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VOLUME 45

NUMBER 6 JUNE 2020

ON THE COVER:

The Turkish made MH-TS AR-type 12ga shotgun. Read more on our test of this robust semi-auto on p36. Photo by Phillip Hayes.

Features 12 17 20 24 28 36 40 46 50 56 60 64

GLOCK G44: FINALLY A .22LR

Paul Scarlata

HUNTING IN GERMANY

Ian Myburgh

The first Glock that “isn’t” a Glock A bonding of intercultural kindred spirits

CZ 550 MAGNUM

André Grobler

WAGONS NORTH

Robin Barkes

A TROPHY HUNT

Fritz Ganz

Last of a line of classics Hunting trips two centuries past Fly-camp safari for plains game

HUNT GROUP MH-TS SEMI-AUTO SHOTGUN Fancy an AR-type 12-bore?

Phillip Hayes

MANNERS TUSKS MYSTERY – PART 2

Gregor Woods

CATTLE-KILLING CATS

Frank Jackman

Of tall tusks and tall tales…

Learning the long and hard way

INTERPRETING TRACKS Nature’s hieroglyphics

THE WITBUL WEBLEY

Boer War revolver with proven provenance

FISHING FOR BUSHBUCK

Neck shots: dredging the depths

TRADITIONAL KNIVES OF AFRICA The culture of tribal cutlery

Cleve Cheney MC Heunis Bruce Truter Sarel Esterhuizen

Subscribe to our Digital Edition, go to www.manmagnum.com

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Trail Talk

by PHILLIP HAYES

A Crisis Never Imagined COVID-19 AND THE resulting worldwide lockdown have changed our lives drastically and the economic impact will be with us for years to come. Apart from the more than 200 000 deaths worldwide as I write this, a disastrous impact has been the dramatic drop in demand for fuel, which has led to the worst oil price crisis ever. Coupled with global lockdowns, this is causing losses in revenue amounting to trillions, with commensurate job losses. Newspaper reports proclaiming ‘worst jobs reports in modern history’ are now common in Canada and the USA. No one can escape the economic hardship, or the fear, which the disease has brought with it. Sadly, behind every statistical human death there is a family and friends facing the loss of a loved-one.

The lockdown curbs the spread of the disease, but with every additional day under some level of lockdown, the country’s financial burden grows, and with it the daily suffering of those without income. Hopefully, by the time you read this, the general stage-5 lockdown will be past. The danger of the virus will remain, but at least some of us won’t have to sit idle while our families and friends grow daily more desperate. We can act in an endeavour to save our ‘own small economies’.

This pandemic has emphasized that the divide between rich and poor in our country is much too great. For too long, far too many have been struggling to survive from day to day. Yes, we’re all to blame for our problems, and this includes underperforming government structures – an issue mostly denied by politicians. There is no quick fix, but hopefully, we will all use the lessons learned under the extreme duress of Covid-19 to change our society for the better.

For the hunting and shooting industry, the impact has been devastating.

Apart from revenue and jobs lost, the

6 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

global recession has glaringly exposed the weaknesses of our currency. These days, almost all the items we use for shooting – rifles, ammo, reloading components and shooting accessories – are imported. Very few local manufacturers exist anymore. During May 2019, the Rand traded at around R13 to R13.50 to the US$. As I write this the Rand is just under R19 to the US$. This difference will have to be absorbed by you and me. Shooting will become much more expensive. Hopefully, this will create opportunities for local entrepreneurs to enter the market, but consumers will be thinking twice before spending money.

Sadly, but inevitably, many professional hunters and outfitters are now trying to find other sources of income – not an easy task, and one that will become more difficult in the days ahead. After holding telephone discussions with people in the industry, I have to ask myself whether some – perhaps many – game ranchers will soon be forced to switch to domestic livestock farming. The blow to the industry resulting from cancellations by foreign hunters alone for the 2020 season has been catastrophic. And let’s face it, not many of us locals will be going hunting soon. Some game farmers may not be able to survive a ‘gap-year’ until the demand for hunting starts to pick up again next season – and it may take longer than that to recover. Inevitably, some game farms will disappear. This is sad, but necessary to ensure a better future for many families.

However, let’s not become too pessimistic. African hunting has always been pretty much a rich man’s game, and the wealthy are seldom as affected by economic crises as the middle and lower income groups are. Quite probably, once the virus is past and air travel is re-opened, foreign hunters will book their hunts as usual.

As for local hunters, one argument I heard was that soon there will be an oversupply of game, available at bargain prices. This may be true in the short term, but it’s too early to speculate on the long term effects. Perhaps, with less game available, hunting will become even more expensive. On the other hand, perhaps some owners of the larger, well-stocked game farms will adapt, and offer locals hunting of a kind that most South Africans prefer – selfcatered rustic camps instead of lodges, and game at ‘biltong-jagter’ prices, with farmers relying on higher turnover to offset lower profit margins. After all, this principle changed the retail industry – all the grand ‘department stores’ like Stuttafords and Greaterman’s disappeared in the face of the ‘warehouse’ type discount stores like Game.

The lockdown has brought several aspects of my own life into sharp focus.

The starkest realisation has been that I can spend a lot less money, yet still be happy. I now realize how many unnecessary vehicle trips I’ve been making – the savings in fuel alone can feed a needy family for considerable time.

Taking a leisurely motorcycle ride, spending time on the shooting range and going hunting are some of the privileges I’ll appreciate much more in future.

This virus will not disappear with the lifting of lockdown or shifting it to another level – we’ll be dealing with it for weeks and months to come. We can but hope that scientists will soon develop a vaccine to eradicate it. However, the crisis and ensuing economic fallout has taught us to stand together, to help and support each other. Let’s do what we can to support firearms dealers and game farmers who are likewise willing to accommodate a weakened buying public. A human virtue is to protect the weak and vulnerable and to help others even when struggling yourself.

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Consider This...

by CHRIS PARGETER

w Deeply do Animals Think?

OUND G A BE in the road which dges Zamb River for two kiloetres ar Vict Falls, I came upon hefty bull hi Standing with his ck to e rive d his head jutting to the d, he l ked at me with no discernibl pression. I stopped the y – a bit close, but the unpredictable nature of hippo.

I have enjoyed trying to read the eyes of elephant, convinced that these reveal much of their intelligence and mood, as do a dog’s. A buffalo, as brilliantly described by Robert Ruark, looks at you as if you owe him money. His eyes do not mirror any intent, merely indifference, with a hint of loathing.

A hippo’s eyes have depth and do reflect anger. This one just stared, so I kept still and stared back. I had surprised him; he’d put his road crossing on hold, perceiving a potentially violent encounter with something bigger than

10 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

he, and possibly identifying me as a threat.

I could see the muscles around his eyes moving – presumably, he was debating what to do. I detected no panic, just careful deliberation. Within a minute, he swung his head toward me, took two quick steps in my direction and briefly opened his mouth to demonstrate his tusks. Then he turned his head as if in a huff and thumped across the road, disappearing into the bushes. This action appeared to follow careful deliberation; it was not an instinctive reaction.

Buffalo are scary. They do not always openly display anger. I have seen them (live and on video) walk slowly over to a vehicle with no indication of malice, then hook the vehicle and violently lift it. Their eyes reveal nothing bar the usual ever-present dislike that lurks within them. Once again, this is no instinctive reaction, but appears to be a deliberate plan of action.

Crocodiles run mainly on instinct, but their instincts are keener than we think, and like most animals, they can learn from error and repetition. A colleague ran a croc farm, and although staffed by experienced people, cleaning the pens was fraught with potential danger. I was upgrading the croc farm’s safety obligations, drawing up a set of legal work-place safety procedures. I wouldn’t go into the pens as I believe constant close exposure to humans in their territory made crocs instinctively aware of our weaknesses; I felt unsafe.

A tourist was showing off by extending his arm over the fence, waving his hand above some small crocs, withdrawing it when they reacted. One croc did not join in; it lay watching the others jump and miss. The tourist b e c a m e b r a v e r, hanging over the rail and dangling his arm directly

over the water, higher now, but steady, without the brief dip and withdrawal.

The second time he tried this, the previously sedentary croc struck, firmly attaching its teeth onto his hand. This croc manifested its instinct to remain immobile and patient until the victim was within certain striking distance, but also, I believe, an ability to learn quickly from error and repetition.

I had a tough time hunting down a pair of nasty, goat-killing hyenas. One would wait next to the wooden poles of the kraal fence, while the other approached the opposite fence of the enclosure and urinated on it. To get away from the smell of the urine which warned of immediate danger, the goats would rush to the other side and bunch together against the fence. The waiting hyena would then force its jaws between the wooden poles and grab a leg, pull it through and rip it off, then another.

During my attempts to intervene, the hyenas would see or hear my truck approaching and simply stay away. They knew I represented danger. They would have recognised the obvious signs: the engine noise, the clanking of metal, the smell of petrol fumes, my human scent and perhaps the sound of my voice. But it could be more complex: cooking smells in my clothing, paraffin smoke from my canvas tent, even gun-oil.

These hyenas regularly hit a certain kraal. I told the villagers to lock their dogs away. I did no cooking, and after leaving my vehicle far away, I walked to the kraal, where I slept in one of the huts. Hearing the bleating of frightened goats, I got up and walked towards the goat kraal by the light of the good moon.

I kept to the shadows and moved slowly and carefully. As I edged around an old hut, I saw one hyena clearly standing out against the earthen surface. As he tried to run, he met a 215gr RNSN .303 bullet. The other hyena vanished.

