HUNTING Crocodile

ROCKET · Dec 21, 2016

We don´t have Nile croc´s here, but We have a tipe of Caiman called Black Yacaré up North in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia etc.
They can reach up to 3,5 meters and about 150 Kilos, but this size guy´s are very hard to find.....a 10 footer Yacaré is consider a very good trophy.

I have shooted this 9,5 footer and 150 pound male with a Custom Mauser 98 chambered for .270 win with a 130 soft point bullet at 50 yards and blow´s literally his brains off.

I know these caiman´s are not the size of African croc´s but I think that a .300 mag with 180 grain well constructed bullet at 3200 fps, would do the job in any crocodile brain, no doubt......Shoot placement.....

See you....!!!!

norfolk shooter · Feb 23, 2017

From what I have just read I think its a good thing that I may be up-sizing from a 375 H&H to the 416 Rigby

Hank2211 · Feb 23, 2017

norfolk shooter said:
From what I have just read I think its a good thing that I may be up-sizing from a 375 H&H to the 416 Rigby

Norfolk Shooter, my experience is that you'd do better with a higher velocity, flatter shooting, calibre than a .416. The real difficulty with crocs is not that they are particularly tough, it's that you need to plant them with the shot. If you wound them, or even if you kill them but don't plant them, they will move quickly, or in the latter case wriggle, into water and you may lose your trophy. In any case, I would prefer a bullet that expands immediately upon impact, and delivers as much of its energy as possible on the target. A .416 wouldn't, I think, do the best job at that on a target such as this.

I shot one in Zimbabwe a couple of years ago. A spine shot - just at the end of the 'smile.' It seemed to stop him, and allowed for follow up shots, but the movement of the tail continued for some time, and had the effect of pushing him towards water. So I kept shooting, and then once I'd emptied my .300 win mag, borrowed my PH's rifle to continue shooting. All in a (futile) effort to stop that damn tail from moving and propelling him towards the water.

Good luck!

norfolk shooter · Feb 23, 2017

Hank2211 said:
Norfolk Shooter, my experience is that you'd do better with a higher velocity, flatter shooting, calibre than a .416. The real difficulty with crocs is not that they are particularly tough, it's that you need to plant them with the shot. If you wound them, or even if you kill them but don't plant them, they will move quickly, or in the latter case wriggle, into water and you may lose your trophy. In any case, I would prefer a bullet that expands immediately upon impact, and delivers as much of its energy as possible on the target. A .416 wouldn't, I think, do the best job at that on a target such as this.

I shot one in Zimbabwe a couple of years ago. A spine shot - just at the end of the 'smile.' It seemed to stop him, and allowed for follow up shots, but the movement of the tail continued for some time, and had the effect of pushing him towards water. So I kept shooting, and then once I'd emptied my .300 win mag, borrowed my PH's rifle to continue shooting. All in a (futile) effort to stop that damn tail from moving and propelling him towards the water.

Good luck!

In that case all I have left in my arsenal would be a 7x64!!

Hank2211 · Feb 23, 2017

norfolk shooter said:
In that case all I have left in my arsenal would be a 7x64!!

I'm not that familiar with the 7x64, but I would have thought that with a heavy bullet, it should be just fine?

IvW · Feb 23, 2017

norfolk shooter said:
In that case all I have left in my arsenal would be a 7x64!!

Perfect.

norfolk shooter · Feb 23, 2017

It's not far off a 284win

norfolk shooter · Feb 28, 2017

Just wondered hows about a 375H&H??

Hank2211 · Feb 28, 2017

norfolk shooter said:
Just wondered hows about a 375H&H??

Equally perfect. Distances tend to be shorter. Use a rapidly expanding bullet.

IvW · Feb 28, 2017

norfolk shooter said:
Just wondered hows about a 375H&H??

As Hank said, perfectly suited, provided you can hit what you are aiming at with it. Expanding bullet for sure, good advise.

norfolk shooter · Mar 1, 2017

I guess id better get that double in 375 rather than 416 or 470! Just through versatility

IvW · Mar 1, 2017

norfolk shooter said:
I guess id better get that double in 375 rather than 416 or 470! Just through versatility

Precise shot placement is called for on the first shot making a scoped bolt action you are familiar with a much better choice for croc hunting.
Double will be touch and go for croc, except if fitted with a detachable scope mount system. 375 Flanged, 450/400 NE or 500/416 would be the calibers I would consider for that application.

Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS · Mar 10, 2017

Hi all

just my 5 cents worth

i shot a croc for myself in 2013, in rundu river in Zimbabwe
i used a 300wm 180gr Barnes vortex ammo, croc was about 80-100m on the bank
hit him at the end of the "smile" and didnt move a bit
i put 3 shots in just in case, in same place

then i sent my PH to cross the river and tie the rope on the croc and then we dragged him back to us
i swam in to do the ropes on the Hippo in the same river, so i guess it was the PH's Turn

regards

Mr. 16 gauge · May 2, 2017

Just curious.....what would the "average" distance be for shooting crocs? Seems that with a target that small, one would need a fairly flat shooting rifle to be accurate over a variety of distances. What type of distances to most PHs try to set up for?

randallhebert · May 2, 2017

I harvest 300 to 350 alligators a year for the last 10 years, and over 5000 in my alligator hunting career using a .22 magnum rifle. Largest at 13' 6" with quite a few 10 to 12 footers. I find that the high power rifles normally blow good chunks off the heads but don't penetrate down into the brain. I've also had to dispatch gators hit by vehicles with the top half of skull gone but brain was not damaged and they were still walking around pissed off as hell. I use a full metal jacket and normally find the slug next to the skin when skinning. The best shot that I find is to the back of the head where the skin meets the skull. It does not have to go through the bone. Another effective shot is to the top back of the throat with one facing you with mouth open. This destroys the brain, spinal column and neck. I've haven't found a way yet to get them from moving when you kill them.

AfricaHunting.com · Jul 19, 2018

Dinosaur · May 2, 2020

After hearing the horror stories of the odd croc waking up after death, well, it makes Peter Beards pictures even more heroic. In the book that he co-wrote called 'Eyelids of the morning' I am guessing that it was the author who posed half inside a crocodile. Yes, it is a spectacular picture, I just love his unusual photography. He has great images in his books. He and a few colleagues spent a lot of time hunting crocs in Kenyas Lake Rudolf in the Northern Frontier. I have read 2 x books about croc hunters who successfully hunted crocs by approaching them from in the water, one hunter in Rhodesia, and Peter Beards crew being the other. A total death wish, but extremely effective on touchy crocs whom flee to the safety of water upon the slightest sight of humans.

Regards
Rob

BOSSGobbler · May 19, 2024

Are there croc pics on AH that are downloadable for making poster size images?

davidg8480 · May 19, 2024

Like this?

DieJager · May 19, 2024

He is probably meaning a fullsize photo, broadside, for target practicing. But nice croc!

HUNTING Crocodile

ROCKET

norfolk shooter

Hank2211

norfolk shooter

Hank2211

IvW

norfolk shooter

norfolk shooter

Hank2211

IvW

norfolk shooter

IvW

Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS

Mr. 16 gauge

randallhebert

AfricaHunting.com

Dinosaur

BOSSGobbler

davidg8480

DieJager

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