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by PHILLIP HAYES
Trail Talk
Under the Power of the Gun IN JANUARY THIS year, Mail & Guardian published a report titled “Under the Power of the Gun”. The author, Catherine Sofianos, details the life of a gangster called ‘Fabian’ from the Cape Flats, who allegedly became a ‘hit man’ at the age of 11. According to the report, a survey by the Canon Collins Educational and Legal Assistance Trust found that about 54% of boys and girls between 11 and 13 years of age in Hanover Park (Cape Town) admitted to having carried a knife or gun in the previous four weeks. This behaviour presumably started through witnessing acts of violence. The global average for child death through injury is 8.8 in 100 000. The Western Cape’s Department of Social Development estimates the rate in South Africa to be 39.8, with the majority of deaths being young men, aged 13 to 17, living on the Cape Flats. They die as a result of gang violence or interpersonal conflict with peers. Fabian received basic handgun instructions from an uncle who showed him how to cock the weapon, take out the magazine and how to hold the gun. However, he’s the exception. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime is quoted: “They’re given guns from a very young age... not trained on how to use them properly. They hold firearms the way you see it in the movies, and that affects the trajectory of the bullet. It’s part of the reason so many bullets go astray and why there’s so much collateral damage.” The report makes for interesting reading, giving a shocking account of life in a world filled with gangsters and crime, where life is cheap, while honesty and staying on the right side of the law means poverty and victimization, and where ‘easy money’ can be earned by joining a gang. It gives a glimpse into a life most of us will hopefully never experience and highlights lessons we can learn.
6 | ManMAGNUM | March/April 2021
As legal firearm owners, we need first to ensure that our weapons never fall into the hands of criminals. Of course, this will not stem the flood of illegal weapons being sold for criminal gain, but I’d rather my firearms not be used in a future crime which might cost the life of an innocent. So, if the firearm is not under your direct control, lock it up in a safe at all times. Secondly, train with that handgun. I regularly meet handgun owners who have done only the competency training, and are now carrying their handguns daily, satisfied that they are ready for a deadly force encounter. Competency training is not nearly enough to prepare you to use a handgun to defend life and limb. It will take thousands of rounds, and shooting on a regular basis, to attain just a basic proficiency to be able to execute a life-saving drill when your body is flooded with adrenaline. Neglecting to train will pretty much result in an outcome as described above, where “many bullets go astray… (and) there’s… collateral damage”. Too many owners of self-defence weapons think that watching a YouTube video on defence drills somehow prepare us for a high-stress deadly encounter. Watching a video has its advantages, but I’m sure the ‘gangsters’ do the same. We need an edge over our adversaries, which we can attain only through regular live-fire practice, preferably under stress. This can be as simple as using a timer on the range, but better still, do a proper handgun training course and frequently repeat what you’ve learned. Gun owners often fail to properly maintain daily carry-guns or to use proven and reliable defence ammunition. In my part of the woods serious crime is not much of a problem. We sometimes have burglaries in the area, but overall, we are blessed with a peaceful existence. However, this week
an elderly couple was attacked, overpowered and a brick used (among other weapons) to inflict some serious injuries. They were then robbed. The local neighbourhood-watch did a good job in helping to apprehend some of the criminals. Afterwards some of those involved were taking a long hard look at their hardware. I noted severe rust on some of the pistols carried against sweaty hips for months on end, and cast lead bullets that were pushed into service as first-line fodder. This is simply not good enough. Owning a defence weapon means we must properly maintain our handgun and ensure that it always functions reliably with a proven defence round. I recently suffered a perplexing malfunction on the range. My ultrareliable CZ 75 refused to feed a round. The cartridge got stuck, bullet up, with the slide unable to return to battery. I performed the mandatory ‘tap and rack’, only to encounter the same problem. Taking the ‘well maintained’ pistol apart I noticed that the firing pin was stuck in the forward position, protruding through the bolt face, causing the rim of the case to hook underneath the firing pin. Although I clean the pistol often, I have never cleaned the firing pin assembly. Powder residue from thousands of rounds had finally rendered the pistol useless. A proper cleaning resolved the problem, but what if the malfunction was to occur during a serious incident? Drawing the pistol to protect myself or someone else would have been almost certain suicide. The insight into criminal life provided by Mail & Guardian reveals that criminals might not necessarily be crack shots, but they live and ‘work’ under stressful conditions. To confront an armed, drugged-up criminal intent on robbing or killing, we must learn to make informed, logical and responsible decisions… and keep training.
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Campfire Tales... THE WARMTH OF the fire was slowly drawing the stiffness out of my bones. It had been a tiring, though amusing day in the Zambezi Valley. We’d had to abort two follow-ups of fresh buffalo spoor because we’d bumped into large herds of cow elephants with calves. “Damn nuisance,” said Claude, frowning. “Oh… actually, I enjoyed it,” I said. “I love watching elephant calves at play. They’re such mischievous little buggers.” This drew a grinning nod from Rob Lowson, a Safety Officer for Zimbabwe Forestry who, accompanied by Aubrey Collins, had arrived at our main camp that afternoon for a visit. “That they certainly are,” smiled Rob, “and they grow up mischievous too. Tell them about JD, Aub.” “Naah… they probably wouldn’t believe it,” said Aubrey. Addressing Claude and me, Rob said, “Aubrey was a Parks ranger at Mana Pools during the 1960s – believe me, he’s seen it all and has no reason to tell bull-dust stories.” Turning to Aubrey, he said, “Come on, Aub, tell them.” “Well,” began Aubrey, “a young bull at Mana Pools took to hanging around the main camp – human activity seemed to interest him. As time passed, he became a huge problem – we named him ‘JD’, short for Juvenile Delinquent. He was a menace. We even darted him and painted ‘JD’ in huge white letters on his bum so we could warn tourists to steer clear of him.” Taking a swig of beer, Aubrey continued. “JD’s favourite prank was to visit the ablution block at night and use his trunk to disconnect the piping from the toilets! Without breaking anything, he adroitly lifted each one out of its junction, leaving a hell of a mess to sort out in the morning. Talk about mischievous! Another of JD’s party tricks was to pull up the guy-rope pegs of visitors’ tents, silently and efficiently, and then stand by and watch as the canvas collapsed onto the sleeping occupants. “Well, after the exhaustive efforts of the ranger staff to keep JD away from the camp, he pushed off in a sulk and we neither saw nor heard of him for several weeks.” Aubrey took another
10 | ManMAGNUM | March/April 2021
sip while we waited expectantly. “Then we began to receive complaints from visitors that fallen trees were blocking the main road into the camp. I was out on foot patrol one day, when I spotted JD at a distance. He hadn’t seen me, so I remained still and watched him. Presently, I heard the sound of an approaching vehicle. Immediately, JD pulled down a tree and, lo and behold, as I watched, he dragged it onto the road and left it there. Then he withdrew and stood a little way off to watch the result!” We were all sniggering now, but then Aubrey got serious. “Well, eventually the reports filtered through to Chief Ranger McCarthy in Salisbury, who was ultimately responsible for visitor safety, hence viewed it in a serious light. The final curtain came down when JD chose to pull one of his roadblock pranks on the daughter of Rhodesia’s Minister of Transport. JD stood by in full view, enjoying the show, and as daylight faded, the lady became frantic. Later that evening, on realising she had not come in, rangers went to look for her. When they rescued her she was a gibbering wreck. Of course, she complained to daddy, and I received the inevitable instruction that JD had to be destroyed.” Claude shook his head sadly, getting up to add logs to the fire. “Fortunately,” continued Aubrey, “before this could be carried out, I bumped into Rob Winters who ran a croc farm just downriver from the town settlement. I told him the sad story about JD. Rob listened very attentively, and asked a number of questions about JD. Then he said, ‘Aubrey, you know how intelligent elephants are. Your young bull is simply bored. Let me take him off your hands. I know exactly what to do with him.’ I was delighted. So, JD’s relocation took place the following week.” “What did Rob do with him?” I asked. “Well,” said Aubrey, “two
months later I visited the croc farm and couldn’t believe my eyes. Rob had trained JD to haul big logs of Zambezi teak from the forest to his sawmill at the river. Later, when he saw his chainsaw man riding on JD’s back while hauling a log, Rob realised that JD was destined for greater things. So they trained JD to carry guests on game-viewing safaris. JD was entirely passive with the passengers, and actually learned to track and locate herds of antelope, and then stand perfectly still while his passengers took photos and enjoyed the sight. JD learned to understand and carry out sixty different instructions, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of his day.” “Incredible!” said Claude. “So he just needed to be kept interested and occupied?” Aubrey drained his glass. “Well,” he replied, “There may have been another factor. Rob had a second tame elephant at the croc farm whose company JD much enjoyed. Her name was Sally... Readers are invited to share true humorous or intriguing short stories via our Campfire Tales column. Email mail@manmagnum.co.za for our (free) guidelines on how this works. – Editor
March/April 2021 | ManMAGNUM | 11
Mosssbe MC11sC s 9MMMP
The slide is contoured for better concealment and a snag-free draw. The only levers are for the slide and magazine releases.
by PHILLIP LIP HAYES H
O
O.F. MOSSBERG AND SONS, who celebrated 100 years in business in 2019, are well-known locally for their shotguns. During their centenary, Mossberg launched their first-ever striker-fired semi-auto pistol, the MC1sc in 9mmP. The only other pistol Mossberg has offered since their inception was the Brownie, a four-barrelled .22lr pocket pistol (circa 1919) employing a rotating firing pin. Intended solely as a backup gun, it was inexpensive and reliable. Likewise, the MC1sc is a sub-com-
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Century-long wait for a first striker-fired polymer pistol
pact made specifically for concealed carry, sporting a single-stack magazine and a polymer frame in keeping with modern trends. The pistol follows the traditional Glock striker-fired layout, with a few ingenious changes. With its 3.4-inch barrel, the Mossberg measures 6.25 inches overall and is 4.3 inches high. The single-stack
6-round magazine ensures that width is limited to an inch (an extra 7-round mag and a laser are supplied). With the longer magazine full and the laser attached, the pistol weighed 644g on my electronic scale. For comparison, my wife’s .38Sp S&W Airweight, loaded with 5 rounds of 148gr wad-cutters, weighs 495g. The pistol follows the tried-andtested locked-breech, recoil-operated, striker-fire system with a moulded
polyme lymer frame and a steel slide. Its sights (white th three-dot type) are dovetailed into th e 416 stainless slide. According to the manufacturer, Sig Sauer pistol s sights will fit the dovetails, ensuring th hat aftermarket sights are freely availlable. The test pistol came supplied w with a Viridian laser sight (red) that attaches to the trigger guard; to detach s simply remove two screws. The slide has narrow, deep cut-outs fore an nd aft, making for easy operation notwitthstanding its diminutive size. The slide e and barrel have a DLC (diamon nd-like carbon) coating which resists we ear. Our tests bore out this claim, as we eeks of daily carry in an inside waistband holster against my sweaty thigh in b blistering summer heat, and firing more b than 1 000 rounds, left the slide and barrel in near-new condition. The frame has a dual texture grip, a slight palm-swell and contoured finger grooves which improve control – a necessity on any pistol, but more so with a small lightweight pistol firing the 9mmP cartridge. A beavertail protects the web of the hand from the slide during cycling. Controls include a serrated slide stop on the left side and a large, reversible, textured magazine release button. The MC1sc can be ordered with a manual cross-bolt trigger-safety on the frame behind the trigger. This is not an option I’d consider for a defensive-carry pistol. The trigger-face is flat with an insert blade-safety, similar to the Glock’s. Trigger-pull is smooth for a striker-fired pistol and broke consistently at 5¼lbs on my Wheeler trigger-pull scale. The reset is short. In a comparative test, several shooters mentioned that the Mossberg trigger is better than a standard Glock trigger, allowing for better control. The base-plate of the 6-round magazine fits flush, and allowed me only two fingers on the grip, leaving my pinkie dangling; however, the 7-round mag has an extension ensuring that even my large hands have a full grip. I soon learned that, for daily carry, the extended mag is the best option, allow-
The grip is textured and has finger grooves. Note the extension on the 7-round magazine.
Two light grey polymer magazines are supplied, holding 6 and 7-rounds respectively. The seven-rounder has an extension plate for a better grip.
ing faster mag changes without my pinkie interfering with the mag’s freefall. The magazines are translucent (light-grey) polymer, a quick look clearly reveals the rounds within. The follower is bright orange. My initial impression was that the ‘plasticy’ mags would not last. Abuse on the range soon changed my mind and the ability to see the rounds at a glance is an advantage. Moreover, Glock 43 magazines fit and function flawlessly in the MC1sc and are easy to obtain. Mossberg opted for a deviation from the usual Glock-type disassembly with their own Safe Takedown System which doesn’t require pulling the trigger for disassembly. To disassemble, remove the magazine, ensure the gun is unloaded, lock back the slide, then press a milled indentation on the small plate at the rear of the slide (see photo on p16) which allows the plate to slide out downwards. Now remove the striker assembly by sliding it rearwards. Release the slide and draw it forward and off the rails, providing access to the barrel and recoil spring. When fired, initially the pistol intermittently failed to return to battery. I disassembled, cleaned and oiled it, but the failure persisted. I then tried factory ammo only, again to no avail. I experienced 27 stoppages during the first 100 rounds and decided to call it a
View of the frame and slide. Note the firing-pin block on the slide.
March/April 2021 | ManMAGNUM | 13
day. At home I cleaned the pistol and then proceeded with the tedious task of cycling the action at least 1 000 times. During this procedure I could feel the slide starting to move more freely. Back at the range, I experienced two more failures to return to battery, but for the next 900+ rounds it devoured anything from low-powered handloads to +P defence ammo – without any cleaning. Clearly, this particular pistol needed some ‘breaking in’, a frustrating exercise, but thereafter, reliability was exemplary. I fired Maxxtech (124gr FMJ) and Fiocchi (115gr FMJ) ammunition over a chronograph. The heavier Maxxtech ammo averaged 1 110fps for a power factor of 137.64, while the Fiocchi averaged 1 040fps for a factor of 119.60. The only factory carry-loads I had on hand were S&B 115gr JHPs, which averaged 1 090fps (factor of 125.35). Given the short 3.5-inch barrel this is more than adequate for defence purposes. I tested for accuracy at 10m over a
The pistol required a break-in period to get the slide to consistently return to battery. After firing about 150 rounds it reliably cycled the variety of ammunition I fed into the magazines.
shooting bag. The Fiocchi 115gr ammo printed a 3-shot group measuring 19mm centre-to-centre (c-c). The Maxxtech’s 3-shot group measured 18.91mm c-c. Handloaded 124gr Bullet
Corp lead bullets printed a 21.86mm c-c group. Shooting from the standing position at targets set up at 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20m produced accuracy no different from that of my CZ 75 with its
The MC1sc is easy to control thanks to good ergonomics and the textured grip. Here Ben-Mari du Plessis, a beginner, is trying the pistol out. She found it ‘snappy’ but managed to consistently get lead on target.
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Fiocchi 115gr FMJ ammo (1) printed a 3-shot group measuring 19mm
1
centre-to-centre (c-c). Maxxtech 124gr FMJs (2) achieved 18.91mm c-c and my handloads, 124gr Bullet Corp coated lead bullets (3), produced a 21.86mm c-c group.
longer sight radius. Also, a mixture of nine different handloads and factory ammo saw little difference in placement within the A-zone. The front sight on the test pistol has a large white dot that is slightly brighter than the rear dots, making it easy to pick up during fast shooting, which definitely helped with keeping shots on target. The MC1sc is definitely
2
3
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one of the more accurate pistols I have tested. Most sub-compacts are too small for my hands, but the MC1sc’s ergonomics aided control and facilitated speedy reloads (though I had to pull the shorter mag out when reloading as my pinkie finger prevented it from drop-
The windage adjustable white three-dot sights are contoured to prevent snagging.