Animal instinct is amazing, and some are also highly intelligent – scary, quite frankly.

Handguns

Glock G44 Finally a .22lr

by PAUL SCARLATA photos by RICHARD COLE

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 13

Firearms in .22LR are almost recoilless, making them perfect for teaching newcomers

ADER MILIA ITH my earscrib s in Ma um are aware t I am n of G n Glock’s piss. I bought my e about a year er the it the arket and over ABOVE LEFT: As on all Gen5 Glocks, the G44 has ambi deca I have ed just about slide release levers, a reversible magazine catch and ery mo f Glock at’s been proRTF texturing on the frame. duced. I ha used th em for home and competiRIGHT: Glock’s G44 features a composite steel/polymer slide. Visible here are the extended magazine release, st add, comdual grasping grooves on the slide and the accessory plete satisfaction. rail on the frame.

Unlike just about every other pistol manufacturer of note, the Austrian Specifications - Glock 44 company’s product line lacked a model With match grade ammunition, a .22 Calibre .22LR chambered in .22LR. firearm is capable of extraordinary accuOverall length 185mm Barrel length 102mm At the risk of repeating myself, I racy and it is no fluke that some of the Construction slide: Steel/polymer have always felt that .22 rimfire firemost accurate competition rifles and frame: Polymer arms are some of the most practical pistols are chambered for the .22LR. Finish nDLC that any shooter could own. AmmuniWeight (unloaded) 415g tion is inexpensive and, while the NO ONE HAS ever accused Glock’s Magazine 10 rounds Sights front: white dot price of .22 ammo has gone up over marketing department of not underrear: adj. dual white outline the years, even the most thrifty standing their potential customers and Grips Polymer shooters can afford a couple of boxes while it has taken them a fair amount of Extra Features: Glock Marksman Barrel, without endangering their weekly time to come around to the notion, in late ambi slide releases, interchangeable backstraps, budget.

2019 I received a press release informing reversible magazine catch, Picatinny rail, spare magazine, cable lock & owner’s manual Firearms in .22LR are almost recoilme that they were going to introduce a less, making them perfect for .22-calibre pistol at the 2020 TEST FIRING RESULTS: teaching newcomers and enables SHOT Show in Las Vegas.

Group Size elocity (fps) experienced shooters to practice Ammunition Over the years I have been Remington 40gr lead 54mm 1 039fps more often. While you must still known to say that, “A Glock, is a Winchester M22 40gr observe the same rules of safe Glock, is a Glock.” By this I mean Copper Plated 47mm 1 117fps gun handling, .22s have much every Glock pistol has the same Federal Champion 36gr less penetration than larger/ operating drill, functions the Copper Plated 64mm 1 167fps more powerful cartridges making Note: Group size is the average of three, five shot groups fired from same way, is disassembled in the them especially practical for use an MTM K-Zone rest at 15 metres. Velocity is the average of five shots same manner, and many of the on indoor shooting ranges. parts are interchangeable. Feachronographed four metres from the muzzle.

14 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

tures which are especially moved inside the mechanuseful for training, mainism housing, while a more tenance or transitioning to pronounced undercut trignew equipment. So it will ger guard allows the come as no surprise when shooter to get a higher grip I say that the new Glock on the pistol.

44 (G44) looks just like Enlarged magazine every other Glock! It has base pads allow complete the same squared-off proseating during reloads and file, same dull black finish, allow you to pull a recalcisame Safe Action trigger, trant magazine free if necsame... well you get my essary. The G44 comes drift. Its most radical with ten-round magazines departure from the breed – a bit about that later – The G44 disassembles like... well, every other Glock pistol! The rear sight is is in its construction and which have loading assist fully adjustable for windage and elevation. operation. Unlike many tabs on both sides to .22 pistols on today’s mardepress the follower, easket, the G44 does not have an alumining the process of topping them off to ium slide. Instead Glock devised a twocapacity. part, hybrid slide that provides durabilA fully adjustable, white outline rear ity with lightweight performance. The sight graces the rear of the slide while steel rail system of the slide reciprothe front has a white dot; both are made cates on the frame rails and is surof polymer. As with other Gen5 Glocks, Glock offers optional rounded by a polymer shell which conthe slide has forward grasping grooves. barrels with threaded tains the firing-pin mechanism.

While some do not care for these I muzzles to accept suppressors.

The G44’s frame is dimensionally approve of them as they make press identical to that of the G19 – Glocks checking (retracting the slide slightly to most popular pistol – which means it is frame features Rough Textured Frame verify if there is a round in the chamber) compatible with all holsters intended (RTF) texturing for an extremely firm easier and allow you to retract the slide for the G19 or, for that matter, the purchase, even with wet or oily hands. using a number of different grips. larger G17. The magazines also share In addition the firing pin has a square the dimensions of their centrefire profile with ramping on both sides, the SAFETY FEATURES INCLUDE Glock’s brethren which allows use of the same striker safety plunger has an angled traditional Safe Action trigger unit, magazine pouches. ramp, rather than round configuration while a half-moon cutout in the top of Because of the low operating presand the trigger return spring has been the barrel hood allows the shooter to sures of the .22LR, the pistol is blowverify if there is a round in the chamback operated and only the weight of ber. the slide itself, and the tension of its When I received the G44 to evalurecoil spring, holds the slide closed ate for Magnum’s readers and removed until peak pressures subside. This it from the carrying box, I was a bit form of operation negates the need taken aback by how light it was. When for a tilting barrel and steel locking I handed it to my wife Becky she block in the frame. remarked that, “....it feels sort of like The G44 is disassembled in a toy gun.” While I have to admit exactly the same manner as its she was correct, I assured her it centrefire predecessors although was indeed a real pistol. when you have it apart, its pencil-thin I met my friends Richard Cole ABOVE: Each G44 comes with a barrel is a bit of a shock. Despite its and Dick Jones on a sunny, but spare magazine, interchangeable small diameter it is a Glock Marksman very cold, February morning at backstraps, cleaning equipment, a cable lock, padded carrying box barrel with enhanced hexagonal rifling our gun club. After giving Richand an owner’s manual. and a counter-bored muzzle. ard – who is a dyed in the wool RIGHT: The 10-round magazines Like all Gen5 Glocks, the G44’s mag1911 shooter – a tutorial on have loading assist tabs to comazine release is reversible, it has ambithe G44, we proceeded to run press the springs which helps load dextrous slide releases, and the grip it through its paces. them to capacity.

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 15

The G44 handled very well and all of us went six for six on a number of racks

ABOVE: The author ringing steel plates from ten metres. TARGET INSET BELOW: Sample target fired with the G44 from 15 metres.

After zeroing in the sights and accuracy testing with .22LR ammo provided

by Winchester, Federal and Remington, we moved over to the club’s steel range and proceeded to run racks of plates from ten metres. As s the e .22 22 rounds did not consistently tip over the plates, we figured it would be OK to just ‘ring’ the em to score. The G44 handled very well and all of o us went six for six on o a number of racks.

We t h e n ra n t h e Glock through a com mbat drill by engaging g two combat targets from m seven metres. On the s ignal g the shooter lifted the pistol and engaged the first target with ten rounds, performed a combat reload and engaged the second target in the same manner. The drill was then repeated for

a total of forty rounds expended by each shooter.

It is common knowledge that .22 pistols can be finicky about the type of ammo you run through them and the Glock was no dif different. eren We ex experienced a number of failures to extract/eject with the standard velocity Remington a mmunition although it perfformed flawlessly with tthe fasterstepping Winchester and Federal am mmo. From what I have read on the Internet, other shooters have experie nced this problem and I w would recommend that you y use e only higher velocity .22 ammo with the G44.

In closing I must voice two, albeit minor, complaints about the trigger and the magazines. Anyone familiar with Glock’s Safe Action trigger knows that

ABOVE: We experienced a number of failures to extract/eject with the standard velocity Remington ammunition although it performed flawlessly with the faster-stepping Winchester and Federal ammo.

RIGHT: I was quite pleased with my expenditure of 40 rounds of .22LR ammo.

16 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

it tends to be gritty and not the best for precise shooting. While this is understandable on pistols intended for defensive/police/military service, on a .22 designed for target shooting and plinking it can be a disadvantage. A number of aftermarket manufacturers and gunsmiths offer upgrades for Glock triggers and I wish Glock had taken advantage of such technology to improve the trigger on the G44.

As for the magazines, it is quite obvious from their size that they could have been designed to hold more than ten rounds and I fail to understand why Glock limited their capacity.

ALL IN ALL the three of us found the Glock G44 to be reliable (with the proper ammunition), easy to use, simple to maintain and accurate enough for its intended purposes. In other words... it’s a Glock!

Hunting in Germany

by IAN MYBURGH

Differing customs and conditions, yet hunters remain the same…

My hochsitz for the morning.

VER T 20 y travell Europ involv autom try. I a opean mothe Czech amily nism tled in ving b I have alwa

s, I have ue to my ive indusots on my slovakian 68 and hunter all ciated the nd though southern Africa, I always wondered how European hunters built memories in their rather limited and controlled outdoor environments compared to ours in Africa. Driving through the beautiful green countryside of Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic, I could not

help noticing the hochsitze (elevated shooting seats) positioned to overlook certain open areas, and I felt a certain fellowship with these hunters, no matter how far apart our worlds.

I finally had the opportunity to learn more of this when our company arranged a workshop in the Osnabrück region of north Germany. Robert, a fellow plant manager from Austria, proposed that we accept an offer by Stefan, a colleague from headquarters, to sample the hunting in these parts. I gladly accepted.

