SOUTH AFRICA: Late Season Safari With Bos en Dal SAFARIS

I loved getting your updates last week when we were within a few hours of each other hunting at the same time. Congrats on some nice trophies and in taking one of the biggest and smallest cats on the same hunt. The lioness is wonderful and that caracal is awesome. That wildcat hunt is luck of the draw and not many are taken.
 
Had a nice dinner and got to talk to the outfitter and owner of the lodge at dinner and got some solid sleep. Was still sound asleep when the alarm chimed vs waking up at 3AM to stare at the ceiling. Had a nice breakfast and headed out to check for tracks. about a hour and a half later we came across 3 sets of tracks walking down the road together. Driving around the huge blocks to see if the tracks came out anywhere along the way. In going around several blocks we determined that the 3 lions were in a specific block and dismounted and got on tracks over the next 2 1/2 hours the track separated and went three different ways. So the decision was made which to follow based on wind direction. Spent the next hour weaving in and out of the thick bush. We came to a point where she made a j hook and started back the way she came. We moved a bit off to the side of the track to keep our sent line away. Knowing that she should be close we slowed way down. The tracker was out front followed be the outfitter, Geritt, Me and Rikus. When the tracker froze with one foot in the air and backed up slowly. we moved forward and the lioness was about 30 yards to our right. Sticks went up and direction to shoot once I had a opening in the brush. 286gr Aframe was on its way right behind the shoulder slightly quartering away, right through the boiler room. She jumped straight up and did a 180 degree crow hop. My second shot from several yards closer put her down. One assurance shot in the chest and another in the spine and my lion was down for good. If I could have changed anything I would have used a softer bullet. all the aframes were complete pass through except the one in the spine. I am very happy with the rifle and my shooting. Since everything happened so fast the adrenaline dump didn't occur till after the shots were fired and done. We got her moved out to a open area for pictures and get her loaded up and taken back to the lodge.

A easy lunch and short nap. Headed back out to look for a impala or old warthog. but they weren't on the Africa provides list for my hunt. On this property and the next 2 we saw a number of female with young warthogs but no mature males. The drought is having it's effects on some species more than others. So after dinner we made plans to head to Limpopo the next morning.

View attachment 644138
Awesome lioness Dave!!!! Congratulations!!!!!
 
Forgot one little stop we made. Common sense dictated we give this guy at least 40 yards worth of space so he could crass the road into some low brush. I am usually in Africa during their winter months but this trip was starting into African summer. I previous trips I had seen one cobra crossing the road, one python, and one African bush snake. This was a first for a black mamba! and very good sized one to boot.

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Had a nice dinner and got to talk to the outfitter and owner of the lodge at dinner and got some solid sleep. Was still sound asleep when the alarm chimed vs waking up at 3AM to stare at the ceiling. Had a nice breakfast and headed out to check for tracks. about a hour and a half later we came across 3 sets of tracks walking down the road together. Driving around the huge blocks to see if the tracks came out anywhere along the way. In going around several blocks we determined that the 3 lions were in a specific block and dismounted and got on tracks over the next 2 1/2 hours the track separated and went three different ways. So the decision was made which to follow based on wind direction. Spent the next hour weaving in and out of the thick bush. We came to a point where she made a j hook and started back the way she came. We moved a bit off to the side of the track to keep our sent line away. Knowing that she should be close we slowed way down. The tracker was out front followed be the outfitter, Geritt, Me and Rikus. When the tracker froze with one foot in the air and backed up slowly. we moved forward and the lioness was about 30 yards to our right. Sticks went up and direction to shoot once I had a opening in the brush. 286gr Aframe was on its way right behind the shoulder slightly quartering away, right through the boiler room. She jumped straight up and did a 180 degree crow hop. My second shot from several yards closer put her down. One assurance shot in the chest and another in the spine and my lion was down for good. If I could have changed anything I would have used a softer bullet. all the aframes were complete pass through except the one in the spine. I am very happy with the rifle and my shooting. Since everything happened so fast the adrenaline dump didn't occur till after the shots were fired and done. We got her moved out to a open area for pictures and get her loaded up and taken back to the lodge.

A easy lunch and short nap. Headed back out to look for a impala or old warthog. but they weren't on the Africa provides list for my hunt. On this property and the next 2 we saw a number of female with young warthogs but no mature males. The drought is having it's effects on some species more than others. So after dinner we made plans to head to Limpopo the next morning.

View attachment 644138
Nicely done and beautiful lioness!!! Congratulations!!!
 

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Grz63 wrote on roklok's profile.
Hi Roklok
I read your post on Caprivi. Congratulations.
I plan to hunt there for buff in 2026 oct.
How was the land, very dry ? But à lot of buffs ?
Thank you / merci
Philippe
Fire Dog wrote on AfricaHunting.com's profile.
Chopped up the whole thing as I kept hitting the 240 character limit...
Found out the trigger word in the end... It was muzzle or velocity. dropped them and it posted.:)
Fire Dog wrote on AfricaHunting.com's profile.
2,822fps, ES 8.2
This compares favorably to 7 Rem Mag. with less powder & recoil.
Fire Dog wrote on AfricaHunting.com's profile.
*PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS FOR MY RIFLE, ALWAYS APPROACH A NEW LOAD CAUTIOUSLY!!*
Rifle is a Pierce long action, 32" 1:8.5 twist Swan{Au} barrel
{You will want a 1:8.5 to run the heavies but can get away with a 1:9}
Peterson .280AI brass, CCI 200 primers, 56.5gr of 4831SC, 184gr Berger Hybrid.
Fire Dog wrote on AfricaHunting.com's profile.
I know that this thread is more than a year old but as a new member I thought I would pass along my .280AI loading.
I am shooting F Open long range rather than hunting but here is what is working for me and I have managed a 198.14 at 800 meters.
That is for 20 shots. The 14 are X's which is a 5" circle.
 
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