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BATTLE FOR THE BEST

9mmP Police Pistols SIG Sauer P320

Glock 17 Gen5

Walther PPQ M2 5ˈˈ

Sellier&Bellot Hunting Ammo

DEFENCE EMERGENCY DRILLS

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by CHRIS PARGETER

Consider This...

Know Thy Neighbour TO ti

SPE E AN BE naïve at Many l e in settlements, s or mid surroundings wildl s, appear to think d anim just naturally stay I onc in the garden of a aught coup hose beloved little d. For discretion’s e dog’s disappearance to wandering or theft while I stood blocking their view of the paw print of a large female leopard in the damp soil. I thought it best not to frighten them.

We also had the occasional blackbacked jackal and spotted hyena coming into the village next to a game reserve on the Zambezi River. Leopard, too, were irregular visitors, and I knew from past experience that these had a taste for domestic cats. Later, the village and its surrounds had a semi-resident leopard which also favoured cat meat in addition to duiker and bushbuck. Lions walked around the perimeter of the village, passing quite close to the houses.

Parks & Wildlife staff and the older residents knew of our animal neighbours and were careful with their dogs at night. One morning, a newlyarrived hotel accountant noticed serious scratch marks across the roof of her car which was parked in the driveway. Suspecting vandals, she called the police and Parks & Wildlife. The conclusion was that a leopard had probably been crouching on her car roof as it stalked her cat, and as it jumped, it used its claws to gain traction on the polished painted surface.

Apparently, the lady was all for leaving. The local panel beater successfully removed the scratches. I would have kept them as a souvenir!

“I lived with my husband in the Kruger Park – I know what a spotted hyena sounds like,” said a new resident on a large sugarcane farm in southern Zululand, after being informed that what she’d heard could not be hyena. This intensively farmed area was home to certain antelope and the occasional leopard. I was doing a mammal survey of the district and I must admit I didn’t give her story much credit. A year later, on another farm close by, I found the tracks of a brown hyena. These animals wander over great distances – I knew of some about 50km away. A year later, two farmers hunting bushpigs at night, went to check on their bait and met a spotted hyena loudly whooping and giggling. Their powerful torch enabled them to correctly identify it. It had lived in the district for some three years, the only evidence of it being one call heard by the farmer’s wife and one set of tracks identified during that time – in a region where no sheep, goats or cattle were kept – only sugarcane!

During one of my visits to the various game reserves in northern KZN, I stayed in a village on the

10 | ManMAGNUM | September/October 2020

coast. I enjoyed eating my evening meal in a restaurant close to the river where they kept tame sheep for the patrons’ children to pet. I asked the manager if the sheep were secured at night, as they would make a nice meal for a leopard. “We secure them against theft,” he replied, adding that they weren’t worried about leopards; if there were any, they wouldn’t come onto the property. He said there hadn’t been leopards there since he was a boy. I told him there were indeed leopard around and they do go into the village. I advised him to lock up the sheep before dark.

During my next visit, I learned that they’d been late in bedding down the sheep one evening, and the assistant noticed that one was missing. He went back and found it ambling slowly along with a leopard directly behind it, obviously about to pounce. Fortunately, leopard, man and sheep all beat a hasty retreat. I politely reached for my beer to hide my ‘I told you so’ look.

Now the manager checks the sheep personally.

When some young British know-itall tourists arrived at Rhodesia’s Victoria Falls, we had to warn them that a bit of exploring around the hotel was okay, but entering the thick bush along the gorges was dangerous. Some found it hard to accept that elephant, lion and buffalo actually lived there, and that tourists leaving the pathways might well walk into them. One bunch, determined to disregard the advice, would wander around even after dark. We developed a simple warning for such tourists. Fresh elephant dung, kept in plastic bags, stays damp and smelly for hours. We would deposit these droppings just outside their rooms late at night, also emptying a bottle of Coca Cola around the dung as imitation urine, which looked extremely realistic.

This did the trick!

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FIVE PISTOLS HAD safe-action (SA) or double-action-only (DAO) type triggers while the H&K had a traditional DA/ SA. H&K’s P30 also differed in that it was a hammer-fired pistol – the others were striker-fired. To lower the H&K’s hammer on a loaded chamber, you depress a serrated catch on the rear of the slide.

Interchangeable grip back straps (palm swells) feature on five of the pistols while SIG offers different size frame modules for the P320 and the H&K goes one step further with interchangeable grip panels.

Five guns had their magazine releases located in the ‘proper’ position and were either ambidextrous or could be easily switched from left to right.

The release on the H&K was an ambi paddle located under the trigger guard.

Various sighting arrangement options are offered by the manufacturers. The SIG, Walther and Glock stood out with their SIGLite, TruGlo Tritium

H&

In 2016 the FBI announced that they were replacing their .40-calibre Glock pistols with 9mm Glocks. As has been the case since the 1930s, when the FBI changes equipment, other American law enforcement agencies tend to follow suit and a growing number of agencies have begun similar replacements.

With these developments in mind, I thought that a selection of modern, polymer, police pistols might make for an interesting Battle Royale. For this I received the following pistols: a Walther PPQ M2 5ˈˈ, a Heckler & Koch P30, a S&W M&P9 M2.0 Full Size, a Glock 17 Gen5, an FN 507, and a SIG Sauer P320.

Our six test guns were chambered in 9mmP and had polymer frames topped with steel/stainless steel slides. All had high-capacity magazines; those of the Walther and H&K held fifteen cartridges while the others held seventeen.

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14 | ManMAGNUM | September/October 2020

and Ameriglo front sights. These consist of a tritium dot surrounded by a highly visible ring making them equally visible in low and bright light conditions. As befits pistols designed for police service, all had rails for mounting lights, lasers or other tactical accessories, and unloaded weights of less than 0.85kg, making them comfortable for all day carry.

Becky and I tested each pistol for zero from an MTM K-Zone rest at 15 metres. All shot to point of aim and produced groups ranging from 45mm to 58mm which was more than satisfactory for their intended purpose.

WE THEN FIELD stripped, cleaned and lubricated each pistol which would be the only maintenance they received. If one malfunctioned at the range we would attempt to correct the problem on site. If that was not possible, the pistol would be scored up to that point and then put aside while we finished testing the remaining handguns.

I enlisted the help of Richard Cole and Dick Jones. They would grade each pistol on a 1 (worst) to 5 (best) scale in seven categories: reliability, ergonomics, trigger control, sights, recoil control, offhand accuracy and ease of reloading. These would then be added together to give each pistol a final score in each category.

We decided on the following drills: Colourful Plate Drill: the shooter begins facing twelve steel plates painted alternately white and blue. From ten metres he lifts his pistol and engages the white plates until all are down, then performs a combat reload and engages the blue plates. The next run is the same except the shooter begins with the blue plates and then transitions to the white plates. Score is the total time for both runs plus a five second penalty for hitting the wrong colour plate out of sequence or leaving a plate standing.

Steel El Presidente: the shooter faces three steel targets at fifteen metres. On the signal he lifts his pistol and double taps each target, then performs a combat reload and double taps

Richard Cole shooting the Colourful Plates Drill with the Walther.

SIG Sauer

FN

each target again. The drill is repeated three more times. Score is the total time for the four runs plus a five second penalty for any miss.

Nine + Nine Drill: the shooter faces two stands with a pair of cardboard targets at ten metres with a ‘no shoot’ target between each pair and a Birchwood Casey Self Setting Popper between the stands at twelve metres. On the signal, he lifts his pistol and double taps the right- or left-hand targets and then shoots the Popper which must be hit before he can proceed to double tap the remaining pair. He then performs a combat reload and repeats the drill. The drill is then run a second time. The score being the total time for both runs plus a five second penalty for any misses or hits on ‘no shoots’ that are not made up.

Assuming no misses, each shooter would run a minimum of 108 rounds through each pistol, and we would have a grand total of 1 944 rounds expended by the three shooters. Black Hills Ammunition (www.black-hills.com)

H&K

Glock

Walther

generously donated all the 9mm ammunition we needed and IPSC-type targets were provided by the Target Barn (www.targetbarn.com). To compare how each shooter performed we used a Competition Electronics (www. competitionelectronics.com) Pocket Pro shot timer.

On a chilly autumn morning we began with a pistol familiarization course. As the morning progressed into afternoon, the brass piled up. Shooting over, we sat down to discuss and score each pistol. As before, this resulted in a number of disagreements, arguments, snide remarks and challenges.

THE PISTOLS WERE GRADED AS FOLLOWS: (15 is a perfect score) Reliability: S&W (15); Walther (15); H&K (14); SIG (9); FN (9); Glock (15) Ergonomics: S&W (14); Walther (13); H&K (8); SIG (10); FN (12); Glock (10)

S&W

Trigger Control: S&W (13); Walther (14); H&K (9); SIG (11); FN (12); Glock (9) Recoil Control: S&W (13); Walther (13); H&K (12); SIG (10); FN (12); Glock (13) Sights: S&W (12); Walther (14); H&K (12); SIG (7); FN (13); Glock (14) Offhand Accuracy: S&W (14); Walther (15); H&K (13); SIG (14); FN (14); Glock (14) Ease of Reloading: S&W (14); Walther (14); H&K (5); SIG (11); FN (8); Glock (8) Reliability: The S&W, Walther and Glock tied with perfect scores. The SIG lost points because of several failures to feed and eject. Three shooters experienced a total of eight light strikes with the FN which failed to ignite cartridges.

Ergonomics: This was a very subjective call. The Walther lost two points as one shooter felt the grip was too short

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 15

and didn’ t care for the finger grooves. The FN’s magazine release came in for some criticism as being a bit difficult to manipulate. It was unanimous that the SIG’s grip frame was too narrow and the grip-toframe angle poor. We all found the Glock’s tendency to point high upon presentation a negative, while the H&K’s paddle magazine release was just too different for shooters used to that device being in the ‘proper’ position.

all pistols provi ded sufficient ac curacy

Trigger Control: The S&W and Walther triggers had a short take up and crisp let off. The SIG’s had such a short take up that it felt more like a SA which two shooters felt was too light for a pistol intended for police service, especially with no other external safety. The FN’s trigger was more than acceptable but was a bit gritty. The H&K’s DA/SA trigger came in for the usual complaints as the DA was quite heavy while the SA had a long take up. While we were all well-versed in the Glock’s Safe Action trigger, on this particular pistol it was extremely gritty which forced shooters to nurse it when shooting the plate racks and trying to avoid (unsuccessfully in a number of cases) hitting the no-shoot targets in the 9+9 Drill.

ABOVE: Richard Cole running the Steel El Presidente drill while Dick Jones times him.

LEFT: The author’s performance on the Nine + Nine Drill was not too shabby.

caused some rounds to wander away from where the shooter intended them to impact.

Recoil Control: The S&W, Walther, Glock, H&K and FN scores were all very close. We all felt that the SIG’s grip was too narrow and smooth, and the texturing not aggressive enough which allowed it to move around in your hand under recoil.

Sights: The Walther and Glock owned this category thanks to their bright and fast to acquire front sights. The FN’s sights were high and large, allowing for fast alignment, target acquisition and transitioning between targets.

As none of us are fans of the three white dot type sights, the S&W and

H&K lost points because of them. Two shooters felt the SIG’s sights were far too low.

Offhand Accuracy: While the Walther had the only perfect score, all the pistols provided sufficient accuracy for their intended purposes. The H&K came in last as its long trigger stroke

16 | ManMAGNUM | September/October 2020

Ease of Reloading: The S&W and Walther tied thanks to their easy to access magazine releases. The order of the other pistols is because their releases were either difficult to access, or operate (especially the H&K), or their magazines occasionally failed to drop free.

Once we were finished, I asked my friends which of the test pistols would be their choice if they were law enforcement professionals. Dick Jones said that while it was a difficult choice between the Walther and the S&W, he would choose the Walther thanks to its superior sights. Richard Cole seconded his choice because of the Walther’s sights and the fact that the grip fit much better in his small hands allowing superior control. As for yours truly, I have to admit that it was awfully close to being a three-way tie, but in the end I went with the S&W. While I agree the Walther’s sights were superior, I felt the Smith’s ergonomics and trigger were the best of the lot.

GMS Suppressors

Test Report

GAVIN SMITH OF GMS Suppressors in Caledon in the Western Cape, has been manufacturing suppressors since 1991. I received two models to test on my 7x64 Brenneke: the GMS Compact Reflex and the GMS Muzzle.

The Compact Reflex is 220mm long, 65mm of this fits over the barrel and 155mm extends in front of the muzzle. Tube diameter is 44mm and weight is 535g. I immediately f a v o u r e d t h e C o m p a c t Re f l e x

by JACQUES because it’s the shorter of the two BOSHOFF units; the GMS Muzzle does not fit over the barrel, it screws on the front.

Using my hunting load (175gr Hornady ELD-X bullets at 2 660fps) and the Compact Reflex, I experienced very little recoil over an X-bag at the bench and over shooting sticks. In fact, recoil was reduced to such a level that I felt comfortable that my son ( who is 8 years old) would be able to use it – he enjoyed the shooting session so much that I struggled to get him to stop.

GMS Suppressors claim that with their suppressors, noise is reduced by about 75%. While hunting without ear protection, I found the noise level quite tolerable. I did find that there was one significant enhancement: improved accuracy.

With the suppressor, groups were sub-MOA, but the point of impact was about half an inch higher at 100m.

I used the Compact Reflex on several hunts during the last couple of months and found that it absorbs bumps without any problem and it’s coating also protects against scratches. So far I have fired well over 200 rounds using the suppressor and my young son even bagged his first springbuck and later, his first impala, with the suppressor fitted to my rifle. The additional length on the barrel did not affect the balance, nor did it bother me while stalking in the bush.