How to prepare for a totally different style of hunting? The date was set for November hence cold weather was to be expected. Robert emailed to say I should bring warm clothes and my jagdschein (hunting licence). Fortunately my SA Dedicated Hunter Status would suffice. The hochsitz, which is covered and enclosed, would protect us from rain but we’d need to keep warm. I took gloves, a scarf, balaclava, long sleeved shirt, corduroy cargo pants and last but not least, long johns. I chose a woollen

I always wondered how European hunters built memories

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 17

Hunting comrades Robert, author and Stefan.

The fog limited visibility to about 40m and I now understood the need for the scope’s large objective lens which lets in maximum available light, enabling you to see objects more clearly in the gloom

jacket, as synthetic fabrics rustle with movement in the hide; this proved a good call, but probably the most important items were my waterproof hunting boots – if your feet get wet at 4°C you very soon become miserably cold.

Our workshop ended earlier than planned and Robert and I needed little persuasion to immediately go hunting.

During the hour’s drive, I questioned Robert about the animals and birds and local hunting methods. The Germans categorise their game: Niederwild are hares, rabbits and pheasants which would normally be hunted by a group of hunters; Damwild, or fallow deer, which we were to hunt, and Wildschwein (wild boar). We would hunt fallow deer during the day and the pigs by night or day, both from a hochsitz. There are other species, categories, rules and traditions which don’t fall within the scope of this article.

ON OUR ARRIVAL at Stefan’s family farmstead, it was raining and cold with the temperature at 4.5°C. Stefan’s father drove us around the farm to familiarise us with the 300ha hunting

18 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

area, which by German standards is huge. Some 10 minutes from the farmstead we entered the most beautiful forest. The forest floor was laden with pine needles and in the gentle rain these gave off an amazingly refreshing scent. The forest had an eerie atmosphere as the mist hung between the trees. There were small patches of grassland as well as cultivated fields on which maize is planted for bio fuel. The maize was also a favourite food of the pigs. Each field had its own hochsitz, strategically placed to view the entire area, trails and corners. It was already dark when we returned to the farmhouse and I could not help noticing that, paired with the rain and fog, visibility was severely limited.

Stefan now checked the internet for a tally of game available for culling in the area. Only ewes, old rams preferably with deformed horns, and juvenile animals were to be shot. The quota for young rams had been filled. By now the rain had abated and Stefan brought out the firearms we would use. He gave me a Sauer 80 in 8x68s equipped with a

rather huge scope – something I would be thankful for later. He and Robert had drillings. Robert’s was a side-by-side 12ga with a .30-06 barrel beneath, and Stefan’s a 12ga with what appeared to be a .270 Win barrel alongside and a .22 Hornet below. These drillings were beautifully made, scoped and quite heavy.

STEFAN LENT ME his spare jacket, for which I was grateful as it was fur-lined and much heavier than mine. He dropped us off at our various positions.

With hindsight, the only extra item I would take if I did this again would be a red-lensed torch for getting set up in the hochsitz, as it gets pretty dark in there. I opened the windows and positioned myself comfortably for the best view over the surroundings. With my senses on high alert I heard an owl hoot in the forest. The fog limited visibility to about 40m and I now understood the need for the scope’s large objective lens which lets in maximum available light, enabling you to see objects more clearly in the gloom. We saw some fallow deer, but no pigs came near our

The view from my seat: the arrow indicates where the deer stood. Note the poor light conditions.

ABOVE: Author with the ewe.

BELOW: German hunting tradition of placing leaves in the animal’s mouth.

stands. However, the experience of sitting in a dark, wet forest full of foreign sounds was unforgettable.

Stephan collected us at 11:30pm and before turning in, we enjoyed a few drinks (schnapps called Korn – made from grain).

We set out at 6 o’clock next morning to be dropped off at our respective hides. It was dark, and I had to walk through deep puddles of water to get to my spot; I was thankful for my waterproof boots. My designated stand was newly built and afforded a 360° view.

The longest shot would be 250m.

At around 07:30, a movement at the edge of the forest caught my eye. Three deer were moving along the fringe of the forest, and one was pure white in colour.

I was struggling to see if they had antlers, as these can be only 1 to 5 inches long on immature rams. Fortunately, after 20 minutes they turned and began grazing into the open field. They were females. I slowly positioned the rifle so as not to alert them and took aim.

Thoughts were racing through my mind: target identification, distance, squeeze

the trigger, don’t pull – adrenaline flowed freely. A farmer’s dog barked and he whistled in response; this now alerted the ewes. They appeared nervous and I had to act immediately.

I CHOSE A young ewe quartering slightly toward me and placed the crosshair on her shoulder, just above the heart. After the shot, I quickly brought the scope back on target. The ewes were bolting towards the treeline some 50m from where they’d been standing.

The ewe I’d fired at showed no signs of being hit. I was distraught! The trigger let-off had been good, range and visibility no problem – I had expected a deer of that size to drop instantly to a shot from the 8x68s. How would I explain a miss in perfect conditions?

As is my habit after firing a shot, I took some time to reflect and let both man and beast calm down. To facilitate the follow-up, I’d made a clear mental note of where the animals had disappeared. After 10 minutes I descended from the hide and walked to the spot. I paced roughly 130m to the grazing spot

and there, on the ground, was a large pool of pink frothy blood. I was elated!

I followed the blood spoor to the fringe of the forest and found the ewe lying dead only metres further on. She was in beautiful condition and I estimated her to be slightly larger in body than an impala ewe. I took a minute to reflect, appreciating the moment with only the silent forest as witness.

Later, Stefan and Robert approached, greeting me with smiles and a hearty ‘Waidmannsheil!’ (good hunting), to which I replied with the customary ‘Waidmannsdank!’. In keeping with local tradition, I was given an oak leaf wiped with deer’s blood, and oak leaves were placed in the animal’s mouth. Traditionally, the hunter would tuck his blooded leaf in his hatband, but being hatless, I held it in my hand.

As I reflect on the experience, I believe that true hunters are the same the world over. All love the outdoors and its natural wonders, and make friends easily with other hunters, since we share the same needs, values and sense of wonder.

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 19

CZ 550 Magnum

by ANDRÉ GROBLER

Iconic African Dangerous Game Rifle A buffalo hunted in 2019 using the Ruger .375H&H (right). The PH used his .416 Rigby on a CZ 550 action as a back-up rifle (centre).

For comparison, a Blaser double in .470.

Photo Henno Cronjé.

CZ 550 Magnum in .375H&H.

TH

550 M NUM production rifle series has become e high among those who hunt big and daname. rity of the 550 Magnum rests largely ality, p ability, strength and adaptability – all ordabl Africa, you will find these rifles in the f man ional hunters, game rangers, fieldnd spo s. he action saf ndles very powerful rimless cartnting rifles in calibres from .375H&H Gibbs are built on CZ 550 Magnum actions. Some hunters bought these rifles in more affordable calibres like the .375H&H and later rebarrelled them for bigger cartridges.

The 550 Magnum is a modified version of Czechoslovakia’s highly successful CZ ‘Brno’ ZKK 602 action for rifles in magnum-length and big-bore sporting cartridges. In the 1971 edition of Bolt Action Rifles, Frank de Haas wrote that the CZ ‘Brno’ ZKK series of rifles included three models: the standard length action ZKK-600 for ‘standard calibres’ such as the .30-06; the ZKK-601 for short cartridges like the .308 Win; and the ZKK-602 for magnum-length cartridges such as the .375H&H. The earlier 601 and 602 actions had pop-up aperture sights built into the receiver bridge; later this sight was discontinued. Apart from action length and bolt-face/ extractor dimensions appropriate to calibre, all ZKK actions LEFT TO RIGHT: A-Frame 300gr Federal .375H&H; the PH’s Rhino 400gr Solid in .416 Rigby; a 500gr Federal .470.

Photo Henno Cronjé.

An Uncertain Future THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC has resulted in a bleak economic outlook for all business sectors and those of hunting and sport shooting are no exception.

The Chairperson of the Custodians of Professional Hunting and Conservation in South Africa (CPHC-SA), Stewart Dorrington, says hopes that part of the 2020 hunting season might help salvage the industry have disappeared.

However, the tourism sector, under which hunting falls, is in for even harsher realities as travel remains restricted.

The knock-on effect on related businesses will be severe.

On a more positive note, Dorrington says the wildlife industry has a solid base, that could help it survive. He says the Covid-19 pandemic has put the industry in a situation it has never been in before, and it might well emerge in a different form as business models will change.

Time will tell.

A member of CPHC-SA, Paul Stones, says that for outfitters to survive they must communicate with their clients.

“Silence will destroy a business now. Talk to clients about the situation now, tell them what could happen, and what is probably going to happen.” Stones says the more you can show your clients that you are still around for future business, the better. Further Stones says outfitters need to do everything possible to keep paying staff.

Firearm and ammunition retailers and importers who spoke to Magnum indicated that their businesses were in a crisis. The Chairman of the South African Arms and Ammunition Dealers’ Association (SAAADA), Jonathan Fouché, says gun shops (licensed dealers), gunsmiths, importers, and manufacturers are in unchartered territory. Although a few dealers and gunsmiths that support security companies (these are essential services) are partially active, even they are not permitted to open their doors to the public.

Looking forward, he expects that consumer demand will change. Tough economic times and increased unemployment means less disposable income so buyers will be more sensitive and look for the best value. Fouché says only time, and consumer behaviour, will tell how the retail business in this sector will look.