MC1sc with the The Mossberg’s flat trigger broke consistently at 5¼ pounds and has a short reset that helped me get back on target quickly.
ping). This should not be a problem for those with smaller hands. The pistol’s ergonomics are excellent, pointing naturally, and recoil was manageable for my wife and 20-year-old daughter who have just started out with pistol shooting. Both agreed that it’s a worthy purchase, given its handling and concealability. The pistol is simply a pleasure to carry all day long – I often forgot I had it on me. Also, it fitted perfectly in every holster I use for my CZ. The supplied Viridian laser is simple to operate with the trigger finger – just touch a button in front of the trigger guard to switch it on. The red laser dramatically improved my ability to hit targets in low light or at night when using a flashlight. However, finding a holster for the laser-fitted pistol was not easy. All I could find was an old Sticky Holster which proved comfortable. Online, I found the MC1sc without the laser selling for R8 650.
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Viridian laser sight in place.
To disassemble remove the small plate at the back of the slide.
For stockists phone National Cartridge Company on 021-797-8787.
Elephant Hunting Know-How
PART 1
Where to go, what to use and what to expect
U
UNLESS YOU HAVE hunted and shot an elephant, it is difficult to comprehend the feeling when spotting, approaching and getting ready to shoot one. It is the act of taking on a pachyderm in its own environment, even though it towers over you and can kill you with ease. For me, the actual death of the animal was always dispiriting and left me feeling sad. Yet the hunt is such a thrill that I kept coming back. Today, unless you are a game ranger or qualified professional hunter, very few countries will allow you to hunt elephant without being accompanied by a PH. However, a few Central African countries remain where you can do an unguided hunt with a local tracker. I was fortunate to do a great deal of elephant hunting from the late 1950s to the 1980s when I was a game ranger for National Parks in Rhodesia and a professional hunter in Rhodesia, Botswana and Caprivi. Then, people were allowed to hunt elephant without a guide or PH, as long as they
by JOHN COLEMAN
bought the required licence. I lived in elephant-populated areas, hence acquired good knowledge of their habits and behaviour. Other than when guiding clients, I preferred to hunt on my own with just one or two trackers. I also hunted for ivory – now almost unheard of – and I conducted elephant hunts with paying clients on safaris. In the old days, hunters had to go in on foot. They employed porters to carry their camping equipment and spent months out in the bush. During my elephant hunting years we had four-wheel-drive vehicles, enabling me to get to the areas without walking for weeks. However, there were not many roads in the elephant habitat areas, and we had to walk long distances, searching for elephant and following spoor. To save time, we did use the few faint roads, looking for fresh tracks where elephant had crossed. Once found, we had to decide if the spoor was fresh enough and follow on
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foot. It’s a good sign when the piles of elephant dung are not yet disturbed by dung beetles and slightly warm in the middle – it means the elephant are not too far ahead. If they keep walking, however, the pace is about as fast as a person can jog.
After drinking, elephant head for these feeding areas, usually stopping at about 10 or 11am. They are particularly fond of the bark and leaves of hook-thorn bush, mopane and young teak and they like to dig for succulent roots in the sand. Their favourite fruit is that of the marula and mugongo trees.
I DID MUCH of my elephant hunting in ‘Kalahari sand’ country. These areas are IT CAN GET hot in the sumcovered by teak and other mer – up to 40° Celsius – brachystegia forest, have a and winter days are quite few open vleis dotted with warm. When following elepatches of mopane and comphants, it is not unusual to bretum, and occasional Hunting elephant is an up close and personal experience. walk up to twenty miles waterholes (pans) left by the Photo by Philip Huebsch. (32km) or more a day. Pans seasonal rains. Most of the are usually far apart and the Kalahari sand area spans Botswana, Caprivi, north-western water, if any, is almost undrinkable, except at the rivers, so Zimbabwe, south-western Zambia and south-eastern Angola. water must be carried in a canvas water-bag (josack). I have The Zambezi River runs along the northern border of Rhodesia followed big bulls a long way out into waterless areas. They and the eastern end of Caprivi. To the north-west is the Chobe/ can go three or four days without drinking and I have seen Linyanti River on the border between Botswana and Eastern them putting their trunks into their mouths, regurgitating Caprivi, swinging south through Caprivi from Angola where it water and blowing it over their heads to cool down. Cow eleis known as the Kwando River. To the west, in Bophants and calves must drink almost every day, particularly tswana, is the Savuti Swamp, the Kavango River and the Okain hot weather. vango delta. The Kalahari sand country continues into southOften, we walked all day in the dry sand and heat without ern Angola and Zambia, but I never hunted elephant there. catching up to the animals, then had to walk wearily back to Apart from a few small hills and ridges, most of the area the vehicle. The country is mostly without any landmarks and is flat and, except for the flood plains and vleis, it is covered it is amazing how a Khoi San tracker knows the exact direcwith deep, reddish or grey Kalahari sand. Walking long distion back to the vehicle, even after walking in varying directances on this loose surface is extremely tiring. I learned from tions all day. I have to take the general direction, then cast the Khoi San and copied their style of almost shuffling, taking around until I pick up the vehicle tracks or road and follow, smaller steps and keeping my feet level (not toeing in or out). noting which direction the vehicle travelled by checking the Elephant paths, particularly in the long, open vleis, travway grass and small bushes have been flattened by the erse the area like arteries between the pans and near the wheels. There were no GPSs then, so we had to develop and rivers, then peter out far into the feeding areas in the forests. use our instincts.
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Author with client.
Pan in Botswana.
There are various methods of hunting elephant. Traditional ivory hunting was mainly for single bulls or small groups of old bulls. This, to me, is the most interesting and rewarding hunting. Hunting larger herds for control measures or to chase animals out of an area can be quite dangerous. Trophy hunting is much like ivory hunting, except that nowadays you are backed by a PH, sleep in a luxury camp and your success depends largely on your ability to walk long distances. In some areas like Eastern Caprivi, there are big, open flood plains along the Zambezi River where the hunting differs from that in the forested areas. You can see the animals at a distance and, as a rule, not much tracking or stalking is required. Then there is culling; I do not consider elephant culling to be real hunting. IT IS ESSENTIAL to use round-nosed, steel-jacketed FMJ solids or monolithic brass solids on elephant. The bullet must have enough strength, weight and length-for-calibre to achieve the required penetration of heavy bone and the vital organs. Many hunters have been killed due to their use of badly constructed or soft-nose bullets. Most African countries set the legal minimum calibre for dangerous game at 9.3x62mm, .375 Magnum or larger. I usually used my trusty old .458 Win Mag with open sights to hunt elephant. Of course, no matter what calibre you use, accuracy and bullet placement are of primary importance. When hunting elephant for trophy or ivory, no shots should be fired in the area before finding your elephant. Gunfire warns the clever, big old bulls and they will immediately move out. Avoid situations in which the wind blows from you towards the quarry. Elephants have extremely acute sense of smell and hearing. If they keep moving downwind you must repeatedly circle widely around, cutting back to the tracks
only occasionally. Get downwind or across the wind direction as soon as possible and be extremely observant. Fleeing animals or warning cries from birds will alarm elephant, particularly old bulls. You will know when the elephants are close due to their faint, musty body smell. If there is more than one, you will often hear their occasional deep rumbles. The approximate age of a big bull elephant can be judged by the clarity of the prints left by his feet. An old elephant has very worn treads, particularly at the back of the foot and is more likely to have big tusks. Hunting these old bulls is hard work, with a lot of disappointments. Many times I tracked a bull that left huge tracks, following all day in the heat through heavy sand, only to find that he had small or broken tusks and occasionally no tusks at all. When you finally spot a big tusker and first see the white gleam of big ivory, it is an indescribable, gut-wrenching feeling. You instantly forget about your exhaustion and go on full alert. The return distance to the vehicle always seems twice as far. I have often had to stumble into camp or find the road and vehicle in the dark, exhausted, thirsty and hungry, and sometimes even had to camp out with no food, water or blankets. I always carried matches so that I could make a fire to keep me warm and keep the nasty animals away. Luka and I would huddle around the fire until it got light, then take off again, back to the vehicle or camp. Elephant hunting gets in your blood and it is worth all the pain and suffering.
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March/April 2021 | ManMAGNUM | 19
The short-barrelled Remington (below) compared to the standard model.
ShortBarrelled Shooting by ROBIN BARKES
C
…and other stories
CAP-AND-BALL revolvers were never designed to be used as target guns. These, the first multi-shot handguns, were made strictly for close-quarter work in life-threatening situations. Serious competition shooting with handguns only began with the invention of the self-contained cartridge. A while ago I had the opportunity of firing a cap-and-ball six-shooter that was out of the ordinary because it came with factory-fitted adjustable sights. These modern additions were the whim of the Italian maker of the replica Remington because they were never found
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on the original gun. The piece shot well and my article on the weapon appeared in the July 2019 issue of Magnum. Just recently I had the pleasure of test firing another caplock Remington that, although full size, had a barrel only 5½ inches long – as opposed to the standard length barrel of 8 inches. There is no manufacturer’s name on the gun and I suppose the short barrel was also just a whim of the maker because I could find no similar Remington in Flayderman’s book on antique American firearms. I think the usual reason for wanting a shorter barrel was because
the weapon was easier to carry or concon ceal. But why, you may ask, did people not just buy one of the many hide-out pistols available back then? The answer is that the small pocket jobs of those times were mainly single-shot derringers or the guns that were introduced when the first self-contained .22 rimfire cartridge became the craze. These were soon followed by the revolvers that took .32 or .38 rimfire cartridges that appeared during the American Civil War which soldiers bought to back up their single-shot muzzle-loading rifles. BOTH COLT AND Remington did produce pocket size cap-and-ball revolvers, but they too were in pipsqueak calibres like .28 and .31. Out West, men who faced death daily wanted a hide-out gun with more clout and some started carrying cut-down versions of the heavy six-shooters they wore on their hips. They all knew the impor-
The cut-down 1860 Army Colt converted to .44 centre-fire that was carried by lawman Dallas Stoudenmire.
Ranger ‘Chape’ Beatty’s hide-out Peacemaker had a 2-inch barrel.
Deputy Marshalls display their firepower. How many hide-out guns do you think they have?
tance of that first shot and a solid hit from a .44 or .45 slug would drop a man in his shadow. For instance, Deputy U.S. Marshall, Dallas Stoudenmire, carried a model 1860 Army Colt that had been converted to take .44 calibre centre-fire cartridges. The barrel of the El Paso lawman’s back-up gun was cut down to just 2⅞ inches. Likewise, Wells Fargo detective, James Hume, who tracked down stage robber Charles ‘Black Bart’ Bolton, carried a cap-and-ball .44 Army Colt with a cut-down barrel. Arizona Ranger ‘Chape’ Beatty favoured a .45 Colt Peacemaker with a barrel cut down to 2 inches and, the famous lawman, Heck Thomas, who broke up the Dalton-Doolin gangs carried a Colt New Service .44 with its barrel shortened to 2 inches. Texas bad man Bass Outlaw favoured a Colt Peacemaker with its barrel chopped to just a few inches and, the adventurous Frederick Burnham, who wrote Scouting On Two Continents carried a sawn-off Colt when he conveyed secret messages for an Arizona smuggler. Burnham said he wore his hide-out gun under his arm or tucked into his bootleg. Most of the actual cutdown guns just mentioned are illustrated in the book Guns of the Gunfighters produced by the Peterson Publishing Company. THE SHORT-BARRELLED Remington my collector friend and I test-fired had another surprise in store for us. I realise that the 5½-inch barrel cannot be considered a chopped-down gun because that was a popular length in later Colt Peacemakers used throughout the West but, it was unusual to find it in a full size .44 calibre cap-and-ball revolver. Both the long- and short-barrelled Remington replicas were produced in Italy and were outwardly identical but the cylinders were not interchangeable. Why would we want to swop cylinders? Well here’s the thing; when we loaded the short-barrelled gun we found that the ball fitted tightly in five chambers but was loose in the sixth. Thinking we had a wrong ball mixed into the batch,
March/April 2021 | ManMAGNUM | 21
Our target – the last two bullets struck almost dead centre.
The ‘strain screw’ was eased off to provide a lighter trigger pull.
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we tried one or two more but discovered they too were undersize. So we measured the chambers and discovered that one had been drilled out to a slightly larger diameter. How ’bout that! Anyway we scratched around and found a bigger missile and when we rammed it in over the powder, it left a thin ring of lead behind, like it always should. The mouth of each chamber was then smeared with bore butter and the nipples topped with size 10 p si percussion caps. As we prepa ared to shoot, my friend warned me thatt he had set the trigger pull to be very light. This, to me, was ano other surprise. I had never come across a cap-and-ball revolver with a hair trigger setting. When I asked him to explain he pointed h to the little screw in the inside e curve of the butt and said he e had turned it out a little to release e the tension on the main spring. I pon ndered over the wisdom of doing this but,, when I later looked up an exploded draw wing of a Remington capand-ball revolver, I discovered the little screw is referred to as a ‘strain screw’ so maybe easin ng it off is an acceptable thing tto do.
I wondered where the hold w would be on the target and if it shot as well as the long-barrelled long barrelled job with target sights. In our many years of shooting cap-and-ball revolvers, we have found they all shoot high – even the first Colt cartridge-takers were notoriously inaccurate. I HAD JUST read a story in the Wild West magazine about how two lawmen George Witty and William Smith tracked down two robbers hiding out on a remote ranch. As they approached the dwelling, the wanted men, Stokes and Gibson, came out with guns drawn. A brief verbal altercation took place followed by an eruption of gunfire. As the smoke lifted, it was to discover that not one of the 35 shots fired had found its mark! With that, the robbers threw down their empty guns and surrendered. So there you have an example of just how inaccurate those old guns were. This incident took place in 1895 and although the weapons the four men used were not mentioned, in all probability they were the popular Colt six-shooter. Being the proud owner of the short-barrelled Remington, my friend had the honour of taking the first shot.
The deep aiming slot on the frame and high front sight went easy on my old eyes.
Our target was set up at gunfighter range – fifteen paces. Expecting the gun to shoot high, he aimed at the bottom end of the long vertical line of the cross. He fired and punched a hole low and to the left of the aiming point. For every shot thereafter he held a bit higher and walked the bullets up until his fifth shot touched the little square marking the centre of the target. He then handed me the gun for the last shot telling me exactly where to aim. AS I STEPPED up to the firing line I recalled an interview I read about a fellow who had been a Texas Ranger in his youth. The interview took place in 1974 when the man was 92 years old. One of the questions the interviewer asked him was, “In the movies the good guy always gives the bad guy the chance of drawing his gun first and he always shoots to wound – did it really happen like that?” The old man guffawed and replied, “No! We shot first and we always shot to kill.” He explained that the Rangers always rode in pairs and when they approached a wanted man, they drew their guns and ordered him to drop his gunbelt. They then watched his hands, and if he made the slightest move towards his gun they’d shoot him. The next question was how many men he had killed. The answer came as a surprise because the old fellow simply said that he didn’t know. Because there were always two Rangers shooting at the same time, they never knew who had fired the fatal shot. With that in mind I stood there, gun in hand, covering an imaginary outlaw, waiting and watching his hands just like the old Texas Ranger would have done. I had to make my only shot count. The Remington had a nice deep slot along the top of the frame to act as the back sight so, with the weapon levelled, I aligned the high front blade in the notch. Just then a gust of wind made the paper target flutter like a man making a hostile move and I fired. The trigger required the slightest touch to set it off and the heavy ball struck just to the left of my friend’s last shot, almost plumb centre of the target. I reckon that was good enough to put the toughest hombre down for keeps. Heck, I actually shot better than I did with the long-barrelled gun with fancy sights. And that’s the long and short of my story about shooting two six-shooters with barrels of different lengths.
