Buffalo charge

Head Trauma

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CMS Safaris/ Kazuma, Len Taylor PH, Carl Fredrick Nagel and a friend

Just back from a elephant hunt in Kazuma. I was to hunt with Buzz but a few weeks prior he snapped his achilles tendon. Buzz sent Len Taylor. Len whom I have not hunted with before turned out to be both a gentleman and also a very good elephant hunter. This hunt was for a big elephant bull in the 60 pound plus range but failed due to early rains in Botswana. The first 3 days we saw several big bulls in the 45-50 pound range and everything was looking good, but then it rained in Botswana and within 2 days all bulls were gone.
My friend came along for buffalo. One day we tracked an old dagga boy. Firstly the track led though thick gusu jess. then the track took us out in an large open plain. Here we found him sleeping. Len made a buffalo distress sound and the old bull got up. My friend shot him 4 times with a 416 RM all hitting in the heart lung area. I thought the hunt was over but in an instant it turned out a life or death situation. The bull charged head on. Len shoot a 458 lott in it chest and I followed with a 500 NE also in the chest. This only made the bull kick out but did not slow it down. The last shot on the video is actually two as Len and I shoot at the exact same time. Both of us hitting in the right eye. The bull went down 9 m from us.
Hope you enjoy the video.

 
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DAMN!
 
They are amazingly tough animals but not immortal. The heart lung "area" doesn't work. The first bullet must take out the heart, the arteries above the heart, the spine (base of the neck) or both lungs. Anything else and the adrenaline kicks in. Great work on the final stop. Len Taylor is one of the truly great PH's hunting the continent.
 
Thanks for sharing the video with us. Great job shooting.

Periodically, a man needs a challenge that is difficult, scary and exhilarating. Looks like all three of you fully achieved that on this hunt! Good job.
 
All I can say is Wow!
 
Great work on the final stop. Len Taylor is one of the truly great PH's hunting the continent.

no wonder with that surname ;)

Three rifles, eight rounds of heavy caliber.
The first two would have been enough, from the 4th the direction changed and then full throttle.
If one always only knew it before.
Close shave.
Looks cool at the end and I am nevertheless glad to have never experienced such a thing.

@Dee S
probably a beginner :)
 
That M70 of Len’s has some miles on it. He shoots it well! Len is one of Africa’s truly great hunters.

Sorry to hear about Buzz. That’s a tough injury.
 
Wow! And it didn’t look as though the bull was too far away when the hunter first engaged it? Wonder what bullets were being used?
 
Great video. Glad you had the double!
 
CMS Safaris/ Kazuma, Len Taylor PH, Carl Fredrick Nagel and a friend

Just back from a elephant hunt in Kazuma. I was to hunt with Buzz but a few weeks prior he snapped his achilles tendon. Buzz sent Len Taylor. Len whom I have not hunted with before turned out to be both a gentleman and also a very good elephant hunter. This hunt was for a big elephant bull in the 60 pound plus range but failed due to early rains in Botswana. The first 3 days we saw several big bulls in the 45-50 pound range and everything was looking good, but then it rained in Botswana and within 2 days all bulls were gone.
My friend came along for buffalo. One day we tracked an old dagga boy. Firstly the track led though thick gusu jess. then the track took us out in an large open plain. Here we found him sleeping. Len made a buffalo distress sound and the old bull got up. My friend shoot him 4 times with a 416 RM all hitting in the heart lung area. I thought the hunt was over but in an instant it turned out a life or death situation. The bull charged head on. Len shoot a 458 lott in it chest and I followed with a 500 NE also in the chest. This only made the bull kick out but did not slow it down. The last shoot on the video is actually two as Len and I shoot at the exact same time. Both of us hitting in the right eye. The bull went down 9 m from us.
Hope you enjoy the video.


I don't post this to play Monday morning quarterback or criticize anyone. But I noticed in the video the gent with the bolt action seemed to double clutch the bolt on one cycle. Was this just a mistake on his part not fully cycling the bolt or was there a jam?
 
Len Taylor is one of the truly great PH's hunting the continent.

This!

And as was also stated, one of the nicest gentlemen you will ever meet.
 
I don't post this to play Monday morning quarterback or criticize anyone. But I noticed in the video the gent with the bolt action seemed to double clutch the bolt on one cycle. Was this just a mistake on his part not fully cycling the bolt or was there a jam?
Probably a CRF Mauser ................ :E Angel:
 
I don't post this to play Monday morning quarterback or criticize anyone. But I noticed in the video the gent with the bolt action seemed to double clutch the bolt on one cycle. Was this just a mistake on his part not fully cycling the bolt or was there a jam?
Yes I saw that too. I slowed the video down and it appears the bolt didn’t grab another round from the magazine and/or the hunter short stroked the bolt with the same result. No criticism, just an observation?
 
Learning to cycle the bolt without removing the rifle from the shoulder is a lesson that can be taken from the video as well.

Fabulous old buff!
 
We can hash it to death, but the real issue appears to be practice and muscle memory. Buy a one of those Ruger scout .308's with a box magazine and find the largest magazine you can and shoot the springs out of it. By then you should have the subconscious cycling down after the shot. Then learn the length of the cycle on the big rifle.
 

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