side shot-gun , loaded with SG cartridges in each barrel . Rishi carried my respected client’s 12 bore Remington pump operation shot-gun . The coolies carried a folding wooden chair and refreshments for our respected client. Our client was wearing a cartridge belt on his waist , full of 12 bore number 6 cartridges . When we reached the haunts of the chukars near the Kudai hills , we were all pleased at the sight of that beautiful place. A large number of birds were abundant in this area . Rishi handed the 12 bore Remington pump operation shot-gun to our client. In half an hour , the shooting had commenced . I must say. I have never seen a gentleman with such a Godly level of skills with fire arms in my 77 years of age. Why , he did not miss a single shot ! With eighteen cartridges , he had laid low eighteen chukars. In my entire life , l have never seen anyone ( even my good friend , Captain Newaz who is celebrated by Bangladesh Shooting Federation as being Bangladesh’s best living bird shooter ) shoot with this degree of success . Why is more astonishing is that he had accomplished this feat in less than ten minutes , which means that he was securing two birds in roughly every minute. In all probability , he would have kept dropping more Chukars if his cartridge belt did not get empty. I made the coolies recover the corpses of the Chukars , while l picked up all of the client’s expended 12 bore plastic cartridge cases. These would be lovely for me to reload , with wax treated SG pellets .

American pump operation shot-guns and Indian Chukars are a good combination , evidently .


Are my dear readers not yet convinced of this gentleman’s shooting proficiency ?
Let us now go to the part of this account which deals with the boar Shikar.

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

The immediate day after that , we all set out towards Darjeeling outskirts. Boars were very abundant here and infact , their numbers were so high , that one did not even need trackers to hunt them , in Darjeeling at that time . Our party comprised of myself , our respected client , two coolies , Rishi and Clayton . I carried my old Ishapore Arms Factory 12 bore side by side shot-gun loaded with SG cartridges in each barrel . Clayton carried his Ishapore Arms Factory .315 bore bolt operation rifle , loaded with 244 grain soft head cartridges. Rishi carried the client's Remington 12 bore pump operation shot-gun , loaded with rifled slug type cartridges . The coolies carried a folding wooden chair and refreshments for our respected client . Our client wore a cartridge belt , full of rifled slug type cartridges . The reason for bringing Clayton along was because Darjeeling boars can be quite unpredictable in their aggression. One can approach them quite closely and they will not bother , but suddenly one will decide to bull rush a member of your party and engage you with it's tusks. Having an additional Shikari with an extra fire arm to tackle an aggressive boar in case of dire circumstances , was imperative.
In no time , we had come across a group of large wild boars . There were females and young boars too , but our respected client , being a good sportsman , desired only a large male boar . It took us another fifteen minutes , with binoculars for us , to single out our quarry. He was a large fellow , clearly above 250 pounds , in weight , possibly higher. Rishi handed the 12 bore pump operation Remington Shot-gun to our respected client and l ordered
Clayton to shoot any boar which he feels might be attempting to charge towards our client or myself as we attempted to creep closer towards our quarry.
My client and l began to slowly , but steadily creep towards our prized boar . At a distance of 25 yards or so , our client took aim with the 12 bore shot-gun and carefully fired . His aim was correctly placed , for that one ounce lead rifled slug bullet struck the boar behind the shoulder . He ran a very short distance , before making the fatal squeal sound sound and dropping to the ground. For a minute , he kept moving his hind leg , but then all was still.

He weighed 285 pounds and was a most beautiful specimen.
Are my dear readers still not convinced of the gentleman's shooting prowess ?
Let us now proceed to the final part of this account. The leopard Shikar , then.