The second suppressor model I received, the GMS Muzzle, is 213mm long and also has a tube diameter of 44mm. Sound and recoil were similarly considerably reduced, making the 7x64 easy to handle even for recoil shy shooters. Groups also stayed sub-MOA. All GMS suppressors are manufactured from aircraft-grade aluminium (6061 T6), are bead blasted and coated black.

Other colours are available on request. GMS Suppressors produce four rifle suppressor models: GMS Reflex, GMS Compact Reflex, GMS Muzzle and GMS Compact Muzzle, which are designed for all standard rifle calibres. Custom calibres can be manufactured on request. A wide range of handgun and semi-automatic rifle suppressors are also available.

Suggested retail price for the GMS Muzzle is R1 850 and for the GMS Compact Reflex is R1 950. A three-year guarantee is included. For more information contact GMS Suppressors on 078-468-4794 or visit their website www. gmssuppressors.co.za.

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 17

ABOVE LEFT: At dawn, (L-R) PH Blackie Swart, author and his son Tiaan Nel ready for the hunt. ABOVE RIGHT: (L-R) Blackie Swart, the tracker Brighton and the author with his buffalo.

Buffalo Hunt

by CORRIE NEL

The difference between theory and practice THE E I took y on a e farm uld lea n about b es and the intern red sh aceme eady d my o ngs sh go wro the ultimate textb

y first step in search of an old dagha Limpopo, I knew everything a man lo hunting from textbooks, old scriphad scoured all the resources, coms of experts and had n idea of what to do if . At that moment I was uffalo hunter. ith my rifle, a Blaser in case full of handloaded 300gr Barnes X-bullets – carefully developed with the expert help of Craig Rosser of Lekana Gun Shop in Polokwane. I was as ready as a plains game biltong hunter of many years could be for this ultimate challenge.

‘My’ bull was a specific individual in a group of fifteen old bulls destined for the international hunting market. One of his horn-tips was missing and this is what made it possible for me to stomp this hallowed ground where buffalo roam. The farmer, a friend, insisted that a PH, Johan (Blackie) Swart, accompany

me with his expert tracker, Brighton. I could take my son Tiaan along as photographer.

We reasoned that with a bit of luck everything would be over by 10am, allowing Blackie to help other hunters in our party to bag whatever plains game they were after. However, things were to turn out very differently. I realised that Blackie’s main task was to ensure that I did not mistakenly shoot the wrong bull, something that would be a costly mistake.

Blackie’s main task was to ensure that I did not mistakenly shoot the wrong bull, something that would be a costly mistake

AT SUNRISE WE were in the area of the farm where the buffalo were known to graze and soon encountered the herd. They were huge beasts with massive horns, ears in tatters and showing many old battle scars. They had not survived this long by being dumb and although we came within shooting range on three occasions, we were unable to find ‘my’ specific bull. It almost seemed as if the other bulls were shielding him from us with their bodies.

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 19

ABOVE LEFT: After hours of stalking we managed to get into position to watch the herd resting in the morning sun. Here the PH took great care to identify my bull. ABOVE CENTRE: Tracking was the name of the game.

Around 10am the herd decided to take a rest in the shade of a large marula tree. We thus had to stalk closer by sliding on our backsides and leopard crawling. Eventually we managed to creep in behind the cover of some small red bushwillow. The herd was now only about 60m away. Blackie glassed the bulls and whispered that my buffalo was resting on its own, to the right of the herd. It was time to shoot – quickly. I was behind Blackie and had to try to get in a position to take the shot without chasing off the animals. The buffalo were resting, but still extremely alert and our movements attracted their attention. When I was only halfway into position, the bull picked up his massive head and was looking in our direction. “Shoot, shoot,” Blackie whispered. I was uncomfortable and leaning to my left to get the sights on target. I

20 | ManMAGNUM | September/October 2020

could only see the head, but I knew the target made for a fatal shot. I pulled the trigger and the Blaser roared.

Through the scope I could see the bull jump up. As I looked up there was only a cloud of dust remaining. Blackie said he saw the bull shaking his head and running off and asked me about the shot. I believed I had fired a fatal head shot but Blackie was clearly not convinced and set about organising our party to embark on the single most dangerous of hunting expeditions, finding a wounded buffalo bull in the African bush.

On the track Brighton found one little drop of blood about three metres from where the bull stood when I fired, nothing more. I was encouraged to see that the bull had left the herd as his spoor took off in a different direction to the others.

WHILE FOLLOWING THE spoor we kept alert in case the wounded bull decided to head back to us. All the images I had seen in videos, or imagined from my reading of wounded buffalo exacting revenge on their hunters, flashed through my mind. Adrenalin pumping, we ventured forth in search of Africa’s Black Death.

Brighton took the lead with Blackie right behind him, looking, sniffing, listening and taking in every sign, his .375 ready. I followed with my Blaser and Tiaan was close behind me with a .30-06 loaded with 196gr Barnes X-bullets and carrying the camera. We were looking ahead, behind us, and to the left and right, ever expecting a charge.

ABOVE RIGHT: Limpopo bushveld at sunrise on a cold August morning in the area where the herd of buffalo bulls were grazing.

Finally we caught a glimpse of the bull disappearing into a clump of mopane. Now we knew he was aware of us. It was relatively easy to follow the spoor, that is until he crossed the tracks of the herd. It was only the expertise of Brighton that helped us pick up his track again on the other side. Brighton later found another drop of blood, confirming it was the wounded bull.

The game of hide-and-seek continued until about 3:30pm when we spotted the bull in thick bush, some 80 metres ahead of us. By that time we were exhausted having been on highest alert for hours.

Blackie indicated that I should take a shot, but I hesitated, protesting that there were too many branches in the way. However, he insisted, saying that any shot to the body would help slow the injured bull down. Unwillingly I took a shot, only to hear the bullet ricochet and the bull running away.

We knew that the bull would now be at the end of its patience and that it had clearly identified its foes. We had to stay alert, ready for the worst and it was now even more tiring than before. We had not had a break since the first shot that morning and, to make things worse, we only had one bottle of water between us. To me it felt as if the bull, wounded and aggressive, was getting the better of us.

It was only after 4pm that we spotted him again, in another clump of red bushwillow. He was not far off and I knew that this would be my final chance as we were running out of daylight. I stalked closer, moving from cover to cover, until I was only about 60m away. He was standing in the bush with his right shoulder exposed. I knelt and aimed for a heart shot. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel any recoil or hear the shot.

Through my scope I saw the bull buckle and jump slightly, then turn and run off. Instinctively I knew it was a fatal shot.

We let him be and it was not long before his death bellow reverberated through the air.

On closer inspection it turned out that the first shot went straight through the skull, slightly to the left of his brain. The second shot went through the heart. After the long, hard, but successful day, thinking about the privilege I had experienced, I could not help but be filled with respect for these extraordinary animals.

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 21

A very happy Piet with his first warthog.

Wheelchair Warthog

by ROBIN BARKES

Teamwork twice over

VER T many h rius, mostly ally in unte ordin il s taking out

I h been on y frien eil Pretown enj and -loader Occasionas a p fessional as g ut of invi e along; unter or a . Regular rticles on these hunts as being tales of determination shown by courageous men.

Recently Neil told me about another unusual hunt he had just completed and I felt it deserved being told.

It all started when Hein Neil, a fellow PH, was asked by a lady friend if he could arrange a warthog hunt for a chap who was confined to a wheelchair. Knowing Neil was always willing to take out handicapped hunters, Hein asked him if he would arrange and handle the outing. “Sure thing,” replied Neil, and plans were made to spend a day hunting in the large area owned by outfitter, Loodt Buchner, of Tootabi Hunting Safaris.

Hein’s lady friend, Truzanne Taylor, and hunter, Piet Marais, arrived before dawn; Piet had driven them from their hometown of Somerset East in his specially-adapted vehicle. Neil found Piet to be an extremely likeable and friendly chap and certainly no novice because he had sent photographs of himself with various plains game he had hunted. But, he had never hunted a warthog and Loodt had kindly offered him one for free!

The hunting grounds lie on the seaward side of the Zuurberg Mountains and comprise thick coastal bush, deep valleys and rolling grasslands. Neil knows the area well because he has guided many overseas hunters there.

Piet was in the good hands of two professional hunters plus Truzanne who is a competition shooter.

Piet used a Ruger 7mm-08 rifle firing a 139 grain Hornady SST bullet driven by 44.5gr Hodgdon CFE 223 powder at 2 946fps from PPU cases.

Piet loads them himself.

The day before, Neil had scouted around for wheelchair-friendly areas and knew where they could get Piet into good shooting positions. Heading for the nearest spot they saw a number of warthogs already feeding at the first light of day. Neil halted and they quietly climbed out the vehicle to begin a stalk.

The terrain was uneven and the going tough but the team pushed and pulled the hunter towards a big prickly pear tree. On the way they all had a good laugh when Piet harshly whispered, “Hey, if a buffalo or lion appears you won’t run away and leave me will you?”

The reason for this remark was a sign on the entrance gate warning people of the presence of these dangerous animals.

ON REACHING THE prickly pear tree they found it provided little cover – positioning a wheelchair-bound hunter was a new challenge for them. Everyone crouched down as flat as possible while getting Piet into position and setting up the shooting sticks. Their efforts w e r e n o t i n va i n t h o u g h , because a short time later a big boar presented itself 180 yards away. Sitting in silence they watched and waited but the creature kept moving around, bobbing up and down as it grazed. This presented a problem as Piet’s chair had to be constantly repositioned and the shooting sticks repeatedly set up at a different angle to be aligned with the target. The other difficulty was that Piet did not have full function of his hands so, when he pulled the trigger, he had to use his whole arm. This was something he had obviously practiced and when the warthog finally stood still, Piet fired a shot that brought it down. Neil raced forward but his concern was TOP: Hein does some long distance pig spotting. CENTRE AND RIGHT: Getting Piet into position was like moving an artillery piece into action.

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ABOVE: Hein, Piet and Truzanne take a rest in the shade.

RIGHT AND BELOW: The team takes a midday break with a braai in the veld.

unnecessary because the hog had bitten the dust. Piet had his pig.

The next move was to get Piet down to his kill. This was done with a lot of huffing and puffing, pushing and pulling while Truzanne became the gun bearer – a difficult task having to handle three rifles at the same time. Finally the very happy hunter was at the scene to examine his first warthog and have photos taken. When their success was radioed back to the Tootabi headquarters, Loodt asked Piet if he’d like to shoot another warthog for camp meat.

Piet’s wide grin, which seemed a permanent feature, was answer enough.

The truck was then brought down and the warthog was gutted and loaded.

HAVING ACHIEVED THEIR objective of getting Piet a pig, the shooting party was now relaxed and in a jovial mood. They headed for another easily accessible place that Neil had selected and spotted a number of warthogs rooting around. Once again Piet was swiftly transferred to his chair and, powered by Neil and Hein, they made for the nearest cover. The pigs were 4 0 0 t o 5 0 0 ya r d s a way s o t h e y patiently waited for one to wander closer. Unfortunately none did, so the hunters decided to try another spot.

On arrival they saw pigs aplenty so Neil drove his vehicle as close as he dared, then parked behind a bush.

Piet was quickly loaded into his chair and again, with a great deal of man power, they moved him closer. As they were doing this, Neil glanced around and saw the backs of two warthogs above the long grass – and they were within easy rifle reach.

Like a well-trained artillery crew, Piet with his second warthog flanked by Truzanne they swung Piet around and and Hein. manoeuvred him into a firing position but discovered he was too low down to see the targets. Unfortunately tion the keen hunter snapped back his all this movement gave them away and positive answer. the hogs scurried off with tails held While everyone was relaxing after a high. “Not to worry,” said Neil, “we’ll good lunch, Neil rose and strolled off to just sit for a while and watch.” By now answer a call of nature. While standing it was high noon and no more pigs behind a bush he looked around and to appeared so Neil suggested they take his amazement he saw a lone warthog a well-earned break to have a midday feeding out in the open. Crouching low braai. Chatting around the fire, Neil he retreated and hurried back to camp. asked Piet if he wanted to continue the The team sprang into action grabbing hunt in the afternoon. Without hesitarifles, shooting sticks, wheelchair and

the happy Piet. Luckily the terrain was easier to traverse and they soon had Piet within range and set up in the shade of a milkwood tree. The hog was so intent on feeding that it never raised its head. The sound of Piet’s shot rolled across the veld and his perfectly placed shot dropped the animal in its tracks. Piet’s wide smile said it all.

ALL THAT WAS left to do was drive Piet down to his trophy and take the photographs. Once done, the warthog was gutted and loaded and they headed back to the Tootabi headquarters where Loodt congratulated Piet on his successful outing. Soon Piet and Truzanne were on their way back to Somerset East. The last thing the waving well-wishers saw was a flashing smile from a courageous man who refused to let his disability deprive him doing the one thing he loved most of all – go hunting.

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FROM LEFT: S&B 180gr Soft Point bullet, S&B 180gr SP recovered from wet-pack, S&B 180gr SPCE bullet and recovered SPCE bullet, recovered 150gr SPCE bullet and 150gr Norma Kalahari monolithic from wet-pack. All in .308.

