Rifle Lessons Learned from the Zimbabwe Professional Hunter Proficiency Exam

[colorado]

I refrained from this thread due to my lack of knowledge in the area, but I think Ganyana was the originator of the article and it convinced me to buy my CZ 550 for which I am forever thankful.

 

[Aaron N]

Soooooooo back to the article. I found it a good read, and I dont believe he was out to slander or run down any brand specific, he just reported back with what he saw happen in the field. I feel this has more merit than any article found in a magazine in which the author was paid off to write.

My question, he says 50 shots went into DG. Where did these animals come from? Culls? What species were they? Can anyone shed light on this?

 

[Gundog]

Don Heath was a legend, he could shoot with the best of them and knew more about rifles and ballistics than most of us will ever do. There is a photo of Don standing no more than a few feet from a charging elephant with his 9,3x62 and the photo captures not only the bullet exiting the back of the elephants skull, but also the essence of who Don was. The last conversation I had with Don was more than 2 years ago and he had shot more than 2000 buff, countless elephant and many lion etc. Now if a man like this with no specific allegiance to any brand or product except those that work tells you what his experience is with a product, you should pay attention.
If you knew Don you would understand his unbiased opinion was based on not only one or two experiences, Don was methodical at keeping track of things going right and wrong. Dislike the fact that he does not agree with your weapon of choice, but remember he has seen and done it all more times than most would in 10 lifetimes and his article is based on that experience.

Don is no longer with us and if he was he would neither defend or argue about his choices in this article, he knew what he knew.
Thanks to Don I own a 9,3X62 Mauser by Mauser when they still built proper rifles and will forever be greatfull for not only his articles but the time he took to help and advise a complete stranger.
Just like certain guns men of his caliber are rare.

 

[fsrmg1]

I read a similar article to this about a decade ago and used it to build up the ultimate FN M98 that addressed all the issues brought to light. I did opt for the 3 position Winchester type safety though.

That never seemed to slow me down. I'm used to holding my trigger finger along the stock of the trig and I have the dexterity to easily flip the safety with my index finger without adjusting my grip.

 

[Jim Rea]

Wonder what he might have thought of the Kimber Talkeetna?

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Great article, I read it a few years ago. Nothing lost on the news.
Witold

 

[LivingTheDream]

Wow, just read this post in full as I had read the article a little while back and thought there were some interesting points and things to consider when looking for a rifle. The main point I got out of this was practice, practice, practice! Know your weapon, test it in tough tests and then make the adjustments. My Ruger 416 didn't like to feed soft points, I learn this by trying to shoot as quickly as possible at a "charging" target. My dad and I did some simple gun smithing and kept at it until we had worked the kink out.

But this kink also gave me invaluable practice as clearing a jam quickly and being able to recover and get on target. Got to focus on the positives, right!

As far a picking the perfect rifle...it hasn't been built yet because surely once it is built we will all agree

 

[colorado]

Agree, even though Mauser's are the preferred action in the article, I've found (at least within my budget of less than $2000 per rifle to start with), every big bore/medium bore we (myself and my two sons have bought) have needed some work to function flawlessly. They all do now after undergoing both full range load and even more stressful dummy load testing at every speed and position I could think of. My CZ in 500 Jeffery needed more than most, probably because it's such a large fat round. It took three trips to the gunsmith. It's definitely worth it though.

 

[bpcr]

An article I read today about the .458 Win:

