Dr Ray
AH legend
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2017
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- Cairns, Australia
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- 5
- Member of
- Sporting Shooters Association of Australia + CRM Gunsports (Cairns)
I am writing this article on behalf of Baz 500. Baz undertook a buffalo hunt in Australia’s Northern Territory in August. The Northern Territory has 2 seasons; hot and hot and wet and Baz decided on a “cool” season hunt in August.. Baz went out on a mid-afternoon looking for a good buffalo with his Searcy 500 Nitro Express loaded with 570 grain Woodleigh soft point bullets charged with a good dose of AR 2009 (IMR 4350).
On this particular afternoon, Baz stalked a buffalo and shot him head on at about 20 yards (18m). The buffalo ran even though he was shot under the chin and the bullet entered the middle of the buffalo’s chest. However, it hit the buffalo a little bit low. It would appear that the buffalo was none the worse for the shot. The second shot was a high lung shot just behind the shoulder as the buffalo ran away from left to right. This shot literally knocked the buffalo down and Baz’s guide, Aaron from Outback Buffalo Safaris, mentioned that he had never seen a buff knocked over like that before. By now Baz was feeling extremely good particularly with the performance of the Searcy 500 Double and Woodleigh soft points.
After a couple of mandatory photos and skinning, Baz and party went of looking for another old bull and this is where it got interesting. At this stage the temperature was climbing a little with a very slight breeze which made it fairly ideal for hunting. Baz’s party spotted a massive brindle scrub bull about 200 yards (180m) out in the open with a small ridge behind him. In between them was one small tree about the size of a telegraph pole about half way out to the bull. Stalking, to say the least, was going to be difficult, but the intermittent breeze was in Baz’s favor. Baz was surprised that the bull didn’t pick up his movements and this will be explained later.
Aaron said to Rick Baz’s friend from the USA to take a shot with his 500 B&M. Rick declined the offer and as the distance was too great for his particular rifle. Baz said that he would attempt the stalk by going to the “halfway tree”. Rick said to use his scope sighted 500 B&M but Baz declined and said that he would use his open sighted Searcy 500 nitro express. The problem was getting within about 100 yards (90m) which would be very difficult considering it was open country. Baz started to stalk barefooted to minimize the sound and very slowly made his way to the tree. The intermittent breeze was still favorable but Baz was concerned as the open sighted double’s front foresight basically blocked the view of half the bull.
By this time the breeze was slowly picking up but in the right direction blowing towards Baz and fortunately the bull, at this stage anyway, wasn’t aware of Baz. Baz indicated when he looked back at the others watching him that he would have a shot at the scrub bull. Steadied against the tree, Baz sighted this massive bull up! Baz then realized that the front bead on the Searcy blocked out the shoulder area on the bull. Baz aimed a little higher than he normally would have for a shoulder shot and fired.
Baz could not see the impact because of the recoil but was fairly sure he had hit the bull which was later confirmed by the others looking through the binoculars. They saw the bullet hit the bull and saw the bull jump thus confirming the hit. Baz stood there for what seemed an eternity, but in reality, was about half a minute. Baz turned to the others and indicated that he would follow up the bull to the top of a small ridge. There was the old bull standing there at about 20 yards (18 M) just over the crest of the hill. Baz could see that the shot had hit about a foot back from a shoulder. This time Baz fired the right barrel and then the left barrel and the scrub bull was hit him in the middle of the neck.
Unbelievably, the bull did not even flinch and just walked off regardless. Baz reloaded and hurried along to close the gap before the bull escaped and fired a shot from a standing position. The bullet only grazed the bull! Baz fired again and drove another shot into his left rump. Baz expected the shots to slow the bull down but, they did not even appear to affect the bull. The scrub bull didn’t even limp or appear to be affected and walked away at a fair pace out of Baz’s sight.