March/April 2021 | ManMAGNUM | 23
A Very expected. There was a dry riverbed with an acacia forest surrounding it, perfect for impala to disappear in. On another part of the farm, there was a spectacular koppie and massive boulders littered with rock hyraxes. The rest of the farm was covered with long, waist-length grasslands.
Author with the beautiful springbuck ram he shot on the second morning.
...for springbuck in the Free State
W
WE MADE PLANS to go to the Free State to hunt springbuck, a new species for me. Due to the Covid travel ban, the trip was postponed a couple of times, but finally, with the right permits, we could cross the provincial border. It was freezing when we stopped in front of the farm gate, the chilling wind tearing into my skin. We met with the owner and chatted about the farm, which we had found on Facebook, and wanted to know more. We were there for six springbuck, three blesbuck and some impala, if we encountered a nice
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ram or two. The owner told us the farm was only 250 hectares and mainly used to breed game. There was a list of animals we weren’t allowed to hunt: nyala, tsessebe, sable, eland, bontebok, reedbuck, giraffe, saddleback blesbuck, copper springbuck, black impala. Nonetheless, we set out to make the most of our time there and visited the shooting range to check our rifles before heading out on foot to see if we could find some biltong. I have to say, it is a nice farm, not at all the wideopen Free State farm that we had
ON THE FIRST morning, just before lunchtime, my brother shot a nice impala ram which was standing right next to an even nicer black impala ram. Feeling more positive, we celebrated over lunch before heading out for the afternoon session. I was looking for my first springbuck ram. We were only allowed to hunt the smaller springbuck rams, and anything over fourteen inches was double the price. So, getting close and taking time to check and observe the animals was vital. Hunting on foot wasn’t easy. The animals we were allowed to shoot knew we were looking for them. Late on the afternoon of our first day, I got lucky with the wind in my face and the sun setting behind me. We slowly and silently sneaked up on a herd of springbuck rams enjoying the last of the day’s warmth. There were about six of them, one was a copper and two were just too close to fourteen inches to shoot. While picking through the herd we spooked them and all but one ran away. He was a looker. I placed the crosshairs just in front of his shoulder as he was quartering on. The ram was still looking for the source of the disturbance when I squeezed the trigger – he went straight down. I felt very confident, probably too confident. That night around the campfire while enjoying a couple of beers, my dad, my brother and I talked about hunting trips of old, about times gone by, and people we all wished could have
Expensive Biltong Hunt by DERRICK CREMER
been with us on this trip. Like any hunting trip, those are the moments that memories are made of. The next morning we were up early. Finding the bakkie’s windscreen and bonnet frozen, we decided to wait for the sun and heated up with some coffee around the fire. That was a good morning. After walking for about an hour, we got close to some springbuck and, once in a suitable position, I shot a ram. Not long after that, I shot a springbuck ewe. My Dad, always showing us how it is done, shot a blesbuck ram and a springbuck ewe. The afternoon passed without further event and, even though we didn’t fire a shot, walking in the bush and seeing the stunning trees and beautiful animals made everything right in the world. ON THE LAST hunting day we told the guide that we wanted another impala. We climbed to a koppie with a view of almost the entire farm to look for our prey. It didn’t take us long to find the herd and plan our stalk. We started in their direction, staying in the shade while moving from tree to tree, always keeping some cover between us and the impala. From what we could see, the herd only had one ram, and it wasn’t a big ram, but it had more than enough meat on it. We got close to the herd but spooked them at the last second. They ran about three hundred metres before stopping. We moved as fast as we could, got into position, and set up for the shot. They were about 200m away, far, but still within reach of the .243. There was a ewe in front of the ram, watching us. Behind her, the ram was facing us straight on. When the ewe finally cleared away, I aimed at the ram’s chest and went for it. As soon as I squeezed the trigger, I knew it was a bad shot.
way and on our journey crossed paths with the herd. We saw the ram running at the back but then, another guide, who hadn’t accompanied us on the hunt, proclaimed that the ram appeared to be limping. The farm owner told us to go after it, as you would do with any wounded animal. At that point, I even convinced myself that I had wounded the impala. Now accompanied by two guides, we followed the herd and found them running away. We set up and waited for them to cross in front of us, ready to shoot the suffering animal. When they were about 250m away, we saw the ram at the back. I asked the guide, “Is that the ram?” He replied, “Yes, that one.” I led the shot by probably three metres with the sun behind the herd and squeezed the trigger. On any other day, with any other animal, the bullet would have missed. But it didn’t. I heard it thump, saw the animal stumble and start to go down before it passed out of sight behind some trees. Black impala mount.
Everyone misses, I told myself, it is inevitable. We walked to where the herd had been standing and I was very happy not to find any blood. Furthermore, the ram was still in the herd, looking at us as if to say, “you missed”, before turning and running away. The guide, Johnny, confirmed the miss and we started walking back to camp. The farm owner picked us up on the
THE HERD CAME out on the other side, but the ram didn’t. I did, however, see the smaller ram still in the herd. The guides started heading towards the herd, thinking the ram was still with them. But I knew the ram I had been aiming at was still behind the trees. I convinced them to go around and have a look. Sure enough, when we passed the first tree, we found the ram lying in the grass. The shot was right on the shoulder, but a bit low. As it saw us it stood up. That is when my heart plummeted to the bottom of my stomach. The ram in front of us, the one that my bullet had taken down, was as black as night. It was the one impala on the farm that was on the ‘Don’t Shoot’ list. I can’t explain the disappointment, the sheer horrible heart-
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Two eland cows relaxing in the sun on the farm.
break of that moment, and, I admit, I even shed a couple of soul-shattering tears right there in the grass. The impala didn’t go far after that and it gave me an easy shot to finish it off. Understandably, the owner of the farm was very upset. Luckily, we came to an understanding that, even though it rendered me near limbless, suited both of us. The person I dreaded telling
the most was my wife. Imagine making that call and explaining to her why you need to pay an obscene amount of money for one impala ram. I never even got a chance to take a photo with that beautiful impala, but I figured I should make a shoulder mount. It was the least I could do. The real kicker came on the last morning when we went looking for the
wounded impala. We saw the young ram, my intended victim, still trotting about, shamelessly wearing my stolen confidence, with the rest of the herd. His herd now, as I had removed his only competition. He was the last ram left on the farm. We left the farm hoping that one day we could all sit around a campfire again and laugh about that expensive biltong hunt.
Is this a black impala? The light can play tricks on you that could prove to be costly. Photo gallo/gettyimages.
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I
I WAS SEATED high on a mountain in the Waterberg, very out of breath after winding my way up via an access road and then cresting the ridge to get to the other side. The walk was a grand experience. First, a giraffe bull, unnoticed by me until he and I exchanged glances at about ten metres, took off up the mountain on the same road, his huge feet “clack-ka-clacking” over the concrete, laid down due to the steep incline. I let things settle for a few minutes and resumed my walk. A short while later a warthog sow with three piglets came walking down the same road. I stood still and removed the small camera from my top pocket. They did not notice me until they were only a few metres away and then veered off the concrete and moved past me into the bush. As they drew parallel to me they took off at speed. More sightings followed – mountain reedbuck and
many kudu. It was dead quiet, windless, and very enjoyable. Just below the crest of the mountain I was startled by a rustling noise to my left and saw a porcupine scurry away between the rocks, not two metres away. My sole quarry, however, was a mature klipspringer ram. I’d had an opportunity to hunt one many years ago. At the time, I was recovering from torn ligaments in my ankle and one wrong step ended in agony when I seriously aggravated the injury. With no phone or radio, it took me three hours to hop and skip back to camp, and my hunt was ruined. KLIPSPRINGER ARE FOUND throughout large parts of the Cape, Namibia and Angola, as well as a huge swathe of land extending upwards from
the Mpumalanga province through the east African countries right up to Eritrea and Sudan. Eleven sub-species are recognized, but some scientists believe there are different species. They have huge pre-orbital glands, much larger, relative to their size, than those of other antelope. These glands are used by both the male and female to mark territories about once a week, which is reportedly how long the scent lasts. They wipe the glands over twigs and grass, leaving traces of a black substance. Klipspringer are monogamous but do not mate for life, as was the common belief for many years. The scent marking also reinforces the bond between the male and female and apparently, between parents and their young. The female gives birth to a single lamb but, a few years ago I did see a male and female with two lambs
by FRANCOIS
GALLO/GETTYIMAGES
VAN EMMENES
The Klipspringer Mountain hunt recovery at its best
about ten minutes and slowly stood up, scanning the last spot I saw the movement, but saw nothing. I could not go to my right – the rocks were huge and seemingly right on the cliff face. Still wearing a back brace after surgery, I was acutely aware of the dangers of my impaired movement and if I had fallen off those rocks, it would have been the end. Just thinking about it made my
The warthog sow mentioned in the article. A split second after this photo was taken, she took off down the mountain.
south of Skukuza on the S114 road in the KNP. After a few months, mature lambs are chased away from the parents’ territories to establish their own – the males sooner than females according to many references. They are choice prey for raptors and the cats. As they are a TOPS species (Threatened or Protected Species), a permit is required to hunt klipspringer and they normally command a high price. Most game farms that I have hunted protect them to the n’th degree. Some have even told me that they never hunt them – rightly or wrongly… My opinion is that if klipspringer are properly managed, there should be no reason not to hunt them on a sustainable basis. GOOD BINOCULARS AND a flatshooting rifle are essential requirements as klipspringer can be challenging and may require long shots. Their diminutive size does not require a large calibre but, if you want to ensure the skin stays intact, use a solid bullet as the exit wound with a conventional soft-nosed bullet will be large. The need for fitness is obvious, as is the need for boots suited to the rocky terrain klipspringer inhabit. Your trophy should be handled
with utmost care – the hollow hairs fall out very easily and you should get it into the salt as soon as possible. BACK TO THE hunt… I perched between two large rocks, the cliff face of the mountain falling away below me for about 50 metres. I was still catching my breath and getting the lie of the land when I heard a strange duck calling – a faint, high-pitched whêêê, whêêê sound, seemingly far off. This continued for about two minutes. I was intrigued, as I thought I knew the calls of most of our resident duck species, but could not see anything in the air. The area abounds with irrigation dams so it made sense that the sound would be coming from a duck. Standing up and craning my neck, I was trying to see what bird was making this noise when I spotted a small movement among the trees below and to my left. The penny dropped… it was not a duck, but a klipspringer’s alarm call and I could just make out the fawnish colour of one through the foliage. I sat down immediately, amused by my own ignorance. After all, who has heard a klipspringer’s call? I waited
Author with his klipspringer ram. This photo was taken where the ram was recovered. Notice the rough terrain.
stomach tie into a knot. I moved left, worming my way between the trees and rocks and saw a small game path. This led me to the end of a small ridge, right on the top edge of the cliff face, previously unseen. I was in two minds whether to follow it or backtrack and find a new, safer spot to hunt. The farmhouse and water trough were about 800m below me and to my right. While I sat for a moment contemplating my next move, two klipspringers raced out of the brush next to the house and ran to the water trough. They drank, quickly turned around and
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carry in my back pocket, and tied it to the nearest tree to mark the position from where I had taken the shot, making sure it would be visible from below.
A klipspringer’s hair is hollow and falls out easily – ostensibly as protection from predators and to cushion falls. Take great care when handling your trophy.
sped up the mountain, disappearing from view. I considered backtracking the way I had come to wait for them in ambush as they climbed up the mountain to their spot. I was still busy thinking it over when I heard another klipspringer call – this time to my right. I gathered my guts and despite my acrophobia, peered over the edge. There, 80m below me, stood a klipspringer ewe in broad daylight, staring upwards towards the cliff edge. I ducked back down, removed my cap and placed it on a rock in front of me. Quietly loading my .30-06, I set the scope to 4x magnification and inched forward. I eased the rifle forward and rested its fore-end on the cap while at the same time peering over the edge. This time I also saw the ram – a bit to the left of the ewe. One glance told me he had very respectable horns so I wasted no time. Settling the crosshairs on his back between his shoulder blades, I squeezed the trigger. He toppled off the rock and out of sight. A problem immediately dawned on me – how on earth was I going to recover my trophy? I tried calling one of my friends on the two-way radio without any joy. After carefully memorising trees and a few large boulders, I took a piece of toilet paper, which I always
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I HAD NO choice but to go back the way I had come and hopefully reach one of my buddies on the radio to ask for help. This had me worried; I was very far from any assistance and it would take me a few hours to get off and around the mountain to where the ‘klippie’ lay. This could potentially lead to hair-slip of the skin I so badly wanted. Another worry was the black eagles, and more importantly, leopards. Just the previous evening, we had spotted a huge tom leopard very close to where I was now. I moved as fast as I could and a few minutes later when I tried the radio again, to my relief, my brother-in-law Petrus answered. They were about 6km away and were happy to come and fetch me. An hour later, with the aid of a 4-wheeler ATV, we were at the foot of the mountain on the side where the ram lay. I could see my piece of toilet paper blowing in the wind and the size and vertical drop of the cliff made my stomach turn again. Petrus agreed to help me recover the ram, as, at the time, I was not allowed to pick up anything heavier than 5kg. After a difficult climb, we got to the spot where I thought the ram lay, but it was gone. We scouted the immediate area and found blood and some hair. The many hiding places between the
Klipspringer hooves are almost cylindrical in shape.
rocks made me think of the leopard again and I mentioned this to Petrus, who raised his eyebrows. Due to the severe angle at which I had shot, the blood and hair we found was actually many metres below where the ram fell and we eventually found him between two rocks, invisible from below and higher than I thought. Petrus helped me carry the ram down the hill through the rough terrain with much sweating, sliding, falling and cursing. It’s amazing how even a relatively small load like a klipspringer can upset your balance when walking on rocky ground like this. In terms of horn size, the ram measured just under 4½ inches which is the minimum for entry into Rowland Ward’s – a real beauty.
Taken from below, this is a view of the ridge from where the shot was taken.
The lion that charged the author.
A Dangerous Green Hunt by STEVEN FINE
A
Nature’s nasty surprises can kill you
AS A SCHOLAR in the late ’60s, I worked in the Timbavati at a private lodge during my school holidays. For me the bush was my life. Then I started hunting, mainly for the pot, and this went on for decades. Eventually I became a professional guide and started Wild Savannah Safaris, focussing on the Greater Kruger National Park and other conservancies just west of the Timbavati. I have always believed that in business you need to offer superior service, and in many cases do something different, in order to be successful. Proudly I
was the first to start night vision safaris. These were highly successful because on trips to Sabi Sands and Timbavati, one had to turn off the spotlights just before a carnivore launched an attack so, having night vision pieces allowed my guests from abroad to witness everything. I soon made a name for myself, with National Geographic contacting me. Then a local veterinary surgeon suggested that I include darting or chemical capture in my itinerary. Other operators offered this service well before me but, recognising the opportunity, I took his advice.
