BOTSWANA: Double Rifle Safari Part II Botswana

cal pappas

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Fellas:
After a wonderful and productive week in South Africa I went on to Botswana to hunt with Jaco Visser of Nkwe Safaris. And what a hunt it was! All game was taken with one shot with the .450-400 ( but I put in a finishing shot on two critters even though they were down but still breathing. The animals here are amazing both as to quality and quantity. Ranges went from 30 yards (kudu) to 160 yards (female gemsbok).

All totaled I took (in order) an old warthog, two eland, three gemsbok, nice warthog, impala, black wildebeest, kudu, and another old warthog. 11 animals total. I will return and concentrate on a 15" warthog, 40" eland, ane 60" kudu. Jaco's 90,000 acre property is owned by his cousin and Jaco conducts the hunts.

Highlights: tracked eland for 90 minutes and came upon a young but fully mature bull. After the hunt and returning to the vehicle Jaco spotted a second herd and offered me another at half price as he as so many. By 10 am two bulls at 37-38" were down. On the older male, note the hole ahrad of the rear leg. He was gored by another bull and leaking fluid. The bullet hole is barely seen at the shoulder.

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Next day I took a nice 37" gemsbok and in the afternoon an old female gemsbok with bases large enough she looked like a male. She was 39" and half price. On the drive home at last light Jaco offered me a third gemsbok for camp meat. I shot the last five minutes of daylight and dropped another. It was no charge as it was for meat. Turns out it was a HUGE male at 40 1/2"! True to his word, it was mine to keep!

Nkwe had my 100% recommendation!!

After Botswana, it was off to vacation for two weeks in Zimbabwe and visti friends in Harare, Bulawayo, and a week at Kariba. Went to the Bulawayo Club for two dinners. An absolute recommendation for a wonderful meal and historical surroundings. Enjoy!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
What make is your 450/400? My son keeps telling me that I need one of those.
 
Hi Cal, glad to see you had another great hunt! Isn't a 160 yard shot with any double a very long shot? (your gemsbok).
 
Well done, some impressive critters. Thanks for posting
 
Shootist43: The .450-400 I used is by Harrison and Hussey. The details are posted in my South Africa report.
You should get one! It's the best all around caliber for a double. In fact, I have a wonderful Gibbs .450-400 that will be for sale when it returns from the gunsmith (it's having a makeover as it was quite worn from a lifetime of use by a Zimbabwe PH). I expect several more months and I will have it and put it up for sale with a dozen other doubles I have.

Sierraone: Yes, it's long but my South Africa hartebeeste was 219 yards (over a very steady seated rest). There is a trick to it and it works 100% of the time.
Cal
 
Shootist43: The .450-400 I used is by Harrison and Hussey. The details are posted in my South Africa report.
You should get one! It's the best all around caliber for a double. In fact, I have a wonderful Gibbs .450-400 that will be for sale when it returns from the gunsmith (it's having a makeover as it was quite worn from a lifetime of use by a Zimbabwe PH). I expect several more months and I will have it and put it up for sale with a dozen other doubles I have.

Sierraone: Yes, it's long but my South Africa hartebeeste was 219 yards (over a very steady seated rest). There is a trick to it and it works 100% of the time.
Cal
Cal, you and I both know that my knowledge and practice with a double is very limited. But I never would have believed one could make shots at those ranges with a double! It looks like I will have to do more reading/research on the question! Once again congratulations.
 
Looks like you had a great hunt! Congrats and thanks for sharing!
 
Very cool, congrats on a great hunt!
 
Congrats for a great hunt !
 
Congratulations on an amazing hunt! Now I need to hunt down the SA report!!
 
You are the master with a double sir. Congrats!
 
Great hunt and awesome animals!

Curious, how did you travel from your RSA hunt to the hunt in Botswana? Drive? Fly?
 
After the shot did you have to track either eland?

Great looking animals. Been looking a lot at eland and very intrigued. From
What I’ve read they are an incredibly tough animal and can take a punch or three before going down for the count.
 
Great hunt. Great trophies. With a great rifle. Congratulations!
 
Cal, you and I both know that my knowledge and practice with a double is very limited. But I never would have believed one could make shots at those ranges with a double! It looks like I will have to do more reading/research on the question! Once again congratulations.
Shootist:
Email and I will tell you the secret. <pappas@mtaonline.net>
No, I'll tell it all here. When a scope is added to a double the bullet placement changes. Regulate the rifle to be accurate with a scope then it may not be accurate with open sights.
So, I installed the scope and only sight in the one barrel I shoot first. With me it's the left barrel, rear trigger.
By doing so I have a very accurate single shot rifle that will shoot open sights as it always did.
Cheers,
Cal
 
Please let me know when the other 450/400 is ready to sell. I’m ready for my first double.
 
Send me your email and I will send you pics and the details from the Gibbs ledger. It's th emost complete ledger I've seen with the name of each fella that worked on the rifle, what he did, how much time he spent, and his charge. The rifle cost $485 in 1906! Came wiht leaf sights to 600 yards, a scope (since lost to time) and a Lyman tang sight (also gone). I have a non original case that is old and it fits. Will supply several boxes of brass and hopefully its history in Zimbabwe (the PH's son is digging up information on the rifle now for a magazine article).
Cal
 
Send me your email and I will send you pics and the details from the Gibbs ledger. It's th emost complete ledger I've seen with the name of each fella that worked on the rifle, what he did, how much time he spent, and his charge. The rifle cost $485 in 1906! Came wiht leaf sights to 600 yards, a scope (since lost to time) and a Lyman tang sight (also gone). I have a non original case that is old and it fits. Will supply several boxes of brass and hopefully its history in Zimbabwe (the PH's son is digging up information on the rifle now for a magazine article).
Cal
Email is sent.
John
 
Congratulations on a great hunt. Thanks for posting the report and photos.
 

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