World First! African Lion Hunted With A PCP Air Rifle

[NamStay]

 

[Karabo Semele]

Wow, awesome

 

[VertigoBE]

I have mixed feelings about this. For me it falls in the category, "it's not because you can, that you should".

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Interesting. Seems like they should be riding in an electric Land Rover too.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I bet he shot his eye out.

 

[TKessel]

I have mixed feelings about this. For me it falls in the category, "it's not because you can, that you should".

Well said!

 

[mark-hunter]

I have mixed feelings about this. For me it falls in the category, "it's not because you can, that you should".

Agreed. I have the same feeling myself.

I also wonder what else some outfitters will allow? 22? Pistols?

 

[Zambezi]

I haven't checked the regs but wouldn't that PCP fall short of energy requirements etc etc...?

Personally I think this type of stunt is just going to cause an uproar outside the hunting fraternity...and within!

Could I? Yes
Should I? No
Would I? No

 

[mdwest]

Dangerous Game with air rifles has been going on for quite a while at this point (although this is the first I have heard of a lion being hunted with one..

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/cape-buffalo-with-an-air-rifle.43473/

Im in the "mixed feelings" category on this one..

Nothing illegal about it.. so.. who am I to judge? there are plenty of bow hunters that disdain rifle hunters.. plenty of rifle hunters that disdain "long range" hunters, etc.. I think one of the biggest problems in the hunting community is that it is often ununited and suffers internal conflict.. which makes it more vulnerable to anti's, greenies, etc..

But on the other hand.. I also question its safety and humanity.. At the end of the day, the PH and/or Outfitter have to make the call and determine if its adding unnecessary danger to the hunt and/or whether or not the weapon system has the ability to kill the animal quickly and humanely..

I suppose once its been done another couple of dozen times we'll have a better understanding of those things.. but I'd think until its been done safely and humanely several times, that will remain in question..

 

[VertigoBE]

I haven't checked the regs but wouldn't that PCP fall short of energy requirements etc etc...?

Personally I think this type of stunt is just going to cause an uproar outside the hunting fraternity...and within!

Could I? Yes
Should I? No
Would I? No

Even if the caliber and the joules might be just sufficient within 15m, an air rifle still seems a bad idea when dangerous game is concerned.

And I agree, this is a stunt, there is no practical reason to be using this. The only advantage PCP has is in sound. Yet it will always underperform for the same weight (both the bullet and the 'rifle')

 

[CJW]

A round nosed 250 gr bullet at 750 fps. If the tiniest thing goes wrong when that trigger is squeezed......

 

[Ryan]

What is you take on this @NamStay?

 

[rookhawk]

250gr bullet at 700fps.

Not saying this will ruin sport hunting, but if you wanted to ruin sport hunting this might be the way.

The reaction to the shot was somewhat odd, I don’t understand why the lion wasn’t on the crew like white on rice. Even with a blown out heart that 24 yard sprint should have been instant.

 

[Tanks]

...

The reaction to the shot was somewhat odd, I don’t understand why the lion wasn’t on the crew like white on rice. Even with a blown out heart that 24 yard sprint should have been instant.

CBL, probably thought it was going to be fed.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Thinking more about this, the air rifle has roughly the same energy as a 45 ACP. It seems like a worse idea now.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

At the very beginning... the script at the bottom... Afican??? Really? You put that much effort into a video and misspell the continent?

 

[rookhawk]

At the very beginning... the script at the bottom... Afican??? Really? You put that much effort into a video and misspell the continent?

I caught that and didn’t want to seem petty. I also noticed his $189 Hawke made in china scope and wanted to say something smartass but bit my tongue.

I still question why the thing didn’t lunch them all. CBL would be extra dangerous. In my opinion the lion seemed “extra drugged”.

 

[Frederik]

It was sickening for me to watch and I wonder what the permit application looked like if they specified PCP or just the caliber?

This is not wat a CBL hunt looks like.

 

[sureshot375]

So I’m sure there are air guns capable of taking all manner of big game. Lions are not particularly tough to kill with proper shot placement.

Generally when one uses a lesser weapon it’s because it adds to the challenge. In this case it’s a CBL that they walk up to and shot. Lion was probably wondering where his lunch was.

It really isn’t impressive. Reminds me of the girl who shot a Cape buffalo with some kind of air rifle from a blind while it munched on a bale of hay.

I’m just not interested in this. I try not to get worked up about these things as long as it’s legal. I generally won’t make negative comments even if it’s something I think is distasteful; however, bragging about this world first accomplishment is a bit more than I can ignore.

 

[1dirthawker]

hmmm,

there is no question that the gun is NOT overpowered, so the question is, well how much is enough gun to be "satisfactory" to the nay sayers???

don't get me wrong, i think this is a bit of a stunt, however so is shooting a stalked lion with a bow. if you hunted 5 lions with a bow, i don't believe a hunter would survive. the lion is going to get pissed and turn on the hunter. without a backup, well, that would be that. this is a similar deal.

however, all lion hunters have backup even with relatively powerful rifles as well. if something goes wrong, or the hunter does not shoot well, the PH steps in and solves said problem. what is the difference other than the rifle hunter with a proper caliber has a gun that is more capable of delivering more energy/destruction to said lion?? either way, both hunters, air rifle, bow or double rifle have a backup in the PH.

it seemed the lion died relatively quickly, so what is the gripe?? not enough gun? not traditional?

I have seen pcp air rifles with arrows in them that are way more powerful than bows and kill cape buffalo very effectively. although i would not want to hunt a lion with a pcp, i have seen them dispatch eland pretty effectively.

btw, i have pcp air rifles, and more than 10 years ago possibly killed the first black bear with one since lewis and clark. this video just goes to show that a properly placed bullet will kill effectively.