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Posts posted by 686
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[mention=2146]686[/mention] Thanks for all the info. And that zebra hide is sweet!
Last year, some friends and I started kicking around the idea of going to RSA in 2024. While researching safari outfitters at the Texas Trophy Hunters Extravaganza in FTW last August, I met a guy local to DFW whose friend co-owns Little Africa Hunting Safaris. This guy organizes a group of family, friends, and others to go over each season. He and his dad (a glob-trotting hunter going back at least 40 years) are well connected and have the end-to-end experience down to a science, from travel to taxidermy and customs. So, when my friends decided to push to 2025, I thought, get busy living or get busy dying, and I signed up to go along with the group this June. I figured that going solo my first time, it would be nice to tag along with seasoned veterans. They have been a tremendous resource and very, very supportive. I'll be hunting the Eastern Cape for 10 days, allowing 4 days travel (yes, we are flying via ATL).
RE: rifle. Originally I was going to rent a rifle while there - no way I'm trusting my dad's rifle to an airline and international travel. Then I said eff it I'm buying a new gun for this. [mention=205]fattyflattie[/mention] is right in that I'm looking for a rifle experience different from my dad's Mark V (and I didn't realize it, but maybe I am looking to start a new legacy, too). Besides, that rifle was great 40 years ago but it's heavy, 1 MOA on a good day, the action is hard to work (even after being 'smithed), and ammo is hard to find. And, honestly, it's an absolute beating to shoot 200gr @ 3000fps with no brake. Talking to guys who hunt there, people going after the same game I'm targeting have success with 308, 260, 270, 6.5CM, and 300. I'm hoping that going down to a 180gr 300WM plus a brake (possibly a suppressor if I can keep OAL down) might make shooting slightly more tolerable. I'm assured that shooting with a brake is OK and common, at least where I'm going and with no dangerous game on the list (for this trip).
RE: DSC. I haven't researched Nilgai yet (thanks for references!) but I figured DSC would be a good starting point. Same with Argentina, though I have one lead there. For Elk, I'm looking for private land but more of a "low fence" experience - my understanding is that is doable. Need to look into spring turkey, too, if not too late to book for this year.
Thanks regarding the zebra rug - my taxi did an absolutely primo job on it - I’ve never seen a nicer rug. Zebras are awesome plains game and the rugs are really great.
Really great that you are going with a group - I put together a small group for my 2018 safari and it was a lot of fun that way.
Regarding caliber- you could look at 7 Rem mag as well; the 155grain Federal Terminal Ascent (the old Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullet) is excellent in that chambering from my experience, and should be about 20% less recoil than the 300win mag with a 180 grain (20lbs vs 25lbs per Chuck Hawks). The Barnes 150gr TTSX would also be a good candidate.-
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My brother and I booked a week long hunt for Caribou up on the north slope in September 2026. For the outfitter we went with, the earliest you can book is 3 years out.
I just saw a headline about more units maybe going “locals only” for caribou. Is that just for the units around Kotsube? I’ve been looking at 40 mile heard hunts out of Tok.-
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Wouldn't a good muzzle break tame some of those larger magnums? My 50 BMG is just a single shot bolt action, but the recoil is manageable because the muzzle break does such a good job. It takes it more of a big push instead of a sharp kick. Of course, it feels like a grenade exploded in front of your face, and you really don't want to shoot it from a prone position because it pushes you back so far, but I can’t imagine trying to shoot it without one.
Yes, brakes do reduce the recoil. But they increase the noise and muzzle blast. The muzzle blast bothers me more than the recoil these days. My left ear hasn’t stopped ringing since I pulled the trigger on my 2021 elk. 300 Wby with a muzzle brake, no ear protection. I was next to a tree that bounced a bunch of the blast/noise at my left ear. I’ve done tons of other loud shit over the ears with no ear pro, its cumulative, but that was the event that started the tinnitus I will live with maybe from now on. Also, muzzle brakes make it really loud for your guide/PH/tracker. It is inconsiderate/uncouth to shoot a braked rifle on a guided hunt or on an African hunt. The African Professional Hunters (guides) aren’t going to put on ear protection - they need to hear everything going on and speak in whispers to you and the trackers. There usually standing next to you and slightly behind, right where the muzzle blast is going. That’s why I’m going to a suppressor on my hunting rig. When game is busting out of the forest in front of you, it just doesn’t really work to start digging around for your ear pro and cramming it in your ears. Electronics can be nice but kind of impractical to wear all day, and if your not wearing it then your in the same boat of trying to dig them out again when a shooter suddenly steps out. Muffs are too awkward to deal with on a mountain hunt or safari IMO. I’ve had a heavy steel suppressor for years, too heavy to comfortably mountain hunt with, but hopefully the 8oz titianium unit Im getting along with a 24” barrel in lieu of 26”will be the weight/length/sound and recoil dampening compromise I’m looking for.-
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Never been to DSC. I may go this year, want a trophy mule deer hunt. Whats the cost to attend, member vs nonmember $?