He says importers and wholesalers have some stock available to replenish dealers’ shelves after the mad flurry of buying in the week before lockdown. He expects an interrupted supply that could continue for the rest of 2020, as the world re-adjusts. “I expect some shortages of all shooting-related supplies for the foreseeable future, and those that do come in are likely to be significantly more expensive…”.

One resource that offers regular informative updates for employers is the National Employers Association of South Africa (NEASA). Visit their website at https://neasa.co.za – André Grobler

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 21

A custom .416 Rigby built by Kevan Healey on a 550 action.

Note the barrel band ahead of the fore-end.

A CZ 550 Magnum Safari Classic action from both sides.

were alike. The ZKK 602 is celebrated for being as robust and reliable as its ancestor, the Mauser Model 98, regarded by many as the most successful bolt-action ever.

While the CZ 602 and 550 Magnum designs are not precise copies of the Mauser, both employ the Mauser 98’s broad, non-rotating extractor claw. In Africa’s tropical climates, temperatures reach levels that can significantly increase chamber pressures, potentially causing the fired cases of powerful cartridges to bind themselves to the chamber walls, rendering them very difficult to extract. In such hot and dusty conditions, the Mauser 98 extractor design becomes a form of life-assurance. The broad, robust extractor claw grips a very generous section of the case rim, and in conjunction with the massive camming power of the Mauser-type bolt action, affords maximum reliability of extraction and ejection. Conversely, in non-Mauser 98 type designs, the narrow, hinged, hook-type extractor claws recessed into the bolt head have been known to break or rip through the soft brass rim of a case that has stuck in the chamber. This is what makes actions of the Mauser 98 pattern, namely the Pre-64 M70 Winchester, CZ 602 and 550, et al, the preferred choice of Africa’s professionals. The CZ’s Mauser-type extractor claw is its most important feature.

As in the case of the Mauser 98, another very positive feature of the CZ 602 and 550 is their controlled-feed action design. This means that the cartridge case rim slips under the broad non-rotating extractor claw as the cartridge is scooped from the magazine, thus the cartridge remains firmly in the grip of the claw on its way into the chamber. This differs from the ‘push-feed’ action designs whose bolts simply bump the loose cartridge forward into the chamber. A controlled-feed action will feed reliably even if held upside down. It also makes doublefeeding (if the bolt is initially ‘short-stroked’) practically impossible. Many hunters of dangerous game consider the controlled feed design more reliable in emergency situations, again making it the preferred choice of most professional hunters for backing up clients.

Many hunters of dangerous game consider the controlled feed design more reliable in emergency situations, again making it the preferred choice

22 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

THE PRODUCTION 550 action’s bolt handle is designed for use with a lowmounted scope and, with the 19mm dovetails milled into the receiver’s front and rear square bridges, this makes scope mounting simpler, stronger and less prone to working loose.

Another benefit of this action is that its magazine holds five belted magnum .375H&H cartridges, four rounds in .450 calibre such as .458 Lott, and three rounds in .500 or 505.

That is enough ammo to solve any problem faced by an experienced PH. Recently, Formalito, CZ’s agent in South Africa, indicated that a batch of CZ production rifles, using the 550 Magnum action in .375H&H, will be available in SA for the last time. The 550 Magnum action is being discontinued as CZ is concentrating on newer actions.

The CZ 550 Magnum rifle in .375H&H features the traditional straight comb stock, which is ideal for scoped use. It has all the features described above, including the double square bridge receiver with 19mm dovetailed scope mounting rails, meaning fewer screws and less to go wrong (such as misalignment). The rifle has a single set trigger system. Trigger adjustments require the removal of the stock; use the set screws for trigger pull, travel before, and reset travel after a shot. The set trigger can be replaced with a conventional trigger mechanism.

The two-position safety catch is within easy reach on the right side of the receiver and is thumbed forward to fire. In the rearward position it blocks the sear and the bolt together. A red dot appears on the bolt shroud when the safety lever is forward.

The bolt release button is on the left side of the receiver.

THE REAR ‘EXPRESS SIGHT’ has wide ‘V’ leaves for fast target acquisition. The permanent rear sight is for 100m, with folding blades for 200m and 300m. The rifle has a hammer-forged barrel for accuracy and longevity. The bolt is the conventional dual-opposed lug design with the bolt handle serving as a third locking lug. The robust ejector is the inertia blade type. The bolt handle is swept back for fast access. The high-grade walnut stock has two cross-bolts to prevent cracking under recoil.

CZ opted for a sling-stud on the fore-end rather than a barrel band. With heavy recoiling calibres the stud might bite your supporting hand. Many hunters remove this stud, preferring a strapless dangerous game rifle, but a barrel band can be fitted by a gunsmith. The chequered grip and fore-end afford a firm grip even with sweaty palms.

Introduced by Holland & Holland of London in 1912, the .375H&H is a proven dangerous game and all-purpose cartridge which has been well tested in Africa throughout this past century. It remains an enormously popular choice for African hunting and is widely considered the most versatile hunting cartridge to take on safari. It is flat-shooting enough for longer shots on plains game and powerful enough for use on dangerous game, being renowned for its

LEFT: The bolt with its huge extractor claw.

BELOW: .375H&H cartridge held in place by the big Mauser-type claw extractor.

penetration. In most African countries, the .375 is the minimum calibre required for legally hunting dangerous game.

These .375H&H rifles are accurate and reliable. CZ 550 Magnum rifles are not as finely finished as some rifles, which is why they are affordable. However, their many advantages, described above, render them the most popular work-horse rifles among professionals and regular dangerous game hunters and trail guides. Don’t delay if you want one of CZ’s classic .375s – contact Formalito on 012-664-7793.

The ZKK 601 action with pop-up aperture sight.

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 23

ABOVE LEFT: Hunters of big game used guns like the single-barrel 6-bore (top) or the double-barrelled 8-bore (bottom).

ABOVE RIGHT: A few trade guns would be required for use by camp helpers.

Wagons North

by ROBIN BARKES

A peep into the past

dv

blished Africa sts and f these r/huntf their ures in a t e now

ning it took to travel to the end of the world and then still outfit a long expedition into the virtually How a typical hunter of the 1840s dressed in Africa.

24 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

unknown interior. William Burchell, for example, arrived at the Cape in 1810 then spent six months preparing for an expedition that took four years to complete. Other famous visitors to leave us well-documented accounts of their adventures were Harris, Baldwin, Lichtenstein, Thunberg, Sparrman, Cumming and Oswell, to name just a few. William Cotton Oswell who hunted in southern Africa from 1844 to 1852 left a complete list of all the items deemed necessary to take on a yearlong expedition which I have used as a guide for this article.

ABOVE LEFT: Hunters made sure they had the necessary equipment to cast balls of various calibres.

ABOVE RIGHT: Personal requirements included a telescope, knife, razor and shaving brush, flint and steel, tinder box, pipe and tobacco bag.

and shot flasks, bullets and bird shot, wads, percussion caps and gun flints plus accessories such as a nipple spanner, a turn screw and anything else he might need to keep his gun working. Besides that he had to have various bullet moulds and bars of lead to cast slugs when he ran out of readymade missiles. On one trip in 1844, Oswell took 3 000 percussion caps, 60 gun flints, 150lb of lead and 50lb of tin for hardening bullets. Just imagine!

I would guess that a few tins of the best English powder would have been taken although the bulk of gun powder required would be purchased on arrival at the Cape. Oswell wrote that he took 20 pounds of fine powder and 60 pounds of coarse powder.

Two hundred years ago any hunter planning an African expedition would first give thought to the guns required

The famous wagon called a kakebeenwa that blazed the first trails in South Africa.

Two hundred years ago any hunter planning an African expedition would first give thought to the guns required.

Coming mostly from Britain, these early trophy hunters would have heard about the thick-skinned, heavy-boned animals found on the Dark Continent, so naturally big bore guns would top the list. These heavy muzzle-loaders usually came in 4, 6 and 8-bore.

Oswell preferred smoothbore guns taking round balls because they were easier and faster to load – especially on horseback. His favourite was a doublebarrelled 10-bore made for him by

Purdey and Sons. He also used a 12-bore Westley Richards and an 8-bore single-barrel gun.

In addition most English hunters brought a pair of British-built shotguns and, according to the old scribes, these hunters often chose to carry a belt pistol for close-quarter work. A few cheap trade guns – normally condemned military Brown Bess flintlock muskets or Birmingham-produced trade guns – would also have been required for use by camp helpers – Oswell took six.

But here’s the thing; a muzzle-loading man must also lug along powder

OTHER ESSENTIAL ITEMS to be used during the pursuit of game were a good telescope and compass and the best knife money could buy. The right apparel – cool, loose fitting clothing and a wide brimmed hat for the hot African sun were most important. And because these long trips would often run into winter, warm

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 25

LEFT: For general shooting a hunter visiting South Africa would probably bring the rifle he used on game back home.

BELOW LEFT: A small writing chest was used to keep a journal of the visitor’s African adventure.

After months of planning, followed by a journey by sea taking weeks, or months, depending on the weather, the hunter would finally arrive in Cape Town. The first thing he needed was transportation. Cape Town was the birthplace of the wagon industry in South Africa, the first being constructed by order of Jan van Riebeeck in 1653.

The vehicle was made from trees cut down on the slopes of Table Mountain and power was provided by oxen bartered from the local Khoikhoi tribesmen.

In time, based on a Dutch and German idea, the famous covered wagon called a kakebeenwa was developed. In later years an open-decked transport wagon known as a bakwaen was developed.