It was amazing that the bull could even walk after 3 solid body shots from a 500 nitro express, and one in the rump. By now the scrub bull was leaving a very good blood trail to follow and Baz started the tracking. Baz decided to reload the Searcy but to his horror he soon discovered that he had only one round left! OMG!
Now this is the interesting part, as Baz was slowly walking forward with his head down following the blood trail. We readers should be mindful of the following situation because it can happen to us. With only one round left and one very large wounded scrub bull, the situation was going from an ideal hunt to a potentially very dangerous one rather rapidly. Whilst Baz was checking his pockets and ammunition bag, he had the funny feeling of being watched and when he took his eyes off the blood trail, there was the scrub bull not 15 yards (13–14 m) from him. OMG!!
There were no trees to climb: only light scrub bushes! By now the bull had blood streaming out of his nostrils and was staring at Baz from his one good eye. The scrub bull had lost an eye obviously in a fight and had a broken horn and this is perhaps why the bull didn’t spot Baz’s movements in the open country. The scrub bull was lining Baz up for the kill!
I guess this is the time in your life when you sure hope nothing goes wrong with the one and only shot left as Baz raised the 500 nitro and put the bead between the bull’s-eyes. The bull started his charge just as the bullet hit him below the eyes on his nose. Fortunately for Baz, the bull dropped dead. The other members arrived in the Toyota after struggling to get through some really rough country just in time to see the bull start his charge. They commented that they saw the bull get hit by the bullet and the impact lifted the bull off the ground. Wow!
Baz stood motionless with total admiration for the toughness of the old one horned one eyed scrub bull (sounds like an old song). Baz and the others were relieved to see the old scrub bull was finally dead. It just goes to show you that when tracking dangerous game is a good idea to watch what is around you and not just follow up blood trail.
Baz has shot numerous scrub bulls before with his 460 Weatherby Magnum and in Zimbabwe, Baz shot a cape buffalo with a 500 nitro express and in Australia Baz shot Australian buffaloes. Baz says he has never come across a tougher animal in his 50 years of hunting than that massive old scrub bull. Baz said that the bull would have been a third again the size of a large bull. This scrub bull had scars on his hide and loss of a horn and eye from fighting. He was indeed was an old warrior.
Baz and the others skinned the old scrub bull and Baz is getting the hide tanned. This tanned hide will reside in Aaron’s house demonstrating the 4 big 500 holes.
On this particular afternoon, Baz stalked a buffalo and shot him head on at about 20 yards (18m). The buffalo ran even though he was shot under the chin and the bullet entered the middle of the buffalo’s chest. However, it hit the buffalo a little bit low. It would appear that the buffalo was none the worse for the shot. The second shot was a high lung shot just behind the shoulder as the buffalo ran away from left to right. This shot literally knocked the buffalo down and Baz’s guide, Aaron from Outback Buffalo Safaris, mentioned that he had never seen a buff knocked over like that before. By now Baz was feeling extremely good particularly with the performance of the Searcy 500 Double and Woodleigh soft points.
After a couple of mandatory photos and skinning, Baz and party went of looking for another old bull and this is where it got interesting. At this stage the temperature was climbing a little with a very slight breeze which made it fairly ideal for hunting. Baz’s party spotted a massive brindle scrub bull about 200 yards (180m) out in the open with a small ridge behind him. In between them was one small tree about the size of a telegraph pole about half way out to the bull. Stalking, to say the least, was going to be difficult, but the intermittent breeze was in Baz’s favor. Baz was surprised that the bull didn’t pick up his movements and this will be explained later.
Aaron said to Rick Baz’s friend from the USA to take a shot with his 500 B&M. Rick declined the offer and as the distance was too great for his particular rifle. Baz said that he would attempt the stalk by going to the “halfway tree”. Rick said to use his scope sighted 500 B&M but Baz declined and said that he would use his open sighted Searcy 500 nitro express. The problem was getting within about 100 yards (90m) which would be very difficult considering it was open country. Baz started to stalk barefooted to minimize the sound and very slowly made his way to the tree. The intermittent breeze was still favorable but Baz was concerned as the open sighted double’s front foresight basically blocked the view of half the bull.