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

Four days later , we were off for our much anticipated leopard Shikar near the Tripani forests . Our party consisted of myself , our respected client , Clayton , Rishi , Jeddhiah , Gautam and two coolies . I carried my Ishapore Arms Factory 12 bore shot-gun loaded with SG cartridges in each barrel . Clayton carried his Ishapore Arms Factory .315 bore bolt operation rifle , loaded with 244 grain soft head cartridges . Rishi carried our client's model 700 Remington bolt operation rifle , loaded with 175 grain soft head cartridges . Our two coolies carried a folding wooden chair and refreshments for our client . Our client wore a cartridge belt , filled with 175 grain soft head cartridges ( magnum 7 millimeter by Remington ) .
It did not take old Jeddiah to find the tracks of a huge hunting leopard and soon we were tracking the beast cautiously. However , it was not until four gruelling hours later , that we were finally able to catch a glimpse of the creature. It was near a stream and was cleaning it's fore paws .
Rishi was ( as usual ) the first to catch a glimpse of the beast with his binoculars . Then , Clayton , l and our client , all took turns to see the leopard with the binoculars . Our client was satisfied with it and declared that this would be his Puroshkaar ( trophy ). Rishi handed the client his Model 700 bolt operation rifle and we were ready. Clayton , Our client and l slowly stalked closer and closer towards the leopard , until we were at roughly 200 yards from the leopard. " Shahib " l suggested " Wait till the beast shows you his side . Then carefully fire a shot which can pierce two lungs " . My client nodded ( although , in all probability , he already knew what he was doing ) . Our client crouched down and raised the model 700 rifle to his shoulder and held his breath . We waited intensely for the shot. The shot rang out and the beast was struck in the side. It had both it's lungs pierced. It ran a short distance , coughing blood and then collapsed , lifeless. What a Shikar.

Happy client with model 700 bolt operation Remington rifle , calibrated for magnum 7 millimeter cartridge by Remington , and his leopard Puroshkaar.

The epilogue will follow.

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

We had the coolies skin the leopard.
The 175 grain magnum 7 millimeter Remington soft nose bullet had opened up very marvellously inside the lungs of the leopard and the damage was considerable . Infact , to be blatantly honest , Clayton and l were quite positively surprised at the amount of damage such a small calibre bullet can do ( with perfect shot placement being imperative , of course ). The creature weighed 184 pounds , and yet that little 175 grain soft head bullet laid it low . Before this day , we had never seen a client use anything smaller than a magnum .300 cartridge by Winchester for shooting leopards successfully. Infact , Clayton and l were almost expecting ( rather fearfully ) that the client would end up wounding the leopard and that we would have to end up pursuing it into thick foliage . However , if this incident teaches us anything , it is that we must never make assumptions before hand.
My young friend and learned forum member , Hoss Delgado refuses to respect the model 700 by Remington . However , from my experience , it certainly left a good memory in my mind. Granted , it does not have the mauser type extracting claw device which l consider requisite for hunting dangerous animals and my preference lies with mauser configuration bolt operation rifles . However , the model 700 should certainly be respected . A large number of dangerous animals have been killed with them in the past five decades . I have seen two examples jam in the field , however majority of them worked flawlessly in the Shikar field .
And what of Remington's magnum 7 millimeter cartridge ? I have only this to say . If my favorite author and child hood hero , Jim Corbett can lay low leopards with a 7 millimeter mauser cartridge , then it's American younger brother cartridge can certainly accomplish some enviable feats as well.
I hope that my dear respected forum members have found this article enjoyable.
Have any of my respected forum members ever used a magnum 7 millimeter Remington calibre rifle ? I do hope you have enjoyed yours too although l certainly do not recommend using one on dangerous animals .

 

[Tra3]

Thank you for this hunting story. If only my shooting skill were so superlative to be retold 50 years later!
Did the client take the leopard shot seated or standing?
I too hunt with a 7 mm Remington magnum, but for short-range woods hunting for deer I prefer a smaller gun.

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

Thank you for this hunting story. If only my shooting skill were so superlative to be retold 50 years later!
Did the client take the leopard shot seated or standing?
I too hunt with a 7 mm Remington magnum, but for short-range woods hunting for deer I prefer a smaller gun.

Tra3
Thank you so much for your kind words. The client took the shot seated and crouched.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Thanks for another of your wonderful hunt stories! I personally have never been impressed by the 7mm Rem Mag, but it is supposedly an exceptional long distance game getter. I’ve leaned more toward the old 30-06 and have owned maybe a half dozen of which 4 were the Remington 700 or cheaper 78 rifles. They all would shoot extremely accurately! At extreme ranges the 7mm caliber has a ballistic coefficient advantage.
Thanks again for another very enjoyable story!

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

Thanks for another of your wonderful hunt stories! I personally have never been impressed by the 7mm Rem Mag, but it is supposedly an exceptional long distance game getter. I’ve leaned more toward the old 30-06 and have owned maybe a half dozen of which 4 were the Remington 700 or cheaper 78 rifles. They all would shoot extremely accurately! At extreme ranges the 7mm caliber has a ballistic coefficient advantage.
Thanks again for another very enjoyable story!