This included attaching satellite tracking collars, transponder insertion for tracking and identification purposes, as well as ear-notching of rhinos. After the darting, we allowed the visitors to assist and to touch the animal, thus learning from their ringside seats. They would help carry a lion to the shade, where we showed them how to put eye drops in the animal’s eyes and massage the area around the eyes to prevent them from drying out. One of my favourite things to do when darting lion, was to show that a lion actually has a tiny sharp claw in the
March/April 2021 | ManMAGNUM | 31
tuft of its tail. This claw is in fact an extension of the spine. It is worth noting that when lions are darted you cannot administer a reversal drug to wake them as their systems are not strong enough; if you did this they would perish. This means that when a lion is darted, it is essential that an armed guide stays close to the animal observing it from a vehicle until it wakes up and can walk steadily with no disorientation. This can take several hours (I am not sure if this has changed today). The reason for this is that if a lion was left to fend for itself, other lions or hyenas would kill it while it is in a drugged or semi-drugged stupor. With rhino and elephant it’s easy; you dart the animal, work on it for a while and then give it a reversal such as Naltrexone. Within 30 seconds that animal is up on its feet and trots off to rejoin the herd.
carried sufficient back-up firepower including rifles in .375, .458 and .416 calibres. Something interesting; I was advised that the animals were insured.
dozen sub-adult lions for relocation to another game lodge as there were too many lions on the property. Two days prior to the darting we took the group on walks and game drives. In between I allowed them to shoot at targets with the gas-operated dart gun. This was an ideal team-building exercise and hosting them included talks If for example an immobilised animal on wildlife, the darting operation, what fell off a cliff and died, the landowner we would do, their role with do’s and would be paid out but, if an animal had don’ts, etc. to be shot to protect someone, the On the big morning we set off in insurance company would not pay out. three vehicles with our portable radios and rifles to where the lions were ONE DARTING SAFARI that I will located. The cats were used to ‘game never forget was when I took about a spotting’ vehicles and we drove up to dozen French visitors representing an within ten or twenty metres of them. international pharmaceutical company After the first shot, the lion scattered out into the bush. We planned to dart a but soon settled down close by. The excited visitors chatted away, marvelling at the action. The first lion was now out for the count. We darted others, but with one miss as the dart was carried off target due to a sudden gust of wind. We then gave the all-clear signal and the visitors had the opportunity to interact with my team, pat the lions and take plenty of photographs. After a short while the truck arrived with staff members and another ranger to move the cats. When patting or handling lions it is essential to wear gloves and that hands are thoroughly washed afterwards with an alcohol-based soap. This is due to the fact that lions often carry Echinococcus tapeworm larvae around their mouths which they VIP guest transfer among themRoland Brittan selves by regularly licking and a darted one another. This type of white rhino. tapeworm larvae can be
I do not believe in firing warning shots
THE VETS ADVISED me in advance when they had to dart lions for relocation purposes or for satellite collars, or rhino for transponders. This was vital because I could then advertise on my website. I must make it clear, the darting of animals was done to suit the animals, not the tourists. Serious planning is required for these safaris. The type of animal or animals to be darted, the area to be used, safety and security, manpower s u c h a s ra n g e r s w i t h appropriate firearms, various logistics and a lot more, is needed to ensure an adventurous but safe safari and smooth capture. You have to be super alert and know where your people are at all times. We
32 | ManMAGNUM
deadly to humans and death can take place within days if one enters your system. My suggestion to PHs is to make sure you have the appropriate disinfectant solution when your clients handle and pose with their hunted lions especially when you do not have surgical gloves. ONCE THE TRUCK with lions and staff had departed, the two rangers drove the group back to camp for breakfast, with the exception of one tourist who wanted to remain with the vet and I. The three of us hopped into the vet’s vehicle and on the way back, I remembered the vet telling me earlier that the dart flights are fairly expensive, so I suggested that we look for the one that was carried by the wind. On arrival at the darting area I instructed the Frenchman to stay in the vehicle with the vet while I walked to look for the spent dart. My rifle was in the vehicle but I always carried my Glock .40 S&W, model 23, loaded with Black Talon ammo on one side of my belt and a Benchmade auto knife on the other side. As I headed deeper into the bush looking for the dart, the vet and tourist became partially obscured from my vision because of the trees and thick bush. I soon spotted the bright-coloured flight of the dart but, as I approached to retrieve it, a fully grown blackmaned lion jumped up out of the long grass. He stood snarling at me with tail whipping, not more than fifteen metres away. I froze and the vet shouted. The lion was growling menacingly and rushed forward, before retreating into the bush. Ever so slowly I walked backwards, glancing often over my shoulder to see there were no obstacles in my way as I retreated. I was sure
Most of the French group of visitors with the lions darted for relocation.
Lion from a previous safari. A lion has 30 teeth, a human has 32 and a hyena 34.
Author with an immobilised lion.
A darted lion, with the dart visible in her neck.
that if I fell over something, the lion would charge me. Suddenly he came again, kicking up sand, snapping and snarling – again I froze. The huge lion came even closer than before then retreated into the same bush. This male was part of another coalition and I knew I had a major problem. When he turned, I picked up a rock the size of a tennis ball and removed my Glock with my left hand. I am right-handed but decided to only use my Glock when he was almost on top of me. I do not believe in firing warning shots with a charging lion as this could motivate a full charge. He rushed at me again and, with my adrenalin pumping, I purposefully threw the rock with all my might at the stony, rocky ground just in front of the growling beast. This resulted in my rock colliding with much larger rocks and wild sparks flew all over. The lion growled louder, snapped left and right at the sparks, and then trotted off until he disappeared far into the bush. He had had enough – and so had I! Relieved, I backed off towards the safety of the vehicle. IN MY OPINION a .40 calibre handgun was better than nothing but the chances of hitting a charging lion between the eyes without sustaining serious injuries were remote. The lion would have reached me in a second. As for the rock! I still laugh about it. Throughout the experience I felt totally in control and sensed no fear. Was it the adrenaline that kept me calm? I don’ t know. Back in camp the Frenchman asked for my email address as he said he would like to keep in touch. Weeks later I was happy to receive his email with a picture of the lion that charged me.
March/April 2021 | ManMAGNUM | 33
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by GRANT SPOLANDER
Prior to shooting the Glock in an IDPA match, I had regularly competed with my full-sized CZ P-09, right from my first match. Despite the two experiences being years apart (and many competitive matches and tens of thousands of rounds later), I fared better in that first match (with zero competitive experience) with my P-09 than I did with the Glock 43. Keep in mind that I’m now a reasonably experienced shooter. I HAD DRY-FIRED the Glock many times before attempting that IDPA match, and used thousands of rounds on defensive live-fire drills. So, how did I go from being a competent shooter with a full-size pistol, to what looked like a novice fumbling mag changes and staring blankly at a firearm that just didn’t want to fire when I pulled the trigger? I immediately realised that pressure from competing led to several problems. Firstly, my draw definitely On a small pistol, grip is all-important. accounted for a big part of the problem. Make sure your support hand does not I wasn’t gripping the pistol properly. touch the slide. Surprisingly, my strong hand wasn’t the problem. Instead, the added speed and Of course, the same could be said of all pressure of the match highlighted a pistols, but the G43 has little mercy in glaring flaw in the way my support this department. hand married up against the Glock’s Thirdly, on several occasions the tiny frame. G43’s magazine would drop while Being a pocket-sized pistol, there’s shooting. I soon realised that I was not a lot of space on the frame for my support hand and, when grabbing the gun at speed, it’s easy to use a less-thanperfect grip. Thus, my support hand would occasionally ride high on the frame, slowing down the slide, which in turn caused stoppages. Secondly, the G43’s trigger is somewhat unforgiving when you consider its light weight and short sight radius. Beyond 10m, accuracy became a challenge. The pistol is accurate enough, but you have to be wary of the trigger press and Gripping the pistol in the normal way resulted in my sight alignment/movement middle finger pressing down on the mag release. when the distance opens up.
applying additional force on the frame when under pressure. This lead to several incidents where I’d accidentally press the magazine release, which sits right under my middle finger. This was a problem unique to the match as it never occurred during other training exercises. Of course, my experience with the Glock 43’s ergonomics may very well differ from yours. We don’t all shoot the same and have different hand sizes. I LEARNED SOME EDC LESSONS: ■ Magazine capacity means nothing if your carry gun is in a safe, and not on your waist. ■ You don’t know your firearm until you’ve fired it under stress. Your self-defence training must include high-pressure drills and nothing creates stress quite like competing in front of a group of people. ■ Ergonomics are crucially important, not for comfort’s sake, but for consistent, reliable results. ■ Test your handgun with your carry loads as your life may depend on it. After test-firing 20 rounds of my carry ammo (Winchester +P+), the Glock 43 suffered 4 stoppages. ■ A good holster is vital for comfort, draw speed, concealment and safety. Don’t try to save money on the holster. ■ Small handguns are challenging to shoot for reasonably skilled shooters, and noticeably more difficult for those without experience. It will require significantly more training compared to a full-size or compact carry pistol, to achieve the same skill level. Keep this in mind if you’re shopping for your first carry gun. SINCE THE MATCH I have made a few changes in the way I grip the G43 and my skill has improved markedly – even in shooting matches. If you have a small handgun you must work on the grip.
March/April 2021 | ManMAGNUM | 35
A new paragon of the modern rimfire rifle CZ 455 Evolution Varmint (blue stock) and the new CZ 457 Thumbhole (brown stock).
FOR MORE THAN 70 years, CZ has been developing and manufacturing .22 rimfire rifles. Many of us grew up using Brno rifles, the Mod 1 and 2 (later the CZ Mod 452) come to mind, and, through to the CZ 455, these remained much the same. The 457 is a brand-new design offering several different stock designs (tactical included) and changes to the bolt allow for fast and reliable operation even with a riflescope attached. It has a lever safety on the right side of the receiver and a striker status indicator on the bolt shroud. Practical accuracy has also been improved by the use of a new adjustable trigger mechanism that features low trigger pullweight and short travel. The striker weight has also been reduced and a new system employed for bedding the action in the stock. The metal parts have a durable anti-corrosion finish. However, according to CZ, the 457 series, which has a new action and bolt similar to that of a centre-fire, has retained all the important benefits of the previous CZ rimfire rifles, such as the modular system which facilitates the swapping of barrels for a change of calibres and the extremely reliable polymer magazines.
ABOVE: CZ 457 (left) and CZ 455 (right). Note the difference in bolt angle. The 457 opens at 60 degrees. LEFT: Ben-Mari du Plessis test-firing the CZ 455.
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CZ 457 .22LR RifLe by PHILLIP HAYES
ABOVE: Threaded barrel and cylindrical compensator.
The all new bolt face of the 457 (left) compared to the 455.
The 457 bolt (bottom) is a brand new design. CZ 455 above.
We received the older CZ 455 and the new 457 for comparison. The 457 sent to us was the Thumbhole model which has a sturdy laminated stock with integral trigger guard. The wood is in a classy grey/brown colour combination. Being symmetrical the stock is equally comfortable for right-handed and left-handed shooters. The stable nature of the laminated stock and the cold hammer-forged varmint barrel allow shooters to effectively engage medium and long-range targets. The test rifle has a 20" barrel (16" also available) with the option of chambering in the more powerful .17 HMR or .22 WMR. Its muzzle is threaded ½ x20 UNF and comes equipped with a cylindrical compensator. CZ MAKES USE of a ‘silent’ side-safety, which engages when pulled back towards the shooter and is released when pushed forward – a familiar system found, for example, on Remington 700 rifles, and which works well on the range and in the field. The bolt can be extracted from the receiver for cleaning by means of an easily accessible push-lever on the left side of the action – without need for pulling the trigger. The bolt can be opened and removed even when the safety is engaged, enabling you to safely check the chamber and to unload without releasing the safety. The red cocking indicator on the back of the boltshroud is thin but fairly sharp, and clearly indicates visually and tangibly when the firing-pin is cocked – an advantage when shooting in dim light or at night. The trigger is adjustable for weight-of-pull and travel, but for this the stock must be removed. Trigger-pull is pre-set to 2.7lbs at the factory but can be adjusted from 1.8 to 3.3lbs. Trigger travel is also adjustable from 0.5–5mm. The test rifle’s trigger broke cleanly at 3¼lbs with very little over-travel. I felt no need to adjust for a lighter pull as it worked well on the range and in the field. According to CZ, the striker’s weight is 38% lighter than that of the previous model, eliminating any vibration that could adversely affect accuracy. The striker is also modified for resistance so that dry-firing for training is not harmful. The laminated wood ensures stability in the stock, preventing it from warping during changing weather conditions (which
March/April 2021 | ManMAGNUM | 37
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Collector’s Corner
Note the date: 1883.
Right side
Vertical-Feed Mauser M71/84
The blued tripper unit screwed onto the bolt. When the bolt was pulled back hard, the tripper activated a large flat-spring which dropped the next cartridge down into the loading area. As the bolt closed to feed the cartridge into the chamber, the spring returned to the magazine locking position.
T
THE MAUSER MODEL 71 single-shot, bolt action, 11mm black powder rifles and carbines were issued to every branch of the German military from 1875 until 1882, and much later in the colonies. In fact, photos exist of Askaris (indigenous African soldiers serving the Kaiser in Tanganyika, German East Africa) still using Mauser Model 71 Jäger rifles as recently as World War 1. Paul Mauser then used the Model 71 as the basis for his first tubular magazine rifle design, introduced in 1882,
40 | ManMAGNUM | March/April 2021
and at that time called the Model 82. Spandau troops tested 2 000 of these rifles which were accepted in 1883 as the new German issue rifle. However, Paul Mauser made some small changes that resulted in the final model being called the Model 71/84, which, in 1884, went into full production by four state factories and four private factories, the Mauser company then being one of the private firms. As it turned out, Mauser made only 19 000 Model 71/84 rifles – the other firms handled all further out-
standing orders. The new repeating rifle forced the Model 71 out of frontline troop use, so it became a secondary weapon. Military officials asked the arms industry if there was some way to convert the single-shot Model 71 to operate on a magazine system of then-unknown form – vertical feed. So Paul Mauser and his workshop crew designed a new vertical-feed magazine which he patented in 1887. Other firms such as Loewe and Erfurt designed their own models.
by JON SPEED Another Magnum world first: most of the photos shown here have never previously been published.
The magazine locking system
Left side
button integrated with the receiver.
Left side of the action with magazine attached.
Note the two slots to receive the magazine’s ‘feet’ which fitted into these to be locked in place.
The upper part of the barrel shows the Mauser brothers’ name and the rifle’s serial number 6396 with W for Württemberg.
The Mauser system was gravity-fed, thus required the rifle to be held perfectly upright with its magazine as close to the vertical position as possible, not canting. In this position it functioned quite well with eight rounds in the magazine. In the end, the military decided they did not need these stop-gap systems, so only a few were ever tested, and these make a rare find indeed. Other firms such as Steyr designed a similar vertical-feed unit, and some also tested the system on the Serb Mauser model 78/80 single-shot rifle. BY 1887, PAUL Mauser had redesigned the Model 71/84 for Turkey – the Model 1887 in the 9.5mm black powder cartridge. He also converted the tubular magazine-fed Turkish Model 87 into a 7.65mm with a semi-internal magazine. Paul Mauser also designed conversions with internal 5-shot magazines for the Serb Model 78/80 single-shot rifle converted to a nitro-propelled 7mm.
March/April 2021 | ManMAGNUM | 41
An original patent book shows two other designs: a right-side mounted unit and horseshoeshaped wrap-around unit; both functional but too expensive compared to the Mauser unit.
