ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe With Buzz Charlton

[Rare Breed]

Don't know yet, I'm guessing 35 only because we passed on a bunch of 25-30's. I'll post it once they been officially weighed. And thanks.

That’s just awesome!!!!!

 

[BnC 04]

Outstanding report and pictures! Well done and big congratulations on a very successful hunt.

 

[Longwalker]

Thanks very much for your interesting and exciting report! Congratulations on your successful hunt. Brings back fond memories of tracking elephant with Criton & Nyati, this will have to hold me till I return next year.

 

[Sourdough]

Day 6

Duggaboy time. We figured we'd start in an area where we'd seen a duggaboy that we'd tracked earlier for about 3,000 yards. We spotted fresh tracks and got on them. Only took about 640 yards to catch up to him.

He was on the opposite side of a sand creek up the hill, eating the grass between the creek and the Jesse and he had no idea we were there.

We put a stalk on him, down into the creek and halfway up the other side. We stopped where I was high enough up the hill to have a relatively level shot. But I was standing on the side of hill, one foot much lower than the other. Distance from him to us was about 30 yards. He still hadn't seen us.

I shot him side-on in the shoulder with the 475 No 2 Double. I aimed at him again, squeezed the back trigger, and nothing happened. First thought was I maybe squeezed the front trigger a second time so I looked down, made sure my finger was on the back trigger and squeezed again. Nothing. He ran away from us a short distance then turned and faced us.

Buzz of course had the sights of his 500NE Double on him the whole time while I was sorting things out.

I looked down at the gun again and saw that the safety was on. Clicked the safety off and BOOM hit the duggaboy in the left front shoulder as he faced us. He turned and ran into the Jesse.

I reloaded and took a third shot at a dark area in the Jesse, a Hail Mary, and he fell over. And gave us the death bellow.

Buzz thought I'd doubled my third shot because I fell slightly backwards and the muzzle rose into the air much like what happens if you do double.

But I hadn't. My first shot was off sticks, my second and third were offhand and on the third I did indeed loose my footing on the side of the sand hill.

So how had the safety ended up in the safe position? I got on the sidehill again and attempted to recreate my first shot. Best I can figure is standing on the sidehill and getting thrown back a bit by the recoil, the grip I had on the comb loosened just enough and the recoil of the recoil (for ever action there is an equal but opposite reaction) caused the pad of my hand beneath my thumb to ride the safety back into the safe position.

At the skinning shed I was looking forward to seeing three holes in him and what damage they caused. Only two holes. So I'd missed completely with my Hail Mary. No surprise really since I shot at a dark shape in the Jesse.

Ok so what damage had the first shot done. It hit the top of his heart, destroyed the aorta and the top chambers as well as some of the lungs. He was dead with the first shot so as far as Buzz was concerned it was a one shot kill- and who am I to argue with Buzz. But being a Cape Buffalo he didn't pay attention to the fact that his heart could no longer pump blood or that Buzz said he was dead. Nope. Watching the video his only reaction to this shot is to run away. Think about it. He didn't know we were there so he didn't have the advantage of adrenalin coursing through him. Amazing what they can take.

We didn't hang around to see what the second bullet had done. It's not like skinning out an antelope, it takes time. That duggaboy completed four of the Big Five taken with the 475 No 2, only need a leopard now.

He was a big old buffalo, with a big head and neck. And with a double at 30 yards. I couldn't be happier.

 

[Rare Breed]

Day 6

Duggaboy time. We figured we'd start in an area where we'd seen a duggaboy that we'd tracked earlier for about 3,000 yards. We spotted fresh tracks and got on them. Only took about 640 yards to catch up to him.

He was on the opposite side of a sand creek up the hill, eating the grass between the creek and the Jesse and he had no idea we were there.

We put a stalk on him, down into the creek and halfway up the other side. We stopped where I was high enough up the hill to have a relatively level shot. But I was standing on the side of hill, one foot much lower than the other. Distance from him to us was about 30 yards. He still hadn't seen us.

I shot him side-on in the shoulder with the 475 No 2 Double. I aimed at him again, squeezed the back trigger, and nothing happened. First thought was I maybe squeezed the front trigger a second time so I looked down, made sure my finger was on the back trigger and squeezed again. Nothing. He ran away from us a short distance then turned and faced us.

Buzz of course had the sights of his 500NE Double on him the whole time while I was sorting things out.

I looked down at the gun again and saw that the safety was on. Clicked the safety off and BOOM hit the duggaboy in the left front shoulder as he faced us. He turned and ran into the Jesse.