Very well built and extremely strong, remains of these transport wagons are still found on farms all over South Africa and, in some instances, are restored and put to use.

coats and thick blankets were also required. Of course a few pairs of strong shoes or boots were essential.

Personal items would have included a cutthroat razor, sharpening strop, shaving soap and a brush to lather up.

Oswell lists things like needles, 30 pounds of wax candles, a candle mould, wicks and 24 boxes of matches called Lucifers. If the hunter was a smoker, pipes and a supply of tobacco would be taken as well. Naturally flint and steel with a tinder box was essential. Many travellers included a small portable writing chest and a supply of paper to

26 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

keep a journal; also pencils, pen and ink to do sketches if he was artistically inclined.

Add to this all the camp requirements for living in the bush month after month, most of which I guess were purchased at the Cape; cast iron pots, kettles and coffee pots, tin mugs, plates and bowls, cutlery and other cooking utensils.

Similarly, supplies for the long journey into the wilderness would have been bought at the Cape; sacks of salt for preserving the skins of trophies being the most important.

A WAGON NEEDS a span of oxen to pull it. The first cattle were bought or traded from the Khoikhoi and by 1670, cattle posts had been established along the Eerste River. Sometime during the 1700s, European cattle were introduced and crossed with Khoikhoi stock producing a distinctive type with powerful neck and heavy forequarters. On some of the larger cattle farms, young oxen, after being gelded, were allowed to run wild until they were two or three years old. This of course made breaking them in a really difficult task. However experienced men would tie two animals together and release them into the veld. After a few days of being coupled together with a strong reim the beasts become manageable. Once ‘trained’ the ten animals were in-spanned in pairs and led by a fellow called a tou-leier using a rope attached to the leading

RIGHT: Besides his guns, the hunter would need a shot snake, good quality powder, powder flask, percussion caps and gun tools.

FAR RIGHT: Horses were well cared for and a set of shoeing tools was a necessity.

pair of oxen. When the stubborn beasts needed motivation, a long bamboo-handled whip with a lash measuring about 2.5 metres was used.

Another persuader was the shorter, thicker sjambok made from rhino hide.

The life of a trek-ox was not very pleasant. On his Kalahari expedition Oswell took 80 oxen so they could be rotated to pull his two wagons.

Good horses were also needed because at that time a great deal of hunting was done on horseback. In the open Karoo and on the vast grasslands to the north, hunters would gallop after a game animal until it tired to a walk.

The hunter then dismounted and took a

shot. Shooting parties of Boers, being strictly meat and hide hunters, chased after the huge herds and fired into the mass leaving a string of dead animals to be collected by a wagon. Without doubt specimen collectors did the same thing and so did visiting sportsmen.

Oswell took 20 horses on his trip through the Kalahari to Lake Ngami.

IN ADDITION A few good hunting dogs would also be needed for the bush country. Many old-time hunters owed their lives to a courageous pooch that distracted a wounded lion or buffalo giving him time to reload. Dogs were also very useful as an early warning

system at night when a lion or leopard or pack of hyenas circled a camp looking for easy pickings.

After months of preparation the great adventure would eventually begin as the heavily-laden wagons headed north. By 1800 the Cape Colony had been well mapped but far north, beyond the land of the Bechuanas, lay a whole continent â&#x20AC;&#x201C; most of it unknown. Besides ferocious animals and hostile tribes, the hunter would face heat and thirst, flood and drought, feast and famine, injury and illness. Nevertheless, he would experience the greatest thrill on earth â&#x20AC;&#x201C; hunting in Africa.

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 27

ABOVE: My nyala bull. MAIN BELOW: The Valley of the Elephants lies at the northern base of the Drakensberg range, between the Letaba and Elephant Rivers.

A Trophy Hunt

by FRITZ GANZ

“A 28-inch nyala is BIG; if such a bull does not get your motor running, you shouldn’t be hunting.”

– Peter Kennedy

E for something new and rmally hunt for meat only, nds, but I had decided I wanted to do a one-onunt’ guided by a profesr a species I would not t. I wanted to experience in to what Ruark and Capd. I did not want to sleep ditioned room with the option of late night DSTV. So, a few days before my 38th birthday, I found myself awaking wet with perspiration in our fly camp in the Valley of the Elephants, with the temperatures already in the high thirties.

And, so far, it was looking good; the open-air shower I could use at the foot of a rock ledge just behind our tent certainly made me feel closer to nature and enhanced the experience (though conventional ablution facilities were available). Fanie Malan of Thembeka Safaris guided my hunts, while my wife mostly relaxed in camp.

My primary goal was a trophy nyala, and this 8 000 acres of pristine Lowveld savannah had plenty of these. I also wanted a Burchell’s zebra and impala with ‘rugby-pale’ horns. I wanted to hunt on foot, but being in March, the thick bush and the vastness of the hunting area forced us to drive quite a bit. Had we set off on foot from camp each day, we’d have had little chance of bagging all my trophies in four days. However, no shots would be taken from the vehicle.

ABOVE: Our canvas tent accommodation.

BELOW: The ‘donkie’ and the open-air shower in the background.

During our first afternoon out we saw a majestic sable with excellent horns, which turned our talk to trophies. What is a trophy? Must it rank high in Rowland Ward’s Records of Big Game? Must it qualify for entry? For me, a trophy is any worthy representative of the species, provided I hunted it ethically and had to work hard for it, applying all my skills to succeed, and felt thrilled by the experience. This is more important than measurements and rankings. Of course, as a professional, Fanie strives to locate the best possible trophies, but otherwise we agreed that to hunt only for the tape-measure is to miss the point of hunting.

WE CAME TO a more open area of woodland with fewer shrubs; visibility was much-improved. Fanie and Esu, his tracker, spotted a tiny movement some 400m away – a grazing herd of zebra, partly concealed by bush. While Esu drove the vehicle off into the distance, Fanie and I began our stalk. Telling male zebra from female is fairly difficult, especially when they’re partially obscured. The males have a narrow black stripe running vertically between the back legs and under the tail; on the females this is a broader black wedge.

No foals were visible, so either gender would do. When your trophy is a beautiful skin, remember that the mares don’t fight as the stallions do, hence

ABOVE: The second impala had prominent horn ridges.

RIGHT: Author with his first impala that measured 21 inches.

BELOW RIGHT: Author with his female Burchell’s zebra.

have fewer ‘war-scars’. We stalked closer, but the herd kept moving away, though seemingly quite relaxed. A troop of baboons barked not far off, increasing the tension. I cursed them, as we were almost within shooting range, but the zebra seemed undisturbed. Fanie pointed out a female some 80m off, but she remained partially concealed. I looked ‘through’ the leaves and branches, and when that distinctive triangle on the shoulder appeared I sent a 220gr Hornady RN from my .30-06 on its way.

Chaos broke out with branches breaking and dust rising all around as the herd took flight. One veered off to the left and the sound of her impact with the ground confirmed that my shot had been true.

Less than 15m from where she’d initially been standing, I paid my respects.

When I had my first opportunity on a good impala, I missed the shot. Hours later, I had a second opportunity, but when I squeezed the trigger, heard only the dreaded “click”. With the ram standing just 40m away, looking straight at us and appearing equally astonished, I quickly loaded and placed a shot centrally in his chest. A mere 10m from where the ram had stood, Zeffer, the second tracker, found the carcass – my first ‘rugby-pale’ trophy measuring a respectable 21 inches. A day later, I shot a second, measuring 20 inches, but with more prominent ridges on the horns, making it a very special trophy nonetheless. This one fell where he stood – my confidence was restored!

PRIOR TO THIS trip I had read up on nyala, especially devouring Peter Flack’s book, Hunting the Spiral Horns – Bongo & Nyala. During our first three days we came across some ten nyala, but none worth any effort. Early on the fourth morning we stopped at a waterhole. Fanie and the trackers got out and scanned the fresh tracks for any signs of a large bull. I could see they felt somewhat despondent as they discussed areas known to have proved fruitful in the past. Not ten minutes after leaving the waterhole, Fanie climbed out of the vehicle again, using

30 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

his binoculars to assess the trophy quality of a bull in the thickets some 60m behind us. From his body language I could tell, this was it!

I CAN’T REMEMBER who grabbed the shooting sticks out the vehicle; everything was happening at such a pace. Fanie instructed Esu and Zeffer to remain with the vehicle while he and I rushed towards the bull. I rested my rifle on the sticks and Fanie whispered, “If you get a shot, take it!” The solitary bull which had been standing broadside, motionless, now began to walk off and the dense bush made it difficult to get a clear line of sight. I was not about to let this one slip away; we moved the sticks a few paces to our right and I rested the rifle again. The bull now angled away from us but fortunately I still had a clear shot. I placed the crosshair an inch to the right of his right hind leg to angle the shot forward through the abdomen in line with his heart and

LEFT: Before dawn one morning, this 1.5m long raiding-party of ants passed right next to me, marching in search of food.

RIGHT: Bubbling Kassina. This small frog visited our kitchen area every night.

squeezed. Astounded that I’d taken the shot, Fanie asked where I’d aimed. I explained my shot and he seemed happy with my account. We confidently set off to find the bull. The crashing sound of branches confirmed that we would not have to look far. He was a beauty, a mature bull measuring 27 to 28 inches, displaying typically distinctive lyre-shaped horns.

I thoroughly enjoyed this hunting experience, and for the most part attrib-

ute this to the very professional and competent manner in which Fanie Malan and the staff of Thembeka Safaris conducted themselves. While the cost of such a trophy-hunt is somewhat higher than that of a ‘biltong-jag’ it is still within reason. The trophy does not have to be a buffalo or elephant to qualify as a great African hunt. I will probably remain a meat-hunter for the most part, but there is a lot to be said for an occasional one-on-one trophy-hunt.

