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Hunting & Fishing Africa - Elephants!!!

Re: Africa - Elephants!!!

Great post and thanks for taking the time to share. I have been to SA twice and Zambia once. Originally said it would be a one time thing. Was I sorely mistaken. Just started planning the fourth trip over.

Thanks again!
 
Re: Africa - Elephants!!!

Years ago, I had a job where I had more discretionary income than sense. I had big plans to go on an African safari. Read everything I could find from Ruark, Capstick, Hemingway, others, I bought a circa 1964 Belgian Browning Safari rifle in .375 H&H and another in .458 Win Mag because, well, why not. Then I found a matching rifle in .308 Win. Over under shotgun to complete the package, then changed jobs. Not so much "extra" income. I never made the trip, but who knows, I may win the lottery someday.

Enjoyed reading your post.
 
Re: Africa - Elephants!!!

Normbal,

If you ever decide to get rid of those old rifles please call me. I'd like to take the old 375 there sometime, maybe even with open sights. I am weak for old school stuff, shoot quail ( when I can) with a circa 1914 Parker 20 gauge.

Dream rifle these days is and old ( original ) Rigby bolt gun, either 375 or 416. Got a friend, with an old Holland and Holland, circa roughly mid thirties. Nice rifle, and he just got back from Africa with it too.
 
Re: Africa - Elephants!!!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mikee Booshay</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Normbal,

If you ever decide to get rid of those old rifles please call me. I'd like to take the old 375 there sometime, maybe even with open sights. I am weak for old school stuff, shoot quail ( when I can) with a circa 1914 Parker 20 gauge.

Dream rifle these days is and old ( original ) Rigby bolt gun, either 375 or 416. Got a friend, with an old Holland and Holland, circa roughly mid thirties. Nice rifle, and he just got back from Africa with it too.</div></div>

If I decide to let one/all of them go I'll be sure and let you know. I just sent this post to myself via email.

Took the guns down to a friend's range in Virginia a few months ago and we all took turns trying to hit a 12" steel plate at 425 yards. It's amazing how accurate the .375 H&H is. Although no one of us could hit the steel, we all got close, within several inches. With open sights.

I'll let you know.
 
You mean that the bolt action rifle and double rifle are Heym? The bolt is smoothy and work well ?Looks great!
 
Normbal,

If you ever decide to get rid of those old rifles please call me. I'd like to take the old 375 there sometime, maybe even with open sights. I am weak for old school stuff, shoot quail ( when I can) with a circa 1914 Parker 20 gauge.

Dream rifle these days is and old ( original ) Rigby bolt gun, either 375 or 416. Got a friend, with an old Holland and Holland, circa roughly mid thirties. Nice rifle, and he just got back from Africa with it too.

Yah need to change your signature to "Living the dream."
 
Leaving for Africa tomorrow, going to shoot a big ole elephant! Other things on list are Kudu, a couple different Zebra's, and who knows what else.

My PH and I were Skyping last week, he says, "Mike, we have to make a small change in plan. It will cost you 30 minutes more flight time each way ( charter from Windhoek ), but you will not mind. Rather than hunt nearer to the Kalahari, I have a chance to take you to the Caprivi Strip. Would that be OK?"

Oh yes, that will be fine. Bigger better ele slipping across from Botswana, yeah, I can live with that. And being on the river, we can fish, look for hippo, crocs, whatever. And like.... it's the Caprivi, old school safari area.

I just wanna be Hemingway for a couple weeks...... I'll update pics to this thread, when internets are available.


Awesome pics. If you ever want to do any long range hunting in South Africa look up hunting legends. We have a great history of taking game at distance.
 
Wow a return from the dead thread! Thanks for all the good comments gentlemen.

Mikee returns to Africa this September, stay tuned for the sequel. There is another Caprivi elephant we are looking for this time, also this time, the girls are staying home. Just myself and the PH/crew. Looking to get another hippo also, last years was a little small on the tusks. SWMBO requires another zebra hide, and I would still like to shoot a nice kudu, that animal frustrated Hemingway for a long too. Being on the river there, crocs may show up also.

Kobus says he has a nice surpise for me as well, I guessing we have a shot at a cat at some point.

On the bolt rifle - the one in these pictures is a CZ550 - very smooth but heavy. Going with the new Heym bolt though this time, still in 375 HH, such a great caliber for Africa. And taking the 416 Rigby Heym double for the elephant, or buffalo if we see a nice one. I saw a VERY nice one in Botswana last year, while we were on the river between Bots and Namibia. Wasn't hunting on Bots side, so he got a pass, but he was huge, with full bosses, pushing 50+ inches, not many of those to see these days. If he would have only swam across the river!
 
