When the rehearsal comes out exactly like the main performance

[Crishuntbrasil]

The 16-year-old son of a friend and client wanted to hunt a hippo, but he had no idea about the animal's anatomy and didn't know where to shoot! As a guide, I bought a life-size hippo target, placed it at 100 meters, explained the anatomy, and showed him where the brain was. He confidently shot the .416 Rigby at the paper target and did beautifully! When it came time for the actual hunt, he simply did the same… and everything went very well! That's how a good hunting guide should be!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Well done. Where was the North Fork CPS found?

 

[Troubleshooter]

Congratulations to the hunter and good on you for taking the time to properly train and rehearse him.

 

[Crishuntbrasil]

Well done. Where was the North Fork CPS found?

It went through the skull on both sides, the base of the brain, and stopped less than an inch from the skin on the opposite side. It followed a perfectly straight line. The hippo never knew what happened!

 

[Newboomer]

It went through the skull on both sides, the base of the brain, and stopped less than an inch from the skin on the opposite side. It followed a perfectly straight line. The hippo never knew what happened!

Good training pays off. More people should try it.

 

[Nhoro]

Good shot placement. I kind of expect a 416 solid to exit on that shot? I know it is a sort of hybrid soft /solid but I would be a little disappointed with the penetration. It is perfect for the hippo but I I would be worried on a big elephant bull especially frontal brain.

 

[steve white]

Things don't always exit hippos--lots of meat, bone combined with close range yawing of the bullet stops them, apparently.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Heartiest congratulations !

Hunting hippopotamus bulls on land (esp. in the sugarcane fields at night) ranks as my no. 1 favorite African dangerous game hunt of all time. Hippopotamuses are extremely tough framed and test bullets far more than Cape buffaloes do.

For a long time, I’ve exclusively preferred solids for hippopotamus.

But these days, I’ve recently begun to gravitate towards the Barnes TSX.

One observation I’ve made over the years through my experiences in the field: When using non expanding bullets under .458 caliber for body shots, the hippopotamus will frequently manage to make it into the water before expiring. Controlled expansion bullets for calibers under .458 bore really make a difference in kill time (such as Barnes TSX, Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, Swift A Frame or Northfork Cup Point Solids).