Rifle/ammo failure on Elephant

[Raven]

This is what I keep thinking: “The hunter would have been better off with a reliable bolt gun that he could handle” when I think of going afield with a double.

But at the same time, there are many safari videos where the bolt-action rifle has problems. And the thought comes to mind: "Why didn't he choose a double rifle?!"

 

[Russ16]

But at the same time, there are many safari videos where the bolt-action rifle has problems. And the thought comes to mind: "Why didn't he choose a double rifle?!"

The real question is why aren’t the practices with their gun regardless of type.

 

[Fordy]

The real question is why aren’t the practices with their gun regardless of type.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^. , This
Cheers

 

[Wildwillalaska]

Ok gents, how about impressions as to the issue with follow-up miss-fire?

Gateway to Africa, Episode 55. Big, beautiful 75lb-ish elephant day one. Gent obviously not a novice as he said this was his biggest elephant thus far. I am uncertain what double he’s shooting, and mostly curious if it was a situation of catching the spent case against his palm or something, then on follow up after closing the action he simply returned to his first barrel with empty case…or?

The initial shot and backup by his son is a little after minute 11:00, and then the elephant rises and he goes to give him another around 11:48, “Click..oh gosh..boom.” Gorgeous elephant, clean harvest, no tracking, so to be clear…zero criticism of the hunter, just curious of the click, oh gosh, boom part. (Ok, maybe one little thing I’m hyper cautious about from too many bear hunts, I don’t take any animal as dead until they don’t flinch from an approaching shot, but that’s just me. Seen too many bears, especially browns, go from drop dead, to dead run to think otherwise)

Great hunt and can only hope to find myself in a similar situation someday reasonably soon.

W

 

[rookhawk]

Regarding the comments about catching brass, its something that should never be done with a Double Rifle. They are much stiffer to open than a shotgun and obstructing their ejection could damage the ejectors or jam your gun in the heat of the moment.

Option 1: In the heat of the moment, tolerate your brass shooting over your shoulder and accept that 1:20 pieces will acquire a dent as they hit a hard surface.

Option 2: Heym does offer a bloody expensive option on their double rifles. You can get an extractor switch installed on the forend when made. This allows you to go to extractor only during practice so you can remove your brass, then turn on ejectors for hunting use. It's really cool, but I believe its several thousand dollars as an option....probably cheaper to just sacrifice a piece of brass every now and again.

 

[rookhawk]

Ok gents, how about impressions as to the issue with follow-up miss-fire?

Gateway to Africa, Episode 55. Big, beautiful 75lb-ish elephant day one. Gent obviously not a novice as he said this was his biggest elephant thus far. I am uncertain what double he’s shooting, and mostly curious if it was a situation of catching the spent case against his palm or something, then on follow up after closing the action he simply returned to his first barrel with empty case…or?

The initial shot and backup by his son is a little after minute 11:00, and then the elephant rises and he goes to give him another around 11:48, “Click..oh gosh..boom.” Gorgeous elephant, clean harvest, no tracking, so to be clear…zero criticism of the hunter, just curious of the click, oh gosh, boom part. (Ok, maybe one little thing I’m hyper cautious about from too many bear hunts, I don’t take any animal as dead until they don’t flinch from an approaching shot, but that’s just me. Seen too many bears, especially browns, go from drop dead, to dead run to think otherwise)

Great hunt and can only hope to find myself in a similar situation someday reasonably soon.

W

Sidebar comment. I am in no way an expert elephant hunter nor am I a wizard at judging ivory, but I find the 75lb claim to be incredulous. I've passed on many elephants that size that weren't going to top 40-44 pounds. I'm not seeing much circumference at the lip and I'm seeing a dramatic taper to the tips that aren't worn down at all. I just don't know how the hell that gets to anywhere near 75lbs.

53lbs a side for comparison on a huge, 13,000lb Hwange-Bots cooridor bull:

 

[Fordy]

Gday rookhawk

Regarding the comments about catching brass, its something that should never be done with a Double Rifle. They are much stiffer to open than a shotgun and obstructing their ejection could damage the ejectors or jam your gun in the heat of the moment.

Option 1: In the heat of the moment, tolerate your brass shooting over your shoulder and accept that 1:20 pieces will acquire a dent as they hit a hard surface.

Option 2: Heym does offer a bloody expensive option on their double rifles. You can get an extractor switch installed on the forend when made. This allows you to go to extractor only during practice so you can remove your brass, then turn on ejectors for hunting use. It's really cool, but I believe it’s several thousand dollars as an option....probably cheaper to just sacrifice a piece of brass every now and again.

option 1 seems the better option as it sums it all up with the words of “heat of the moment “
Yes this builds muscle memory where as option2 your conditioning your muscle memory up for failure in the “heat of the moment “ along with the mechanical aspects of the rifle itself

Cheers

 

[Russ16]

Regarding the comments about catching brass, its something that should never be done with a Double Rifle. They are much stiffer to open than a shotgun and obstructing their ejection could damage the ejectors or jam your gun in the heat of the moment.

Option 1: In the heat of the moment, tolerate your brass shooting over your shoulder and accept that 1:20 pieces will acquire a dent as they hit a hard surface.

Option 2: Heym does offer a bloody expensive option on their double rifles. You can get an extractor switch installed on the forend when made. This allows you to go to extractor only during practice so you can remove your brass, then turn on ejectors for hunting use. It's really cool, but I believe its several thousand dollars as an option....probably cheaper to just sacrifice a piece of brass every now and again.

Strange it is so expensive. My beretta SxS has that with just moving a switch with a screw driver.

 

[hwr239]

I've seen enough Hornady failures to know I won't use their ammo.

 

[hwr239]

Hi guys!

Not sure if this video is already here, but I would like to know why so many shoots? (its normal?) and why the rifle /ammo failure?

pew-pew starts at 36 min mark

I'll pass on using Hornady ammo!

 

[sgt_zim]

But at the same time, there are many safari videos where the bolt-action rifle has problems. And the thought comes to mind: "Why didn't he choose a double rifle?!"

I saw the video before it was made private. I don't believe the rifle was malfunctioning, I believe it was, in IT parlance, either an ID10T error or a PEBKAC (Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair) error.

 

[mitch4570]

I still recall some of the lessons Coach Randow imparted to us in high school basketball practice way back in the 1980s: "Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect."

If you practice bad habits, you're going to express those habits in the game.

To that end, I see even an awful lot of PHs with magazine rifles who drop their rifle off their shoulder to work the bolt and reload. I can't be the only guy in the universe who reloads with his rifle still shouldered. Perhaps I am overly anal about such things, but further wisdom from Coach Randow: take care of the little things, and the big things will take care of themselves. It's a terrible thing to lose the war because of one poorly-shod horse.

Ues it drives me crazy to watch all the people on videos drop there rifle to rack it. Even looking down at the rifle while tje dangerous game is running away!

 

[mark-hunter]

I cannot open that video!?

 

[PerH]

I cannot open that video!?

Likely made private by uploader .

 

[grand veneur]

Ues it drives me crazy to watch all the people on videos drop there rifle to rack it. Even looking down at the rifle while tje dangerous game is running away!

Sitting in an armchair at home everything is always very easy to comment. In practice and especially in a wrong situation by hunting DG, things look often very different, including how to reload your rifle. That is not always easy when you have shouldered the rifle, especially with heavy big bore rifles.

 

[grand veneur]

I cannot open that video!?

The video shows some poor moments during an elephant hunt. So the first feeling when you watch the video, but we have to be careful because it is easy to judge and criticize from home. In practice, we all are not always in all situations the most skilled.