This was a great read and thanks for sharing! The pictures were great and I loved the one of the bridge. That would have scared the heck out of me. Good luck this year and I'm already looking forward to the stories and experiences.
 
Hey Mikee!!
Have you had a chance to shoot your new Heym 375 yet? Do you have any pics of it in the field? Ima hopin to go to DSC this coming Jan and fondle some doubles whilst there, I really like the looks of the Heym PH. After that comes the hard part, convincing the wife I NEED one! :D
 
Xman! Hey there back at you!

Yes I have shot it - had to "engineer" the scope rings a bit for the scope I want to use, but believe it is right now. The distance between the scope bells was about .090" too short, so I shaved a bit off the rings axially, to get a good bite on the claws. After shooting it, it needs about 20 MOA more in the aft mount, to be able to shoot to 400+yards with the Swarovski scope. I only have enough dial up now to reach 200, have to hold, which actually works out OK in the reticle. I have a steel plate target at the ranch house, about 325 yards, and hit it first try, using the holdover. I'd rather have the dial up though. Rifle shoots great and is about 3 pounds lighter than the CZ, much appreciated, let me tell you! Recoil is a little stiffer, but my nickname around the ranch is already "Recoil Sponge", whenever there is a big bore to be sighted in, or the AR50 got the scope taken off - "Hey Mikee - can you come shoot this?".

Or - "let's give it to Mikee - he'll shoot anything!" Got out there last weekend - there was a pile of 8 AR's needing 3 kinds of ammo shot thru each, only half had scopes.... turned out the one I like using, was fubared..... Oh well, nothing like shooting someone else's ammo!

Just like the best kind of all terrain vehicle - SOMEONE ELSE'S!!!! You can get it there, you may not get it back.....
 
What a great hunt! I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to live and work in RSA (Northern Province before Limpopo) for all of 1998. It was some of the best times of my life. Now have wife and kids and can't wait till the boys are old enough to take them (and the wife of course) back to see the amazing wildlife and a bit of hunting. Man, that makes me nostalgic. Thank you for the great thread.
 
Very nice! I really enjoyed the pictures and write ups. Can't wait to see the next trip. Thanks for sharing.
 
Just two cents of I HATE YOU
out of pure jealousy nothing else.
I am guessing that 30K plus taxidermy was the cost of the trip, but what an epic bucket list adventure.
I feel like I should by a doggie elephant costume and put in on a piglet from a hot trip.
I shot the rare west texas midget Fing lump

now do it again so we can get updated pictures
 
Thanks guys, leaving Sept 1 for another chapter.

No wimmens on this trip, tents and manly shootin', eatin' and livin'. Another elephant if we are lucky/blessed enough, hippo,croc, kudu.... promise of some cats, but it's Africa. Take what it gives, go with the flow.
 
Thanks guys, leaving Sept 1 for another chapter.

No wimmens on this trip, tents and manly shootin', eatin' and livin'. Another elephant if we are lucky/blessed enough, hippo,croc, kudu.... promise of some cats, but it's Africa. Take what it gives, go with the flow.



Yo Mikee!!
Come Sept and you're checking into the airlines, nevermind how heavy your luggage is, thats just lil ol' me stowed away inside!

:D
 
LX - this is the part where I'm gonna generate some hard feelin', I'll be in Alaska for a week, the week before I go back to Africa.

Heading with my brother to a fishing camp way out west of Anchorage. Folks at work are NOT happy!
 
No one likes you
My only hope is that you live in a van down by the river


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hey mikee this is one of the boys from your old stomping ground, if you have time this year maybe you could come hunt with me in noxubee. Awesome thread and good guy here.
 
Caught lots of fish out at Noxubee, my brother did a lot of the forestry work out there and down towards Macon.

Mississippi and Alabama have lots of good hard working folks, and some of the best hunting and fishing around, it's just a well kept secret. Alabama has one of the most liberal deer seasons around - mid November to end of January, a buck per day limit.

We calculated one day, that with luck, a man could shoot almost 100 deer, with does included.

Got this guy in Lamar County, when I was a senior in HS:



You know what they say, "beware of the man ( kid in this case) with only one gun...... he probably knows how to use it!!"
Six rounds of 00 buckshot - the old green Remington GI issue stuff. Last deer I shot with a shotgun.

Mr Williams, I may take you up on that! Don't know where I could drink in Columbus anymore, heard the "club", aka the Southernaire Lounge was torn down some time ago. I do have some friends at Woodies still ( in Tupelo), but ought to not be there, LOL!!!