All these efforts by Paul Mauser in response to such requests from the military cost the firm time and money which the military never paid for. This was part of doing business in the hope of getting some kind of contract in the end.
Readers wanting to learn more about this period of firearms development should read John Walter’s book The German Rifle published in 1979. It has excellent information on the subject, as does Dieter Stortz’s book Black
Top view from the right shows the tripper activated with an 11mm Mauser cartridge ready to drop.
42 | ManMAGNUM | March/April 2021
Original 1908 Mauser patent book shows the vertical-feed magazine.
Powder Mausers. The photos you see here are of an actual Mauser Model 71 rifle and conversion system which has been discovered in the early Mauser firm’s reference collection.
Original Mauser patent book showing the locking system on the left side of the action.
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The Makings of a Hunter by GREGOR WOODS
SORTING THROUGH PICTURES and papers going back to my early childhood, I found a letter from Mike Balcomb written during our high-school days almost 60 years ago – we were boarders together at Maritzburg College. He wrote, “…the next full moon is on the 10th of March. We get a free weekend from 8 – 10. What say you? See if Helen can do without you for that weekend – the hunting shouldn’t be too bad.” Mike was referring to bushpig hunting on his family’s farm at Kearsney, Natal, which we did at night by the light of a full moon. Mike became a wellknown professional hunter and game-
What lies between whim and passion? rancher in northern Zululand. He’s retired now but we’ve kept in contact. This got me thinking about my other boyhood hunting pals. My oldest friend is Rob Catterall. I began school at Merchiston Prep in Pietermaritzburg after my family moved back there from Windhoek. I arrived late for the first term, and Rob was chosen to show me where the “bugs” (toilet block) was. Though barely two bricks and a tickey high, we discovered a mutual interest in guns and hunting. We went on to
Maritzburg College shooting team, 1958. I’m in the front row, far left, aged 13.
44 | ManMAGNUM | March/April 2021
attend Maritzburg College together and both joined the same firm on leaving school. Over the decades, we did a good deal of hunting and fishing together. Rob now lives in Canada, but we’re in constant touch and he remains an ardent hunter to this day. I recently wrote of the boyhood hunting experiences I shared with Terry Wilson (“Of Boys and Big Bangs” Feb 2019). Terry and I remain in contact, and he is just as involved in firearms and shooting as he ever was. However, I had other close boyhood friends who were equally passionate about guns and hunting, yet who, on
An oribi that I shot with my .22 when I was 15.
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f a s c i n a t e d by a l l forms of wildlife, including insects. I read all Kipling’s Mowgli and Jungle Book stories. Later, my brother, seven ye a r s my s e n i o r, bought the American field-sports magazines and Veld & Vlei (later Field & Tide) and I devoured these. When I was eight, I inherited my Self with Rob Catterall (far right) 1970; pals since the age of six. brother’s BSA Cadet Minor air rifle and screwed onto the side of the stock, and began hunting. Bordering our suburb the scope was a section of brass curtain was the property of the Town Hill Menrod. In my imagination I created my tal Asylum – a vast own adventures. He’d let me spend area of natural hours playing with his 16-bore Charles bush, timber planBoswell shotgun or his 7x57 Mauser on tations and mealie my bed. I can’t describe the pleasure fields. For boys, it this gave me. was a hunting paraReading played a major role in setdise, and I regularly ting my life’s direction. Our home bookbrought home shelves had a large volume titled Wilddoves which my life of Our World. Before I even learned mother turned into to read, I was poring over the photos in delicious stews with it. I studied it throughout my childhood, barley gravy.
me take out the .410, accompanied only by my cousin, just three years my senior. He even let me go out alone with his .22 when farm labourers reported seeing a phiti (blue duiker) in a patch of bush. When I got there, my brother had already shot it with the .410, but the mere fact that I’d been trusted to take the .22 out alone was reward enough for me – I saw it as a rite of passage. Farmyards always had hens with chickens, and all farmers regarded hawks and snakes as problem animals. I shot a green mamba on that farm with the .410, and spent days sitting on the veranda in wait for hawks. Later, on the cousin’s farm at New Hanover, I shot my first guineafowl flying with that .410. By now, my passion for guns and hunting had become nigh-obsessive.
MY DAD HAD two cousins with farms in the Natal Midlands, where he took me hunting w h e n I w a s I finally did my East African safari in 1992, aged 47. about ten, using his single-barrel .410 shotgun and My mother died when I was twelve. his pump-action .22. He let me Around that time, I met Terry Wilson shoot my first flying bird with the and started hunting with him in the .410, choosing a sakubula (longChase Valley area using muzzle-loading tailed widow bird), a slow flier that and pin-fire shotguns. That same year hovers, making an easy target for Rob Catterall introduced me to the a kid. After this initiation, he Bentley farming family, also at New admonished me, “From now on, Hanover. I began spending my school hawks and gamebirds only.” holidays on their farm, and my life My mother’s brother was on a changed. I was given the use of a sugar farm in southern Natal, and Greener 12-bore double and gundogs; we spent holidays there every I entered the world of wingshooting and year. When I was about eleven, also shot my first bushbuck. for the first time, my father let I continued to read everything I
46 | ManMAGNUM | March/April 2021
could on guns and hunting. Ruark’s books on safaris in Kenya with Harry Selby, and his novel, Something of Value, loosely based on Selby’s life, influenced me more than any others. Jock of the Bushveld prompted me to start writing a novel about a boy and his dog on a Zululand farm in the 1880s. I never finished it – my father died when I was fourteen and I had to enter the boarding establishment of my school. I was unofficially adopted by the Bentley family, and their New Hanover farm became my home during holidays, so I had plenty of hunting.
which resulted in my hatching an ill-conceived plan. I wanted to become a ‘white hunter’ (as East African professionals were then called) and I saw no reason for delay. Not knowing whom to approach, I wrote to the East Africa Tourist Travel Association, posing as a prospective safari-goer, and asked them to put me in touch with all the safari outfitters in East Africa. I used my elder brother’s address, not wanting the replies coming to the boarding-school. I received numerous replies (which I still possess) and one was from Selby & Holmberg! That was enough for me. I decided to go to Kenya and ask Harry
AT BOARDING SCHOOL, I met a new circle of friends – farm boys who’d invite me home for weekends and holidays, affording me more hunting opportunities. One pal, Sev Bang, two or three years older than I, had a driver’s licence. His parents did an overseas trip, leaving him to oversee their two farms, one a bushveld cattle ranch at Ubombo in northern Zululand where the I finally met Harry Selby – some 40 years after going in search of him. only accommodation was a stone hut. I had inherited my Selby to help me become apprenticed. dad’s 7x57, his 16-bore double and his I asked a pal for the phone number .22 – I took all three with me. It was of a mutual friend whose family had wild country and we were free to do as recently moved to Pretoria; I would we chose – we even crossed into Swazihitch-hike up there and ask to overland to hunt (there was no border post night with them, lying that I was on my then). After the constraints of boarding way to get a job in Southern Rhodesia. school, I felt completely unfettered and I packed a small bag, removed the self-reliant – it was most exhilarating, school badge from my blazer, and with and it served to further inflame my pasvery little money, made a pre-dawn sion for the wilderness and for living off escape from the dormitory and hit the the land. road with thumb aloft. Without parental guidance, I became Unfortunately, my Pretoria pal’s too wilful and headstrong for my age, father proved to be an inspector of
schools; he asked my age, and refused to drive me to the Great North Road until he’d phoned my legal guardian. Also, the chap at school, who’d given me their phone number, caved under interrogation, so I was thwarted from both ends. I was put on a Viscount and flown back to continue my schooling. AS LIFE TURNED out, my sister married a Rhodesian cattle rancher in idyllic game country, and from my twenties on, I spent two or three weeks a year hunting there. I also returned to live in South West Africa, where I was fortunate to have farmer friends who afforded me all the hunting I could want. I became a freelance gun-writer and, in 1988, I accepted a fulltime editorial position at Magnum, which opened up undreamed of opportunities. I got to do a pukka East African fly-camp buffalo safari in Tanzania, another in the Zambezi Vall e y, a n d a l s o hunted in Botswana, all over Zimbabwe and SA, and several overseas countries including a moose hunt on the Arctic Circle. I finally even got to meet and form a long friendship with Harry Selby, my original inspiration for all this. It distresses me to see kids today knowing little but computer games and smartphones, and seemingly wanting nothing more. To each his own, but my conclusion is that, if you want your offspring to share your love for wildlife and wilderness adventure, encourage them from early childhood and afford them every opportunity you possibly can. Offer them a life less ordinary.
March/April 2021 | ManMAGNUM | 47
Looking Back
MARCH 1985 BROUGHT Magnum readers the first version of Hunting Opportunities with just seven entries listing available hunts. That’s an incredible 36 years ago! This feature has appeared in Magnum every year in either the March or April issues (or
by GAIL OSBORNE
both), and has brought together many hunters and land owners for the benefit of both parties. Just look at the prices. Blesbuck at R70 and springbuck at R36 – never mind the daily rate which for general game works out on average at R52.
Jump ahead twenty years to the Hunting Opportunities in March 2005 and you will find blesbuck cost between R500 and R800 while springbuck were between R280 and R350. How things change.
In keeping with our March/April issue, this cartoon appeared in the April 1985 edition. At the time a different cartoon ran in a number of editions, all with a wingshooting theme and all wonderfully tongue in cheek.
Nottomissabeat...seepage49forthe 2021huNtiNgopportuNities.
48 | ManMAGNUM | March/April 2021
Hunting Opportunities
2021
Find the hunt you’ve been searching for in MAGNUM’S free Hunting Opportunities for 2021. Make a fair deal • Book early • Hunt ethically •Hunt safely... • Good hunting! t Matabeleland, North Zimbabwe: Special: 1 buffalo, 1 elephant bull, 1 elephant tuskless for only US$25 000. Hunting area is Hwange railway farms. Renias +263-77-2667169, renmagg@gmail.com
own tent camp. Kudu R4 000, wildebeest R3 750, impala R1 100. Plus other species. Day fees R225 per hunter, includes cold room, trackers, vehicle. Warren 083-432-9775, warren@ mabalabalaranch.co.za
eland R12 000, plus more species. Three self-catering accommodation options. Cold room, guides, vehicle included. Johan 082-5740128 / Marietha 082-8014174, bulletsandarrow5@ gmail.com
t Musina, Limpopo: Impala R1 800, kudu bull R15 000, gemsbuck R6 000, blue wildebeest R4 500. Bush camp for 10 people, R450pppn. Guides included. 082-784-0920, 082-256-6360, kariabeleggings1@gmail.com
t Daniëlskuil, Northern Cape: Mount Carmel Safaris. 14x species. Cold room, meat processing, many extras, 2 meals per day. 34 years in business, satisfaction guaranteed. Andries van Zyl 082-578-1989, mtcarmel@ yebo.co.za
t Roedtan, Limpopo: Koedoe R9 500-R13 000, blesbok R2 800, rooibok R1 900, eland R14 000. 14 spesie om te jag. Selfsorg huis met alles in behalwe eet/drinkgoed vir 7 gaste. Koelkamer, bakkie, gids, swembad, btw ingesluit. Dagfooi R550. Jag Sondag tot Vrydag. Tom 083-2546000, tom@laas.co.za
t Hanover, Northern Cape: Karoo driven hunt. Springbuck R650 – every 5th buck for free, blesbuck R1 200 – no free buck. Accommodation R850pp dinner, bed, breakfast & lunch pack. Groups from 4 to 10 people. Cold room, vehicle. Andries Keun 087-550-1369 only after hours.