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 31

Good Food

Duck Breast Sandwich

by LESLIE VAN DER MERWE

South African Gamebird Recipes by Leslie van der Merwe is available from Safari Outdoor or, for a signed copy email Leslie at lesliej375@ outlook.com.

Cost for the signed copy is R350 plus courier delivery of R99 for a total of R449. Also view his new website at www.gamechef.co.za

32 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

DUCKS ARE THE best tasting gamebirds and lots of fun to hunt. The incoming shots are the easiest; pick up the line of flight, swing through and shoot when you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see the bird, making sure you continue to swing. Higher birds require more lead and, with a bit of practice, your dog will have many retrieves.

Yellow-billed duck and red-billed teal are full of flavour. Make sure the skin is crispy and the meat rare; overcooked duck is leathery with an unpalatable livery taste. This recipe can be served as a starter or used to fill a bread roll and serve as a lunch in the veld.

INGREDIENTS n 1 yellow-billed duck breast or two red-billed teal breasts per person n duck fat or olive oil

n 1 French loaf or similar bread with a crispy crust n mayonnaise n rocket leaves n coarse salt and black pepper

METHOD Slice and lightly toast the bread.

Pluck the breast feathers gently without tearing the skin.

With a sharp, thin-bladed knife cut along the keel ridge (the central blade separating the two breasts) and remove the meat from the bone.

Remove the little tufts of new feathers with a Leatherman or pliers.

Place the breasts skin-side up and cover with a good layer of salt â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this is so it crisps when cooking. Wait five minutes then, using the back of a knife, scrape off the salt.

Add a teaspoon of duck fat to a frying pan and when hot, place the breasts

Brought to you by Soft-ice skin-side down and fry for 3-5 minutes; flip and fry for a further 1-2 minutes, then stand on the thick side for 30 seconds to brown. Yellow-billed duck breasts are larger and thicker than those of red-billed teal so you may need to adjust the cooking time. Note: less is more.

Remove the meat from the pan and allow it to stand for five minutes.

Slice thinly and place on the toasted bread, together with some rocket leaves, a squeeze of mayonnaise and season with black pepper.

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 33

Shooters’Clinic

by PHILLIP HAYES

➤

USING MINIMUM LOADS can sometimes result in malfunctions. I recently tried using the minimum load for the same 124gr Frontier bullet using 3.5gr S121. According to the Somchem manual this load delivers a muzzle velocity of 935fps from their 4.7 inch test barrel using a 124gr Hornady FMJ. My reloads with the 124gr Frontier CMJ bullet delivered an average muzzle velocity of 900fps from my CZ75 Compact’s 3.75 inch barrel. This load has always been good enough in my pistol for practice sessions and plinking and I never experienced malfunctions. The load has a Power Factor of 111.6, a long way off the 125 required by most sport shooting organisations to make Factor.

Using a load pushing a 124gr bullet at a velocity of around 1 000fps should cycle any 9mmP pistol in working order. However, when using my 900fps handloads in a Beretta APX Compact and a full-size APX pistol, as well as a Girsan MC 9S, the loads were not powerful enough to cycle these pistols.

Several factors play a role in this type of malfunction: the type of powder, the amount of powder, the bullet weight, the weight of the slide, the tension of the recoil spring/s and the way you hold the handgun. During my use of the pistols mentioned above I held all in the same manner, applying a very firm grip. But remember, a slack grip may result in a malfunction, even with a hotter load, as the hand moves back with the piece during recoil, resulting in the slide being unable to travel the full distance to the rear or moving slower than it should.

The slide on my CZ weighs 286 grams, and that of the Beretta Compact is 341 grams – a rather large percentage difference in weight,

34 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

Minimum 9mmP Loads I’m fairly new to reloading and recently ran into a problem with my 9mmP loads. I’ve used Somchem’s minimum recommended MP200 load for 124gr bullets (Frontier) in my CZ P09 pistol as I want to keep wear-and-tear and recoil to a minimum for my normal practice ammo. Some of the handloads result in malfunctions, mostly failures to cycle resulting in smoke-stacks. I do not have a chronograph to check muzzle velocity. Am I doing something wrong? – AB Basson, North West

Question

and more energy is needed to get the heavier slide moving. On the full-size handguns the slides are even heavier.

Also, a stiff recoil spring will need more force to get the slide moving than a softer spring. Racking the slide of the Beretta and Girsan polymer pistols made it abundantly clear that the springs used in these handguns were much stiffer than that of my CZ. I TRIED THE same exercise using 3.9gr MP200 (minimum load) with 126gr cast bullets and the fullframe pistols again malfunctioned. The APX

Compact cycled, but ejected cases dropped almost straight from the ejection port to the ground – a sign of a slow moving slide. In contrast my CZ Compact functioned flawlessly, ejecting cases about 2m to my right.

Interestingly, a friend stopped using MP200 for competitions, moving over to faster-burning S121, as he found that the last few batches of MP200 needed heavier loads to make Factor compared to earlier lots. This indicates a difference in burn rate between lots.

In the absence of a chronograph our suggestion is to use slightly more powder, which should sort out the malfunctions. Keep in mind that in a small cartridge case like the 9mmP, the difference between a minimum and a maximum load can be as small as 0.4gr. So, work up loads carefully in increments not larger than 0.1gr.

Night Fury Suppressor

WITH THE NEW Night Fury sup-pressor, BBG Engineering has taken the success of its current dB-series suppressors a step further with h increased reductions in noise an d recoil.

The reasons shooters and hunte ers fit suppressors to their rifles differ depending on what the rifles are to be used for. Ben van Dyk, a sport shooter and hunter himself, realised this long ago when he started manufacturing his dB-series of suppressors. The essence of the dB-series is that shooters can customise their suppressors with the series’ interchangeable parts and work closely with Ben to fine-tune their specific needs.

The main aim of any suppressor for sport and hunting is to muffle the report of the firearm and to significantly reduce recoil to enhance accuracy. A massive reduction in recoil, especially with large magnum calibres, enables a shooter to maintain visibility on the intended point of impact. They are also ideal for professional hunters who hunt dangerous game with magnum rifles as they allow for quick target acquisition on follow-up shots.

The secret of the Night Fury suppressor is in the main tubes. Ben says due to variations in the measurement of sound and recoil, he has decided not to publish the test results yet.

“Our product performs exceptionally well. With our in-house testing done

by ANDRÉ GROBLER

to date, we compare exceptionally well against other products.”

The suppressor consists of a main tube and the balance between sound and recoil reduction is achieved by its combination of length and the number of baffles.

Ben says the new tube has no effect on bullet velocity. A reflex attachment, over the barrel, further improves volume and recoil reduction. The suppressor incorporates an internal reflex muzzle brake for recoil reduction. It comes with a large brake front cap, which allows for interchangeability between components. The large external muzzle brake uses the gases exiting the suppressor in a unique way to reduce recoil.

A standard front cap can be swopped with the external muzzle brake.

Test Report The exciting news is that the standard Night Fury suppressor system can also be customised as the existing dB-series suppressor parts are interchangeable with it. The Night Fury system has 50 different combinations that can be created to fit shooters’ needs, either for hunting or sport shooting with standard or magnum calibre rifles.

The standard Night Fury suppressor with the short reflex tube is ideal for competitions where there is a weight limit on a rifle.

Sh ooters might opt for a light, short sup ppressor that reduces the recoil, but witth less sound reduction. A shorter refflex tube is also ideal for hunters witth short, compact rifles who want to red duce recoil, but are not overly concerrned about sound reduction.

The suppressors are manufactured from 6082 aluminium and all aluminium components are hard anodised.

The first baffle is stainless steel and there is the option of having a second stainless steel baffle for extended durability. All thread inserts and muzzle brakes are stainl ess steel and bla cked to military specifications with Gunkote for a durable finish.

When buying a Night Fury suppressor, the first 500-shot service is included free of charge, exclusive of shipping. After that a service is recommended after every 1 000 shots. The suppressor looks durable, is pleasing to the eye and userf r i e n d l y. I f o u n d i t s i g n i f i c a n t l y reduced recoil, and has almost no influence on velocity and accuracy.

Contact BBG Engineering on 012-653-0023 or email info@bbg. engineering

Scan the QR code for a video of the Night Fury Suppressor June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 35

36 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

Semi-auto Shotgun Affordable robust 12ga workhorse

hunt gro

-

by PHILLIP HAYES

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 37

ABOVE: The integrated Picatinny rail on top of the handguard and smaller rails.

hed ce grown semi-by-side For the tions and available un sport ies.

S gas-operated semi-auto. The AR-style shotgun is packed in a durable, hard plastic case and comes with four polymer magazines (more on this later), a tool (for the stock and gas assembly), three chokes and a choke tool (packed in a small plastic box). The chokes are Full, Modified (half) and Improved Cylinder (quarter). For testing I chose Modified.

Chambered for 12ga 3-inch cartridges, the test model had a 47cm (18.5 inch) barrel, but the MH-TS can be ordered from the factory with barrels of 38cm, 51cm, 56cm, 61cm, 66cm, 71cm, 76cm and 81cm.

The barrel is 4140 steel and the receiver 7075 T6 aluminium. The polymer handguard has a full-length integrated Picatinny on top. Three 95mm long Picatinny rails are attached to the front end, left, right and underside. The receiver also has an integral full-length rail.