"NOTHING IS EVER NEW IN THIS BUSINESS" is an oft-repeated epigram in the shooting world, and not without good reason. Thus it is a near-historic event when a nugget of information comes to light that completely reverses what we know--or thought we knew--about a long discussed shooting topic.
I won't keep you in suspense long, but to get events in perspective, let's go back to a column I wrote called "America's Gift to Africa" (August 2002), in which I praised the .458 Winchester Magnum and expressed some skepticism about rumors of its failing on Africa's biggest and most dangerous game. Rumors began filtering back from Africa not long after Winchester's 1956 introduction of its .458 Mag., alleging incidents of game that got away after supposedly being well hit at close range, and even elephant and buffalo charges that turned deadly because of the .458's lack of stopping power. These are mighty serious allegations against a cartridge on which a hunter might have to stake his life.
A LESS EXPENSIVE OPTION
Such reports, even if second- and third-hand, did not bode well for the future of a cartridge that Winchester heralded as an antidote to the quadrupling prices of traditional British and Continental dangerous-game rifles and cartridges. With a muzzle energy of more than 5,000 ft-lb (as then advertised), the .458 virtually duplicated the elephant-stopping power of the legendary .470 Nitro Express, and did it at a fraction of the cost. Moreover, its companion rifle, Winchester's Model 70, possessed a worldwide reputation for accuracy and reliability at, again, a fraction of the price of double rifles or even carriage-trade bolt rifles.
Thus an M-70 in .458 caliber looked to be the best of all worlds for professional guides and certainly for sport hunters who wanted to go to Africa or other places where big and dangerous animals lurked. Except, that is, for the reports of it not doing what it was expected to do when its full-jacketed solid bullets encountered hard muscle and solid bone.
Such anecdotes were completely at odds with my own experiences with the .458 in Africa, such as my first elephant, which was a head-on upward angling shot (it was that close) with my hand-loaded 500-grain steel-jacketed bullet smashing through the thick skull, into the brain, and exiting behind the head. Other elephants fell just as surely, as did Cape buffalo, safari after safari, causing me to become all the more skeptical of rumors about the .458's shoddy performance. A skepticism which was reinforced by conversations with the professional guides with whom I hunted.
Anyway, my African hunting began in the early 1970s, by which time rumors about the .458's failings had begun to fade. As well as I could connect the dots, reports of the .458's sub-standard performance were circulated only during the late 1950s and early 1960s, when the cartridge was still a newcomer.
NOT ENOUGH POWDER?
These were the reports that stirred some amateur ballistics theorists, in their usual rush to judgment, to speculate that the problem with the .458 Magnum was that its case didn't hold enough powder. Never mind that it delivered two and a half tons of energy at the muzzle--as much as, or more than, several British bluebloods of hallowed repute; somehow it needed more powder. As it turns out, they were on to something. But not because the .458's pudgy case didn't hold enough powder. It was because, at times during the production process, it wasn't being loaded with enough powder!
This came to light when I happened to read an astonishing "Letter to the Editor" in a 2004 issue of Precision Shooting magazine, a nicely done, semi-technical journal devoted mainly to rifle accuracy. The letter's author, Walter Engel, a former Winchester engineer, described his intimate involvement in the development of the .458, and his subsequent discovery of quality problems with Winchester's ammo production line.
In his words: "The production loading machine has a large flat disk that rotates intermittently and there are slots along the periphery that carry the case to each station. This results in a start-and-stop movement, so that a distinct loading operation can occur at each pause. This jarring motion caused the powder to spill out [emphasis mine] of very full cases." In his letter, Mr. Engel goes on to describe the obvious effects of the lost powder as "a loss of velocity." So there you have it.
PROBLEM CORRECTED
How much velocity and energy were lost depended, of course, on how much powder was tossed out of the open cases, but it's reasonable to assume that the amounts varied from round to round. Thus, within a single 20-round box of .458 ammo, velocity/energy levels could vary cartridge to cartridge by hundreds of feet per second and thousands of foot-pounds of energy.
Nowadays, we seldom hear reports of the .458 failing when the chips are down, except when the failing turns out to have been the result of poor shooting, and it's safe to say that once the powder spillage problem was observed, it was immediately corrected.
Meanwhile, in its half-century of existence, the .458 Winchester Magnum is firmly entrenched as the world's most used and recognized cartridge in places where men hunt dangerous animals and put their faith in the cartridges they fire. This in spite of a cloud that once hung over its future, a cloud at last blown away by the simple explanation of a former Winchester engineer who was, in fact, instrumental in the development of the .458, Walter Engel. Thank you, sir.

Phil,
I'm new to big calibers for dangerous game. I'll be short. I purchased a CZ 550 Safari Magnum in this caliber. I have reloaded for it now for about 5 years and recorded my data on a chronograph. I shot a load from it yesterday that went 2275 fps w/5600 ftlbs.energy with a 500 grain bullet. I think the problems encountered were just due to bad ammo just as you said. I think to you could add politics as well as bull_ _ _t just to push other calibers. As for me I'm sticking with the .458 Win Mag. It's tried and true. Too bad more more rifle makers don't offer it.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Don , was one of the all time greats, like Ron Thompson, Richard Harland, Barry Duckworth ect...I would have like to hear his opinion regarding the .458 Mannlicher Schoenauer with the rotary magazine...great rangers/PH /hunters like Richard Harland, Terry Irwin /Barry Ductworth used these rifles and they have only high praise for tthe .458 Mannlicher Schoenauer with their 26 " barrels...

 

[Hank2211]

Don , was one of the all time greats, like Ron Thompson, Richard Harland, Barry Duckworth ect...I would have like to hear his opinion regarding the .458 Mannlicher Schoenauer with the rotary magazine...great rangers/PH /hunters like Richard Harland, Terry Irwin /Barry Ductworth used these rifles and they have only high praise for tthe .458 Mannlicher Schoenauer with their 26 " barrels...

I agree. But a rifle is made by human hands, and human hands are not infallible.

I have a Rigby-made .416 Rigby. When I first received it, each time I tried to reload quickly, the bolt would stick. Well, it wasn't the bolt, it was the round hitting in the wrong place. A quick trip to the doctor and my Mauser action was in fighting trim. BPoint is that an expensive, Mauser, CRF gun, was unreliable out of the box as a dangerous game gun.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

According to my own perception, any dangerous game rifle needs to be cycled at high speed without any problems, you need to open the bolt at high speed, eject the round and slam the bolt close again, jurk it open again , eject the round( not a brass cartridge) ..the round should be ejecting at least a meter through the air...this should happen every time you cycle all the rounds in the magazine ...if your Dangerous game rifle can not do that every time over and over again..it is not reliable...please do this exercise with the rifle you need to take to Africa for hunting Dangerous game ...and give some feedback..let us see how many of these DG rifles can do just that????