t Klerksdorp, North-West: KMK Safari. We offer giraffe, buffalo, eland, kudu, gemsbuck, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest, black wildebeest, waterbuck, impala, blesbuck, springbuck and many more. Japie 061-7331034 / 084-373-7874, kmksafari777@gmail.com
t Thabazimbi/Sentrum, Limpopo: 2 000ha fenced. Blue wildebeest, eland, gemsbuck, impala, kudu, nyala, red hartebeest, sable, waterbuck, warthog. R550 pd all inclusive. Luxury accommodation, wood, guides, vehicle, skinning, cold room. Johann 084-294-8051, jjkotze03@gmail.com / www.coventrylodge.co.za t Thabazimbi/Sentrum, Limpopo: Rooibok R1 200-R2 000, vlakvark R750-R1 000, blouwildebees R4 000-R5 000, waterbok R4 000-R10 000, sebra R6 000, buffel P.O.A., swartwitpens R8 000R35 000. Maks 10 persone. Leon 082-578-5581, leon@ tse.co.za / www.tokelosh. co.za t Alldays, Limpopo: Bushveld hunting the old way. Come and set up your
t Wepener, Vrystaat: Gewone blesbok R1 500, wit blesbok R1 600, springbok R900-R1 100, blouwildebees vanaf R3 200. Selfsorg. Maksimum 4 persone. R180 pppd. Nic Coetzee 082-7818256. t Alldays, Limpopo: Impala, wildebeest, kudu, eland, waterbuck, zebra, warthog, black impala. 5x en-suite serviced chalets, fully equipped, self-catering. Hunters R600pppd. Lapa/ boma, guides, slaughter facilities, cold room. Accommodation for 10. Cheryl 082781-1870, Cheryl@kaalkraal. co.za, Facebook Kaalkraal Lodge t Musina, Limpopo: Impala R1 400, blue wildebeest R4 500, kudu R10 000, warthog R1 500,
t Zastron, Vrystaat: Blesbokke (wit en bruin) trofee/vleisbokke vanaf R1 350, swart wildebeeste R2 200 (koei)/R2 800 (bul), springbokke R750 (ooi)/ R1 000 (ram), sebra R4 000. Gerieflike selfsorg geriewe @ R400pp. Koelkamer en voertuig ingesluit. Slagfooi betaalbaar. Thea 082-8552012 of Wicus 072-108-7033, oubaasj@gmail.com t Queenstown, Eastern Cape: Rheebokfontein. Eland, black wildebeest, impala, kudu, blesbuck, mountain reedbuck, springbuck, fallow deer, zebra, waterbuck, warthog and more species. Accommodation for 12 people, cold room, guides, vehicle hire, etc. Danny 082-4940819, danny@fibsqtn.co.za / https://gamefarmsouthafrica. wordpress.com
t Musina, Limpopo: 5 600ha mopane veld. Biltong and trophy hunting. Specialize in corporate and small groups. Can accommodate up to ten hunters/ observers. Michael 082-4697856, info@riebeltonsafaris. co.za / Facebook Riebelton Safaris t Alldays, Limpopo: Brombeek Safaris. Rooibok, koedoe, gemsbok, eland en vlakvark. Selfsorgeenhede volledig toegerus. Kontak Susara 082-554-8922, brombeek.safaris@ gmail.com t Beaufort West, Western Cape: 35km north east, against Neuveld mountains. 22x species on farm, 15 to hunt. No minimum group size. Colin 082-823-7525, colin@ beaufortwest.net / www. badshoek.co.za
March/April 2021 | ManMAGNUM | 49
t Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal: Inhlanhla Game Ranch. Trophy/Biltong. Kudu male R5 500, blue wildebeest R4 500, zebra R5 000, blesbuck R1 950, impala R1 500, warthog R2 500. Hunters R450, non-hunters R350. Christo 082-375-4615 Monika 082-255-0324, inhlanhla@ iafrica.com / www.inhlanhlagamefarm.co.za
t Rustenburg, North-West: Bushwack Safaris. Impala R1 700, blue wildebeest R4 600, kudu R9 000, warthog R1 000, blesbuck R2 000, plus more species. Hunters R450 pppd. Self-catering accommodation for 15 people, cold room, guides, vehicle. Patrick WhatsApp only 072-481-1283, www. bushwacksafaris.co.za
t Free State, Limpopo and Mpumalanga: Private and exclusive wingshooting in Heilbron, Settlers and Ermelo. Waterfowl, guineafowl, upland birds, pigeon. Catered & selfcatering accommodation. Working dogs welcome. Professional guide. Todd 082-419-7486 todd@ guideservices.co.za / www.guideservices.co.za
t Thabazimbi, Limpopo: Cumberland. Impala, kudu, blue wildebeest, eland, warthog, bushbuck. Gert 084-818-5161 (WhatsApp), impalagame@yahoo.com
UNSPLASH
t Jansenville District, Eastern Cape: Saxony Hunt & Lodge. Biltong hunt. Kudu R32p/ kg, springbuck R600. Large lodge, groups of 8-10. Weekends June to August. Braai, Wifi, Dstv R500 day/ R500 night fee. Simon 074356-9845, Facebook, simonmarais320@gmail.com
50 | ManMAGNUM
t Murraysburg, Western Cape: Hattingh Safaris. Kudu and springbuck R45p/kg, blesbuck R2 200, plus more species. Full-catering accommodation for up to 9 people. Specialized backpack hunts available. Ian 082-879-9233, hatsaf@intekom.co.za / www.hatsafaris.co.za t Kimberley, Northern Cape: Geluk Safaris. Eland R7 800, gemsbok R5 000, blouwildebees R4 500, rooibok R1 350, springbok gewoon R900, lechwe R1 900, bles-
bok R1 500, vlakvark onder 40kg R1 000, bo 40kg R1 500. Selfsorg, 9 persone, koelkamer, slaggeriewe. Tienie 083-747-2363, langdam@mweb.co.za t Thabazimbi, Limpopo: Rooibokkraal 3 500ha on Limpopo river. Blue wildebeest R5 000/R3 950, gemsbuck R9 000, impala R2 250/R1 750, kudu R15 000/R4 950, blesbuck R3 000/R2 000, eland R17 500/R10 000, waterbuck R15 000/R3 950, warthog R1 000, zebra R6 500, buffalo cow R25 000, sable cow R9 000. Self-catering, sleeps 16, cold room, guides, hunting vehicle R2 000 p/weekend. Renier Els 083-625-9119, renier@rooibokkraalsafaris. co.za t Komas-Hochland, Namibia: Wilderness camp. Mountain zebra R8 500, kudu R20 000, oryx R9 000. Daily rate R2 500/ day. John +264-811288373, info@prohuntingnamibia.com t Polokwane, Limpopo: Ivy Safaris 3 500Ha. Rifle, bow and wingshooting. Biltong/trophy hunting. Numerous species. Kudu,
blue wildebeest, waterbuck and red hartebeest cows R3 750 each excl. Picturesque lodge/rustic bushcamp. Fully catered/self-catering. Equipped abattoir. Beginners and families welcome. Mark or Lisa 082-802-3688, info@ ivysafaris.com t Zimbabwe: 7-day free range buffalo hunt near Musina on the Limpopo River. R120 000 includes daily rates and trophy fee, add a second buffalo for R70 000. Plenty of dagga boys. Carl Knight 082-749-1747, carl@ takeaimsafaris.com t Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal: Buffalo bull packages R99 950 (5 days, 2 people - ave horn over 40 inches), giraffe packages (R7 000R13 000). Biltong prices: impala R2 000-R2 500, blesbuck R2 500, blue wildebeest R4 000-R4 500, bushpig R1 800, warthog R1 800, and more. Accommodation R250-R495, hunting fee R250. Mias 072-506-7694, info@nyamazanegameranch. co.za / www.nyamazanegameranch.co.za
t Alldays, Limpopo: Biltong jag. Rooibok R900/ R1 500, blouwildebees R2 800/R3 500, gemsbok R5 000/R6 000, koedoe R3 000/R6 000, vlakvark R750. Trofee pryse beskikbaar op aanvraag. Dagtarief R350pppd. Gidse, koelkamer, voertuig R750pd. Selfsorg slaap 6, basics & elektrisiteit, yskas, gasstoof. Derick 076-034-8580 WhatsApp, derickk@mweb. co.za
t Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape: Dawn Till Dusk Safaris. Kudu, impala, warthog, fallow deer, blesbuck, nyala, eland, waterbuck, mountain reedbuck, bushbuck, bushpig. Catered or self-catering. Meat processing services available. Phone or WhatsApp Jeane 082-563-4655/076-315-7629, dawntilldusksafaris@gmail. com
t Thabazimbi, Limpopo: Impala R1 750, blesbuck R1 950, warthog R1 500, blue wildebeest R3 950, zebra R4 500, eland cow R7 500. Accommodation sleeps 4 in 2-bedroom cottage R385/R285/R195 pppn. Trackers, cold room, recovery vehicle. Deposit = Daily Fees. Mike 082-553-7406, mikep@ ersupplies.co.za
t Marble Hall/Roedtan, Limpopo: Diphôfu Game Ranch. 1½ hours north of Pretoria. Trophy and biltong hunting. Impala, kudu, red hartebeest, zebra, waterbuck, eland, blue wildebeest, gemsbuck and more. Self-catering lodge accommodates 10 people. Narizanne 012346-6305, hunting@diphofu. co.za / www.diphofuhuntingsafaris.co.za / https:// www.facebook.com/Diphofu
t Bedford, Eastern Cape: Belvedere Safaris. Your ultimate trophy and venison hunting experience with a wide variety of species. Full and self-catering accommodation. Venesia 082-5616005, venesia@r63.co.za / www.belvederesafaris.com
t Jagersfontein, Free State: 80km south of Bloemfontein. Blesbuck, waterbuck, blue wildebeest, red hartebeest, kudu, impala, eland. Accommodation/day fee R400 per person. Robert 082787-9702, davisr@vodamail. co.za
t Thabazimbi, Limpopo: Impala R1 500/R2 000, kudu R3 500/R5 500, blue wildebeest R3 500/R4 000, zebra R6 900, warthog R1 400, giraffe R18 400. Accommodation R575. Fred 082-4450498, fcamphor@mweb. co.za t Zastron, Free State: 14 spesies op 1 600ha. Biltong jag bv. blouwildebees R35/kg; eland R38/ kg, koedoe R40/kg geslag, asook uitstaande trofees bv. lechwe. Pragtige bos, savana, bosrante. Jaghuis vir 15 persone. Tania 061-847-1991 or Jacques 081-035-0876, glenrockhuntingsafaris@ gmail.com / www.glenrock-huntingsafaris.co.za t Kalahari, Northern Cape: On the Botswana border near McCarthy’s Rest border post. Gemsbuck, springbuck, eland, etc. Freezing, cooling and slaughter facilities. Camping and chalets available. Fernando 082-224-5000, mabuabookings@gmail.com t Platjan, Limpopo: Grecro Safaris. Impala R1 250-R1 500, blue wildebeest R4 250, kudu
cow R4 000, kudu bull R6 500- R15 000, warthog R950, bushbuck R7 500, waterbuck R6 000, duiker R2 000, steenbuck R2 500, plus more species. Selfcatering accommodation for 3 to 6 people. Hunters R450 pppd. Cold room, guides, vehicle R350 p/day. Deposit R7 500. M Maartens 082-800-8369 / 062-644-3352, mdmaartens@ gds.co.za. t Petrusville Bo-Karoo, Northern Cape: Volwasse springbok ramme R1 100; ander springbokke R800, gemsbokke R7 000; blouwildebees koeie R4 500. Oornagtarief R400 per persoon. Volledig toegeruste jagkamp slaap 12 persone met 5 badkamers. Pryse sluit BTW uit. Kobus 083-236-6816, karookobus@ hotmail.com t Fouriesburg, Vrystaat: Uitzicht Game Lodge. 10x spesies. Eland, blouwildebees, blesbok, springbok. Jag al twintig jaar slegs met SA jagters. Hannes 082856-7181, hb@prohb.co.za / www.uitzichtgamelodge. co.za.
publishes these free adverts in good faith as a service to game ranchers who have hunting for sale and, more MAGNUM importantly, as a useful guide to those readers who wish to find new places to hunt. Publication of these adverts does not imply that MAN
Magnum endorses the offers made. Make full and unambiguous arrangements, and please check references before venturing into unknown territory... in more ways than one.
ManMAGNUM | 51
Hun nting Kn nives by KOOS BARNARD
The go ood, the bad and the ugly FIXEDBLADES
S
SOME OF US see knives as utensils – tools that are meant to graft hard for their owners, tools that you don’t want, or need, to baby. For others knives have value that extend beyond their usefulness in the field. They are treasures (or pieces of gentlemen’s jewelry) that are often taken out, admired, debated over and passed along from one generation to another. Many custom-made knives fall in that category – they are so pretty or valuable (read expensive) that their owners simply won’t use them. Any rifle, knife, hatchet or whatever utensil designed for outdoor use that is too pretty or expensive to use, will not find a place in my collection (unless it was bought as an investment). I am often asked to suggest a ‘perfect’ or ideal hunting knife and that is difficult. The choice of a knife is personal. There are good knives, bad knives and ugly knives but there are no worthless knives.
My three favourite fixed-blades. Second from top to bottom: Andries Strydom custom (own design); Barnard factory knife (own design); André Thorburn skinner. At the top is my latest acquisition, an Andries Strydom hunter which is a more affordable version of my all-time favourite with the wild olive burl slabs.
52 | ManMAGNUM | March/April 2021
THERE ARE BASICALLY five things that determine the functionality of a knife: blade shape, blade steel, blade length, handle material and balance. For many, price is a very important factor so first decide on the amount you are prepared to spend, and then see what is available in that price range. Those who hunt only once or twice a year might
not want a top of the range, expensive knife. If you hunt a lot and actually use your knives, then you could invest in a top-quality product. A hand-made custom piece can be very expensive but it will not cut any better than factory knives – the difference lies in pride of ownership. Next you need to consider what the knife will be used for – slitting a buck’s throat, gutting and skinning, general work in camp, or all of this? Most South Africans never touch an animal with a knife because the field dressing, skinning, caping and the cutting up of the meat are done for them. For them, basically any hunting knife that feels ‘right’ will do. FOR THOSE WHO who do use their knives, here are a few tips. If you regularly hunt birds and small antelope, a big knife is not required. And even if you hunt bigger game, a Bowie-type survival knife with a 10-inch blade is generally too much knife. Those knives only work well in Hollywood and Crocodile Dundee films. You can easily skin an eland with a four-inch blade. You don’t need a big survival knife because most local hunters are accompanied by a PH and/or tracker, game scout or the game farm owner. There simply is no need to cut down trees or build shelters. Should you choose a fixed-blade hunter or a folder? Both have pros and cons. Fixed-blade knives are stronger because the blade and tang consist of a single, solid piece of steel. Due to their design, folders are more prone to breakage. A fixedblade knife is easier to clean and a folder more difficult due to its moving parts – there are many nooks and crannies where dirt and blood can enter. Folders are less bulky and easier to FOLDERS From left: The folders I use regularly. The two Mauser knives - the middle one is brand new and the little Buck. Note the modified blade on the far left folder. This knife has seen a lot of use.
carry and also safer to handle and transport. A fixed-blade knife needs a sheath and if the latter rides too high on your belt, the hilt of the knife will poke you in the ribs every time you sit down. I think a mid-size folder that fits into a trouser-pocket will serve many hunters just fine. However, for some, this can feel uncomfortable and they may prefer to use a beltpouch. I regularly use dual- or multi-bladed folders for their versatility. A lock-blade folder is probably preferable because it will prevent accidental closing of the blade which can lead to nasty injuries. The overall design of the knife is important. If you’ll be using the knife regularly and for lengthy periods, the ergonomics of the handle is of vital importance. It must sit comfortably in your hand and you must be able to grip it firmly. Any sharp edges or finger grooves that are too pronounced on the handle can be a problem. A handle with rounded edges is much easier on the hand during prolonged usage. Avoid handles that taper too much towards the rear end. Logic wants to tell you that your little finger is shorter than the others therefore the handle should be thinner and smaller in diameter towards the end, but it does not work for all people – a handle that is slightly fatter towards the end provides a firmer grip for the little finger. Try different designs to find your preference. FOR A GENERAL-PURPOSE hunting knife, the drop-point blade design is hard to beat. It makes gutting easy, will do for skinning and is good enough for cutting up veggies or meat, peeling an orange, cutting ropes or whatever. It does not really matter whether the blade has a hollow or flat grind – the latter provides a stronger blade but so far, I haven’t broken any of my hollow-grind blades. I see no need for a gut hook on a knife, it is not essential and spoils the look of a knife, but it is a feature that some people like. Some gut hooks are difficult to sharpen, some are too small and I think they are just in the way when you use the knife for any task other than ripping open a buck’s belly. If the balance between handle and blade is uneven, the knife will not handle well. Many people prefer wood as handle material for its looks, but it is more prone to cosmetic damage than bone or synthetic material. If not properly sealed, wood will absorb water and blood which can be damaging. Laminated wood impregnated with resin is popular for handles and works extremely well. Just clean it immediately after use with a damp cloth and you won’t have any problems. Most users prefer stainless steel blades, though carbon steel has a following, but, like Damascus steel which
Ma arch/April 2021 | ManMAGNUM | 53
This Rob Brown hunter (top), is the first custom knife I ever owned and still use. While cheap and ugly, the Okapi (bottom) is not worthless at all. Okapi knives have probably skinned more game in South Africa than any other brand name knife. BELLY RIPPERS
The top knife is a swing-blade from Outdoor Edge and beneath it is a no-name brand with a gut-hook.
Fixed-blade knives require proper sheaths for comfortable carry.
54 | ManMAGNUM | March/April 2021
looks pretty, carbon steel requires regular maintenance to keep rust at bay. The industry benchmark in stainless steel is 440C but many knife makers use N690, D2 or Sandvik 12C27 which is more affordable and regarded by some as an entrylevel steel for custom knives. Most owners don’t use their knives enough to appreciate the difference in hardness or quality of the popular knife steels. Some steels are harder than others and more difficult to sharpen. The harder the steel the longer the edge will stay keen. However, if you are not adept at sharpening blades or don’t like doing it, and don’t use your knives for prolonged jobs, a softer blade that sharpens easier (but gets dull quicker) might be preferable. Make an effort to master the art of sharpening knives – a wide variety of sharpening systems are available which make this job easy. I REGULARLY USE both fixed-blade and folding/pocket knives. The knives I use reflect my preferences but might not work for you. Over the years I have used many knives and own far more then I’ll ever need to last me until I go to the Happy Hunting Grounds. I try to use as many of them as possible but my favourites remain three fixed-blades and two folders. The folders, two factory knives with blades that can’t lock, are a small Buck pocketknife and a Mauser (made by Victorinox for Mauser). I do own several lock-blade folders and prefer liner-lockers. Two of the fixed-blades I use are knives of my own design. One is a piece by Andries Strydom and the other was factory-made in the Far East about 10 years ago as part of a commission of limited edition affordable knives, while the third is a semi-custom skinner from André Thorburn. Whenever I go hunting, I always pack a folder and at least one of the fixed-blades (sometimes two). My knives are used regularly for field dressing (gutting animals), skinning and general work in and around camp. The pocket knives are small, light and, although not ideal, they are sufficient for the gutting and skinning of small game such as springbuck, blesbuck and impala. Their small size and light weight are their best attributes. I have modified one blade of the Mauser knife and use it as a belly ripper, after I have opened the skin with the clip-point blade. My fixed-blades are drop-point hunters with four-inch blades (the semi-custom Thorburn is actually a drop-point skinner). The Strydom custom-knife has a flat-ground blade while the limited edition knife and the Thorburn feature hollow grind blades. My experience is that both types of grinds work well. The drop-point blade prevents you puncturing the rumen when gutting the animal and the blades of my knives are deep enough to do a decent job at skinning. Please remember, the ‘perfect’ hunting knife will not make you more adept at dressing and skinning game. Put in the work and practice until you become proficient with a knife. If you know how to use a blade, almost any knife will do, but, knives dedicated for certain jobs just make things a little easier.