A sling-swivel is fitted in front of the handguard and another on the detachable buttstock. Both can be removed; the rear one by pressing a push-button, and the front one by disassembling the handguard/barrel retaining screw.

The magazines come in two types: 5- and 10-round versions of the Hunt Group magazine retention system, the other two employing the AK system (also 5and 10-capacity). The polymer

BELOW AND RIGHT: The receiver disassembled.

NT G 1994 nd ha o a xpo o, pump over/under d sin hotg st two ir pum mi-aut een lo and have fo favour with

38 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

The two types of magazine systems.

Note the different positions of the retaining clips.

mag-well accommodates the Hunt Group system; this assembly can be removed in about 10 minutes to accept the AK-type mags. The test gun came equipped for the Hunt Group mags; shooters can choose either.

THE LARGE, FLAT, ambidextrous mag release lever is situated ahead of the trigger-guard, within reach of the trigger finger, but is rather painful to operate repeatedly. Using the thumb of the weak hand proved the better option.

The rather short, smooth-faced trigger has a fairly heavy pull, but this did not hamper fast, accurate shooting.

The safety lever is on the left, within easy operable reach of a right-handed shooterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thumb. The cocking lever is on the right, easy to grab and operate under pressure, with no sharp edges to hurt your hand. The MH-TS has no bolt-catch to lock it open on an empty magazine, hence no bolt release button.

Gas operation can be tweaked for heavy and light loads.

The pistol grip has a soft rubber surface and two finger-grooves, but is a bit small for my large hands â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the grooves fitted my fingers, but my index finger protruded too far into the trigger guard, forcing me to use the second pad of my trigger finger. However, during rapidfire at defensive shotgun ranges, this had little effect on accuracy.

The AR-type stock has a ventilated rubber recoil-pad and is adjustable for length-of-pull and comb-height.

For cleaning and maintenance the shotgun can be disassembled into four main parts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the receiver into upper and lower sections, and the barrel and bolt removed from the upper. To change chokes, remove the tubular barrel retention screw that fits over the front part of the barrel to serve as a barrel protector. This allows you to remove

SIMPLICITY AND MINIMALISM IN DESIGN ENSURES THE MH-TS FLAWLESSLY FED A WIDE VARIETY OF 12GA AMMUNITION

ABOVE: The gas-operated feeding system is exposed by removing the handguard and muzzle protector.

BELOW: Box with chokes, choke tool and spanner.

The adjustable peep sight flips up at the push of a button.

sixth dummy round among them. The drill is to fire five shots at an A5-sized plate at 10m, handling the malfunction in the process, do a mag change, then perform the same drill with the second magazine. With the bolt not locking open on an empty mag, I had to either count my shots (not easy when working against time) or shoot until I heard the click. I opted for the latter.

the handguard and barrel assembly from the receiver.

For the range session I chose a variety of cartridges, the lightest loads being 28 gram No7s normally used on doves, the heavier No3s and 4s, and buckshot. I took the shotgun straight from the box, wiped off the excess oil and fired some 500 rounds during two sessions without any cleaning, and experienced not a single malfunction.

Normally, I expect some malfunctions with the lighter loads, but the MH-TS devoured everything without a hiccup.

The magazines proved difficult to load using conventional methods, before I realised I had to push down on the front end of the top cartridge in the magazine to allow the next to be loaded. Initially I tried the Hunt Group system magazines, doing a failure drill – five live rounds in each mag with a

THE HUNT GROUP magazines, which lock in place on a protrusion on the front of the magazine (see photo), needed a firm slap on the base to seat properly. I experienced mags dropping to the ground when inserted during the frantic drills, as you have to release the mag to slap it from below. To adapt I tried to insert the mags with my weak hand, holding each roughly two-thirds from the top, then slapping the base with my right. On several occasions, my hand was painfully pinched between the ribs on the mag and the mag-well.

I tried grabbing the mags lower, which worked but made it more difficult to insert precisely on the first try.

I thought it may go better with the old AK-type mag, whose front lip hooks in, then the mag is levered backwards to lock in place. So I removed the magwell, but found that I performed the drill on average five seconds slower than before. However, with practice, I’m sure you’d achieve similar times with both magazine retention systems.

Spare mags for both systems are available and reasonably priced.

To my surprise, the bolt’s failure to lock open required a shorter learning curve to become proficient in certain drills – lacking choice made learning easier. Two fellow shooters doing the drills found the same.

Recoil was negligible with all ammo – I easily kept very rapid follow-up shots on target at 5 to 30m. The standard sights – adjustable plastic flip-ups with a peep at the back – proved inadequate. The receiver sight’s aperture is too small for fast target acquisition, but drilling it out will rectify this. The sights are removable in less than two minutes, so I replaced them with a low-magnification scope.

The Hunt Group MH-TS is a solid, well-built shotgun which proved extremely reliable, simple to operate and easy to maintain. It’s ideal for sport shooting and defensive purposes. It’s also good for training on a budget to become proficient with semi-auto AR rifles – most functions are similar, but these shotguns and their ammo are more affordable than AR rifles and theirs.

T h e M H -T S r e t a i l s f o r a b o u t R15 000. For stockists contact Normark Africa on 011-794-6950.

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 39

ABOVE: The photo of Wally Johnson’s tusks (Feb edition) which gave rise to this article series.

MAIN RIGHT: Harry Manners when very young – his arm muscles reveal this to be in his weightlifting years – probably early 1940s.

Manners Tusks Mystery PART 2

by GREGOR WOODS

ARRY RS W born in oemfo 1917 1924, he oved w parent Lourenço rques Mozambique. H attended arding neigh ng Transal the for s ars as a erk in ping p a ny i n Lourenço Ma ues (“LM”, no Maputo). n his late fting and body building.

40 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

At this time, he became friends with Wally Johnson, the son of Australian immigrants. Wally was born in 1912 on board ship to Durban. The family settled in Mozambique, where Wally grew up, joined a shipping company and later owned a Goodyear tyre agency.

Wally became Harry’s mentor, teaching him to hunt. In 1937, in the Chibuto region, they shot their first elephant together. Harry owned a .30-06,

“There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth” – Mark Twain: Huckleberry Finn, 1884

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 41

ABOVE: Harry when a bit older, with less ‘pump’ in his arms and shoulders.

BELOW: Two male lions that Harry shot on the same day he shot two bull elephants.

a 10.75x68 Mauser, and a .404 Mauser.

In the early 1940s, Mozambique’s game laws were changed to permit unrestricted hunting of elephants due to crop-raiding. Thereafter, Harry became a professional ivory hunter.

HARRY’S BOOK, KAMBAKU, is mostly about his latter ivory-hunting years, roughly 1944 to 1952. It is necessary, for our purpose, to give a brief résumé of the salient points. His first major anecdote is “Hoodoo Safari” involving his tracker and gunbearer, Sayela.

Harry states that he used a .375 in this hunt. Earlier in the book, he wrote, “… in 1945 I acquired my first .375 H&H… a Winchester Model 70 with a surprisingly thick barrel.” In a 1996 Magnum article he states that this purchase was “shortly after WWII”. Harry’s “Hoodoo Safari” chapter shows a photo, captioned “Sayela”, showing a man carrying a bull-barrelled Model 70.

Note that, in this chapter, Harry takes no white person with him on this Hoodoo Safari. Readers please remem-

42 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

The elephant that killed Harry’s tracker, Sayela.

He finds the bull kneeling over Sayela, pounding him alternately with the undersides of its tusks “as one would knead dough” ber this; I’ll come back to it in Part 3 of this series. He and Sayela fire together (Sayela with the 10.75mm) at an elephant which runs off wounded. They follow, and the bull charges from very close; Harry has no time to fire and leaps aside. Sayela flees with the bull crashing after him. Harry runs after them, unable to take another shot; the crashing ceases, Harry hears thumping sounds up ahead, and then finds the bull kneeling over Sayela, pounding him alternately with the undersides of its tusks “as one would knead dough”.

Harry fires at the ‘stern’ of the elephant; the bull then charges him, he shoots it in the eye and in the base of its throat and it staggers off into the bush to die. Aggrieved, Harry kneels beside Sayela, whose “dirt-covered eyes” are open and staring vacantly as he breathes his last. Harry orders his men to cover the body with branches to protect it from scavengers. Next day they return to bury the body, and Harry carves an epitaph on a nearby tree.

AFTER THIS INCIDENT, Harry writes: “I was still young, unmarried with no… commitments”. Accompanied by Jonas, his replacement tracker, Harry drives his Ford van further and further north, hunting ivory. At Inhambane he shoots a 130lb bull. At Maxixe at the seacoast, he leaves his ivory in safekeeping at a bank. He shoots some big bulls near Massinga. His next chapter finds him in Tete on the Zambezi, where he hears of Gustav Guex, the well-known Swiss hunter who made a living shooting buffalo to supply meat rations for the labourers of the Senna sugar estates at Marromeu. Guex had a marvellously comfortable camp with vegetables and fruit trees, and lived very well.

Harry joins Guex, shooting elephants to supply Senna with meat while keeping the ivory. When the rains start, Harry drives to Beira, where he offloads his 2.5 tons of ivory “to be finally auctioned at the ivory floor in London”. His bank in Beira handles the exportation.

At the bank in Beira, he meets a divorcee named Carmen Elliot, origin-

ally from Durban, and they fall in love.

Note that in the 1980 edition of Kambaku, Harry describes her as having long, wavy dark hair. Harry buys a new 4-ton diesel lorry and a Willys Jeep and trailer. In the RW edition he takes Carmen on a 2-day hunt for crop-raiding elephants.

