HUNTING Ostrich

[AfricaHunting.com]

Hunting Ostrich Shot Placement

Post your questions, comments or pictures relating to hunting shot placement.

Hunting Ostrich

Hunting Ostrich

 

[Nicovl0604]

I am not quite sure about this one, but if i compare the two pictures,
i do think the marked spot on the second picture...(the one just above the leg is wrong...
no chance o hitting the vital triangle there...the only thing you would hit is the big hipbone...
maybe the bird would be stopped, but i am sure, it would not be a clean kill.

i think i will become more clearly if you compare with the pics in the bowhunting shotplacement gallery.
i think that one over there is right.

or am i wrong about that one?

 

[spoonieduck]

Ostrich and turkey

Someone told me one time that when shooting either an ostrich or wild turkey with a rifle and the animal is walking straight away, just shoot him up up the butt. Well I tried this shot on a turkey using a 7 mm mag and the bird took off and flew over 100 yards before falling dead. The shot worked but it wasn't an instant kill and you must admit I was a little over-gunned.

I tried the same shot again on an ostrich in Namibia. I was using a 300 Win Mag loaded with 180 grain partitions. After my shot, the bird continued walking away albeit a little bow-legged. It took a second shot to finish him. I shot a second ostrich in the Danakil Desert. He was running faster than a race horse at 300 meters. I didn't try anything fancy, just a hit in the middle. He went down on the spot.

Ron

 

[bls72bmw]

Beginner question: do you take Ostrich with a shotgun?
Sounds pretty fun, I imagine they're tough to get up close to if you're using a shotgun- like shooting Turkey here in the states- small head target, big body, and pretty acute senses?

 

[BRICKBURN]

Beginner question: do you take Ostrich with a shotgun?
Sounds pretty fun, I imagine they're tough to get up close to if you're using a shotgun- like shooting Turkey here in the states- small head target, big body, and pretty acute senses?

Rifle.

You might shoot one from a blind with a shotgun. Never heard if that one.

 

[spike.t]

Someone told me one time that when shooting either an ostrich or wild turkey with a rifle and the animal is walking straight away, just shoot him up up the butt. Well I tried this shot on a turkey using a 7 mm mag and the bird took off and flew over 100 yards before falling dead. The shot worked but it wasn't an instant kill and you must admit I was a little over-gunned.

I tried the same shot again on an ostrich in Namibia. I was using a 300 Win Mag loaded with 180 grain partitions. After my shot, the bird continued walking away albeit a little bow-legged. It took a second shot to finish him. I shot a second ostrich in the Danakil Desert. He was running faster than a race horse at 300 meters. I didn't try anything fancy, just a hit in the middle. He went down on the spot.

Ron

i was with someone i had booked a hunt for and we were in northern tanzania and he decided he wanted an ostrich. now the funny thing was when he did a frontal shot he used the memory of a cooked chicken forgetting that is upside down for carving, so his shot went through the feathers to the side of the breast and the leg. he was very confused as were me and the ph why the bird wasnt even phased by this as it looked like a perfect shot. it was only when we said about him thinking of the chicken and then realising it was upside down , so he then shot it up the butt and it dropped in its tracks, so i would have thought if your butt shot is on the right level and place its going to take out the important parts without too much meat damage.

 

[Johan Basson]

Just been ostrich hunt got 2. Best shot is full frontal or halfway between front and legs , its got a massive heart . Everything behind is intestine and shooting it from behind would be messy. All the meat is on and behind the legs so it would also be the worst shot. Not much meat at the front and no meat on the wing, not a lot around the neck either

They are heavy though and very smelly.

Don't miss that first shot once they start running a fence does not even stop them

 

[spike.t]

Just been ostrich hunt got 2. Best shot is full frontal or halfway between front and legs , its got a massive heart . Everything behind is intestine and shooting it from behind would be messy. All the meat is on and behind the legs so it would also be the worst shot. Not much meat at the front and no meat on the wing, not a lot around the neck either

They are heavy though and very smelly.

Don't miss that first shot once they start running a fence does not even stop them

if you shoot it up the nought you arent hitting the meat on or behind the legs, so it goes through and out the front or lodges in the front. so why is it messy?

p.s. welcome to AH

 

[graybird]

I hope I get a chance to apply these strategies in June.

 

[ornery]

Took this "bad boy" on my last trip over. He actually was a "bad boy"...had been causing mischief and attacked a few folks. Rifle was an FN Sauer 270, Leupold 6x. Head shot at about 120 +/- yards . Took a rest on the bakkie passenger door. Guide said I HAD to make a head shot....meat and hide for them made the hunting free for me!
Great guys.....it was in the Klein Karoo outside Oudtshoorn!

View attachment 26221

 

[tigris115]

From what I know about birds, they have a system of air sacs that are distributed throughout the main body cavity. Are there shot diagrams that take this into account?

 

[BRICKBURN]

From what I know about birds, they have a system of air sacs that are distributed throughout the main body cavity. Are there shot diagrams that take this into account?

You need to go eviscerate a few birds and find the heart and lungs. Any projectile in the boiler room will do the job.

 

[BWH]

My best guess those are quarry of opportunity. Of my 3 trips..... I saw a handful.... never standing still, never within 1000 meters.

 

[Wade J VanGinkel]

I was told this is a definate possibility on my hunt in 2021 but not really sure what I would do with it if I got one.

 

[JimP]

I'd say a fan dance but you are not good enough looking

 

[CoElkHunter]

Interesting? Having never been to Africa, I just assumed one didn’t actually hunt Ostriches, but would/could take one if you came across them while hunting big game? Wonder what they taste like?

 

[JimP]

They are delicious

 

[Philip Glass]

On my last Safari in Namibia with Aru one of they guys had filled his wish list and decided to chase “Big Bird” as he called them. They had a crazy hunt taking 3 days to get one as they were so wild. He said it was one of the most challenging hunts ever!

 

[mikecatt13]

I was told this is a definate possibility on my hunt in 2021 but not really sure what I would do with it if I got one.

I never had an interest in shooting one until I saw a mount like this, pretty neat IMO