Borrowed Buffalo Rifles

[Guy Miner]

Just remembered these hunting stories, I'll keep them brief. Could have attached this to the "borrowed rifle" thread:

Friend of mine who has hunted many parts of the world booked a hunt for those BIG water buff running wild in Australia. The critters with the 6' wide horns! He has a nice older BRNO 375 H&H which he shoots well. Big heavy rifle, with nice leaf sights. I forget what scope he's got on it.

He gets to Australia - the 375 doesn't show up! :shock:

Off to buffalo camp he goes with the outfitter/guide/PH whatever they're called there, and is free to use the "camp rifle." Hmmm... It's a beat-up 308 Win bolt action of some sort with a 4x scope and 150 grain soft point factory ammo. Gulp... No opportunity to check the zero. Is assured that it shoots fine.

So, off they go, beat up 308 and 150 gr soft point ammo, after water buff, which I understand can be just as big, or bigger than Cape Buff... A stalk, a miss. Then realizing the rifle isn't well sighted-in, he stalks really close, to about 30 yards and makes a fatal shot. Later he was able to check the zero and found the rifle was off several feet at 100 paces! A few days later the 375 BRNO shows up. Sigh...

+++++++++++++++

On to Africa! My friend is quite a bowhunter and had hunted Africa before with both a 300 Win Mag and a bow. This time he wants Cape Buffalo, with a bow! Ya, he likes excitement... So, he hunts day after day. Finding buffalo, stalking buffalo, but never getting a shot. Finally his PH tells him "You have one day left to hunt, do you want to go home with a buffalo or not?"

So, early the next morning he's off with the PH's 375 rifle in hand. It is in great shape, though of course well used. I don't remember what kind of bolt action rifle he said that it was. Nor do I recall the ammo available, but it was some sort of good quality 375 H&H ammo, appropriate to the task. A bull is seen, a stalk is made, and according to my buddy "it was a bit of a rodeo" once the trigger was pressed. Apparently the trigger was pressed a few times and the bolt was worked with gusto! Some running was involved, though I do not know if it was running towards or away from the bull! :grin: Knowing my buddy, I suspect he was chasing the buffalo!

So there ya go, two borrowed rifles, both for big game. Both rifles worked, but only one was truly ready for a hunt.

Guy

 

[Africa Huntress]

Guy, I was ask my opinion and after giving it was then ask to give it on the open forum. I have tried hard not to post so as not to upset some here, as this is a fine forum with a lot of fine gentlemen

Guy, it is disgraceful what your friend experienced and he should make sure others who might be traveling to those locations to hunt are aware of his experience with those outfitters /guides/p.h.

Although we dont allow hunts to the general public we do have invited guests from time to time. It is a rule my grandfather laid down years ago. All rifles and scopes must be in excellent working condition and zeroed in before the guest arrives and then we require the guest to also shoot the rifle until he is comfortable with it and comfortable that it will shoot where he aims it.

Having hunted both types of buffalo, the Australian buffalo are similar to hunting a Texas longhorn. They both will charge under certain condition, but neither are as dangerous as a cape buffalo, but the client still had every right to expect the rifle put in his hands was in good working order and zeroed in, plus he should have been allowed to get use to the trigger, scope, and how and where it shoots.

I am also skeptical of the technique used for his bow hunt, if he went that many days without a kill shot opportunity

However, I am glad he scored on both hunts and brought back some fond memories, albeit, not all positive, but the end result was two hunts, two kills

Best Regards

Jamila

 

[Guy Miner]

Thanks!

Yes, he and the PH are both bowhunters, but just had one heck of a time getting close enough for a decent shot opportunity. Perhaps my friend wanted to get too close? I don't know.

He sure was appreciative of the quality rifle & good 375 ammo he was able to use on the African hunt.

Regards, Guy

 

[c. schutte]

I know it's a problem for rifles and ammo to show up. Someday I hope to go and it would just kill me if my stuff did not show. Especially considering a brand new project is really shaping up! :>)

 

[Guy Miner]

Ya, it would upset me a bit if my 375 vanished on a trip! Even if it showed up later.

I understand some airports are more hunter-friendly than others, and some places are simply best avoided while traveling with rifles. Not sure all the ins and outs of that though. I haven't yet flown commercially with a rifle.

Did fly to some places with a black rifle, issued by the USMC! :mrgreen:

Guy

 

[Europe]

We covered some of what I am about to say in the borrowed rifles thread, but wanted to further investigate the feelings of those here in regards to the following.

