Frederik
AH legend
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2009
- Messages
- 2,475
- Reaction score
- 5,929
- Location
- South Africa, Gauteng
- Media
- 202
- Articles
- 2
- Member of
- BASA - Big Bore Association of South Africa
- Hunted
- South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique and Sweden
Last year when helping to build a BASA big bore range here in KZN midlands plans were made for a return shoot and also an invitation to have a crack at a proper common reedbuck past breeding age. Well this has come to pass!
First up a video of last years Big Bore shoot just for the hell of it and since it is Africa and it's bloody good fun.
So instead of coming down to KZN on Thursday to build the range on Friday for the shoot on Saturday I decided to get down on Wednesday and as my host where I would stay told me be here at 3pm well I missed the deadline by 42 minutes as low flying is not really possible with roadworks on the 572km trip and speed cameras everywhere.
As quickly as I arrived litterally dumping my gear Henning told me grab your rifle and lets go the weather was perfect slight breeze from one constant direction and it was hot for the 22nd of July around 25C.
Half an hour later we were glassing the area where Henning spotted two potential rams that qualifies as past breeding.
Then Henning tells me we are too early the big rams only come out to graze when the sun dips on the horizon and my mind goes into why the hell did I try to make 3pm deadline then
Anyway neither here or there I was here glassing the kingdom of Zululand after a majestic Reedbuck.
We took a drive around the Sugarcan fields and Pecan trees and then out of the blue here was a common Reedbuck ram not 30 yrds from us glaring at use hidden by grass.
Henning said that was the younger ram although he looked fine to me Henning said he still has 2 years to go at least and was glassing to see if we could spot his buddy the bigger older ram.
Sun was suppose to dip behind the hill before the rams would come out and graze in the open
We didn't drive 20 meters further when the bigger ram popped out next to the two track road. We were boxed in the wind was going to blow towards him if we drove past and tried to stalk in and he was also going to be on the hill and spot us stalking in from below. Reedbuck 1 hunters 0.
So Henning told me lets take a drive to the other side and see what they do and so we did then Henning dropped me off at a spot and we saw the younger ram coming out to graze and he left the area. We were hoping the larger ram would follow the younger one but he outsmarted us.
My view waiting for the older ram to come out to my right the younger ram was already grazing.
With the wind perfect I must have moved to much and the younger ram got alerted and started whistling they have very sharp eyesight. I then thought this is it the older ram will surely come out now and follow the younger one but he had other ideas and never came out.
When he went on his merry way Henning came back to collect me and told me he spotted another ram coming out to graze and we hurried in the direction as time and light was quickly fading. Henning gave the ram a proper lookover and gave me the thumbs ups he was the other older ram that was on his list.
The range was over 200 meters and with half his body hidden by tall grass and scrubs I was not too confident of making the shot. So we manage another 35 meters closer and a bit more elevation to see over the grass and scrub a bit more.
Then it came the buck fever waiting for the ram to present a proper angled shot with light fading and having to shoot and find a good angle over the grass and scrub.
I was squeezing the trigger of the 6.5x55 Carl Gustav loaded with 140gr Spoor bullets when he suddenly dropped his head and was frontal again. Then we had to wait a long time again for him to present a better shot with the light fading.
Eventually my heart settled and he was slightly quartering range was 165meters and I aimed for the point of the shoulder so the bullet will exit the back of the opposite shoulder. Aiming a bit higher than normal for bullet drop and clearing the grass and scrubs.
As the shot went off the clear thud of a proper hit returned and the Reedbuck was down reloading and making sure he wouldn't get up from a high spine shot we waited 2 minutes before moving closer.
There he laid in all its splendor beautiful common Reedbuck ram of my dreams.
We quickly set him up for photos and caught some nice ones with the sun well below the horizon.
Another great hunt although short hunt with the other ram that outsmarted us really happy with this ram and the performance once again of the humble 6.5x55 Carl Gustav even though the rifle is from 1898.
First up a video of last years Big Bore shoot just for the hell of it and since it is Africa and it's bloody good fun.
So instead of coming down to KZN on Thursday to build the range on Friday for the shoot on Saturday I decided to get down on Wednesday and as my host where I would stay told me be here at 3pm well I missed the deadline by 42 minutes as low flying is not really possible with roadworks on the 572km trip and speed cameras everywhere.
As quickly as I arrived litterally dumping my gear Henning told me grab your rifle and lets go the weather was perfect slight breeze from one constant direction and it was hot for the 22nd of July around 25C.
Half an hour later we were glassing the area where Henning spotted two potential rams that qualifies as past breeding.
Then Henning tells me we are too early the big rams only come out to graze when the sun dips on the horizon and my mind goes into why the hell did I try to make 3pm deadline then
Anyway neither here or there I was here glassing the kingdom of Zululand after a majestic Reedbuck.
We took a drive around the Sugarcan fields and Pecan trees and then out of the blue here was a common Reedbuck ram not 30 yrds from us glaring at use hidden by grass.
Henning said that was the younger ram although he looked fine to me Henning said he still has 2 years to go at least and was glassing to see if we could spot his buddy the bigger older ram.
Sun was suppose to dip behind the hill before the rams would come out and graze in the open
We didn't drive 20 meters further when the bigger ram popped out next to the two track road. We were boxed in the wind was going to blow towards him if we drove past and tried to stalk in and he was also going to be on the hill and spot us stalking in from below. Reedbuck 1 hunters 0.
So Henning told me lets take a drive to the other side and see what they do and so we did then Henning dropped me off at a spot and we saw the younger ram coming out to graze and he left the area. We were hoping the larger ram would follow the younger one but he outsmarted us.
My view waiting for the older ram to come out to my right the younger ram was already grazing.
With the wind perfect I must have moved to much and the younger ram got alerted and started whistling they have very sharp eyesight. I then thought this is it the older ram will surely come out now and follow the younger one but he had other ideas and never came out.
When he went on his merry way Henning came back to collect me and told me he spotted another ram coming out to graze and we hurried in the direction as time and light was quickly fading. Henning gave the ram a proper lookover and gave me the thumbs ups he was the other older ram that was on his list.
The range was over 200 meters and with half his body hidden by tall grass and scrubs I was not too confident of making the shot. So we manage another 35 meters closer and a bit more elevation to see over the grass and scrub a bit more.
Then it came the buck fever waiting for the ram to present a proper angled shot with light fading and having to shoot and find a good angle over the grass and scrub.
I was squeezing the trigger of the 6.5x55 Carl Gustav loaded with 140gr Spoor bullets when he suddenly dropped his head and was frontal again. Then we had to wait a long time again for him to present a better shot with the light fading.
Eventually my heart settled and he was slightly quartering range was 165meters and I aimed for the point of the shoulder so the bullet will exit the back of the opposite shoulder. Aiming a bit higher than normal for bullet drop and clearing the grass and scrubs.
As the shot went off the clear thud of a proper hit returned and the Reedbuck was down reloading and making sure he wouldn't get up from a high spine shot we waited 2 minutes before moving closer.
There he laid in all its splendor beautiful common Reedbuck ram of my dreams.
We quickly set him up for photos and caught some nice ones with the sun well below the horizon.
Another great hunt although short hunt with the other ram that outsmarted us really happy with this ram and the performance once again of the humble 6.5x55 Carl Gustav even though the rifle is from 1898.
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