Hunting Ammo

by PHILLIP HAYES

A history of quality, reliability and affordability

THE hnica firearm n of t uis Se hed a mpone outside Prag

RS leading up to 1820, esses in the manufacture anged with the introducercussion cap. In 1825, nd Nikolaus Bellot estabfor the production of this the Habsburg Monarchy e. any grew and in 1871 27 700 000 caps (which included rim-fire cartridges and dynamite primers), 2 430 000 Lefaucheux shot shells, 377 000 copper revolver cartridges and 82 800 brass revolver cartridges.

Today, almost 200 years later, Sellier & Bellot (S&B), as the world’s oldest ammunition manufacturer, still continues to produce military and commercial ammunition. This includes a wide range of shotshells, handgun, rim-fire and hunting and precision shooting ammunition.

In South Africa the ammunition and components have been available for many years and for

26 | ManMAGNUM | September/October 2020

those who shoot a lot, for example in pistol competitions, S&B’s utterly reliable primers have been a go-to item. Another bonus is the budget price. I’ve mostly seen handgun and shotgun ammo being used on several ranges and in the field, centre-fire ammo not so much. As the company manufactures a wide range of popular (and some in

The ammo we received for testing.

scarcer) calibres, this surprised me.

Apart from the most popular centre-fire calibres, hunting ammo is produced in 6.5x52R, 6.5x57, 6.5x57R, 7x57R, 7x65R, .303 (150 and 180gr), 7.62x54R, 8x57JR, 8x57JS, 8x57JRS, 8x64S, the classic 9.3x62 and also in 9.3x72R and 9.3x74R. More modern offerings are the 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.8mm Rem SPC. HJ Drinn, importer of S&B products in Durban, sent me semi-jacketed soft point (SP) ammo in 6.5 Creedmoor and SP and semi-jacketed soft point cutting edge (SPCE) ammunition in .308. I used S&B ammunition successfully for several years during my hunting career as it was available at my local co-op and was priced more-orless the same as the most affordable PMP ammo. Lately, however, I have heard some derogatory remarks regarding ‘cheap’ ammunition (including S&B) not being good enough for hunting purposes. I took these remarks with a pinch of salt, as I have used S&B ammo on various sized game animals, and have seen it being used with excellent results by many hunters locally and in Europe. Practical experience always trumps theoretical snobbery.

AS I’VE NOT used S&B ammo in the last 10 years, I decided to torture test the .308 ammunition by shooting it into homemade wet packs. Normally my wet packs consist of tightly bound magazines soaked in water for 48 hours.

The first stack which is 6 inches thick, is placed in front of a 5 litre water container and the rest behind the water container. This time I excluded the water container. I used only the we magazines, which I found to be a bit an overkill as this was much harder on bullets compared to the set-up including the 5 litres of water.

Drinns supplied me with 180gr SP and 150gr and 180gr SPCE ammunition in .308 calibre. According to S&B, the SPCE bullet’s cutting edge locks the jacket and lead cor together, while producing a clean entrance wound which results in an

easy to follow blood trail. This type of bullet is classed as appropriate for light to medium game. The SP is described as a classic soft lead bullet with reliable expansion.

The first task was to fire these rounds over a MagnetoSpeed chronograph. I included Norma Kalahari 150gr factory ammo as a control. The Ka l a h a r i i s a monolithic bullet of strong construction, but designed to lose its petals during penetration.

The 150gr Kalahari ammo registered a muzzle velocity of 2 884fps, the S&B 150gr SPCE 2 893fps (extreme velocity spread (ES) over 5 shots was 3fps), the 180gr SPCE 2 515fps (ES over 5 shots 11fps) and the 180gr SP 2 473fps (ES of 5 shots 64fps). From this limited testing the ES of the SPCE ammunition was impressive, and the results for the SP ammo well within the specification for hunting ammunition. The notably higher velocities of the 150gr cartridges (Norma and S&B) deliver flatter trajectories for longer ranges where impact velocities should be sufficiently reduced for optimal bullet performance and mini-

Founding fathers of the S&B company: Louis Sellier and Nikolaus Bellot.

mal meat damage. Given the MV of almost 2 900fps, I suspected that the conventionally designed SPCE bullet would not perform well in a short-range wet pack test. More on this later.

Interestingly the 180gr SP, due to i t s r o un d n o s e , d i d no t f e e d a s

ON THE RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM: 150gr SPCE, 180gr SPCE, 180gr Soft Point (all in .308Win) and 140gr Soft Point in 6.5 Creedmoor.

ABOVE: The .308 Win 180gr SP (left) delivered .49MOA, the .308 Win 150gr SPCE (centre) .38MOA and the .308 Win 180gr SPCE (right) .54MOA.

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 27

I was very pleasantly surprised with the S&B ammunition’s performance and quality. My tests proved it to be extremely accurate – much more so than I expected from factory hunting ammo

smoothly from my magazine as I would have liked, something that also happens when I use similarly-shaped Norma Oryx bullets.

Testing for precision, it was clear that even with the MagnetoSpeed attached to the barrel, my rifle would perform well with all three bullets.

During the precision test, the 180gr SP printed three shots into 14.28mm centre-to-centre (c-c) (.49MOA), the 180gr SPCE 15.87mm c-c (.54MOA) and the 150gr SPCE 11.11mm c-c (.38MOA). I then fired another string of three-shot groups with similar results. The results were comparable to optimised handloads out of my rifle.

Early in the history of S&B, Lefaucheux 20ga shotgun shells were produced.

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I placed the wet pack at 100m to simulate bushveld hunting conditions.

Both the S&B 180gr bullets penetrated to about 11 inches, the 150gr SPCE bullet to 12.5 inches and the Norma Kalahari penetrated 17.5 inches. The Kalahari’s solid shank, having lost the petals, ensured deeper penetration. The 150gr SPCE (MV 2 893fps) expanded to .775 inches, but the high impact velocity caused it to shed most of the lead core during penetration. Retained weight was 98.18gr. The ‘wound channel’ was similar to the other two S&B offerings right to the last inch. The 180gr SP (2 473fps) retained 131.70gr of its original weight and expanded to .792 inches, while the 180gr SPCE (2 515fps) retained 154.12gr and expanded to .81 inches.

‘Wound channels’ through the wet pack for the three S&B bullets were on par with more expensive premium-grade bullets used for the same test, and wider than that produced by the Kalahari monolithic. All four bullets should do a great job under normal hunting conditions,

with the Kalahari allowing for deeper penetration. The 180gr SP (2 473fps) had noticeably less recoil and this slower 180gr bullet would be my first choice for bushveld hunting.

I USED THE 6.5mm Creedmoor ammunition in a precision rifle but was unfortunately unable to record the muzzle velocity. The factory claim is 2 657fps, which is about 100fps slower than Federal’s factory ballistics for their 140gr Fusion ammo. Personally I think a lower velocity is better for hunting.

Time constraints allowed for only two three-shot groups, the smallest printing into 9.5mm c-c and the second 10.53mm c-c. These are first class results for factory hunting ammunition, but keep in mind that an expensive highly-tuned, precision rifle was used.

Overall I was very pleasantly surprised with the S&B ammunition’s performance and quality. My tests proved it to be extremely accurate – much more so than I expected from factory hunting ammo – and performed very well in our wet pack test. To top it all, it was very affordable. I found the 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition online for R330 for 20 cartridges, and the .308 ammo (SP and SPCE) for R340 per 20.

The poor performance of the Rand will probably soon increase these prices but notwithstanding this, S&B must be one of the best bargain buys available. I’m happy to recommend S&B hunting ammo.

Lastly, S&B’s brass is of high quality.

Although it’s not as consistent in weight as for example Lapua cases, I have S&B cases that have been reloaded eight times without any problem. I also use S&B large rifle primers in my precision .308 Win loads and, the combination of primers, Alliant 10X powder and 155gr Hornady Amax bullets, is able to consistently print ½MOA groups at 100m and sub-MOA groups out to 582m – the furthest I have so far been able to shoot this combination.

For stockists of Sellier & Bellot products contact HJ Drinn (Pty) Ltd on 031301-1325.

Foot-Safari with Father

by ROYCE BUCKLE illu stration ALAN WALKER

A walk into Africa’s distant past

1946 the Ta er th hby. H unifor nty to r own ve was to er

MY father was working yika Game Department upervision of George b was to supervise regugame scouts and about y local hunters who used zle-loaders. The objecticate all game along the orthern Rhodesia border, yika side, creating a ‘corridor’ across which no rinderpest-infected animals could travel into Northern Rhodesia.

Dad was in charge of a 20-mile section east of the Sumbawanga Abercorn Road down to Lake Tanganyika. Our little house was close to the road. There was no access road into the section west of the road, so a 50-mile stretch had to be overseen by means of foot-safaris once a month.

On these treks my father would meet up with the various hunters in their villages. He would pay each his small wage plus a bonus for any game he had shot. They had to produce the skulls and skins of the game. If it was a big animal, the rear part of the skin and the skull would suffice. A head scout, Paulo Mulutula, was appointed, whose job it was to organise locals to serve as porters for these foot-safaris.

He would allocate loads to porters and was in charge of setting up camp. I often asked my father if I could accompany him on these foot-safaris, but he would reply that I had to stay and look after my mother.

In 1946, at the end of the school term, my three sisters came home after having spent three years at college in South Africa. It was a very happy homecoming. Early in 1947, I heard that my elder sister, Joy, was going to accompany my father on his next foot-safari. Of course I put up a case that I should go as well. Dad was not keen on the idea, saying we had

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 29

only two stretchers, but I said I would sleep on a grass mattress. At last my Dad agreed but warned me that the first time I complained or whined I would be sent home.

That great day arrived when I, a mere 10-year-old, was going on my first foot-safari. My mother dressed me in the appropriate clothes, shoes and socks. Paulo went ahead with the porters and their loads to set up camp at the designated place and to get everything ready for our arrival. We followed with a couple of uniformed gamescouts, walking in a strict order: gamescout, my father, my sister Joy, myself and lastly, the other game-scout bringing up the rear. Dad always carried his 9mm Mauser rifle with him.

The going was quite leisurely as my father and the game-scouts were always on the lookout for game tracks.

The ideal was not to find any, as this would indicate that the scouts and paid hunters were successfully carrying out their work of eradicating all wildlife in the corridor. I walked along, happily jabbering non-stop to my sister.

past few months, my mother had been home-schooling me, so I’d had no need to wear shoes – my feet were hard and tough. I told Joy I never wear shoes at home, so I would just go bare foot. The shoes and socks stayed off and I had no further problems.

of the water when we were still some distance away. We emerged at the top of the falls which fell away in a big horse-shoe formation. Dad made Joy and me lie on our bellies to look over the falls. Looking to the left, we could see cascades of water falling 700 feet

My father and the game-scouts were always on the lookout for game tracks.

The ideal was not to find any

WE HADN’T GONE very far when I felt my heels getting sore, and I knew I was in trouble. We stopped at a village where my father needed to pay one of the hunters, restock his supply of black powder and lead, and to get a report from him. I took the opportunity to tell Joy of my troubles. We soon had my shoes and socks off, and sure enough, both heels had blisters. Plasters were very hard to come by in those days. Joy said maybe I should go back home, but I would not hear of it. This was my one-and-only pair of shoes, and they were not yet worn in – the leather was still very hard. For the

In many places, the path was very straight. The locals told us that during the German Colonial era, these paths had to be wide enough to enable four porters to carry a mashita, which was a chair strapped to two poles; a military or government officer would sit in the chair and the four porters, one at each end of the two poles, would carry him wherever he wanted to go. This was a pretty specialised job as they had to carry him with the least amount of bounce or sway. One very portly officer, Bwana Tumbo, was an unsavoury fellow who did not hesitate to apply the kiboko (sjambok).

At about 4pm we reached our camp for the night. Paulo had it all shipshape, water boiling for tea and two 4-gallon cans of water on the fire for hot baths.

On the third day we left the main path and took a detour to view the Kalambo Falls which were on the river of the same name. We could hear the roar

30 | ManMAGNUM | September/October 2020

down the cliff face. We could not see the bottom due to the mist rising from the turbulence. The updraft along the cliff was quite strong. I remember looking along the cliff and seeing ledges in places with many vultures nesting.

We walked back to the main path and continued, later camping next to a beautiful clear stream which had numerous small black crabs scrambling over the rocks. I tried to shoot them with my catapult but I don’t think I ever hit one.

THE NEXT DAY we came out on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. It was the first time I had ever seen such a big body of water. We walked a few hundred yards along the pebble shore to the settlement of Kasanga which was on a small bay. At one end of the bay’s curve, a spit of land jutted a couple of hundred yards into the lake. The Germans had built a fort on this spit, surrounded on three sides by water.

Paulo saw to it that our tent was erected under two huge mango trees which the locals claimed had been planted by Arab slave-traders before the Germans came. We had lunch, and soon after that a dignified, elderly man approached. Dad said he was the local chief. He was accompanied by two young girls, one carrying a small chicken and the other a few eggs. This was a custom carried over from German times. Dad and the Chief greeted one another with a certain amount of warmth, which was unusual for my father. He later told me they had both fought in the First World War, he for the Brits and the Chief for the Germans.

Dad told me to stay away from the fort as I would get to explore it later.

THE CHIEF, WHOM I will call Ali, as he was a Muslim, wore a kanzu – a long white gown and a white head-cap. He guided Joy and me on a tour of the fort which was now just a shell. I don’t know whether the Germans burned it down when they left or whether it happened later. He took us through the different sections and explained what they had been used for. As a youngster, he had worked at the fort, hence knew all these details. All the windows still had the iron bars in place. They were narrow top to bottom but quite wide. He then pointed out that at least 15 of the iron bars were old rifle barrels. On the west side of the boma was a type of patio where the Germans would have their evening drinks and watch the sunset over the lake. He said they sometimes sang songs. Ali was very informative. My sister asked him a number of questions, to which he always had the answer.

