Newbie from Indiana here

Avid shooter. Long range expert. First hunt in Africa this year.

Welcome to AH davis! Where are you heading and what is on your list? Exciting times for sure... Enjoy the site!

Welcome to AH sir!

Share your report when you get back.
Enjoy yourself.

Welcome.

Limpopo province in a few weeks.. I have a laundry list of plains animals.. common or not they are all exciting and new to me. It started as a freebie from the NRA local banquet with the equivalent of two free animals. Yes, I know it has big add ons but the first mention is we only need to do gratuities and the huge cost of getting trophies home. So what- It's on my bucket list. It has us spending all spare time learning,reading and getting straight dope from locals that have been there. Especially my taxidermist who has been to countries hunting I can't even find on a map. This guy has a fresh Burchell's Zebra on the drying table and a huge 12 foot mountain Zebra hide of type unknown to me. I photoed one of six walls of his trophies and figure he told me the complete story for every one he I asked about.. I do the same so we turned sympatico. I have this strange feeling this will turn me into an annual trekker on the continent.
FYI the Coyote has turned into our local Indiana bad denizens as they found fawns and local pets very tasty.

A bit off topic but our Coyotes ( unlike the scrawny western ones I've shot) are absolute monsters. I plugged one know for pet predation just outside of GARY, In city limits. Gross weight was 47 pounds which is large enough to become dangerous to humans. p.s they are not dogs or mix bred either. DNA test are pending.

Welcome. I'm now thinking of adding Gary, Indiana as a possible hunting destination after seeing that coyote.

Welcome aboard!

Welcome to AH!

Welcome Davis! Hunted coyotes most of my life out west. I’ve seen them almost pure blond to solid black, but never like this! 35 lbs here in Colorado is a good size even though in winter they look much bigger with their long fur.

Welcome to AH Davis. Where did you acquire your long range skills? What do you consider long range? What caliber(s) do you use for your long range hunting? You may or may not be surprised to learn that most shots on African PG are under 200 yds. Have you been practicing off "sticks," you will be expected to use them in Africa. Good luck on your hunt, and as you noted there probably will be a return trip or two in your future.

hi welcome aboard

Welcome to AH !

Shootist43 said:

Welcome to AH Davis. Where did you acquire your long range skills? What do you consider long range? What caliber(s) do you use for your long range hunting? You may or may not be surprised to learn that most shots on African PG are under 200 yds. Have you been practicing off "sticks," you will be expected to use them in Africa. Good luck on your hunt, and as you noted there probably will be a return trip or two in your future.

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I was in 1996 a Director of the FCSA and at the January meet that year in Phoenix( Ben Avery range) I shot my fifty in two 1000 yard classes. Setting the record in Unlimited class and breaking a record in another. I fortunately can dope wind elevation and all other variables by experience and natural ability. Lot of practice and faith in my equipment. I even had my gun built to my specifications and it was butt ugly and good projectiles had to be custom made. I had bypass surgery that year and now have to deal with "little" calibers. Since then a bazillion improvements in barrel/projectiles have come along and the records now sit about 2"" at 1K.. Of course the guys now show off with 2 mile shoots. I have the advantage of my mind seeing where the bullet will strike..I can zen my pulse to 40 and I offhand with or without bogpod. So to say it truthfully I did have some help with friends that were ballistics experts at NASA and a few others equally as skilled. I shot well in the American Marksman competition until I had to switch to left eye around a barricade and with bad vision in my non dominate eye the youngsters rolled over me easily. During competition offhand the I could bring a rifle from safe to fire at a 100 yard 10" gong in a bit over a second. My brother and I were taught gun safety, care and sportsmanship by my father and uncle. From age 9 to 11 we were the "dogs" toting guns, flushing birds and retrieving ducks.. after that it has all been love of the shooting sports. I just plain enjoy the outdoors and shooting. The exception is woodchuck hunting I use a 4 foot stick and sharpen stalking skills with counting "coup" with it. I digress but can safely say there is always the next hunt or target and NONE were ever bad with friends.

davis bush said:

Avid shooter. Long range expert. First hunt in Africa this year.

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Welcome and please write up your hunt when completed.

Welcome to the forum!

Dr Ray said:

Welcome and please write up your hunt when completed.

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That's a plan.. Eager as a 68 year old little boy..

A friend of mine is a long range shooter also. His name is Bill Hammer. Do you by chance know him? There is a guy from New Zealand that is a long range hunter named Nathan Foster. He has written several books on the subject. If you are not familiar with him check out his website https://www.ballisticstudies.com/ I have all of his books and read them several times. I put the "e" versions on my iPad. They make good reading during the 16 hr. flight to South Africa.

Hi Davis, welcome to AH !

Welcome to AH! Enjoy the site.