Why is it moving to Atlanta? No suitable alt. dates or venues closer? Sounds odd
https://www.biggame.org/day-pass-purchase/
$35 for a day pass. I think they said they are remodeling the Kay Bailey Conv center. They also announced they are going to have a summer Dallas convention starting in ‘25. -
@deadshank wow what a beautiful buck!
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Keep in mind, there are outfitter that “strongly suggest” a minimum caliber (including the outfit you linked earlier). Typically .30 ((not starting .30 vs 7, I swear) even though .30 is the answer
)), similar deal to what you see in Africa with the dangerous game and .375H&H and up.
Good to know that they have a minimum.
For nilgai specifically, the outfitters I’m sure don’t want a long tracking job. I know I don’t. South Texas brush is worse than South African brush. I would agree that for less than 30 cal, shot selection and bullet placement becomes really, really critical. Nathan Foster (Ballistic Studies, great website and books) has commented specifically that 7mm wound channels can be notably more narrow than .300 wound channels. I’m not a great shot and am impatient and tend to take risks on shots with quartering-on and other less than ideal presentations, so I’m taking my 375 as my primary rifle on that hunt.-
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Sounded like he wanted to get away from that rifle for this exercise, or better yet start a legacy with another if you will. My first thought was having a good synthetic stock and some light smithing done to that wby.
Ok I read gun thread and now I’m up to speed. [mention=1949]solamente73[/mention] you might consider a Tikka in 300 WM, but I’m afraid it might kick just as much as your Wby depending on the load. Per Chuck Hawks:
300 Win. Mag. (165 at 3110) 8.0 lb rifle 26.2 lbs recoil force 14.5 fps recoil velocity
300 Wby. Mag. (150 at 3400) 9.25lb rifle 24.6lbs recoil force 13.1 fps recoil velocity
.300 Wby. Mag. (180 at 3240) 9.0lb rifle 31.6 lbs recoil force 15 lbs recoil force
Dropping down to a 7 Rem mag helps, depending on the weight of the rifle.
7mm Rem. Mag. (160 at 2950) 9.0lb rifle 20.3 lbs recoil force 12.0 lbs recoil force
https://chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm
Or you could drop down to a non-magnum and keep the shots closer (less than ~400 yards and either broadside or quartering away) and be fine. Here’s an article from Chuck Hawks on the subject:
https://www.chuckhawks.com/rifles_index_animals.htm
A suppressor will help. I personally like the Tikka actions, but I don’t like their stocks. And most of their barrels aren’t threaded, and are short, and I don’t like the plastic parts, but Luckily now, there are lots of aftermarket quality stocks, barrels, bottom metal replacement, etc. for tikkas. Also they don’t make a short action, which is a bummer for deer / target calibers (you just have a bolt/magazine that’s ~5/8” longer than needed and filled with spacers. -
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The KR nilgai hunts are a good time. Used to get an invite every other year for either a mgt, then next time a nilgai. Such a cool hunt. There are lots of good outfitters and the population is exploding all over the area now. We have several running around the ranch now. Place south of us right in town just took 90 of them (live) off of 600 ac…
Good to hear. 90 head on 600 ac is amazing -
Hondo!
My cousin’s husband owns Paloma Pachanga if your familiar with that area. -
@solamente73 where are you looking at going for Nilgai? I was looking at the King Ranch (surprisingly affordable), and I also got a good recommendation on https://lomaschicasoutfitters.com/
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[mention=2146]686[/mention] Damn, you do have a lot going on. Love your "F It let's do this" list. I'm hitting up South Africa this June. I hope to do South Texas nilgai in 2024 or 2025, and Argentina for dove, durado, and red stag in 2025. You reminded me that I also need to plan another elk trip, so I need to start looking at calendars. I have a few years on you, so I whole-heartedly agree... get busy living, or get busy dying.