Back at the mango trees, he showed us where three iron rods had been driven into the ground at an angle of about 45 degrees. He told us to look up at a huge branch some 20 inches in diameter where it joined the trunk about 10 feet up. It grew almost parallel to the ground. He pointed out three scars in the bark, equally spaced along the limb, and explained that these were rope burns that remained visible. This was where the Germans hanged transgressors. A noose was put around the offender’s neck, the rope thrown over the branch, and then the condemned person was hauled up until his feet were about 24 inches off the ground.

The rope was then tied to one of the iron stakes. The bodies were left to hang in full view until the flag was lowered at sunset. At one time there had been an uprising and as the leaders returned or were arrested they were sentenced to hang.

Then, with a little smile, old Ali made a statement. He said, “You British are a very poor nation.” When I asked why, he said, “With the British, if you do wrong, they will fine you and take your money. If you commit a serious crime they will fine you and put you in jail and shave your head. Then you have to work for no pay. Your trial could last for days. For a capital crime like murder, they will sentence you to hang, but first they keep you in jail for months.

“With the Germans, for petty crimes, you were given lashes with the kiboko, the number of lashes depending on the severity of the crime. For crimes like habitual theft, your left hand would be dipped in boiling oil, and

when healed there would be white blotches on the hand, telling the world that you were a thief. For murder or crime against the State, you were shot or hanged – quick and simple. In German times, we had a school with two teachers and a small clinic. The school is now falling down, and if you are sick or need medication you must find your way to Karema Roman Catholic Mission up the coast. The administrative centre is more than one hundred miles away.

Truly, the British are a poor nation.”

We stayed over until the next day, as the ship, Liemba, was calling on its way to the small port of Mpulungu just across the border with Northern Rhodesia. I believe the Liemba, more than 100 years old, is still doing sterling work today.

THE JOURNEY HOME was pretty uneventful and took us about two and a half days. When we were a few hundred yards from home the porters broke into song.

After greeting us all, my mother asked me, “Where are your shoes?”

Thankfully, Joy had packed them somewhere. I retain fond memories of those times.

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Last Drink for a Dead Gunslinger

by HILTON HAMANN

A bizarre tale from the old West

The railroad bridge spanning Diablo Canyon, 1882.

Postcard by Detroit Publishing Co.

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CANYO W S described by local e time as the “Wes wn”, and “the toug n the West ”.

Betwe 2, more deaths resulti nfig hts, robberies d murd ok pl e in this town Tombstone odge City and ed. Before the metery, bodies were buried beneath the streets where they fell. So violent was the town known as the Canyon of the Devil, that when the first sheriff was appointed, he survived only five hours before being shot and killed. In just 14 months the town had seven lawmen, none of whom lived longer than a few weeks, except the last, who fled. But for all its wild reputation, Arizona’s Canyon Diablo, located near present day Two Guns, is famous for a particular gunfight, and a macabre incident which followed.

Fred Volz’s trading post on Hell Street, in Canyon Diablo, circa 1881.

The town, named after the gorge where it was established, came into being in 1880. Almost 30 years earlier the area was surveyed for a possible railroad route to California.

When the survey-party reached a deep gorge called Canyon Diablo, or Devil’s Canyon, they described it as ‘a chasm that could be bridged by a railroad’.

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When the bridge over the canyon was completed, the railway moved on, and there was no reason for anyone to stay. The residents packed up and left, leaving behind a ghost town Nothing happened until 1880, with the westward approach of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad coming from Winslow, Arizona, 26 miles away. The tracks stopped at the canyon when railroad workers were forced to wait for the arrival of the components of a pre-fabricated steel span. However, when the steel structures were delivered, it was found they were a foot short, and a further delay ensued. Makeshift structures and tents were erected to accommodate the idle workers who remained on the company’s payroll. Where there are rough, bored men with money to spend, profits are to be made. Cowboys, prostitutes, businessmen, robbers and thieves flocked to the town in search of easy pickings.

In a matter of weeks, Hell Street (the main road through town) was lined with 14 saloons, 10 gambling dens, four houses of prostitution, two dance pavilions – which in themselves were nothing more than brothels – several sleazy restaurants, and a few honest businesses, all open 24 hours a day.

For a while there was no law in town and a murderous free-for-all The outlaw John Shaw is raised from his grave so that he can drink the whiskey he paid for but never got to drink. ensued. Between 1880 and 1882, killings on the street were common, holdups an almost hourly occurAmericans) on Hell Street, owned and rence. Newcomers were often beaten run by Fred Volz, who finally cut his or killed, simply because they were losses and left in 1910. suspected of carrying valuables.

However, Diablo Canyon was not yet done. In 1905, it was the scene of an JUST AS QUICKLY as the town mushepic gunfight, and an incident so bizarre roomed, it died overnight. When the it became the stuff of legend. It all bridge over the canyon was completed, started in the nearby town of Winslow the railway moved on, and there was no on April 7, 1905. Two well-dressed men, reason for anyone to stay. The resilater identified as William Smythe and dents packed up and left, leaving John Shaw, entered the Wigwam Saloon behind a ghost town. By early 1883, shortly before midnight. A number of the sole remaining business was a tradpoker games were underway. Standing ing store for the local Indians (Native at the bar, the pair ordered a couple of

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whiskeys and surveyed the room.

One poker table in particular caught their eye. It was piled high with silver dollars. Without saying a word, or drinking their whiskey, they both moved toward the table, drawing their sixguns as they went. They robbed the seven gamblers seated around the table, taking about $300 in silver dollars. Stuffing the coins into their pockets, the pair slowly backed out the door while keeping everyone covered, before disappearing into the night.

Navajo County Deputy Sheriff, Pete Pemberton, was immediately notified. He wired another Sheriff, Chet Houck, for assistance. Pemberton found a trail of silver coins leading to the train tracks, and assumed the robbers had hopped the westbound train to Flagstaff. Houck and Pemberton boarded the next train to Flagstaff, hoping to join in the search for the two robbers. However, no trace of the outlaws was found in Flagstaff, and the lawmen caught the afternoon train back to Winslow.

During the trip they were told that two men were seen near Canyon Diablo, a spot the train had passed a little while earlier. They quickly stopped the train, then headed back to Canyon Diablo on foot, hoping to find and arrest Shaw and Smythe. The sun was sinking when they arrived in the abandoned town.

There they met Fred Volz, who told them he’d earlier seen two suspiciouslooking men at the trading post. At that moment, the sheriffs spotted the suspects and confronted them as they rounded a building. “No one searches us!” snarled one of the outlaws. Immediately everyone started firing at pointblank range. Sheriff Houck shot the taller outlaw, John Shaw, in the head.

Pemberton wounded the other suspect

ABOVE AND BELOW: All that is left of Canyon Diablo today. The town was reputed to be the Wild West’s deadliest frontier town, where the life expectancy of a sheriff was often measured in hours.

in the leg and shoulder. Miraculously both lawmen escaped without a scratch.

The gunfight was over in three seconds with a total of twenty-two shots fired. After Shaw’s pockets were searched, his body was placed in a pine box donated by Fred Volz, and because of the extremely rocky ground, he was buried in a shallow grave in the Canyon Diablo cemetery. Smythe was tried, convicted and sentenced to serve nine years in the Yuma Territorial Prison.

And that should have been that, but one last, macabre act had yet to be played out. The night following the shootout, a bunch of cowboys from the Hashknife cattle outfit were getting drunk in Winslow’s Wigwam Saloon and talking about how Shaw had not finished the whiskey he’d paid for the previous night. It was obviously an injustice that needed correcting. They decided to go to Canyon Diablo, dig him up, and pour him the last drink of whiskey he’d paid for but not consumed.

So, 15 drunken cowpokes, each with a bottle of whiskey, hitched a ride on the Santa Fe train to Canyon Diablo.

They arrived around dawn, and roused Fred Volz, who gave them some shovels and a Kodak camera. When they exhumed Shaw’s body and lifted it out of the coffin so as to pour him his last drink, they noticed a faint smile on his face. It was enough to wipe the smiles off their faces, and to sober them up.

Rigor mortis had already set in, so they propped the stiffened corpse up against a nearby fence, poured a generous gulp of whiskey between his clenched teeth, and took photographs while doing so.

As Shaw was replanted together with a half-empty bottle of whiskey, the cowboys stood around with their hats off.

TODAY THE MEMORY of John Shaw lives on, thanks to the blurry photographs shot by his friends. Nothing much is left of Canyon Diablo other than fragments of buildings and piles of sun-baked stones that mark what was once the most violent town in the Wild West. A town named after, and owned by the devil!

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 35

Haenel

A European Classic

36 | ManMAGNUM | September/October 2020

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Jaeeger 1 The Haenel Jaeger 10 is a lightweight hunting rifle of typical European style.

chambered for the classic 6.5x55. Other calibres include .223 Rem, .243 Win, .270 Win, .30-06, .308 Win, 7×64, 8×57 IS, 9.3×62, and in belted magnum calibres 7mm Rem Mag and .300 Win Mag. The Standard model is 110cm long overall, with a cold hammer-forged 22-inch barrel, and weighs only 3.2kg without a scope. The stock is Class 1 walnut, though the wood used for the test rifle appears to be a better grade. The barrel is contoured and fitted with Haenel’s detachable i-Sight open sights. The rear sight is adjustable for Recessed square drift and has three green dots in an muzzle crown. upside down triangular formation. The red fibre front sight is height adjustable.

The tubular receiver, which saves on manufacturing costs, is drilled and tapped, and the test rifle was fitted with Leupold mounts and rings. Remington 700 (long) bases, which are probably stocked by every retailer countrywide, can be used. The push-feed 3-lug bolt head runs smoothly in the receiver and has an opening angle of 60 degrees. The receiver has a rather small ejection port, which makes for a more rigid action. The bolt shaft and locking lugs are 20mm in diameter and a single raceway prevents over-rotation when opening/closing the action.

The bolt handle is slightly swept back and has a polymer knob that ensures a good grip when working the bolt.

THE TWO-POSITION side-safety is pushed forward to fire and back for safe, and also locks the bolt. A separate bolt release button, which is below the safety lever (when in the off position), allows the bolt to be opened/removed while the safety is on.

The 4-round magazine is steel with a polymer floor-plate.

The trigger guard and mag release are also polymer. The release button is an ambidextrous paddle type, positioned on the front of the trigger guard (see photo). This is a departure from conventional designs, but works very well.

The magazine dropped free every time the release was depressed. Also, the release button must be pressed downward, so the chances of accidentally releasing the magazine while using the rifle in the veld are slim. The magazine is of double-column I used Federal 140gr Fusion ammo.

38 | ManMAGNUM | September/October 2020

ABOVE: Note the paddle mag release in front of the trigger guard. RIGHT: Traditional style bolt release.

configuration and rounds can be loaded from the top simply by pushing them straight down. With the magazine empty, dropping a cartridge through the ejection port onto the magazine follower and then chambering it, worked without any malfunctions. The only trouble I had with the magazine, which locks up front and back, was that the front end sometimes failed to clip into position. A firm push when seating solved this.

The magazine will accommodate handloads that are somewhat longer than standard COL specs. Federal’s 140gr Fusion factory ammo had 5mm to spare ahead of the tip, so handloaders wanting to seat bullets further out will have no problem doing so.

The rifle has a set trigger. Used in the normal setting it has slight creep, but breaks cleanly. The factory setting (3lbs) is adequate for hunting purposes. To set it on ‘hair’ the trigger must be pushed forward, which provides a feather-light release for precision shooting. It was simply too light for me, catching me by surprise every time, but another shooter was impressed by the way it improved his hit rate on gongs at 300m and further. An oddity is that once the set trigger breaks, it moves back about 10mm under force of a spring. I found this unsettling at first, but soon got used to it. The fact that the bolt can be opened with the rifle on SAFE is a comfort when using such a light trigger. For hunting I’d stick to the standard trigger as it worked well under field conditions. More on this later.

On the range I used 140gr Federal Fusion ammunition, which is quality hunting ammo that’s affordable and readily available. The average velocity was 2 435fps (factory claim is 2 530fps) and even when fired from the bench, recoil was mild.

Using a rest, the first 3-shot group I fired at 100m, as rapidly as I could bring the cross-hair back on target, measured .94 inches (.82MOA) centre-to-centre (c-c). This included the cold bore shot. I tried this 3 more times, allowing the barrel to cool down only between strings, and the biggest group measured 1.16

LEFT AND TOP: The metal magazine has a polymer baseplate.

RIGHT: The action is drilled and tapped for Remington long action bases.

inches (1.01MOA). With the last group I took my time and was rewarded with a group of .74 inches (.64MOA) c-c, of which two shots cut. All groups were shot with the standard trigger, so using the set trigger should improve this. However, there is no need for this as the performance with factory ammo was exceptional for an out-of-the-box hunting rifle.

I also shot at steel plates at 200m. I fired three shots, performed a magazine change and then fired another shot, all as quickly as possible. The result was four shots in 1.417 inches (.61MOA) c-c. This is outstanding for any factory rifle.

I tried the open sights at 50m. The dots are rather big, obscuring much of the target, but are very bright and clear â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ideally suited for darker climes like Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. When zeroing, only the front sight needed adjustment; I fired three shots standing and free hand at an A4 size target. All shots landed perfectly in line with just over an inch separating them. This is more than adequate for close-range shooting on driven hunts or for ambushing warthog, etc.

THE STOCK WAS designed for use with open sights, consequently, sans scope, the rifle handled more like a shotgun.