In simple terms, why is it so important to you take a particular rifle and shotgun when hunting in places like Africa ? Familiarity with the firearm, wanting to show other's the rifle that you used when you got home, fear that what you might have to hunt with when you get there will be like the rifle Guy's friend received in Australia or ?

We did it both ways but as time wore on we never took a firearm with us as we would travel first for business, then while there we would want to see and do other things, and if possible go on a hunt as well. Maybe we were lucky, but we were always afforded the opportunity to choose between a group of rifles and calibers and then was allowed to practice with it before the hunt. Overall--the hunt--was more important to us than the firearm used

And as Guy said, luggage gets lost, and hung up in customs. Some airports ;like Heathrow, are the worst, and even some airlines have a terrible track record---and this was before 9/11---now, I dont know if I would even try

 

[PJGunner]

There was a story on another site now long since gone posted by a fellow who'd built a rifle especially for his plains game hunt in Africa. He gets to S.A. and all his stuff arrives except his rifle. His PH made arrangements for the rifle to follow them to the camp and they went off into the bush. He ended up doing the entire hunt with a borrowed rifle in .300 H&H with what he said was the worst trigger he ever pulled.
At the end of his three week hunt his rifle had still not arrived. Seven months later his rifle was located at Heathrow airport locked up in customs impound. It was never reconciled as to whether it was a mistake or some anti-hunting clerk decided to sabotage the man's hunt. The site went belly up a short while later so we never did find out any more on that mess. Apparently it happened when he had to change planes. The good news was he got his rifle back.
Paul B.

 

[Europe]

Paul-- do you remember what he said about the hunt ? Did he get all the animals he wanted ? If yes, that would be the important part of the trip for me, the bad trigger would be a side note, so to speak---not downplaying his misfortune, but curious how others feel. thanks Paul

 

[c. schutte]

April,

Maybe it's just me but I would hate to use a rifle that was not mine. Obviously I would, I'm not that crazy! :>)

Here's the deal.............to me rifles have stories. That's the case with what has come to me from past generations. Those I add to and when I grab my dad's mannlicher I feel like he is there a little.

You remember well the story of a certain friend and a .340 wby. Believe you me that if I ever go to Alaska that rifle will be there for whatever hunt.

And the same can be said of a 9.3x64 ................... nuff said... :>)

 

[Europe]

Charles, it would be sacrilegious to not take that 340 to Alaska. BTW his granddaughter is back in Alaska. She enjoyed Africa but missed "home"

And I am sure Aleena ( and Jamila ) would smile if that 9.3 x 64 showed up in Africa. That may be the most expensive rifle you will ever own lol

However, if it didn't make it do you think they might have a rifle or two that you could use, maybe even one stamped H & H-------do you remember Aleena being chastised for liking the H & H 's ?

Either way, I hope you make both trips and take that lovely wife of yours with you, she also deserves a trip, or two.

 

[c. schutte]

I've already been warned that I can't go to Africa without her. :>)

 

[Nimrod84]

Europe,

I've used borrowed rifles and lent them to family and friends. Normally, when I am taking a gun on a trip it is because I am accustomed to it, know its condition and its operation. I'm particularly keen to know how to get additional shells into the chamber, operation of the safety and ballistics.

One borrowed rifle I used ended up using was for lefties. I'm right handed and could not get a quick shot off if my life depended on it. Thankfully the shot I had was at moderate range and I had time to setup. On a subsequent trip with the same guide, I brought my own rifle...

My first time hunting with a rifle, my borrowed 30-30 lever action jammed on me when a huge buck showed up about 70 yards away from me. Rifle was unloaded, per safety instructions from my father and I tried to ease a round into the chamber while it was sitting on my lap. The round jammed and the buck went merrily on his way...

I'm more picky on shotguns than rifles; as the fit and ease of mounting is so critical. Additional a lot of pump and semi-auto shotguns have their own idocencrices. For example, I've short stroked a number of them over the years and lost birds due to pulling the trigger on an un-chambered round. Muscle memory means a lot in getting the safety off on a flushing bird; I'm used to a tang safety and a lot of popular pumps and semi-auto's have the safety by the trigger.

Hunting trips / outings create memories, and like C.Schutte I want to have those memories connected to things I own and cherish.

Sorry I forgot to add, I've even borrowed a bow before. In South Africa the PH I hunted with had the same Jennings Buckmaster 2000, draw length and arrows. I got a Blue Wildabeast with the borrowed bow, but I had been practicing with its brother back home. Key point is as Africa Huntress noted, hunters need to practice with and know how to operate any equipment they bring or borrow.