Ridge Walker
Thank you so much for your kind words. You make an excellent assessment. It was exceptionally accurate at great distances.
I have personally only seen this one client use a magnum 7 millimeter Remington for dangerous animals ( in this case leopard ) and therefore l cannot form an opinion on it. I like .3006 cartridge too , especially with 220 grain Remington core lock type bullets ( if they are still being made , that it ).

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Not a single miss! That’s very impressive and shows a man who has practiced. That appears to an 870, if so that’s my favorite shotgun or maybe second favorite to Winchester model 12. I’m not sure.
I happened to see a box of 30-06 220 CoreLokts last week at the farm supply store

 

[cls]

Another great story. Thank you very much for taking us along for the ride. I have hunted everything from pronghorn to moose and black bear here in Canada and African plains game except eland over the last 40 years with the 7MM Remington Magnum and it's never let me down.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

A Remington M700 ?!
Mr. Rahman , no offense , but those guns suck big time ! They have a nasty reputation for going off on their own
You guys were really lucky that the gun didn't accidentally go off and hit a tracker or coolie or something
And Remington M700s jam like crazy

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

A Remington M700 ?!
Mr. Rahman , no offense , but those guns suck big time ! They have a nasty reputation for going off on their own
You guys were really lucky that the gun didn't accidentally go off and hit a tracker or coolie or something
And Remington M700s jam like crazy

Hoss Delgado
We spoke about this same topic over the phone for half hour last week , when you called me to interview me for your book.
I respectfully disagree with you. It is absolutely ludicrous that a model 700 bolt operation rifle from Remington will discharge on it's own. I am not doubting you when you are saying that it happened . Please do not feel that way. But l would subscribe the reason to some well meaning hunter's misguided attempt to modify and lighten the pull of the trigger.
I have never seen one model 700 rifle discharge on it's own. And l have seen close to two dozen examples in my career as a professional Shikari .
I can believe jamming . I saw two examples of it myself in 1965 and 1968 . However , l respectfully disagree that they " jam like crazy " . It is much less frequent than you have been led to believe.

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

Another great story. Thank you very much for taking us along for the ride. I have hunted everything from pronghorn to moose and black bear here in Canada and African plains game except eland over the last 40 years with the 7MM Remington Magnum and it's never let me down.

Cls
Thank you so much for your kind words and support. I certainly have a healthy amount of respect for the magnum 7 millimeter by Remington . I find it excellent and accurate enough for Indian Shikar , at the very least.

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

Not a single miss! That’s very impressive and shows a man who has practiced. That appears to an 870, if so that’s my favorite shotgun or maybe second favorite to Winchester model 12. I’m not sure.
I happened to see a box of 30-06 220 CoreLokts last week at the farm supply store

Wyatt Smith
Thank you so much for your kind words and support. The model 870 by Remington is the most popular pump operation shot-gun owned by civilian shooters in Bangladesh. Also , thank you for helping me know the real name of those .3006 soft nose 220 grain cartridges . It is Core Lokt , as you say .

 

[Hoss Delgado]

Hoss Delgado
We spoke about this same topic over the phone for half hour last week , when you called me to interview me for your book.
I respectfully disagree with you. It is absolutely ludicrous that a model 700 bolt operation rifle from Remington will discharge on it's own. I am not doubting you when you are saying that it happened . Please do not feel that way. But l would subscribe the reason to some well meaning hunter's misguided attempt to modify and lighten the pull of the trigger.
I have never seen one model 700 rifle discharge on it's own. And l have seen close to two dozen examples in my career as a professional Shikari .
I can believe jamming . I saw two examples of it myself in 1965 and 1968 . However , l respectfully disagree that they " jam like crazy " . It is much less frequent than you have been led to believe.

Well .... If they're really that good then why don't more people use them for DG ?
Also , why did the RAB forces in Bangladesh replace their M700s for sniping with Blaser R93s , huh ? Are you saying they downgraded ?

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

Well .... If they're really that good then why don't more people use them for DG ?
Also , why did the RAB forces in Bangladesh replace their M700s for sniping with Blaser R93s , huh ? Are you saying they downgraded ?