Topped off with a lightweight scope it should be perfect for all day carry in tough terrain. However, the comb needs a cheekelevator, even with a low mounted scope.

Overall, the Haenel impressed. It is a quality rifle that handles well and seems very reliable. I fired only 40 shots, but cycled more than 100 rounds (slow and at speed) through the action, without the slightest hiccup.

Retailing for R28 000 it is good value for money. For stockists contact National Cartridge Company on 021-797-8787.

Out-of-thebox accuracy was excellent with 3 shots in .64MOA (left) with slow fire and .82MOA during rapid fire (right).

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 39

T

ss artebeest

by GREGOR WOODS

History’s ugly lesson minent naturfe, compiled a mmals of SA al Is That? He d hartebeest y common in ce, has been ated and is now f ivate property in t istrict and some farms. There are none in the Kruger Park. It may still be found wild in remoter parts of Bechuanaland and South West Africa and farther north.”

Skaife’s Kimberley reference w s to De Beer’s Rooipoort pr ate reserve. In 1966, Eric R enthal’s Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa described the red hartebeest as “now becoming very rare”.

40 | ManMAGNUM | September/October 2020

I had never seen a hartebeest until I returned to South West Africa in 1975. In time, as I read more, I found all this very saddening, as hartebeest were once among southern Africa’s most common and widespread antelope. Most of the eight subspecies in Africa have suffered a similar fate. The hartebeest is extinct in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Somalia and Lesotho. The Bubal hartebeest which once ranged clear across Africa north of the Sahara, from Morocco to Egypt, became extinct in 1994.

THE RED HARTEBEEST was among the earliest antelope recorded in South Africa. In The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion, Dr Reay Smithers gave the first record of this antelope as being Jan van Riebeeck’s Daghregister (1660) which stated, “Meester Pieter ein hartebeest geschooten hadde” just north

Photos gettyimages/galloimages ABOVE: A herd of red hartebeest in the Welgevonden Reserve. INSET LEFT: Red hartebeest in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape.

of Paarl, Western Cape. Practically every book on Southern African wildlife repeats this as the earliest mention of this antelope. It may be the first record of the name ‘hartebeest’, but this antelope was recorded long before Jan van Riebeeck landed at the Cape. Ships were stopping in Table Bay much earlier, and observers first named this antelope the ‘hart’ because its size and red colour were so similar to the European red deer known as the hart. CJ Stead’s 2-volume Histori­ cal Mammal Incidence in the Cape Prov­ ince records that in August 1627, David Pietersz de Vries wrote, “I also saw harts running… behind Table Mountain”. Stead further records that, a month before De Vries’s sighting, an Englishman, Robert Herbert, wrote, “Red deer, Antilopes as large as stags, and delightfully headed…”

Some have speculated that these early observers may have used the word

‘hart’ to describe eland, but Robert Herbert’s specific comparison with the Scottish or European red deer’s size and colouration is clear – eland aren’t red enough and are far too big to qualify.

Besides, on 7 August, 1652, Van Riebeeck described how they set snares near Table Mountain “for catching harts and elands...” so the difference between these two species was clearly obvious to them. Hartebeest occurred throughout the Cape, including the Eastern Cape. In 1775, Sparrman saw “a great many quaggas and hartbeests” at Kommadagga and between the Little and Great Fish Rivers east of Somerset East.

Hartebeest occurred in Transkei, Ciskei and East Griqualand.

IN TIME, I also learned that the hartebeest had been far more widely distributed than present day books suggested.

In 1826, Henry Francis Fynn, historically ‘Natal’s first white settler’, when accompanying the Zulu King Shaka on a war march in the Babanango region of Zululand (east of Dundee), said Shaka’s huge army drove before them “hartebeest, rhinoceros, pheasant and partridge in great numbers”. The Voortrekkers of the mid 1830s encountered red hartebeest in the Free State and beyond the Vaal River.

That its name appears in three places on maps of the old Transvaal – Hartbeesfontein, Hartebeeskop and Hartbeespoort – indicates this antelope occurred there in numbers that impressed the Boers. The fact that the Nama, Xhosa, Zulu, Swazi, Venda, Pedi, Sotho, Tswana, Ndebele, Shona and Tsonga tribes all have their own colloquial names for red hartebeest reveals how widely this species occurred in the subregion.

In the Cape, however, the hartebeest

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 41

In Namibia, red hartebeest can appear almost black.

was rapidly exterminated, except in the northernmost Kalahari region. CJ Skead’s Historical Mammal Incidence gives the following dates for the last recorded sightings in the Eastern Cape: Van Stadens: 1779; Langebos, Lower Alex: 1820; Suurberg, Coerney: 1821; Albany: 1820; Bathurst: 1844; Adelaide: 1824; Grassridge, Cradock: 1854. There was still a population on the Bontebok Flats, Border in the 1860s, and a few in East Griqualand prior to 1903.

Roualeyn Gordon Cumming, who hunted extensively in the Cape and elsewhere in SA from 1844 to 1849, makes no mention whatever of hartebeest. Likewise, Captain TJ Lucas of the Cape Mounted Rifles, author of Camp Life and Sport in South Africa, who, from 1850 to 1853, travelled and hunted the Western and Eastern Cape, Natal, Transvaal and

SIGNIFICANTLY, ALL THE 19th century writers of Africana hunting literature reveal the absence of hartebeest in the Cape and later the Free State and most of the Transvaal. William Cornwallis Harris arrived at the Cape in 1836 and hunted from Port Elizabeth to the Limpopo River. He travelled to the Chooi desert in the far northwest Cape before seeing hartebeest for the first time. He wrote that this antelope “inhabits the plains of the interior I shot this young Lichtenstein’s hartebeest for camp beyond the Orange River”. The French meat in 1993, while on safari in Tanzania. Note the tightly-curling horns. naturalist, Adulphe Delegorgue, arrived in 1838 and wrote that Cape law protected the bontebok, the hippo Free State, named most species occurand the ostrich for fear they’d become ring in those regions, but not hartebeest. extinct. Clearly, the law failed to include In 1871, FC Selous travelled from Algoa the hartebeest. Delegorgue hunted the Bay, Eastern Cape, to the Diamond Fields Karoo and throughout Natal and Zululand, of the Northern Cape, doing “an yet his only mention of hartebeest was a immense amount of hunting” on the way. sighting g g near the Buffalo River ((roughly g y He named numerous species, p , but no where Fynn saw hartebeest). hartebeest. From there he followed the Lichtenstein’s hartebeest in Tanzania. Note their pale yellowish colour and smaller horns.

Vaal River to Campbell and then Griquatown on the Orange River, then north to Langeberg where he saw his first hartebeest. His next sighting of this species was in Bechuanaland (Botswana).

Emil Holub, a zoologist (inter alia) and author of Seven Years in South Africa, arrived in 1873, travelled through the Cape to the Diamond Fields, Free State and Transvaal. He found hartebeest between the Vaal River and the Soa Salt Lake, and wrote, “Being less timid than other kinds, it is more disposed to destruction”. He encountered them in Bechuanaland. EF Sandeman, author of Eight weeks in an Ox Wag­ gon, arrived in 1878, hunted through the Cape and Free State to Heidelberg in the Transvaal, shooting most species of plains game, lion, buffalo and rhino, but mentions no hartebeest. He found “myriads of bones, skulls and horns of wildebeeste and blessebôk” slaughtered for their hides, the carcasses left to rot.

Lionel Decle, author of Three Years in Savage Africa (1881 – 1885) hunted from Cape Town to Mombasa, Kenya; his sole mention of hartebeest was in Tanzania, these being Lichtenstein’s hartebeest. From 1893, naturalist and artist, JG Millais, author of A breath from the Veldt, hunted the Karoo, Free State, Transvaal and Rhodesia; his sole mention of hartebeest was the Lichtenstein’s in Mashonaland.

Natal fared a little bethas not been my experiter. Giant’s Castle game ence. I always found them r a n g e r, P h i l B a r n e s , to be alert and wary, makrecorded “many hundreds” ing me wonder how they of red hartebeest until came to be so rapidly shot around 1918. His son, Bill, out in times past. also a game ranger, wrote Hartebeest think noththe book, Giant’s Castle, ing of climbing mountains. quoting Captain James My first hartebeest hunt Smith of the Basutoland was with Chris Niehaus, Mounted Police as stating Historic photo taken on 20 May, 1897 at Rooipoort reserve owned by the De past CEO of SA Hunters that 700 to 800 red harte- Beers mining company. The man seated fifth from the right is Cecil John Rhodes, Association, on his family’s beest existed between Prime Minister of the Cape. Note the red hartebeest carcasses (centre). At the farm in the Maltahöhe distime, Rooipoort was the last stronghold of the red hartebeest.

Champaign Castle and trict of SWA in the late Photo De Beers archives courtesy MPS Berry.

Sani Pass. Basutoland 1970s/early ’80s. In this (Lesotho) had a populaopen, almost barren tertion. Sadly, in 1918, an exceptionally holds its head and neck well aloft and its rain, the herd led us a merry chase up heavy blizzard killed most of the Drakhigh shoulder-hump makes its back and down the Schwartzrand. Unfortuensberg hartebeest; the survivors died in appear to slope, as though its hind legs nately, we found a hartebeest calf that another blizzard in 1923. Barnes wrote are shorter than its forelegs. Their had broken its shank while running that the Natal Midlands supported many strangely staring eyes bear a constantly among the herd in the mountains, so we thousands of hartebeest, especially apprehensive expression. Body size varcalled off the hunt. Over 30 years passed around New Hanover and Greytown. ies according to habitat; the biggest are before I again hunted hartebeest in that Inevitably, their habitat became timber, in Namibia and Botswana, the smallest in country – I bagged a bull on Kalakwa crop and livestock farming areas and the Northern Cape. Bulls average around ranch on the Kalahari side, hunting with their numbers dwindled. An isolated pop1.25m in height at the shoulder and Danene van der Westhuyzen and Sammy ulation was recorded by Shortridge in weigh around 150kg, the females about Rousseau.

1934, and by Austin Roberts in 1951. The 120kg. The Lichtenstein’s hartebeest of last recorded sighting was at New HanoTanzania, Zambia and parts of Zimbabwe WHILE HUNTING BUFFALO in Tanzaver in 1952. I hunted all around New (originally also in northern Mozambique, nia, I shot a young Lichtenstein’s bull to Hanover and Greytown from 1958 eastern Transvaal and northern Zulufeed the safari crew. In Kwazulu-Natal, I onwards and never saw a hartebeest. land) is heavier, the bulls weighing could have bagged a 25-inch herd bull 177kg, females 163kg, but near Elandslaagte, but I was HAPPILY, GAME-RANCHING has reinhas smaller, more tightly hunting on invitation and did troduced the hartebeest to its former discurled horns and is a goldnot have permission to shoot tribution areas and beyond (most of the en-yellow colour. a hartebeest. I hunted harteoriginal breeding stock came from RooHartebeest are generally beest in the duineveld of the ipoort). As a trophy, it is certainly an savannah-grassland or Northern Cape and spent attention-getter. Its heavily-ridged, zigplains dwellers and are days stalking several herds zag horns grow from a high, bone pedicle extremely fast runners. They and doing a lot of walking atop its skull which further elongates its seem equally at home in before I shot a young bull. In already very long, narrow head and muzNamibia’s and Botswana’s t h e c e n t ra l Ka l a h a r i o f zle, rendering it a decidedly weird-looksemi-deserts as in lush Botswana, when we finally ing animal. Most trophy collectors want it Natal. Independent of water, got close enough, the light for its conversation value. Rowland they’ll drink if it is available. While mostly had fallen. I was pushing sixty then, and Ward’s indicates that Namibia produces grazers, in the Kalahari they will eat melneeded good shooting light; I declined most of the biggest trophies (No1: ons and dig for tubers. Nowadays they go the shot and never got another. So, in my 29½"). Minimum for entry is 23". in small herds of up to 20, active in late experience, hartebeest hunting has not This antelope is perhaps the easiest afternoon and early morning. The bull exactly been a pushover. to identify in the veld. Both males and has a habit of standing lookout on a Use a fairly flat-shooting cartridge females have uniquely tortuous horns raised hump such as a collapsed terwith premium-grade bullets weighing at which are an instant give-away, and its mite-mound – often his downfall. Dr least 150gr. And feel privileged to hunt colour is usually a deep auburn-red (I’ve Reay Smithers wrote that hartebeest this unusual animal which came so close seen them almost black in Namibia). It appear to have poor eyesight, but this to extinction.

In my experience, hartebeest hunting has not exactly been a pushover

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 43

Defence Drills

Weak Hand Reloads and Emergency Drills

USING ONE HAND only, whether your weak or strong hand, to reload or clear stoppages in a handgun, can be a difficult task, though easily mastered with regular practice. Of course, mastering this with the weak hand will require more practice, but you’ll be surprised how quickly your weak side can learn.

We’ll start with the reload. For this example, we’ll assume you are right-handed, but your right hand or arm is incapacitated. Firing with your weak hand only, you have emptied your magazine. The first step is to drop the magazine by pressing the mag release. If your pistol does not have an ambidextrous mag release, press the release button with your middle finger so as to retain your thumb-hold around the

44 | ManMAGNUM | September/October 2020

by PHILLIP HAYES grip. If your pistol does not fully release the mag to drop freely to the ground, this will complicate matters, so it’s best to get a competent gunsmith to attend to this, for your life (or that of others) might depend on it.