I reloaded and took a third shot at a dark area in the Jesse, a Hail Mary, and he fell over. And gave us the death bellow.

Buzz thought I'd doubled my third shot because I fell slightly backwards and the muzzle rose into the air much like what happens if you do double.

But I hadn't. My first shot was off sticks, my second and third were offhand and on the third I did indeed loose my footing on the side of the sand hill.

So how had the safety ended up in the safe position? I got on the sidehill again and attempted to recreate my first shot. Best I can figure is standing on the sidehill and getting thrown back a bit by the recoil, the grip I had on the comb loosened just enough and the recoil of the recoil (for ever action there is an equal but opposite reaction) caused the pad of my hand beneath my thumb to ride the safety back into the safe position.

At the skinning shed I was looking forward to seeing three holes in him and what damage they caused. Only two holes. So I'd missed completely with my Hail Mary. No surprise really since I shot at a dark shape in the Jesse.

Ok so what damage had the first shot done. It hit the top of his heart, destroyed the aorta and the top chambers as well as some of the lungs. He was dead with the first shot so as far as Buzz was concerned it was a one shot kill- and who am I to argue with Buzz. But being a Cape Buffalo he didn't pay attention to the fact that his heart could no longer pump blood or that Buzz said he was dead. Nope. Watching the video his only reaction to this shot is to run away. Think about it. He didn't know we were there so he didn't have the advantage of adrenalin coursing through him. Amazing what they can take.

We didn't hang around to see what the second bullet had done. It's not like skinning out an antelope, it takes time. That duggaboy completed four of the Big Five taken with the 475 No 2, only need a leopard now.

He was a big old buffalo, with a big head and neck. And with a double at 30 yards. I couldn't be happier.

View attachment 612819

Congratulations on an awesome bull!!! well done!!! I too only need my leopard to complete the big 5. going after him in Moz July 25!

 

[Rare Breed]

Day 6

Duggaboy time. We figured we'd start in an area where we'd seen a duggaboy that we'd tracked earlier for about 3,000 yards. We spotted fresh tracks and got on them. Only took about 640 yards to catch up to him.

He was on the opposite side of a sand creek up the hill, eating the grass between the creek and the Jesse and he had no idea we were there.

We put a stalk on him, down into the creek and halfway up the other side. We stopped where I was high enough up the hill to have a relatively level shot. But I was standing on the side of hill, one foot much lower than the other. Distance from him to us was about 30 yards. He still hadn't seen us.

I shot him side-on in the shoulder with the 475 No 2 Double. I aimed at him again, squeezed the back trigger, and nothing happened. First thought was I maybe squeezed the front trigger a second time so I looked down, made sure my finger was on the back trigger and squeezed again. Nothing. He ran away from us a short distance then turned and faced us.

Buzz of course had the sights of his 500NE Double on him the whole time while I was sorting things out.

I looked down at the gun again and saw that the safety was on. Clicked the safety off and BOOM hit the duggaboy in the left front shoulder as he faced us. He turned and ran into the Jesse.

I reloaded and took a third shot at a dark area in the Jesse, a Hail Mary, and he fell over. And gave us the death bellow.

Buzz thought I'd doubled my third shot because I fell slightly backwards and the muzzle rose into the air much like what happens if you do double.

But I hadn't. My first shot was off sticks, my second and third were offhand and on the third I did indeed loose my footing on the side of the sand hill.

So how had the safety ended up in the safe position? I got on the sidehill again and attempted to recreate my first shot. Best I can figure is standing on the sidehill and getting thrown back a bit by the recoil, the grip I had on the comb loosened just enough and the recoil of the recoil (for ever action there is an equal but opposite reaction) caused the pad of my hand beneath my thumb to ride the safety back into the safe position.

At the skinning shed I was looking forward to seeing three holes in him and what damage they caused. Only two holes. So I'd missed completely with my Hail Mary. No surprise really since I shot at a dark shape in the Jesse.

Ok so what damage had the first shot done. It hit the top of his heart, destroyed the aorta and the top chambers as well as some of the lungs. He was dead with the first shot so as far as Buzz was concerned it was a one shot kill- and who am I to argue with Buzz. But being a Cape Buffalo he didn't pay attention to the fact that his heart could no longer pump blood or that Buzz said he was dead. Nope. Watching the video his only reaction to this shot is to run away. Think about it. He didn't know we were there so he didn't have the advantage of adrenalin coursing through him. Amazing what they can take.

We didn't hang around to see what the second bullet had done. It's not like skinning out an antelope, it takes time. That duggaboy completed four of the Big Five taken with the 475 No 2, only need a leopard now.