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tracker touched my shoulder, and from In all my years of hunting, I was ing to take us across the bay and back the corner of my eye I saw movement never able to determine how the bush to camp. Night had set in, and we in the bush to my right. Swirling telegraph operates, but so effective crossed the expanse of water in silence around with my rifle ready, I saw a was it that within hours, the inhabitants under a brilliant moon. It was time for buffalo boss breaking reflection, then, on the through the dense deed done. undergrowth. My shot In the morning, went through the jaw breakfast included small and broke its neck. tilapia fish from the lake, Almost instantanecaught with nets made ously, Brian’s shot came from the almost indefrom my left. How he structible inner bark of managed it while encummopane trees, and fried bered with binoculars, I whole as Steinbeck did don’t know. The cause of with trout fingerlings. this bull’s malice proved The Batongas have lived to be a suppurating front there a long, long time. leg, crawling with magWe moved to another gots. He had been of Brian’s hunting conceswounded and was trailing sions on the Insuza vlei, the herd. The measured fringed with impenetrable distance between me and thorn growth. Buffalo had the dead animal was nine tunneled through it to yards – quite sobering reach water pools in the for a novice big game Brian (far left) with Bill Feldstein (holding the double rifle). The rifle is dry season. One had to hunter’s first experience a 4-bore and was used to successfully bring down the tusker. crouch along those sharpof its dangers. edged tunnels where conof what appeared to be an entire Because it was not a selected trofrontation with an oncoming buffalo baTonga village had arrived at the phy, I was allowed a second buffalo, of might have ended badly. scene. The men carried small-bladed which experience I have no recollecaxes and long, narrow knives; the tion. Mounted in my trophy room, it MY NEXT HUNT with Brian’s safari women calabashes filled with native was later flanked by a very good sable company was in the northwest of Rhobeer, brewed from millet and wild from Matetsi in Rhodesia, and a superb desia, at his hilltop camp overlooking honey. northern roan from Bor in the eastern Botswana and Zambia. He was guiding What followed was an orgy of bloodSudan. During this hunt, I added eland, a French hunter on a lion hunt and left ied bodies entering and emerging from kudu and impala to my bag, but eleme in the care of Pierse Taylor, a giant the cavity of the giant carcass, hacking phant remained grey ghosts in the grey of a man. Those were bush-war times at it, removing large strips of meat, all bush of Sijarira. in that country, and safety was at a prein a state of unrestrained merriment. mium. On my first afternoon, using my Racks were hastily erected out of FINALLY, AFTER FOLLOWING spoor, custom .338 Win Mag on a pre-64 M70 saplings for the smoking of strips of we came upon two elephant bulls – action, I bagged a trophy-size sable meat using green undergrowth as fuel. suddenly there, not thirty yards away. antelope. I had it mounted by the late The tusks would be left intact for putreBrian nodded for me to shoot the one Nico van Rooyen of Silverton. facing us. Drawing on my Pierse used a .375 Magmemory of Karamojo Bell’s num. At noon one day we saw writings on bullet placement the unusual sight of an eland for brain shots, I found the cow running at full speed spot and the bull crashed away from a hyena. I watched down. Then the silence came, Pierse sit down, heft his rifle as it does after a death in the on a knee and shoot the faction to loosen them up for extraction bush. The other elephant had simply hyena. We paced it at 300 yards. a few days later. An air of satiety had vanished. The photograph on the openYears later I met a man, a collector descended on the scene when we left ing page shows me sitting on a very of ancient manuscripts and maps, who for the lakeshore. respectable tusker, drained by the had known Pierse Taylor in the old days Brian had a small motor boat waitexperience. when he would come out of the bush to
I wanted my first elephant trophy more than anything else, but bull elephants do not just conveniently appear.
March/April 2021 | ManMAGNUM | 57
Brian fishing in paradise. Note the elephant in the background.
spend a weekend at a watering hole at the Victoria Falls. I remember him as a gentle giant of a man. IN 1984, I again joined Brian for a lion hunt in Triangle in the southeastern corner of Rhodesia. At the time he owned a small vineyard at Umtali, planted by an Italian immigrant, overlooking the flat sandy wastes of Mozambique. There was a restaurant at the top of the escarpment; we had dinner there the night before we drove in a dusty little vehicle down to the hunting area. The hunt was to take place on a large cattle estate where lion kills were common. The owner and some quaint family members lived in a vast, dilapidated thatched house to which guineafowl and a tame bush-pig had free access. Whenever anyone drew close to the pig it rolled over for a belly-scratch. Brian told me he’d once slept in a room adjoining the one where trophies and skins were stored. One morning he
58 | ManMAGNUM | March/April 2021
Brian and his wife Jillie.
awoke with a tame young leopard curled at the foot of his bed! The thatched hunting lodge was impressive, overlooking the staff compound and endless bush country. A fence of wire-netting surrounded the compound to prevent lions entering at night. At dusk, some staff members were cooking maize-meal porridge in a large three-legged, cast-iron pot – a familiar utensil in Africa. I saw a warthog burst at great speed from the surrounding bush, fall on its knees before the fence and enter the compound through a hole beneath the wire. Unperturbed, the cook spooned out some of the porridge onto a rock for the warthog, which waited for it to cool before eating all of it then sedately departing its personal bush restaurant. A profound experience before the drinks arrived! As constantly feared on the ranch, a lion killed a cow that night. Plans were duly made to erect a tree-hide a little distance from the carcass from which I might get a shot. We settled into the
hide, torch at the ready, waiting. We waited while jackals feasted to their hearts delight, but no lion came in. THAT WAS THE last time I hunted with Brian Marsh. Our paths crossed again several times in Cape Town, Francistown in Botswana, on my game farm near the Limpopo River and twice in New York where I was fortunate to entertain him and his wife, Jill. Sadly, Jill succumbed to cancer. I saw Brian finally in a frail-care centre in Cape Town, when senility had robbed him of all recollection of our wonderful times together. He died on 10 November 2014. I read his eulogy at the spot where his only child, Jacquie, strew his and his wife’s ashes on a mountainside near Paarl. I said that, in a lifetime, one is seldom granted the grace to encounter someone with whom a true meeting of minds occurs. We had shared 43 years of our lives, as well as our books about our lives. It was a privilege for which I was profoundly grateful.
Warne Universal Data Card Holder
Test Report
by PHILLIP HAYES obviating the need for stickers, but I did manage to smudge the writing a few times.
FOR LONG-RANGE shooting, it is vital that you use the correct information to dial in your scope to ensure a hit. Using a Kestrel weather meter or a similar device in conjunction with a shooting app like Strelok Pro, will ensure that you have the relevant data. This on condition that all data fed into the weather meter or app is correct. However, it can be cumbersome to constantly revert to a separate device for the relevant data for each target. Warne’s Skyline Universal Data Card Holder makes it possible to write down the information for each target and display it in full view next to your scope when shooting. The ‘dope card holder’ consists of a ring (30mm, 34mm and 35mm are available) that is attached to the scope tube with two screws using a T15 wrench (provided in the package). Warne suggests that this be done to the front of the scope’s tube with the female threaded piece placed level on either the right or left side of the tube. (Warne recommends that right-handed shooters mount the data card on the left side of the scope for the best viewing position.) An articulating arm is attached to the ring, onto which the card holder is screwed. The data card, made from plastic, attaches to the holder with Velcro. The articulating arm allows you to
adjust the position of the card. Five disposable stickers are supplied with the set. Each sticker has space for seven targets onto which you can record the number of the target, distance, elevation and windage. For consecutive exercises the information can be written on a new sticker, which can be pasted over the first, etc. Stickers can be bought separately. I found that a non-permanent marker works well on the plastic card,
THE DATA CARD is a great tool when engaging multiple targets of varying distance. I simply used the data supplied by my app and wind meter to write down the relevant information for each target. Unlike an armband with data on it, the data card holder does not require the shooter to remove the support hand from the rear bag or to lift their cheek from the cheek-piece, as the data is displayed next to the scope and is available at a glance. I have been looking for a convenient ‘dope card’ for a while and was pleasantly surprised to find this one in stock at Lynx Optics. It is now a permanent fixture to my long-range rifle. As a bonus, the articulated arm, which is tightened by hand via a butterfly nut, can easily be loosened and laid flat against the scope when placing the rifle in a bag or case. I simply pull off the card and keep it in my pocket when doing this.
If you’re serious about long-range shooting, the Warne Universal Data Card Holder is an indispensable aid. Suggested retail price is R1 735. For stockists contact Lynx Optics on 011-792-6644.
ManMAGNUM | 59
Sako Gamehead Pro and Twinhead II Ammunition SAKO’S GAMEHEAD PRO ammo is loaded with Sierra’s GameChanger bullets designed for rapid expansion in medium-sized game. According to Sierra, the GameChanger is a new design incorporating features from other Sierra bullets, resulting in a unique style with a synthetic tip that maximizes the ballistic coefficient factor, affording enhanced downrange trajectory and energy. The tip also achieves good expansion throughout a wide spectrum of velocities and game animal types, while increased jacket wall thickness ensures deep penetration. This special bullet design allows for a true all-purpose bullet.
We tested the 165gr Gamehead Pro ammo in .308 Win. This bullet has a G1 BC of 0.507 and an advertised velocity of 2 674fps. To simulate hunting conditions, we first tested the ammo for accuracy by firing three shots from a cold bore at 100m. The group measured 12.02mm centre-to-centre (c-c) for 0.413MOA. The first shot from the cold barrel landed about 8mm lower than the other two, but that could have been shooter error. A second group measured 0.45MOA. Muzzle velocity from the 28-inch barrel was 2 711fps; extreme spread over 10 shots was 39fps. My colleague, Ben-Mari du Plessis, then fired a shot into our homemade wet-pack comprising a carton con-
60 | ManMAGNUM | March/April 2021
taining 2 litres of water in front of stacked magazines soaked in water for 12 hours. The bullet did not disappoint; after penetrating the water it blew a thumb-sized hole, 26mm in diameter, through the first 5 inches of paper and stopped after penetrating 8.5 inches. The bullet expanded to 15.25mm measured at its widest point; retained weight was 110.44gr (67% of the original). This is excellent performance considering that the tightly-bound wetpack is rather hard on most bullets we’ve tested, when compared to the performance of the same bullets in animals. The ‘wound channel’ was wide enough throughout to ensure copious bleeding and rapid death in animals.
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Readers’ Forum
The Heartless Hangman ASTONISHINGLY, MY REQUEST in the Gallery section of the November/ December 2020 edition, that readers share their observations of the fiscal shrike’s predatory habits, drew over 20 responses – more than has any other topic appearing in Magnum during my 33 years as an editor of this magazine and, I am sure, since its inception in 1976. That this response was drawn by a topic unrelated to guns or game hunting is particularly pleasing, as it indicates that most Magnum readers are true nature lovers and not solely interested in shooting or the thrill of the chase. I express my appreciation to all those who responded; they are too numerous to name, and regrettably, space does not permit publication of all the letters. To synthesize, all respondents had variously observed insects, small lizards, frogs, field mice, small or baby birds and even small snakes impaled on thorns or barbed-wire fences or held in the clutches of a fiscal shrike. Some had seen fiscal shrikes in attendance or returning to feed on such remains. Some had actually seen fiscal shrikes attacking, killing, impaling and eating such creatures, and some respondents sent in photographs or videos dispelling all doubt that these birds are quite capable of such predation. We published three letters in the January/February edition; we have space here to share only the more revealing and unusual observations. The fiscal shrike, commonly called the Jackie hangman, the butcher bird, Jan fiskaal, die laksman and kanarie byter, shares with other subspecies of shrike around the globe a propensity to prey on various creatures including smaller birds. When attacking birds, its method of killing is to bite through the cranium into the brain or through the spinal cord at the junction of neck and skull – for which its beak is ideally
62 | ManMAGNUM | March/April 2021
1
sometimes found. Of course, being also an insect eater, the hangman would naturally eat any maggots appearing on a carcass (these hatch within 24 hours of flies laying their eggs). However, fiscal shrikes have been seen and photographed eating the flesh of freshly killed birds, mice and lizards. Dried out carcasses can be explained by the fact that the fiscal shrike has been observed to kill more prey than it could possibly eat before it dried out – in one case three birds all hung together on one stretch of fence. CHARLES LE ROUX offers informative observations made while working at Rhodes in the East Cape Drakensberg, near the Lesotho border. The entire district was undergoing a very severe drought; morning temperatures averaged between 0° and minus 7° with regular heavy frost. He says there was
2
shaped and constructed. It also seems to have a predilection for bird brains, probably for their fat content, as it appears to feed on these before proceeding to the rest of the carcass. RONNIE LOVEMORE SENT us a photo he took in the Addo Elephant Park showing a hangman with a female boomslang it had killed. The snake appears to weigh at least as much as the bird does. He also found impaled stonechats. Mike Protheroe of Villiersdorp has found impaled birds and small animals, and suggests that the hangman probably does this to allow maggots time to appear on the carcass, and then eats the maggots, which might explain why dried-out carcasses are
by GREGOR WOODS
3
very little grass around and therefore very few insects. He saw a hangman impale and eat two birds on the same barbed wire fence about four weeks apart. In each case, the Jackie then flew them off to a new site some 50m away. It ate both birds head first, finishing the bird in a day and a half, leaving only legs and feathers. Using a cellphone he took photos 1 and 2 shown here; the close-up shows a baby rock pigeon, and the distant image shows the hangman with a dead robin. The hangman then impaled the robin on a thorn and appeared to take large chunks of its flesh into thick scrub some five metres from the carcass. I find this instructive because it might explain why the vast majority of the reported impalements were of
insects and small lizards – birds make up comparatively few discoveries. Charles reports that the dry conditions had left very few insects alive when he witnessed these bird kills. I suspect that, in the regions from which most of the reports emanated – developed farmlands and town suburbs – higher rainfall renders insects the most abundant and easily caught prey, hence the hangman is primarily an insect eater, resorting to bigger and more difficult prey only in times of drought. Of course, he will take opportunistic advantage of vulnerable baby birds or small caged birds if reachable. In predominantly dry regions, his diet will naturally include more reptiles and birds. PHILLIP WICKHAM HAS seen Jackies kill sparrows and bronze mannikins by biting the top of the skull, exposing the brain. He once saw a Jackie flying with a sparrow dangling beneath it, gripping the sparrow’s feet in its own, the victim’s skull clearly pecked open. Garth Main reports that his mother has a birdfeeder with bars wide enough for mannikins to enter but not larger birds. He has often observed a Jackie sitting a little way off and perfectly mimicking the mannikin calls until they relax and start feeding. When ten or so have entered to feed, it swoops. The mannikins panic and all try to exit at once. Garth saw the Jackie kill and eat one that got stuck in the rush. He says he’s heard fiscal shrikes mimic the calls of various birds including a Cape robin chat. Garth says Lynette Rudman, a Grahamstown birder, makes some interesting observations about these birds. She took the close-up photo shown here (photo 3) of a hangman eating the brains of a southern grey-headed sparrow near Delareyville, and also provided a video link which is the best I have yet viewed: www.youtube.
com/watch?v=yrMmkR8NUmA. She points out that the Jackie impales its prey not only to store it for further consumption (they have been observed to consume freshly killed prey without impalement) but also because the Jackie’s feet are smaller and less robust, relative to its body-size, than those of raptors, hence cannot secure its prey while it tears it apart. This also is the reason why, when carrying a dead bird in flight, it does so by gripping the bird’s feet with its own, rather than digging its talons into the carcass as a raptor would, thus the prey dangles upside down beneath it. She describes seeing a fiscal shrike catch a large millipede (songololo) which it impaled and then waited several days before eating it. She says this is because the millipede exudes toxic chemicals as a defence mechanism, so the Jackie waits until these dissipate before feeding on it. We thank Lynette for this insightful information and for permitting us to publish her photo and the link. Lyn Parkinson writes that when she and her husband were living in Cederberg, they were sitting on their veranda watching the masked weaver birds building their nests in a tree close by. A Jackie swooped down, grabbed a male weaver bird (the males weave the nests) and impaled it on a barb of their wire fence. The Jackie then pecked the weaver bird’s eyes out. (I find this attack both interesting and surprising, as a male masked weaver is every bit as big as a fiscal shrike, and of the many species that visit my bird-bath, masked weavers are among the most aggressive and combative.) On a separate occasion, after Lyn and her hubby had enjoyed a braai, a Jackie flew down, picked up a discarded chop bone and impaled it on the thorn of an acacia tree in their garden! Again, I thank all who responded. This has been an extremely interesting and informative exercise.