ONCE THE EMPTY mag has dropped out, you must securely stow the pistol to perform the mag-change. One option is to tuck the pistol into your belt and then perform the reload. I prefer to grip it between my knees. If you are wearing a right-

Use your foot to pin the pistol down while tugging out the magazine.

hand cross-draw holster, i.e. the holster is on your left (weak) side, you could twist your left wrist around to re-holster the pistol, perform the mag-change, and then draw the pistol in the same manner, as described in our August edition. Having secured the weapon, draw a fresh mag from your mag-pouch or pocket, and insert it into the pistol. A firm shove should do it, but if your magazine needs more pressure for proper seating, slap the bottom of the mag with your palm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; just be careful you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t knock the pistol flying out of your waistband or from between your knees. An alternative, after inserting the mag, is to slap the bottom of the magazine against your hip to ensure it is properly seated before engaging the target.

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 45

LEFT: Use your belt to hold the handgun while reloading.

RIGHT: You can use your belt, holster or in this case a mag pouch, to rack the slide.

This means youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to be careful that the new mag does not fall out during handling.

If the situation does not allow using your legs, use your shoulder or hip to clamp the pistol against any solid object like a wall or car body while you insert the mag. This enables you to quickly grasp the pistol normally again and cycle the action by hooking the back sight on your belt and pushing the pistol firmly downwards to rack the slide. Any sharp-shouldered object, like the edge of a desk or heel of

a shoe, will also work. This should be a firm and forceful action as a miss-feed can have serious consequences. A gunfight is not the occasion to worry about scratching your handgun or damaging the sights. This done, you are back in the fight. I prefer to use my belt (using my left hand) or holster (when using my right hand) as it is a simple method which, done correctly, works every time. By practising this youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll soon determine whether your back sight should be replaced with one of higher profile. I fitted Trijicon Bright &

FROM LEFT: Holding the pistol between the knees facilitates a one-handed magazine change. Any hard object can be used to rack the slide (centre) and if nothing else is available, the sole of a shoe will do (right).

46 | ManMAGNUM | September/October 2020

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look. Decades ago, I was stationed at Sipolilo, a small government administration village in a big tribal area in the north east of Rhodesia. All such small settlements had sports clubs, which were social centres for the farmers and the few government workers. The Sipolilo club had a skeet shooting facility, where I often competed with a Beretta five-shot semiautomatic from the police armoury, using police-issue No 9 cartridges. It was not an ideal game-gun but it did the job, and after much practice, I was regularly busting the crossing double clays at the final station.

That was the only clay-target shooting I did, but it taught me to lead the target.

I had sought and received permission to hunt their fields.

After traversing the scrubby hillsides, I drove down to the orchards where the nearby water sources made it ideal for guineafowl. Several times, I saw the blue speckled birds from the vehicle, and stopped to try to walk them up. Just like the smaller francolin, they cocked their heads and trotted off, dodging trees and using dark shade for cover. At times duck, teal and Egyptian geese flew up from the water, circled me and splashed down again.

My aversion to eating waterfowl held me back.

When the sun rose higher, I sat under a Golden Delicious apple tree and lunched. I limped down to a small dam and SO, EARLY ONE morning, on cupped water from between the a perfect day – fresh and still, water lilies. Life was good. At with fluffy clouds clinging to such times, I wonder how men the slopes, I went bird hunting. can spend their entire lives in Around the village, gamebirds cities; how they can live without were few and far between, so I connecting with nature. I martook off in the pipe car for disvel at the blind luck that brought tant orchards and hill slopes. me to where I am.

The pipe car is a single-seater Walking back towards the 250cc all-wheel automatic road from the dam, I had to drive – far better than any pass a wide strip of grass, and fancy SUV, for the simple reafrom that cover, several guinson that if it gets stuck, you ea-fowl broke. They had left it merely lift it out and half-carry late and two decided that it it to another stretch of road. TOP: The airborne bird is forefront of a view of Langkloof, and the would be safer to fly a little R62 road towards George.

The excitement of the hunt way so as to put distance CENTRE: The pipe car that I used in the field. stayed with me all day – it between us. So often while ABOVE: Typical francolin territory. made me feel young again. hunting, the target appears My first stop was the 200ha unexpectedly. The gun came outspan of government land along the mountain range up and the front bead tracked the bird quartering away. As above the town. The local cattle had turned it into a grassthe gunsight touched the bird, I pulled. Why I did not lead less desert of scrub and there was nothing worth seeing. and pull when a hit was guaranteed, I do not know. The From there I moved on to the small hilly slopes behind my most likely answer was that I was using a strange shotgun house. I parked the vehicle, walked the lower hills, and then and was out of practice. Yet I had it all in mind and was went further down to the scrub and thick undergrowth. I about to lead the bird and drop it when I pressed the trigheard francolin calling, even saw a few, but after cocking a ger – just that one shot. I knew I could have taken that beady eye at me, each bird did a run and vanished. Howbird, but I did not. ever, my mind was set on finding guineafowl. I wanted to Sitting on my veranda, watching the moon as it rose out take one out of the air – just to prove to myself that I could of the mountains that evening, I found that the happy feelstill do it. ing of having spent a day hunting made the coffee taste Many farms in the region form part of big concerns, and even better.

50 | ManMAGNUM | September/October 2020

ChromeCater ET-2500 Compact Vacuum Sealer MOST OF US are familiar with vacuum-packed foodstuffs – a system used by fresh-produce packers to ensure that refrige ra t e d f o o d s l a s t m u c h longer, and that frozen foods do not suffer ‘freezer-burn’ due to air being trapped inside the bag or container.

The ChromeCater ET-2500 is a small household vacuum sealer that enables you to vacuum-pack enough game-meat, biltong and wors to last, safely frozen, throughout the year till next hunting season. It can be used for any foodstuffs including fish, fowl, fresh vegetables and herbs, preserving all for longer at appropriate temperatures, whether refrigerated or frozen, and also at normal ambient temperatures for appropriate periods, such as for daily school or work lunches, picnic lunches and camp food.

The sealer uses 85-micron thick, soft plastic tubing to form plastic bags of any size of your choice, depending on what food item you wish to store.

Once the food item is in the bag, the sealer vacuums all the air out so that the plastic clings tightly around the food item on all sides, sealing it to lock out air and moisture which can spoil it. The sealer is 40cm long, 27cm wide and 12cm high, conveniently fitting into virtually any kitchen space, and has a durable-looking stainless steel finish.

THE CONTROL PANEL has pushbuttons for ‘Dry’ and ‘Moist’, ‘Seal’, ‘Normal’ and ‘Fast’, and ‘Vacuum & Seal’; each button has its own red indicator light. On the right side is a durable plastic handle inscribed ‘Rotate until locked’, which tightly locks the lid when the sealer is in use.

The flattened plastic tubing comes in 150mm and 250mm widths, both sizes being in 5-metre rolls. Ten-metre rolls of 280mm bags will soon also be available.

by JACQUES BOSHOFF

Operation is simple and easy. Open the lid and insert the roll of plastic. Slide the end of the plastic roll under a bar that contains the cutter, and then over the sealer’s heat bar at the front. Draw out a length of plastic appropriate to the item you will be vacuum-packing. This may require some trial-and-error; I found it best to place the food item on top of the plastic, allowing for ample space with more than 2cm of plastic between the near edge of the food item and the sealer’s lid. Then close the lid and lock it with the lever on the right of the unit.

Press the ‘seal’ button on the control

Win a Soft-Ice Vacuum Sealer

WIN

You can win a ChromeCater ET-2500 Vacuum Sealer from Soft-Ice Machines and Catering Equipment valued at R 1 550. This is an ideal household foodstuff sealer to vacuum-pack enough gamemeat, biltong and wors to last until the next hunting season. To enter, visit https:// www.cateringequipment.co.za/ and find out where Soft-Ice are located in Pretoria.

Email your answer, name & cellphone number to competitions@manmagnum.co.za.

Test Report

panel, then open the lid and pull the cutter from left to right. You now have a bag which is sealed on one end.

If you plan to vacuum-pack several items of similar size, continue to make bags in this manner to speed up the process.

Now place the food item inside the bag and lay the bag’s open side over and beyond the heat bar. Close the lid and turn the lever to lock it. Then select the appropriate sealing option: Dry or Moist, then Normal or Fast Vacuum, thereafter press the Vacuum & Seal button. I used only the Fast option, which sucks the air out quicker, speeding up the process.

Sealing time is between six and ten seconds and vacuum time is between 13 and 30 seconds, depending on the food items.

Among the foods I sealed were sausage, dry sausage and biltong, also lunch-packs for outings with the children. The bags are robust and not easily opened by hand. For the children’s lunch-packs, I used scissors to make small cuts in the loose edges of the plastic on both ends of the bag to give them a ‘start’ for tearing them open (avoid cutting through the seal or puncturing the bag).

HUNTERS CAN VACUUM-PACK raw strips of meat for making biltong, and freeze them. When required, remove, defrost and hang the strips in the biltong-drier. This device can also save you money – buy in bulk and store in the fridge, freezer or pantry.

At the time of writing, Soft-Ice’s website advertised the ChromeCater ET-2500 at a suggested retail price of R1 550, VAT included; a 5m roll of 150mm plastic cost R55 and a 5m roll of 250mm plastic, R65. The sealer comes with a 12-month carry-in warranty. Contact Soft-Ice Machines and Catering Equipment on 012-5482745 or 071-564-4285 or email them at sales@cateringequipment.co.za.

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 51

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Double Danger in Damascus

by MALCOLM COBB

Is it safe to shoot vintage guns?

LEFT AND ABOVE: A 12-bore Wilkinson sidelock ejector serial number W-1232 with 30-inch Damascus nitro barrels, the rib engraved ‘WILKINSON. 27 & 28 PALL MALL. LONDON. S.W.’; 2½'' chambers, treble-grip action with removable striker discs and automatic safety. It has a 14-inch well-figured stock.

Weight 6lb. 10oz. Photos Holt’s Auctioneers

NT PIE cal shooting e seeme cate dangeract es rel the shooting tim black p irearms. The pons involved hose combiion nd sh s which are ne wn as e Guns. My concern that the w riter did not the dangers ld weapons with modern ammunition, especially those with Damascus barrels made out of twisted and welded steel, a style originating with the Damascus sword blades of the mediaeval era.

Going by the writer of the article, a lot of interested shooters just took their information from the Internet, where any number of incorrect posts can be found. I found the lack of knowledge displayed on these chatrooms truly depressing. My references for what follows comes from the standard works of W.W.Greener in his book The Gun (1910 Edition), who actually made Damascus barrels, and The Modern Shotgun by Sir Gerald Burrard, an engineer and consultant to the British Home Office on forensic ballistics. They know what they are talking about.

Getting to the sixth or seventh chatroom (no exaggeration) produced a correspondent who actually remembered an important qualification from the results of one series of blow-up tests which had concluded that no Damascus barrel would blow up, provided that the correct load and THE CORRECT SIZE OF CARTRIDGE was used. Now that is something different

Good quality gun barrel steels became readily available only after 1860/1870 and the modern idea of seamless tubing for barrels only came in after the mid-1890s

An illustration of how Damascus barrels were made, taken from Greener’s 1910 book, The Gun.

Three bars, usually of different alloys, independently twisted, are forge-welded together at a bright yellow heat into a single continuous flat bar, then wrapped around a mandrel and further forge-welded into a solid spiral. From Game Guns & Rifles, by Richard Akehurst, G. Bell & Sons, London, 1969.

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 53

TOP: The underside of a single barrel 2½'' chambered vintage shotgun after prolonged firing with 2¾'' shells. Note the grey white mark on the barrel in front of the lumps, level with the mouth of the cartridge case. This is where the barrel is starting to bulge and is about to burst.

ABOVE: Exterior delamination on a Damascus-barrelled shotgun. ABOVE RIGHT: The shotgun half of a 19th century Cape Gun. The thinnest part of the metal at the bottom is 0.073'' (1.9mm) thick, exactly where your hand is under the fore-end.

and to understand the significance of this important qualification, we first need to look at the basics.

Historically, good quality gun barrel steels became readily available only after 1860/1870 and the modern idea of seamless tubing for barrels only came in after the mid-1890s, which is nearly half way through the period we are talking about. Even then, these ‘modern’ gun-making materials did not come into immediate use as many of the cheaper makers (Burrard speaking of the 1920s) stuck to their usual method of using imported Damascus barrel tubing.

SO WHAT IS a Damascus barrel? It was made by welding up a rope of mixed iron and steel strands wrapped around a mandrel at near white heat and then pounded with a hammer to join the pieces together – an ancient method known as forge welding. However there was no X-ray procedure or Magnaflux testing or any other modern method of quality control in those days. Even the notion of welding stresses was unheard of. All the gun-

makers could do, was make a visual inspection for major flaws and then send them for an overstrength charge at the Proof House to see if the barrel blew up. If the barrel came back okay, then it was out of the workshop and into the gun-shop.

What are the good and bad points of an all-welded barrel? First of all, the mixture of iron and steel strands gave the resulting barrel a pretty spiral pattern, which made a good selling point over plain iron barrels. However, given that these were dissimilar metals (a common welding problem), there could be lack of fusion between the strands of the metal when they were walloped together. Cindery slag from the furnace might be included in the weld by accident and that meant no bonding between the strands at all. The very act of heating the metal up to the necessary white heat took the metal dangerously close to melting point at which time metals permanently lose 10% of their tensile strength, so the process had to be carried out by very skilled craftsmen, otherwise the failure rate at the forge would be unacceptably high.