Speaking of RSA, I'm in need of a rifle for that trip. I posted in the gun owners' thread here looking for some advice on a bolt action that could take on springbok, impala, red hartebeest, wildebeest, kudu... and hopefully also handle elk, red stag, and nilgai. Any suggestions? Thinking 300WM since ammo should be available in South Africa and Argentina. I'm open to building if I have the time before I leave, so any insight you have there would be great. I'm particularly intrigued by the WTO Stitchlug you mention. How would that work with the action, switching between shorts and magnums? I suppose with the optic, just get a dedicated turret for each caliber and you're set - multiple calibers on one platform.
If you still have your 300 Wby from your elk hunt, that would be great on all African plains game. ELD-X, TTSX, Accubond, or partitions would be good. You need to take ammo to Africa - don’t plan on it being available there. I believe you can take up to 200 rounds, I took about 60 with me. riflepermits.com is a great resource and you should probably plan on using them to get your gun through JNB. talk to your outfitter. Africahunting.com is an awesome resource for info as well. NOTE: the vitals of most African game is further forward than American game. If you shoot behind the shoulder, you may have a long tracking job. Shoot through the shoulder. africahunting.com has great diagrams of the vitals of all that plains game showing you points of aim. Practice shooting off of shooting sticks as they do a lot of that there.
If you’re flying into Johannesburg, I would recommend Delta 200 out of Atlanta. Flying in the day before to ATL is a good way to make sure your rifle and gear doesn’t get left stateside. Upgrading to Comfort Plus on the Delta 200 flight is totally worth it.
What outfitter are you going with and what area of the country?
Do you have a taxidermist that can receive African game (there is a dip and ship process and US receivers have to be registered with USDA I believe). The Dip and Ship people in RSA will want your taxidermist info so it’s good to have that setup before you go. I used Double Nickle in New Braunfels - the owner is a good guy. Here’s some of my stuff:
I had a great time there and saw some beautiful country. The Professional Hunters are great people. The native trackers are amazing.-
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Seriously that all sounds next level.
My job has been really stressful the last year, but I’m making a lot more money than I did a few years ago. I have worked really hard over my career, we don’t have any debt, and have saved/invested pretty well. Also, I turned 45 last year, and the mountains are getting steeper, packs are getting heavier, recoil is getting harder, and my eyes are getting worse. My left calf and Achilles tendon hasn’t been the same since we packed out my elk and my buddy’s mule deer buck in November.
I’m at the “F it let’s do this” stage of my hunting career, before I can’t really do it anymore.
Future years trips I want to make:
-Alaska caribou
-maybe Alaska moose
-public land mule deer buck in high demand limited entry unit
-public land bull elk in high demand limited entry unit
-Shiraz moose in the lower 48 if I ever draw a tag
-bighorn sheep if I ever draw a tag
-New Zealand for Red Stag, etc.
-back to Africa (RSA or Namibia probably) for Buffalo and maybe kudu and some minor plains game
-Argentina for wing shooting and to hang out for awhile.
-maybe Eastern Europe for boar, stag and to hang out for awhile
-South Dakota area for pheasants
I figure I better start working on that list or most of it won’t get done before I can’t do it.-
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PSA: Dallas Safari Club’s 2024 Convention is next weekend.
If you haven’t been, it’s the most impressive outdoors show I’ve ever been to. If you can hunt it or fish it, you can make it happen there. Absolutely worth a couple of days. Plus, the talent in attendance is outstanding - 10s themselves hunt for alpha males.
Of note: according to exhibitors, this will be the last DSC in Dallas for the next 5 years. Due to convention center renovations, DSC will be in Atlanta 2025-2029, so now is the time to go if you are in Texas,
I’m going next Saturday. I’m booking a private land elk hunt for 2025, and considering a nilgai hunt for this year or ‘25. I’m also considering a new rifle build, and am going to look at the new gear/rifle builders there. I’m really interested in this action:
https://americanrifle.odoo.com/shop/coup-de-grace-bolt-action-1747?category=5#attr=492,494,499,519,512,522,514,516
Controlled Round Feed (which I like) with only 70 degree bolt lift (I like 60-70 degree lift; 90 is a no-go for me), really innovative extraction geometry, integrated rail and lug, looks very smooth as well. Masterpiece Arms uses them and I may use them for the build or maybe WTO or LRI or APR if they are interested. Thinking maybe 7PRC. I bought a new titanium suppressor thats only 8oz, wanting to run it on a new elk rifle setup. AB Raptor 8:
https://www.absuppressor.com/raptor
WTO has a quick change barrel swap lug (as others have made) I could use and maybe have an elk caliber barrel and a target/deer caliber barrel I can swap. Need to work through the fine points of caliber selection/bolt face diameters, may need to have a separate bolt head as well.