By this time the breeze was slowly picking up but in the right direction blowing towards Baz and fortunately the bull, at this stage anyway, wasn’t aware of Baz. Baz indicated when he looked back at the others watching him that he would have a shot at the scrub bull. Steadied against the tree, Baz sighted this massive bull up! Baz then realized that the front bead on the Searcy blocked out the shoulder area on the bull. Baz aimed a little higher than he normally would have for a shoulder shot and fired.
Baz could not see the impact because of the recoil but was fairly sure he had hit the bull which was later confirmed by the others looking through the binoculars. They saw the bullet hit the bull and saw the bull jump thus confirming the hit. Baz stood there for what seemed an eternity, but in reality, was about half a minute. Baz turned to the others and indicated that he would follow up the bull to the top of a small ridge. There was the old bull standing there at about 20 yards (18 M) just over the crest of the hill. Baz could see that the shot had hit about a foot back from a shoulder. This time Baz fired the right barrel and then the left barrel and the scrub bull was hit him in the middle of the neck.
Unbelievably, the bull did not even flinch and just walked off regardless. Baz reloaded and hurried along to close the gap before the bull escaped and fired a shot from a standing position. The bullet only grazed the bull! Baz fired again and drove another shot into his left rump. Baz expected the shots to slow the bull down but, they did not even appear to affect the bull. The scrub bull didn’t even limp or appear to be affected and walked away at a fair pace out of Baz’s sight.
It was amazing that the bull could even walk after 3 solid body shots from a 500 nitro express, and one in the rump. By now the scrub bull was leaving a very good blood trail to follow and Baz started the tracking. Baz decided to reload the Searcy but to his horror he soon discovered that he had only one round left! OMG!
Now this is the interesting part, as Baz was slowly walking forward with his head down following the blood trail. We readers should be mindful of the following situation because it can happen to us. With only one round left and one very large wounded scrub bull, the situation was going from an ideal hunt to a potentially very dangerous one rather rapidly. Whilst Baz was checking his pockets and ammunition bag, he had the funny feeling of being watched and when he took his eyes off the blood trail, there was the scrub bull not 15 yards (13–14 m) from him. OMG!!
There were no trees to climb: only light scrub bushes! By now the bull had blood streaming out of his nostrils and was staring at Baz from his one good eye. The scrub bull had lost an eye obviously in a fight and had a broken horn and this is perhaps why the bull didn’t spot Baz’s movements in the open country. The scrub bull was lining Baz up for the kill!
I guess this is the time in your life when you sure hope nothing goes wrong with the one and only shot left as Baz raised the 500 nitro and put the bead between the bull’s-eyes. The bull started his charge just as the bullet hit him below the eyes on his nose. Fortunately for Baz, the bull dropped dead. The other members arrived in the Toyota after struggling to get through some really rough country just in time to see the bull start his charge. They commented that they saw the bull get hit by the bullet and the impact lifted the bull off the ground. Wow!
Baz stood motionless with total admiration for the toughness of the old one horned one eyed scrub bull (sounds like an old song). Baz and the others were relieved to see the old scrub bull was finally dead. It just goes to show you that when tracking dangerous game is a good idea to watch what is around you and not just follow up blood trail.
Baz has shot numerous scrub bulls before with his 460 Weatherby Magnum and in Zimbabwe, Baz shot a cape buffalo with a 500 nitro express and in Australia Baz shot Australian buffaloes. Baz says he has never come across a tougher animal in his 50 years of hunting than that massive old scrub bull. Baz said that the bull would have been a third again the size of a large bull. This scrub bull had scars on his hide and loss of a horn and eye from fighting. He was indeed was an old warrior.
Baz and the others skinned the old scrub bull and Baz is getting the hide tanned. This tanned hide will reside in Aaron’s house demonstrating the 4 big 500 holes.
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