54 | ManMAGNUM | September/October 2020

The records of the Birmingham Proof House for 1890 (De Witt Bailey in English Gunmakers) shows a 5% failure rate at Provisional Proof on those Damascus barrel blanks that had already passed inspection at the gunmakers, and a further 3% at Definitive Proof on the assembled gun. This is an 8% failure rate already, without including any failures at the forging stage. By modern standards, that is a lot of failures.

One advantage of a Damascus barrel is that because of the continuous length of its coiled strands, it was stronger than the equivalent iron barrel of the day which was formed by a flat plate bent over and welded along the side seam only. This extra strength in Damascus meant that the muzzle end of the barrels could be thinned right down to paper thickness to improve the balance of the shotgun. However, like all primitive welding with no cooling control, the welds were potentially very brittle and Damascus barrels were frequently rendered unuseable because of a dent in the side which split the welded seam and there was no way of repairing it. These I have seen myself. Damascus barrels (being made of a heat-softened material), were also prone to bulge on firing if the barrels were ever obstructed.

THE REALLY BAD news concerning the dangers of Damascus barrels comes from the length of cartridge case used. By the start of the black powder cartridge era around 1870, the British standard game load was 1 1/16 of an ounce of shot (30gm) which, added to a given charge of powder and wads, ended up at a case length of 2.256'' (57.3mm). This was nominally called a 2½'' case because it needed a chamber that was 2½'' (63.5mm) long so that the roll crimp at the end could unroll to let the shot out when the gun was fired.

The problems started with the arrival of the now common 2¾'' (70mm) case which required a longer chamber. The problem worsened with the introduction of the star crimp that replaced the roll crimp and needed

even more length in which to unfold.

For the record, I did not find one This was dangerous because shooters chatroom that even touched on the could still chamber this longer cartridge question of overly long cases causing in the older guns, so it seemed that it blow-ups with Damascus. The knowwas safe to fire as long as the action ledge just isn’t out there. could be closed. Unfortunately the How do you check if your vintage chambers of these older guns were gun is already unsafe? Unhook the barnever marked for length because there rels and look closely at a point 2½'' was no other length of case to confuse (60mm) down from the chamber end them with at the time. The UK Proof where the barrel metal is thinnest. Do House regulations requiring the markyou see a little white or grey spot Burrard’s sketch in The Modern Shotgun of the effect of an over-long case in a 2½'' chamber. ing of chamber length were introduced (otherwise the start of a ‘white metal’ only in 1925, way after the heyday of stress fracture) or perhaps you can feel Damascus barrels. a slight bulge there? That is evidence This is a dangerous situation for the which depend on the shot moving that the barrel has been overstressed modern shooter. The present day Eley smoothly down the barrel – right now and is slowly bulging out and will evencartridge website gives us this clear we are talking about a condition tually burst. warning: where it doesn’t.

Do NOT be tempted by the fact that Using an example of a typical preALTHOUGH NOT MANY of us have a 2¾'' or 3'' cartridge will fit in your 2½'' First World War 12-bore Cape Gun shot seen a Damascus-barrelled shotgun chambered gun to fire it! The cartridge barrel that I was able to measure, the actually blowing up, the seriously bad length refers to the case length WHEN thinnest metal at the breech end was news is that a large number of the older FIRED. As a rule of thumb, the longer 0.073'' (1.90mm) thick, extending shot and Cape Guns I have examined the case, the greater the payload it can down to the forcing cone. Let’s be absodo show this bulging feature. It is not a contain and the higher the payload, the lutely clear about this. Less than 2mm single catastrophic failure we are talkhigher the operating pressure. of century-old primitive welding stands ing about, but a slow hammering away What actually happens when a nitro between your fingers and a pressure at the thinnest part of the chamber powered 2¾'' (70mm) star crimp case spike of over twice the working preswalls by the pressure spikes (otherwise is fired in a 2½''(63.5mm) chamber? sure that your gun was designed for. called stress cracking) that will eventuThe cartridge ignites and starts to That is not a good situation to be in. ally cause a burst. Substituting modern develop its approximately 4 tonnes to So what happens then? Burrard says, black powder loads in such a situation the square inch working pressure. The “if cartridges are used which are too won’t be any safer because the damage extra material in the star crimp unfolds long for chamber, the pressures gene­ is already done and that applies to into the forcing cone at the front of the rated will be excessive and will cause iron-barrelled 2½'' shotguns as well. chamber, squeezing the wadding and irregular patterns irrespective of the risk To get a second opinion on this, I the shot with considerable vigour. This of straining or even smashing the gun.” asked a widely experienced gunsmithing causes a dangerous upward spike in Greener and Eley say the same. friend of mine how he would go about the working pressure as the powchecking a 120-year-old Damasder keeps on burning while the cus-barrelled gun for safety. His shot charge momentarily slows its answer was, “Some are safe and acceleration – this is where the some are not. You can’t tell.” For trouble starts. that very reason, as a qualified gunGreener gives various working smith, he can’t, as a generality, pressures for black powder shotendorse the shooting of Damascus guns at between one and two barrels in modern times.

Imperial tons per square inch.

There really is “Double Danger in Burrard states that the later nitro Damascus.” If that makes this p o w d e r s h o t g u n s o f h i s e r a LEFT TO RIGHT : A nominal 2½'' (67.5mm) case unfired is author a teller of old wives’ tales actually 2.26'' (57.3mm) long, compared to a similar case worked at 2.9 tons to the square then so is W.W. Greener, Sir Gerald unrolled on firing at 2.42'' (61.4mm) long.

Next is a nominch, and present day nitro loaded Burrard, the present day Eley inal 2¾''(70mm) case actually 2.35'' (59.8mm) long, which shotguns work at around 4 tons factory, and any number of welding will fit into a 2½'' (67.5mm ) chamber but when fired with pressure, twice the pressure of a star crimp, becomes 2.70'' (68.6 mm) long. The end case engineers that I have consulted Greener’s figures. Don’t forget, is another nominal 2½'' (67.5mm) case to facilitate the during my working lifetime. I don’t these are still working pressures comparison to the fired 2¾'' case. mind being in their company.

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 55

Incidental Impala

by ROGER HISSEY

Often, top p trophies are taken opportunistically The longest horn measured 27½ inches; the circumference was 5½ inches and tip-to-tip measurement was 22''.

iting list f our ms. The lope and colmain . The client’s time is to oo limited to be spent hunting the lesser trophies, but if an is encountered, acceptable t bl specimen i he will usually seize the opportunity to bag it.

I think this is also the approach of most biltong hunters; invariably their

56 | ManMAGNUM | September/October 2020

priority will be the larger species, the small game being secondary. However, springbuck and blesbuck on the plains, and impala in the bushveld, are our bread-and-butter animals, so any game rancher failing to offer these is missing the bus. Many meat hunters cannot afford the prices asked for the larger species, so non-trophy small game is their quarry. Seldom have I come across hunters with the specific goal of hunting a Rowland Ward trophy impala, but I have the highest regard for these individuals, as the humble impala is a worthy quarry to hunt by the walk-andstalk method. The Rowland Ward minimum of 23¾'' is not easily attainable

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scientific and historical record of where the best trophies of the huntable game species occur in Africa, including pickups.

During the 1970s, I spent some years prospecting in Namibia, so I was fortunate to see black-faced impala in the west of Etosha National Park and in the Kaokoveld (they were a protected species at that time). Of the three subspecies, they are the smallest in body and horn length. Interestingly, I have hunted southern impala in the Tshipise area, north of the Soutpansberg, which are very similar in appearance, with a black blaze centrally down the face – in some specimens this extends to the ears.

As for the southern impala, it is interesting to note that Rowland Ward’s records show most entries emanating from Limpopo, especially west of Thabazimbi, through to the north.

Locations such as Rooibokkraal, Dwaalboom, Sentrum, Marken and Ellisras keep appearing, which should indicate to trophy hunters that this is a good region to hunt high scoring impala. I have hunted these antelope all over the country and in my experience the best trophies come from this area. In support of this, I have conducted a number of corporate hunts near Rooibokkraal where operators specified trophy length as 22 inches on their game lists. In 2002, I hunted with eight clients who collectively bagged six trophy impala measuring between 22 inches and 24⅜ inches. Two made Rowland Ward. It was an expensive hunt.

IN JULY 2001, I hunted on a farm bordering the Marico River which forms the international boundary with Botswana to the north. Inland from the riverine bush is a belt of black cotton soil with thick sour grasses and patches of blackthorn intermingled with stands of scrub thorn. In winter, it is not a very productive hunting area, the game favouring a red soil area to the south with typical bushveld vegetation.

I was hunting with Bushy, a very capable guide and tracker with whom I had hunted many times before and we

understood each other well.

I wanted to hunt a blue wildebeest and Bushy had spotted a small herd heading towards the river, so we followed, using scattered stands of blackthorn as cover. With Bushy leading, we were moving slowly through a stand of waist-high scrub thorn when a movement caught my eye some 70m away to our left. Bushy always carried my bipod shooting sticks horizontally so that, in the event of my needing to attract his attention, all I had to do was step forward and grasp the end of the sticks. All we could see were three sets of impala horns moving away from us through the thorn. The impala were unaware of our presence and seemed to be on a mission to reach some place where impala want to be.

As they crossed an open patch of short grass, I observed that the first two rams showed good trophy quality, but when the third ram came into view, the size of his horns took my breath away. There was no need to communicate; the wildebeest were quickly forgotten as we took up the trail. Generally, it took a lot to get Bushy excited, but now he was as enthusiastic as I was.

We kept pace with the trio, the bigger ram bringing up the rear. We would get into a likely position for a shot but they gave us no chance, constantly moving away from us, meandering through the scrub thorn. Eventually they came into an open patch, which the smaller rams crossed, leaving the big ram to follow. Up went my sticks, and I readied my 7x57. As he stepped into view, offering a quartering away shot, he stopped to sniff at a dung midden. My 175gr Nosler Partition took him behind the ribs and exited his right

58 | ManMAGNUM | September/October 2020

shoulder. He collapsed on the spot. As is my habit, I reloaded and waited, covering the spot. He made no further movement.

As I approached the ram from behind, his horns became bigger and bigger. I could not believe my eyes. Memories of my father’s ram came flooding back, but this was my impala and certainly the biggest I had ever seen in South Africa. I knew immediately that this trophy was exceptional. Bushy and I were happy hunters!

Bushy contacted Nico, the manager, on his radio and told him I had a “mooi groot rooibok geskiet”. He then went off to guide Nico from the road to the impala. I gratefully spent time with my ram and wished that I could have shared the moment with my father. I am sure he would have been pleased.

Nico arrived and all he could say was, “Flip dis ’n mooi bok”. He had seen the ram before but thought it had passed on as it had been missing for some time. He could see how chuffed I was and I think he was genuinely pleased for me. We set it up for photographs but unfortunately Nico’s cell phone camera (they were in their infancy in those days) did not produce pictures suitable for publication. I had a shoulder mount done, Jane Halse of Rowland Ward did the measuring and certified that the longest horn measured 27½ inches; the circumference was 5½ inches and tip-to-tip measurement was 22''.

This is the only trophy I have kept in my retirement. My impala resides in my study as a constant reminder of one of the most unexpected but most rewarding hunting experiences of my life.

It is interesting to note that Rowland Ward’s records show most entries emanating from Limpopo, especially west of Thabazimbi, through to the north

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60 | ManMAGNUM | September/October 2020

Africa’s Forest Dwelling

Shadow Dancer

by KEVIN THOMAS

Meet the tenacious bushbuck

THE DARK BROWN bushbuck ram’s chest, flanks, rump and knees, are spotted and streaked with brilliant white markings. This cryptic colouration allows a bushbuck to move almost unseen in its world of subdued sunlight. Its large eyes afford maximum resolution in the shadowy forest light. Magnificent looking, and often bark-stained, the spiralled horns sometimes flare outwards, before terminating in sharp tips.

Pound for pound a bushbuck ram is an extremely tenacious animal. Throughout their history of being hunted, they’ve made short work of dogs, and continue to do so with vigour. More than once during my safari career, I’ve seen dogs that have ended up on the wrong side of a cornered or wounded bushbuck. Sadly too, there have been human fatalities. Once fully mature, a hand-reared bushbuck ram should never be trusted.

Thirty-seven years ago, I was hunting on a relative’s ranch in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. At the time, I was carrying a .338 Winchester Magnum loaded with 250gr bullets and my want was a kudu for venison. As I sat glassing from atop a steep-sided shale ridge, an old representative bushbuck ram stepped out of the thick bush below me and wandered into the open. It was a long shot, one I should never have taken, but after holding high on the shoulder, and using a handy branch as a rest, I put pin to primer.

In acknowledgement of the shot, the sound of which was still echoing down the valley, the bushbuck was seemingly thrown sideways. Recovering quickly, it then bounded back into the dense acacia thicket barking loudly. As it disappeared, I could clearly see a shattered right front leg swinging freely. My bullet had dropped more than I’d expected and

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 61

left me chastising myself for When hunting a bushbuck, it having risked the shot in the helps to be aware of their addiction first place. to the rays of warm sunlight on an After chambering another icy cold winter morning – which round, I made my way down the often leads to their demise. If you steep-sided ridge with my yelglass along the edge of the forest low Labrador, Shandy, excitedly habitat and then out into the adjaAmerican sport hunter John Barsness glasses typical Eastern salivating and pulling on his cent open patches, you’ll often Cape agricultural terrain during an early winter morning, leash. When we got to where spot solitary bushbuck. Dark forms, looking for bushbuck standing in the open. the luckless bushbuck had been hunched up against the cold, standing, I sent the Lab into the savouring the warm caress of the dark shadows of the tangled bush. He’d learnt his ‘seek-up’ early sunrays. Female bushbuck are more chestnut in colour trade on blood-spoor in the far off East Caprivi. and are quite often in the company of a fawn, or yearling.