March/April 2021 | ManMAGNUM | 63
All’s Well that Ends Well What a difference a half-inch makes…
by FX JURGENS
The helmeted guineafowl - a premier African gamebird.
L
LAST YEAR WAS extremely challenging for everyone. With the travel restrictions and added pressure to keep physically and financially healthy, most of us had very little time or energy for recreation. And for me, as a frontline worker, my work environment was much more stressful than usual. Luckily I had access to a property just outside Pretoria that offers excellent pigeon and guineafowl shooting. One Saturday afternoon saw me, a friend Jaco, and my brother Pieter heading to these maize fields. The maize plants were tall and a rich golden colour – good rains had lead to a bumper crop. On exiting the vehicles
64 | ManMAGNUM | March/April 2021
we could hear the guineafowl calling so we quickly assembled our guns, loaded them and set out. Our strategy was to walk along the edge of the crops to hopefully surprise the birds and, as
This time it was a frosty morning and we had a secret weapon soon as they flushed, we would shoot. This however was not to be as the birds simply refused to flush. Instead they ran into the rows of ripening maize
where it was impossible for us to follow. Some even flew over the high game fence into the adjoining game camp long before we were within range. As the shadows lengthened and the air became cooler we had to admit defeat and leave empty handed. A FEW WEEKS later we decided to try again. This time it was a frosty morning and we had a secret weapon; our same shooting party was joined by Raymond and his German shorthaired pointer, Luna. Instead of shooting in the crops, the plan was to hunt in the game camp next to the maize field. It was cold and windy as we assembled in a line and
entered the veld. We had not walked far when Luna flushed a few birds and Raymond shot one as it flew straight away from him. Our spirits were lifted by this early success. The wily guineafowl however, frustrated us at every turn and preferred running instead of sitting or flying. We did manage to flush some birds a few times, but instinctively they seemed to know how to keep trees and thick bushes between themselves and the guns. Finally we exited the thickets onto a plain of knee-length grass and I
thought that if there were any birds hiding in this grass, we should find them easily. We had walked only a few hundred metres when I heard a rustle right behind me. I froze for a moment at the sudden sound then spun around to see a guineafowl departing at speed. I quickly lifted my gun to fire but the stock caught on my sleeve and I missed with my first shot. Hastily I fired a second shot but did not lead the bird enough – it fell, immediately got up and took off running. Raymond and Luna were soon on it but the bird ran down-
wind and, despite Luna’s best efforts, the bird was lost. This episode ruined my self-confidence and while Jaco and Raymond shot a few birds each, I had no further chances. We ended the afternoon by shooting pigeons but my confidence was so low that I hesitated with most shots and on the whole missed the birds completely. I HAD KNOWN for a while that the stock of my Franchi shotgun was too long and the incident with the guineafowl brought home to me how much the
Pieter looking for guineafowl.
RIGHT: Luna with one of Raymond’s guineafowl.
Pieter (left) and Jaco with some of the pigeons we shot on the second outing
March/April 2021 | ManMAGNUM | 65
problem could hamper instinctive shooting. At the first opportunity I handed my shotgun in to have 15mm shaved off the stock after which the gun seemed to point much better. SOON ENOUGH THE farmer sent Jaco a text saying that the maize had been harvested and now the dropped kernels were attracting flocks of pigeons, so we were invited to come and help control the numbers. One afternoon we stole away from work, set out our decoys and constructed a hide on the edge of the field. The next few hours we shot rock pigeons and red-eyed doves on the flight line and as they decoyed. The Franchi was pointing much better and the birds I managed to shoot helped boost my confidence. The sun was setting in the west as we packed up to go. Nearing the gate we noticed multiple dark specks in the middle of the harvested field next to the gate. “Guineafowl!” Jaco exclaimed, “let’s try and get them.” We quickly got out of the car, grabbed our guns and loaded up with No 5 shot. As we got closer it became clear that the birds had seen us. They stopped feeding and the whole flocks’ heads were up, looking at us. Their calls became muted as they started to move around nervously. We guessed they were planning to exit the field for the safety of the game camp on the other side of the high fence. Jaco and I walked briskly along the fence and split up. The birds would now have to pass us to reach the game camp and, by going different ways, we tried to limit the places where the birds could fly over and escape. Jaco and I then walked closer to the flock in the middle of the field. This was too much and the entire flock took flight aiming for the camp behind us. By luck the flock chose my side to fly over. Most birds flew over far to my right (Jaco was on my left) but a single bird flew straight at me. I shouldered the Franchi , covered the large bird with the barrel and at my shot, the bird fell to earth, stone dead. With a single shot I had erased the hours of walking, frustration and disapp o i n t m e n t . M y s e l f- c o n f i d e n c e wa s restored. To me it brought home the lesson to always keep on trying and not to give up – you never know what the ending might look like.
66 | ManMAGNUM | March/April 2021
Pi e t e r w i t h t h e pigeons he shot.
Raymond and Luna looking for birds.
The author, tired and sunburnt, but extremely thankful.
Raymond and Luna with some of the guineafowl that he and Jaco shot on the second shoot.
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EL
EL Range Binos with Tracking Assist. (8x42 & 10x42) The EL Range with Tracking Assistant combines state-of-theart optics with SWAROVISION technology and digital intelligence. You can obtain precise measurements by including individual ballistics and atmospheric data. Together with the Tracking Assistant and the simple, intuitive configuration via the smartdS phone app, the EL Range is ideal for hunting and range use and even for bow hunting because it is able to provide measurements starting at 10 metres (10.9 yards). You use a smartphone to personalise your rifle’s ballistics, then, based on your configuration and atmospheric data, such as air pressure and temperature, the EL Range assists with precision shooting at most ranges. The integrated tilt indicator with its CL unique ‘angle shot program’ displays either the adjusted shooting distance or the angle. The number of clicks needed for adjustment is also displayed. The Tracking Assistant makes it possible to track your prey. You can choose to use a program on your phone or the binos to find the exact spot where the animal was standing when the shot was fired. A new Forehead Rest is also available as an optional extra to help reduce shaking. It screws onto the binoculars and allows you to comfortably glass for hours at maximum magnification. dS Gen II Riflescopes (dS 5-25x52 L and dS 5-25x52 SR) These dS Gen II scopes can, at the push of a button, display the correct aiming point and all relevant hunting data. The display can be adjusted to your personal requirements and for different hunting situations plus, the improved design ensures easier handling. By pressing the button the exact distance to the target is displayed and the precise aiming point will appear automat-
68 | ManMAGNUM | March/April 2021
ically on the reticle. When calculating the aiming point, the scope takes into account not only the magnification setting, air pressure, temperature, and angle, but also the ballistics of your firearm/ammunition combination. No manual adjustment is needed. The dS Configurator App can be used to input your firearm and ammunition data and to configure the display. The ballistic curve and display configurations are transferred to the dS via Bluetooth. This new scope offers superior optics, 5x zoom, high detail recognition, outstanding viewing comfort and a classic reticle along with a high-resolution display. CL Pocket Binos (8x25 and 10x25) These ultra-small binos have had a design change to create a new look, be more robust and to provide more comfort during use. The eye-piece cover has also been updated to guarantee optimized protection. With high-precision optics for absolute viewing these binos are light and easy to use. A range of accessory sets is also available. These Swarovksi products should be available locally during March 2021. Contact Whylo for your nearest dealer on 031-5848088. – Phillip Hayes
ZAMBIA’S SABLE LEGACY LIVES ON I am writing in support of Robin Hurt’s excellent story (Magnum August 2020) of his quest for a big sable in the late 1970s. In fact, 1979, the year he shot his remarkable animal, marked my arrival in Zambia. I have followed with great interest the story of this wonderful country’s wildlife and hunting opportunities since that time. My first sable came from the same area, Sichifulo, a modest specimen of 42 inches but I have to confess he was running with another eight bulls so excitement rather overtook emotions and I did not necessarily shoot the best from the group. However I was thrilled and he was ‘shining black’.
The sable in the photo was shot by an international client in early November 2020 and measures 46.6" with 11" bases. The sable skull photo shows a pick up of 51". Both specimens have extraordinary sweep and are from an area North of Kasonso called Ilinda. Sichifulo and Ilinda are at opposite ends of the Kafue National Park but I’m sure Robin will be heartened by the existence of such trophy quality in this day and age. The area in question is an unfenced private game project and the only reason that such animals survive, is through hunting revenue and the dedication of the hunting community in protecting the area. I am told there are also excellent Sitatunga to be had in this particular area. Zambia remains the finest country in which to harvest a great sable from the wild. I hope the pictures will galvanise clients to head this way. – Fergus Flynn
SIMPLE TICK REMEDY Paul Donovan’s article on the perils of tick bites (Jan/Feb ’21 edition) was interesting. I had tick-bite fever when I was 16, and can attest to its inconvenience – burning fever and heavy sweating, alternating with bouts of shivering with cold and terrible headaches, especially if I looked upward. I had just returned from a hunt in far northern Zululand, so the doctor assumed I had malaria and treated me accordingly. By the time he realised it was tick-bite fever, I felt pretty poorly.
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This was 60 years ago, when medical practice did not have today’s advanced blood tests. The doctor – encouraging sort of chap – told me that tick-bite fever could cause blindness and death if not timeously treated with drugs. He ordered me to remain in bed for six weeks, which was the way of those times. However, I got up after two weeks with no apparent ill-effects. Paul’s article gave helpful advice on keeping ticks off you and removing individual ticks once attached. In KwaZulu-Natal, however, we get what are known locally as “pepper ticks” as they are so small as to be almost unrecognizable as ticks. After pushing your way through a patch of bush or long grass, your clothes will look as though you have spilled some finely-ground red pepper down your front. Unless peering very closely, the uninitiated assume these are fine grass-seeds or dust and pay no mind to it. The pepper ticks then work their way into your clothes and attach themselves to your skin unbeknown to you. The maddening itch will come later – all over your body – and is out of all proportion to the size of the ticks. It can spoil a weekend hunt. Showering will not rid you of them, nor will scratching. During my years at Magnum, I have received several phone calls from anguished readers asking what they can do about this. The answer usually surprises them – being so simple and obvious. Take a bath with doggy shampoo in the water. It is formulated for this very purpose, works on all types of ticks, and just one bath does it. Purchase at any supermarket or pet shop – check the label to ensure it has anti-tick and flea properties – and apply liberally. It is quite harmless to humans but, as with any shampoo, if it gets in your eyes it may sting. Any side-effects, such as a sudden desire to gnaw on your braai-chop bone, or scratch behind your ear with your foot, can be ignored – these soon recede. – Gregor Woods
The story about how the tusk was obtained is probably lost in the mists of time. Was it killed by a poisoned arrow or did it go down under a fusillade of musketry – or maybe just die of old age? Why was only one tusk photographed – was the other broken, or had it already been sold and cut up? What does the Arabic writing on the tusk say? And is it my imagination, or is the old tusk longer than those seen in Gregor’s article? – Robin Barkes ■ This photo appears in the book Africa’s Greatest Tuskers by Tony Sanchez-Arino (Safari Press 2016) and the tusk is apparently one of the pair of current world record tusks (presently 226 and 214lbs) which were shot with a muzzleloader on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in 1898 by a slave of the trader Tippu Tib. The two tusks became separated for some years before being reunited at the British Museum where they now reside. – Editor
ANOTHER TUSK MYSTERY? During 2020, Gregor Woods wrote a three part article entitled “The Manners Tusks Mystery”. I am sure, like me, many readers were in awe of the size of the monster ivories and could only wonder about the size of the animal that had carried them. Looking at the photographs that accompanied the article, I also wondered how many even larger elephants were killed by old hunters or tribesmen but went unrecorded. For instance, the photo here shows a real whopper of a tusk. The old photograph was found in the Zanzibar Archives and a small image appeared in the October 2001, National Geographic magazine. The length and weight of the single tusk was not given and nothing was said about it.
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PEOPLE
Gunsmith of the Month: Andre Mojet
Andre lives and works in Kameelfontein, Pretoria. He is the founder and director of AccuGun. He started research and development in 2010 with one goal in mind; to manufacture precision rifles and match international-grade barrels. While specializing in custom build precision rifles, Andre does also make hunting rifles. By doing both rifle types he tries to cater to all groups whether it may be for hunting or competitions. He started with the 6mm calibre rifle, which performed way above expectations and due to this huge success, he started developing and manufacturing other popular calibres. Andre says that because he has worked with a variety of different calibres, it’s difficult to choose one favourite. Each has its own advantages and so much depends on what you want as your end result. Naturally he considers a Mojet barrel to be the best barrel for a hunting rifle. As a local manufacturer of stainless steel barrels, the accuracy of the end products are guaranteed with half inch groupings at 100m.
Subscriber of the Month: Peter Radmanovich Peter lives in Gauteng and is mainly a sports shooter. He has enjoyed the PMP grouping competitions and holds the record for an 0.89mm grouping with a .308 Mauser MO3 rifle with PMP Pro-Amm Ammunition. A lifelong member of the West Rand Branch of SAHGCA, Peter shoots various details, the President Shoot and Gallery Rifle at Durban Deep Rifle Range. Peter likes to hunt in the Thabazimbi/Vaalwater area for impala, kudu and wildebeest and has a small collection of trophies. He reloads for his .308, 6.5x55 Mauser, 7x57 and 9.3x62 and has always used Somchem powder. About 10 years ago Peter bought a .470NE double to hunt buffalo but, due to a heart condition and on advice from his cardiologist, the rifle is still brand new in the case and has never been fired! He enjoys gong shoots and has started to shoot long range at 500m and beyond. Peter has subscribed to Magnum since about 2012.
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