Hoss Delgado
In relation to your argument about dangerous animals , l request you to read the last part of my article . I have never once asked any of my readers to pursue dangerous animals with a model 700 from Remington. Not even once. I merely said that it earned my respect for what it helped my client to accomplish.
In regards to your second argument , Bangladesh police force's Rapid Action Battalion ( R.A.B ) have used the model 700 bolt operation rifle ( calibrated for 7.62 millimeter cartridge ) for their counter terrorist and sniping work for the last two decades and there were no complaints , as to reliability . They just updated their inventory and replaced those rifles with the 7.62 millimeter cartridge calibre Blaser Jagdwaffen R-93 calibre rifle , very recently .
Think of it like the way , you American gentlemen in the military replaced the .45 calibre Colt Government Model pistol with the 9 millimeter Beretta Model 9 pistol. Just because it was replaced , does not make the Colt Government Model pistol a bad fire arm.
Also , those model 700 rifles formerly used by the R.A.B are currently used by Sundarban forest department , and they have not had a problem with it's performance yet , that l know of .

 

[Shootist43]

Kawshik, that was yet another very interesting story. This guy was from Memphis, your niece's boyfriend is from Alabama and both of them were / are good shots. Are you beginning to notice a pattern here. After relating a particular shooting occurrence involving my wife (who was born in Tennessee and grew up in Texas) and a hand gun, my late father said, " I never met a hillbilly that couldn't shoot." In fact it was this perception that was responsible for the establishment of the NRA. Re. Remington 700s I have a number of them. They all shoot well, but at the same time have had "safety" issues. The most dangerous animal (if you can call it that) I've taken with one of them is a wild boar. For deer, antelope, elk, hogs etc. they are just fine.

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

Kawshik, that was yet another very interesting story. This guy was from Memphis, your niece's boyfriend is from Alabama and both of them were / are good shots. Are you beginning to notice a pattern here. After relating a particular shooting occurrence involving my wife (who was born in Tennessee and grew up in Texas) and a hand gun, my late father said, " I never met a hillbilly that couldn't shoot." In fact it was this perception that was responsible for the establishment of the NRA. Re. Remington 700s I have a number of them. They all shoot well, but at the same time have had "safety" issues. The most dangerous animal (if you can call it that) I've taken with one of them is a wild boar. For deer, antelope, elk, hogs etc. they are just fine.

Shootist43
Thank you so much for your constant support and appreciation towards my accounts. You are a good friend. I do see a pattern here. They are all from South States in the United States of America . Regarding Remington Model 700 rifle , you should be very proud of yourself . Boars are very dangerous. They attack tea garden workers in Sylhet occasionally and l shoot them with my 12 bore Beretta over-under shot-gun loaded with SG cartridge . Their tusks are very sharp. Captain Newaz ( my friend , who shot 81 panthers ) recently came over , to Sylhet to shoot some boars which were menacing our local tea garden workers . He was using his John Dickson and Son 12 bore box lock mechanism side by side shot-gun , loaded with Eley Alphamax LG cartridge in both barrels. At a distance of merely four feet , he fired a shot between it's shoulder blades and it still almost escaped and needed two more shots to lay low. Boars can be quite tenacious of life in Bangladesh as they can weigh up to 300 pounds. If you say that you have safety issues with the Model 700 rifles , then l believe you because you speak from first hand experience . May l ask what kind of safety issue you faced ?
You are very blessed to have a wife who shares an interest in fire arms. My late fiancé actually killed a panther once in 1966 , by using her father’s W . Richards 12 bore side by side shot-gun , loaded with two SSG cartridges ( 70 millimeter length) . It was her first and only panther , but she killed it with one shot. I was very lucky to have her.
Regarding National Rifle Association , Daniel is a member too ( Fabliha’s boy friend)

 

[Ridgewalker]

I’ve used a Remington 700 since the early 1970s. I cannot remember ever having a jam nor safety issue. The CRF of the Mauser design preferred by most for DG is primarily for extraction and because it will pick up the next cartridge “controlled”.
My Winny 70 in 30-06 failed firing on an antelope hunt twice in a row. I discovered in the windy conditions some how as I was inserting the first round, a blade of grass got into the bolt between the firing pin and cartridge primer. It failed the first round, then I inserted a second without checking and it failed firing a second time. I ejected the cartridge and took the time to look at the bolt where I discovered the blade of grass.
Every rifle as well as bullet can fail under the right conditions. JMO&E