It wasn’t long before Shandy started barking excitedly, Despite bushbuck tending to be solitary animals, if a and his enthusiastic yelling was soon being challenged by hunter has the advantage of high ground to glass from, a angry barks from the bushbuck. The noise gave me somenumber of trophy bushbuck can often be spotted spread out, thing to home in on. So, on hands and knees, I cautiously enjoying the sunlight, or feeding. Bushbuck have keen senses made my way towards the commotion. When I reached the and they’re alert so, as with any form of hunting, wind direcscene, the bushbuck had his hindquarters tion is important. tucked into a thorn bush, and on his knees, he Once you’ve selected your bushbuck, the was parrying and thrusting at Shandy with his stalk needs to commence extremely slowly stiletto sharp horns. Calling the dog off, I put from downwind. Always try moving from cover an end to the tenacious buck’s suffering. to cover even, if once you’ve closed the distance, it means leopard crawling. UnfortuIF FURTHER QUALIFICATION of a bushnately, some hunters interpret crawling as buck’s tenacity is needed, despite its size and moving forward in the upright position, with weight (70-170lbs), research has shown that their head down and chin tucked tight in bushbuck suffer greater mortality in rivalry against their chest. It doesn’t usually work fights over females, than any other antelope that way, and unless you’re lucky, your stalk species. will be compromised. Important too, is to My preferred method of hunting a bushavoid standing, or moving in bright sunlight, buck trophy was always to glass and stalk. Also called still because clothing often reflects light. hunting, this method makes maximum use of the old adage, If during your stalk the bushbuck is feeding, while its head ‘make your glasses do the walking’. It certainly holds true is down, you should keep moving. If it raises its head, it’s best with bushbuck hunting. Merely shooting an animal may conto immediately freeze, preferably while on your haunches, firm an individual’s marksmanship skills, however, stalking an even if behind cover. When your quarry looks away or starts animal successfully also indicates that a hunter knows somefeeding again, continue the stalk. It may take time, but time thing about hunting. As does working the meat and skinning is integral to successful hunting. If you think about it, you’ll the animal out afterwards. never see a predator rush a stalk. If you are not hunting alone it’s also advisable to move in single file. A wider uncoThe ideal way to hunt the secretive bushbuck is to glass and then stalk. ordinated front offers a greater chance of compromise.

If you glass along the edge of the forest habitat and then out into the adjacent open patches, you’ll often spot solitary bushbuck

LEFT: Bill Porteous of the UK with his excellent Chobe bushbuck, taken on Zimbabwe’s Ume River. CENTRE: Paul Carter of the US poses with his Cape bushbuck taken near Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape. The colour difference between the Chobe bushbuck and Cape bushbuck is quite marked.

RIGHT: Recovering a bushbuck from the Eastern Cape thickets can be time consuming.

You’ll soon know if your stalk has been compromised, because with a sudden bound or two, and perhaps a throaty warning bark, the bushbuck will disappear back into its safe forest haven. Once it’s back inside this shadowy world, no matter how hard you try, it’ll be lost from view and almost impossible to see. You may hear him giving his harsh dog-like bark of alarm, but it’ll only add to your frustrations.

Everything inside this quiet twilight patch of forest works for the bushbuck, but certainly not for the hunter. To succeed when hunting a trophy bushbuck, your first stalk should ideally be your only stalk.

Rowland Ward and Safari Club International list eight subspecies of bushbuck in Africa, however, due to the considerable variation in bushbuck colouration and size – across their wide range – more than 40 races have been described. Different races are mainly distinguished by their degree of spotting, striping and intensity of colouration. I am familiar with only the southern form Tragelaphus sylvaticus and allies, these being the Cape Bushbuck, Chobe Bushbuck and Limpopo Bushbuck.

normal habitat is nigh impossible, trying to find a wounded one who is not leaving blood sign, would be about the same.

Despite my having attempted to give a somewhat compressed overview of bushbuck hunting as I’ve experienced it, even the most careful of stalks on a bushbuck can leave a hunter gnashing his teeth and threatening suicide. On a number of occasions over the years, I’ve had good trophy bushbuck decamp with a flash of its tail’s white underside, and a series of barks bordering on what I’d assume must’ve been bushbuck hysteria at my failed stalk!

HUNTERS IN AFRICA, who are familiar with the species, revere bushbuck. When I was still an active professional hunter, I can honestly say there were two species for which I never tired of guiding my clients: the Cape buffalo and the bushbuck. In the case of the former, initially by tracking then finally stalking, and in the case of the latter, by glassing, selecting, and then stalking.

When it came to bushbuck, I always opted for a well-constructed bullet that could be relied upon to hold its own in fairly dense undergrowth. Calibre wise, in my experience, the .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, 7x57mm Mauser, .270 Winchester and their like all performed perfectly. The .243 Winchester is more than adequate in the open, however, if a bushbuck is inadvertently wounded and gets back into the thick stuff, problems may arise. A hunter needs a stream of blood to follow in the dark thickets – you don’t always have a trusty hound present – and a .243 bullet wound may not give you the blood you need. Spotting a healthy bushbuck in his

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 63

by CHARLOTTEANN AUCAMP

Gamebird Burger Patties with Homemade Tomato Sauce

INGREDIENTS: ■ 1kg gamebird breasts (I used pigeon breasts and those of two spurwing) ■ 200-250g fatty pork or beef ■ 2 large onions, finely chopped ■ 2-4 slices of white bread, crumbed ■ 2 teaspoons (10ml) ground coriander

■ ¼ teaspoon (1.25ml) ground cloves ■ ½ teaspoon (2.5ml) ground nutmeg ■ 2 teaspoons (10ml) salt ■ 1 teaspoon (5ml) ground black pepper ■ 20ml vinegar ■ 2-3 stems flat leaf parsley, freshly cut ■ 1 large egg

64 | ManMAGNUM | September/October 2020

METHOD: Clean the birds and remove the breasts; wash them and dry with a paper towel.

Dice the pork/beef and breasts to fit into the meat grinder.

Mince the breasts and pork/beef, and mix through.

Mix in the chopped onions, parsley and breadcrumbs.

Add all the spices and the vinegar, and mix.

Good Food Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Form into burger-sized patties.

Place the patties on a baking tray, cover and put in the fridge overnight.

(The patties are easier to handle if semi-frozen.)

Fry the patties on the grill or in a pan (the grill adds a smoky flavour).

HOMEMADE TOMATO SAUCE: ■ 4-6 large ripe tomatoes (organic, if possible) ■ 6 cloves fresh garlic ■ 1 large onion, chopped ■ 25ml olive oil (to roast the tomatoes) ■ Salt and pepper to taste ■ ¼ teaspoon curry powder ■ 25ml sugar ■ ½ teaspoon dry oregano

Add the sugar and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Serve hot or cold.

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Place the tomatoes, garlic and onion in a roasting tray, then add the olive oil and flavouring, and mix.

Roast for 30-45 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and starting to char.

Remove and pour into a large pot.

Blend with a stick blender to a fine consistency.

To Serve: Use fresh ciabatta buns or normal hamburger buns. Build burg­ ers to taste with homemade tomato sauce, tomato slices, different cheeses, gherkins and sliced red onion.

Depending on the size of the patties, you should get 7 to 10 burgers from this recipe.

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 65

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Gallery Surely, there should not be three decimals places? Then I looked properly and saw I had been billed for a takbok at R135 000.00. I was dumbstruck for a while until it dawned on me that it was a joke.

When I got home, I gave my wife the invoice. She held the invoice at arm’s length and I watched as her facial expression changed to one of utter horror. “Honey, we can never afford this, we will have to sell the house.” I could not help but laugh and enjoy the moment. Good memories have been made and this story will live on, that’s what makes hunting such fun. – John Stephenson

Mismatched Mauser Bolts Hubert Montgomery’s tale (Collector’s Corner, Aug 2020 edition) of two 9x57 Mauser Africa Models in South Africa having parts whose serial numbers differed by a single consecutive digit was interesting in that several of the two rifles’ respective parts had been switched at the factory. This must be very unusual and his tracking down and ultimately possessing the second rifle was truly remarkable.

Less unusual, perhaps, is the factory’s switching of just one part – the bolts. This photo shows the receiver and bolt of a commercial (sporting) Oberndorf Model 98 Mauser on an intermediate length action in 7x57 calibre, which belonged to my late brother.

The bolt’s serial number differs from the receiver’s by a single consecutive digit. Clearly, the completed rifles came off the factory assembly line and after the final quality control check, the last procedure before packing for shipment, was to insert the bolts. It seems the factory worker doing this final job received more than one rifle at a time.

Switching bolts of two near identical

rifles lying together on the bench in front of him would be an easy mistake to make, and I am surprised that we don’t learn of more such cases. But then, how many rifle owners, other than collectors, check to see if the various parts match?

Note that the rifle’s calibre is 7x57N. It is unusual to see this stamped on the barrel. The ‘N’ stood for ‘NORMAL’ and was briefly used when the bullet weights for the 7x57 were undergoing a change.

I have seen the same ‘N’ on 8x57 case head-stamps. – Gregor Woods

Re-Barrelling Experience About four years ago I took my scoped pre-war Brno 7x57 carbine on a hunting trip in the Eastern Cape. With its original short barrel, this rifle consistently achieved 3-shot groups of 30mm at 100m using 160 grain Hornady handloads.

Immediately prior to my departure, I cleaned the bore and placed the rifle in its carry bag for the road trip. When I checked the zero on the farm prior to hunting, it produced a 3-shot 300mm (12-inch) group. I checked the scope, mounts and ammunition but could find no reason for the erratic performance, so I hunted with my 9.3x62 Mauser.

Days later, I had a gunsmith check the 7x57; he found a barrel bulge about 5cm in from the front sight. I recalled that on returning home after the hunt, I had taken the 9.3x62 out of its good-quality carry bag and noticed a lot

of plastic fibre and cloth from the bag lining in the barrel bore. This was possibly the cause of the barrel bulge in the 7x57. Lesson number one, always remove the bolt and look through your rifle’s bore before firing that first shot.

Being a carbine it was impractical to shorten the barrel so I decided to re-barrel it. I had to begin by applying for permission from the police to re-barrel the rifle. The CFR in Pretoria granted permission by letter. I purchased the 7mm barrel blank and had it transferred from the dealer to the gunsmith’s stock. I then had to make a formal application for a new rifle licence using the old receiver’s serial number and the new barrel’s serial number. Thereafter, I had to make four re-applications with the same paperwork, and make two payments for the same application. I was asked why I need a new barrel because if the original one is “shot out” surely the action is worn out as well. Then I was requested to re-licence my original bulged barrel because its white license was up for renewal due to the time delay in my new application. All this involved 65 emails and two legal opinions plus costs.

After three years and ten months, including four missed hunting seasons, I collected my licence in January 2020. I can only surmise from the questions asked of me and the repeated submissions and emails, that there is no clearly defined police licensing procedure for the re-barrelling of licensed rifles. My conclusion is that unless things have since changed, it is not worth going the re-barrelling route. I should have destroyed the rifle, bought a new or used rifle and then customised it. Of course if you are sitting with a square bridge magnum model 98 Mauser action, you will have to think carefully!

My thanks go to the police at WC Firearms, Bellville, for continually supporting and pursuing my application.

– Chris Higgins

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PEOPLE

Gunsmith of the Month: Johnny Johnson Muzzle-loading enthusiasts know all this, but we happily carry on burning black powder measured volumetrically, because if it was accurate enough for the old-timers, it is accurate enough for us.

As my new toy lacks a manufacturer’s mark, I cannot research it further, but I know it genuinely harks back to the time of the heyday of the ‘charcoal burners’. I’m glad to have come by it.

– Johan van Zyl

ABOVE LEFT: The barrel of the scoop at maximum extension.

ABOVE: The black wooden handle among a number of powder measures handmade by myself (excluding the yellow plastic one for comparison).

Johnny lives and works in Springbok in the Northern Cape. Born overseas, his interest in firearm repairs began at a young age while hanging around a gunsmith workshop. In the mid-1970s, he started doing general firearm repairs as a hobby. His interest in the trade grew once he moved to SA and started participating in shooting sports.

His speciality is customizing revolvers and pistols.

While he has worked on almost all handgun brands, he particularly admires Smith & Wesson revolvers. Asked to name two of the best pistols he has ever handled, he answered: 1911 style competition pistols in 9mmP, and the Arsenal Strike One service pistol.

Johnny also works on hunting and precision rifles and has no preferred rifle calibre or barrel type. He says SAKO actions are excellent for precision rifles, and Weatherby actions for hunting rifles. His favourite calibre for dangerous game rifles is .357H&H, and he prefers Turkish walnut on a hunting rifle. A future project of his is an Enfield conversion to 7.62x39. He takes part in sport shooting and is involved in the shooting club in his area.

Subscriber of the Month: Kees de Haan Kees lives in the Western Cape, and his favourite hunting grounds are the bushveld and the Karoo. For bushveld hunting he uses his Brno .30-06, and when visiting the Karoo, he uses his very accurate Tikka T3 in .243 Win. His last hunt was in the Karoo near Victoria West, where he bagged several springbuck for table meat and biltong.

Kees handloads for both his rifles; he mostly uses Lapua cases and Barnes TSX bullets.

A Magnum subscriber for the past 18 years, Kees is also a member of the SA Hunters and Game Conservation Association (SAHGCA), the South African Gunowners’ Association (SAGA) and the Durbanville Shooting Club.

September/October 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 71