He was a big old buffalo, with a big head and neck. And with a double at 30 yards. I couldn't be happier.

View attachment 612819

great width, boss and hooks!!!

 

[PARA45]

Beautiful buff, congratulations! Keep it coming.

 

[WAB]

Fantastic hunt in a fantastic area!

 

[Frederik]

Great bull and great shooting.

 

[Sourdough]

Congratulations on an awesome bull!!! well done!!! I too only need my leopard to complete the big 5. going after him in Moz July 25!

That's excellent, congrats. I need a hunting location for the leopard that will allow me to take it in double range with open sights. Of course I talked to Buzz about it but he thought 50 yards (the distance they set their blinds because of the cat's wariness) was too far on a leopard in very low light with open sights. I find no fault in that logic. 30 yards is probably a better distance. Andy, the cameraman, who's been on hunts (as camera man) in every country we'd like to go to, suggested Mozambique because the blinds he's filmed from have been 30 yards away. Any idea how far away yours will be set up?

 

[Nyati]

Great hunt, congrats

 

[Sideshow]

What its not finished yet

 

[Sourdough]

What its not finished yet

We still have five more plains game to go. ;-)

 

[WAB]

That's excellent, congrats. I need a hunting location for the leopard that will allow me to take it in double range with open sights. Of course I talked to Buzz about it but he thought 50 yards (the distance they set their blinds because of the cat's wariness) was too far on a leopard in very low light with open sights. I find no fault in that logic. 30 yards is probably a better distance. Andy, the cameraman, who's been on hunts (as camera man) in every country we'd like to go to, suggested Mozambique because the blinds he's filmed from have been 30 yards away. Any idea how far away yours will be set up?

Talk to Len Taylor. He hunts with Buzz and is outstanding. At the right time of year, he kills many leopard in daylight.

 

[Sourdough]

Talk to Len Taylor. He hunts with Buzz and is outstanding. At the right time of year, he kills many leopard in daylight.

Thanks. Will do.

 

[CO_mtnman]

Congratulations, it sounds like an awesome safari! I've really enjoyed reading about it!

 

[Sourdough]

I want to take a moment to speak about a few things I experienced/learned.

Ear pro. I took Peltor Tactical Ear Plugs, they work great. At some point, somehow, one of them ended up outside of the truck and apparent got pulled off the leash attached to the other and disappeared. I can't image how it happened but it did. And I brought no spare ear pro. And I know better. I generally operate under the principle of "One is none, and two is one". And of course no one in camp had any spare ear plugs. Why do I wear a knife on my belt? In this case it was to take a handkerchief and cut it apart to make wads of material I could stuff in to my ears which was enough to deaden the harshness from the 375.

Boots. I took pair of Courteney Jamesons (above ankle) and Courteney Selous (below ankle). The Jamesons for hunting and the Selous' for traveling. I just replaced the wornout insoles in the Jamesons before leaving but didn't try them out. When I got to camp and put them on for the first they instantly rolled an ankle. So I ended up wearing the Selous for the entire time. Initially they wanted to roll me from time to time but gradually my ankle strengthened up enough for me to walk okay through everything except Elephant dried mud wallows which is extremely uneven terrain. In retrospect I do have a second pair of Jamesons with the original insoles, I could have brought them in lieu of the Selous and had two above ankle hunting boots.

Gun Solvent. I brought cleaning kits for both calibers but didn't bring any solvent or CLP cause I wasn't sure which box they were in. Hadn't shot any firearms since we moved. I figured there was a good chance there'd be some in camp. Nope. And modern gunpowder is about as filthy as black powder so creates a lot of fowling. By the time I'd shot 5 rounds through the Double, add the sand that somehow makes it into the workings and meshes with the powder residue, that action went from silky smooth to being a little stiff. The Holland & Holland with its Mauser action also got a little stiff when opening the bolt to eject the spent cartridge. I ordered a bottle of CLP and CLP wipes a few days ago. They arrived yesterday and I cleaned both guns. Both actions are back to being super smooth and I'm throwing the bottle of CLP into the cleaning kit.

And because I know that @Troubleshooter is just dying to know my answer, I wear a Garmin Tactix Delta - Solar Edition watch and four years later the battery is still giving greater than 21 days between charges.

 

[Sideshow]

And because I know that @Troubleshooter is just dying to know my answer, I wear a Garmin Tactix Delta - Solar Edition watch and four years later the battery is still giving greater than 21 days between charges.

But did you look at it while you where hunting, to see the time and not which way was north?

 

[GWB]

Thats a proper Dagga-boy, congratulations!

 

[TOBY458]

Very nice! Congratulations on your success!