World First! African Lion Hunted With A PCP Air Rifle

[CJW]

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.

Why the gripe and why the naysayers? Because IMO if the slightest thing goes wrong like that lion turns just a hair at the shot or if the shot just happens to be off the mark, it no longer is a well thought out and well placed shot. Now you have a very low velocity, round nose lead slug angered and dangerous lion. Even if the PH has a rifle so it can be tracked down and finished, it wasn't ethically killed.

The truth is that hunts do go wrong quite frequently even with the most proper equipment. Is the hottly debated lion where we want this experiment to play out?

I am all for supporting different means of hunting but I have standards and I will draw a line. If I won't hunt in a certain fashion by myself, I won't hunt in that fashion just because there is a PH there. Lion by myself with an air rifle with velocities equalling a close defense pistol? No way.

 

[CJW]

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

When I looked up the ballistics for these things I was expecting to be blown away. After doing my research a close in coyote is largest predator I would go after with one of these things.

This makes a 30-30 with a good flat nose solid look like a great idea.

 

[Frederik]

CJW, good post.

When taking on dagerous game or any game for the matter whatever you use to start the hunt you must also finish the hunt with. This was not a survival episode where you make do with what you have this was just to call the first lion hunt with a PCP.

If he was on his own without backup things could have been the same but if that shot was not true would like to see that PCP stop the lion.

 

[1dirthawker]

Because IMO if the slightest thing goes wrong like that lion turns just a hair at the shot or if the shot just happens to be off the mark, it no longer is a well thought out and well placed shot

i 100% agree with you. as i stated before, i think it is a bit of a stunt. (just like bow hunting DG) but using the above sentence and insert and arrow instead of a air gun, one has the same problem. nobody is going to stop a charging lion with a bow either.