 

[Hank2211]

According to my own perception, any dangerous game rifle needs to be cycled at high speed without any problems, you need to open the bolt at high speed, eject the round and slam the bolt close again, jurk it open again , eject the round( not a brass cartridge) ..the round should be ejecting at least a meter through the air...this should happen every time you cycle all the rounds in the magazine ...if your Dangerous game rifle can not do that every time over and over again..it is not reliable...please do this exercise with the rifle you need to take to Africa for hunting Dangerous game ...and give some feedback..let us see how many of these DG rifles can do just that????

I seem to be in an agreeable mood today, because once again, I agree completely. The problem arises in both Mauser and the types of guns Don Heath wasn't big on. This is a good test for any DG gun, and one that if I had performed it before going on my first hunt with the gun, I would have gone to the gunsmith prior to the hunt, rather than after. As it was, the gun cycled flawlessly at a normal speed. Which isn't that helpful when you're looking at an angry buffalo. Or - in my case - trying to get a second and third shot into a buffalo going away.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

The "normal speed" does not count when you want to hunt something that will bite, claw and rip you apart..it is imperative that you need to use force when cycling your bolt ...( keep safety in mind, use dummies to cycle your bolt) and force to slam your bolt close..the bolt must be able to extract full rounds...as I pointed out at least a meter through the air and away from you....this ensures you will not short stroke the bolt..and a fast and effective ejection is taking place...you will not damage your bolt...normal speed cycling is when you hunt plains game... Only then are you assured that you will probably not experience a problem with feeding ...

 

[lcq]

The "normal speed" does not count when you want to hunt something that will bite, claw and rip you apart..it is imperative that you need to use force when cycling your bolt ...( keep safety in mind, use dummies to cycle your bolt) and force to slam your bolt close..the bolt must be able to extract full rounds...as I pointed out at least a meter through the air and away from you....this ensures you will not short stroke the bolt..and a fast and effective ejection is taking place...you will not damage your bolt...normal speed cycling is when you hunt plains game... Only then are you assured that you will probably not experience a problem with feeding ...

As a matter of course I check every round I bring for chambering and extraction. If there is the slightest doubt they get culled. Travel too far and pay too much to take any chances for the sake of a few dollars. BTW I only hunt plains game, for DG it is even more important

 

[farrokhrt]

Definitely +1 with you here Hank2211.

If the other forum has not changed their often rowdy discussion atmosphere over there, I expect they will embrace another kindred spirit, joining their pugilistic forum.

www.AfricaHunting.com is the best forum in the world, at least in part due to the gentlemanly atmosphere nurtured by Jerome and all the rest of you guys that, do a perfect job of repelling the overly-aggressive types.
Some of which, evidently join here not to learn anything or submit anything interesting that someone like myself can learn from.
Instead, it seems they join, simply to kick sand in people's faces, people they know little or nothing about.
That "other" forum is probably just the right outlet for such angry souls.

Kind regards,
Velo Dog.

Well said Sir. Thank you.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Members, can we get feedback regarding how fast you are able to cycle you big bore dangerous game rifle , is it ejecting the rounds every time at least a meter through the air ...all the rounds in your magazine? How about taking a video clip about your effort and upload it here on this thread..it will surely underscore what this thread is all about....

 

[BRICKBURN]

True to my nature I have been researching the background behind the proficiency testing in Zimbabwe.

I have several answers to my queries answered but there are a few outstanding. When I get them all I will share them with you.

At last it should provide some basis for the "speedy" reloading aspect of the testing.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Thank you kindly Brickburn, it will be excellent to se your report and the findings in this regard.

 

[Nhoro]

Some more feedback from an another opinionated Zimbabwean ! I went to the last Zimbabwe PH and Guides shooting test. My brother was being examined, he and a couple of others passed out of maybe 20-30 people. I watched for about 2 hours and did not see the whole practice session and I did not keep records of the failures but I can tell you that I was shocked by the number of problems. Of the approximately 30 attempts I watched, about 90 % were halted by malfunctions. Most were the same 15 people, repeating the practice. Some of the stoppages could have been short stroking but I saw a number of people cycling their actions to determine the problem, several continued jamming indicating a rifle problem. Many rifles would feed slowly but not if the bolt was cycled fast. As the events are timed, fast working of the action is a requirement. There were a broad range of rifles from many different brands and most were fairly new, clean on the outside. Many were guides and obviously not familiar with their rifles. So in my opinion, the main problems were unfamiliarity with their rifles (Guide applicants especially) mechanical faults with rifles and possibly dirty actions. The three successful shooters that I saw,2 had CZ550's and I didn't see the third guys rifle.