Had a great dove hunt in Knippa last week, limited out in about 30 minutes and got to watch my elk hunting buddy’s labrador pup on some good long retrieves, and I have a dove hunt in Hondo next week.
My buddy’s uncle is trying to put an Africa group trip together, but focused on plains game, and I really would like to target a Buffalo if I go back.
I also got a line on an interesting helicopter hog hunt and am putting a group together for that and assembling a new 300BLK setup for the task.
Lots going on.-
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@hornmpa96 those are some awesome deer man, y’all are doing a great job.
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Seems like a straight shooter-
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I had a long day and could use a laugh - can somebody post the YouTube link of the edits of the one-toothed Spaniard cracking wise about aggy? It was posted a few days ago but with all the recent aggy misery, this thread and the aggy croot threads have been moving so fast I can’t find the posts. Thanks in advance.
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May I have the pleasure of introducing my similar aged son to your daughter when the time is right?
Haha hell yeah. I was just thinking earlier today that I need some more bros out there. My dad and I are outnumbered 4-2 typically. My 11 y.o. daughter was complaining tonight that I “made” her drive the skid steer loader awhile back to help me with some stuff, and I couldn’t help think to myself, “if I had sons I wouldn’t be able to get them off of this equipment/to stop doing ranch work…”
Hopefully they bring some decent boyfriends/sons in law around that are interested in what I do. -
Is your blind on top of a skyscraper?
That blind is on a 12’ tower and is set on a limestone knob overlooking a hillside and a pond. The ranch is on a high spot in general - rain that falls on the east side of the ranch runs to the Brazos, and that which falls on the west runs to the Colorado.
Things have really greened up, my food plots have sprouted and the deer would rather be in the fields than at the feeders.-
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Good stuff @HOOKEM4
I got the 13y.o. In the blind tonight and we saw some good eating pigs, but she got worked up and missed the shot on one of them-
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100% low fence / free range. Deep woods bottom land along the Saline River. These bucks are super secretive and show up about every 5 years or so…
Waiting on dry time to officially score.
That’s awesome! Very cool -
Back from the taxidermist already. Better picture of the horns.
This is a fantastic buck man. I’m assuming high fence? If this is low fence, really need to get it officially scored. Did the taxi score it? -
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…It is my opinion that money is King and every member of the BIG12 makes an extra million if UT makes the playoffs. Therefore I don't expect UT to get screwed by the refs...
If the Big XII programs other than Texas and OU were rational actors regarding money as you suggest, we wouldn’t be in this situation, as the other members would have done whatever it took to keep TX and OU. The other members would have acknowledged the reality stated by the prior commissioner that “Texas and OU are over half the value of the media contract” (paraphrasing). Instead of acknowledging that reality and trying to cater to the primary breadwinners in some ways, the other schools completely took the two primary breadwinners for granted and actively made decisions detrimental to Texas and OU. Adding non-revenue generating, unattractive schools to the conference and losing Tx and OU will cost the remaining schools many millions over time, and they were clearly happy to do that. It is crazy that the remaining schools are actively voting themselves into a paycut by adding Houston, et.al.. I’d wager that’s because they’d rather operate with a significant amount lower revenue than cater to Texas and OU. That sentiment was basically voiced during the breakup. So, they’ve already made the decision to “cut off their nose to spite their face” financially. Why would they give a damn about another million now when they have the opportunity to do what they’d really like to do and keep both TX and OU out of the playoffs/title game so they can toast their own greatness and bask in their delusions of grandeur for the future?-
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Unfortunately this clip seems to be filmed on a potato, but you have to include Vasher as well:
Haha, I don’t think I’ve ever noticed how many Tech players we’ve attempted to murder over the years.
I had seats at this game with a vantage point where I saw Nate closing on this guy a long way away. It has been the only time watching football that I wanted one of our guys to pull back a bit before the hit. I vividly remember thinking “OMG pull up a bit Nate this poor fool has no idea what’s coming and he may not survive…” then: CRACK!!! The crowd had taken such a collective gasp seeing that hit coming that it was totally silent in DKR when it happened and the collision sounded like it echoed in the stadium with no other noise to drown it out. I think we all just thought for a second: “oh shit. Nate actually killed someone.”-
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Hunting ‘23/‘24: Bag ‘em and Tag ‘em
in Hobbies
Posted
This afternoon was awesome. My uncle, second cousin, and a friend. Mix of white wing and mourning doves. Told some old stories and had a lot of laughs. So many birds you could be really selective and only shoot what you know you can hit, not be in a rush as three more fly by as you’re reloading or retrieving. Weather turned out great too after all the wind died down from this morning.