The rains end; Harry heads north through Tete to Milange (Mlanje) on the border of Nyasaland (Malawi). Here he finds a fertile Eden at the source of a stream on the slopes of Mount Murripa, and he builds his ‘Shangrila’ – his dream base camp where he will bring Carmen to live with him.

Harry states his age as 35 at this time (1951/52). He arranges for Carmen to fly to the coastal port of Quelimane. He drives her to Shangrila where they commence an idyllic period together. Carmen loves the life, bathes in the stream, learns how to shoot, and takes the hardships, adventures and excitement in her stride, even shooting troublesome leopards and bushpigs when Harry is away hunting. She asks

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 43

ABOVE: “White gold” – the reward for a hard life.

LEFT: Late in life, Harry took up painting, until arthritis crippled his hands. His signature is in the bottom right corner.

to go with Harry on an elephant hunt and he lets her shoot a bull, filming her with her trophy.

Later, Carmen receives word from her father in Durban to say her mother’s heart condition had deteriorated; Carmen decides to fly to Durban.

Before she leaves, Harry buys her a ring and they become engaged to be married.

While Carmen is away, Harry sees a giant tusker which he names the “Monarch of Murippa”. He begins a long and arduous hunt in rain-soaked conditions, finally killing the bull with two heartshots, and later gives the tusk weights as 187 and 185lbs.

THEN HARRY TRAVELS to the Melange Post Office where he receives a telegram and letter from Carmen’s father saying that Carmen had drowned while swimming off Durban’s south beach, or could have been taken by a

44 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

shark, as her body was not found. As a result of the shock, her ailing mother had died of a heart attack. Carmen’s father added that he would now be returning permanently to his native America. Devastated, Harry decides to leave Shangrila.

Having accumulated another 2.5 tons of ivory, Harry decides to film this hoard “… before dispatching the tusks to my bank in Beira…” He arranges for his porters and other locals to walk in single file, in a lengthy line, each carrying a tusk on his shoulder, which Harry films, capturing a scene of old Africa unlikely ever to be seen again. Then each tusk is individually wrapped in tightly-sewn protective hessian sackcloth, its weight stencilled in black on the covering, and loaded onto his lorry.

He drives the load across the Nyasaland (Malawi) border to Luchenza, the nearest railway station of the Trans-Zambezi Railway, where he rails the ivory to

Beira, “… with instructions to my bank at that point”. Harry included the tusks of the Monarch of Murripa in this consignment, which he later deeply regrets when told that “…tusks of that rare size and weight” were sought by wealthy sportsmen who’d pay a price “far in excess of the overseas current market value.”

Harry continued hunting until the Portuguese government banned unrestricted ivory hunting around 1960 in favour of commercial sport-hunting safaris. His book ends at this point.

Harry went to work on the mines in Johannesburg for a year, and then returned to Mozambique in 1962 to work as a PH for a safari company owned by Alberto ‘One-Shot’ Araujo.

Then he joined ‘Baron’ Werner von Alvensleben at Safarilandia, serving as a PH. When the political changes came in Mozambique, Harry moved to SA. NOW COMES THE difficult part. In 1980, Harry Manners published Kambaku, describing the Monarch of Murripa’s 187 and 185lb ivory as “tusks of rare size and weight” which he shot in 1952. The book includes a photo of Harry posing with a huge pair of tusks outside a building, and its caption reads, “Tusks of rare size and weight” (the 1980 edition adds “see page 208” – this refers to the outsized tusks of the Monarch of Murripa which he had described shooting five pages before).

The implication that the tusks in the photo are those of the “Monarch” is clear, and this belief prevails to this day.

However, a photo in Magnum’s Feb 2020 edition, and the ensuing reader response, has revealed that the bull whose tusks appear in the Kambaku photo were not shot by Harry Manners but by Wally Johnson in 1946. These tusks now hang in the Maputo Museum.

Unfortunately, in subsequent articles, letters and conversations, Harry perpetuated this myth until his death, claiming to have sold the Monarch’s tusks to an Indian trader in Beira. In Kambaku, Harry makes no mention of selling his ivory to local traders. He

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Cattle-killing Cats

by FRANK JACKMAN

Following the tracks to the thicket where the lions lay up during the day.

TED last July with a phone call… “Do you want lions?” ard via the grapevine that two young male lions a neighbouring cattle ranch, but we knew no t. My son-in-law, Clinton, a workmate Carl and met the farm manager and game scouts from nt of Wildlife who had been deployed a month with the marauders. They told us the lions had attle. The game scouts, armed only with shotunded one before deciding to request assistance.

We obtained the farm manager’s permission to shoot a young kudu for bait. We gutted the carcass and put the innards and blood into a drum, then dragged the entrails along the roads and firebreaks while continuously dribbling

Lions in suburban Lusaka? blood and fluids along the trail. Then we secured the carcass to a tree, not bothering to hang it as there were no other predators on the ranch.

The next morning, we eagerly checked the bait and found nothing but scraps remaining. The lions had fed well, and we needed another kudu. We obtained permission, and this time shot a bigger one, which we secured to the tree and then built our blind in a clump of bush 60m from the bait. Ready for action, we imagined this was going to be the easiest problem animal control (PAC) hunt in history. How wrong we were...

At 16:30 that afternoon, we entered the blind. As soon as the sun went down, the temperature plummeted; it was going to be a cold night, but our spirits lifted when we heard the alarm barks of kudu and bushbuck emanating from the thicket where the lions were holed up. We quietly nudged each other and got ready.

The lions appeared and were onto the bait in a flash. Inexperienced in lion-hunting and very excited, we decided to turn on the light. Carl was the spotlight man and Clinton and I were up and ready with our .375s. Carl hit the

Young male lions.

Photo Daryl Balfour Wildphotossafaris.com

ABOVE: This is all that remained of the first bait we set out.

The lions ate a whole kudu in one night.

RIGHT: We found these lion tracks early in the morning; this gave us an indication of the area in which they were operating.

light but all we saw was the rear end of one lion with its head turned to look back at us, its eyes shining like bright lights, but not presenting a clear shot. The other lion decided it did not like the light and started to slink off into the bush. Carl held the light on this one and as my cross-hairs found his shoulder, I led him a fraction and let drive. BOOM! Dust and muzzle-flash blinded us and the lions were gone before we knew what had happened.

INSTINCT TOLD ME something was not right. We grabbed our torches and looked for blood – nothing. We went back to where the lion had been moving off and found the answer to my nagging doubt – I had hit a tree! At this point if anyone wants to call us amateur lion hunters, I won’t take offence.

After consulting a PH friend, we decided to build a machan (a hide on stilts) and reposition our bait. I had wanted to build an elevated blind from the beginning, but unbeknown to me, Clinton was afraid of heights. While dating my daughter, he thought it would be a great idea to take her on a problem hyena shoot, until the machan collapsed with them in it!

The lions had become wary and lay low for a while. We were losing time. After a few days they hit the bait again, so we let them get into a feeding routine before we sat up for them again. Then the game scouts told us that the lions had

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 47

The bush was too thick to drive through, so we had to carry the lion out.

The local community gathering around the first lion – most had never seen a lion before.

been roaring and making a commotion in the early hours of back then decided to follow his mate. Ty had the torch waving the morning. By now ten days had gone by with no reward, all over the place, but fortunately the incident gave us so we sat again; this time my son Ty joined us as the spotlight enough time to aim and there was enough light. We both fired man. Our trail cam told us they were coming in early again. and saw the lion take the impact. As it tottered off, I gave it Dressed for the cold and with bellies full of sausage rolls, we another shot, and then all was quiet. The whole affair had waited. Kudu and bushbuck barked again, bushpigs came to taken but seconds! Our adrenalin was pumping but we felt the old bait site and chewed on bones, and then everything confident, though conscious of the deathly silence. just went deathly quiet. At 20:00 we heard the first crunching and tearing at the bait. The lions were back, but it was so WE HOOKED THE spotlight up to the vehicle battery and dark we could not see anything. I shook Ty’s leg to wake him drove into the grass where the lion had disappeared. Nothing! up, and whispered that he must hold the light forward of our After flattening bushes with the truck as we searched unsucscopes so that its light didn’t cessfully for the lion, we decided reflect in the lenses to blind us. to come back in the morning.

He switched on the light as he Just then Clinton spotted it lying was standing up; his jacket stone dead, close to where it had pocket hooked the corner of the been when I took my second chair, causing him to shine the shot. It was the same lion I’d light straight onto the scopes, shot at previously – it had superblinding us for a second before ficial wounds on its shoulder he corrected the beam. One lion made by bullet fragments after had all but disappeared into the the projectile had disintegrated grass; the other went in the on the tree. The lion also had a opposite direction. Dilemma! fresh wire snare on its neck – Which to swing on? probably the reason for its roarThe second lion ran straight Initially, the lions were very nervous to come to the bait. Note ing earlier that morning as it into the cattle fence, bounced the snare around the lion’s neck. fought to break the snare.

48 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

Now I know why safari outfitters require a minimum of 21 days for a lion hunt – lions don’t come easy The second lion did not return to the bait site, so after a few days we decided to try a new area about 600m away, closer to the thicket. We relocated the machan to a spot about 75m from the new bait site. In the meantime a friend had suggested that we get a spotlight with an infrared lens.

He was a bush guide and swore that the lion would completely ignore the light when we turned it on, so I sacrificed my monthly beer allocation allowance and bought one. Confident now that we had everything just right, we hung a fresh carcass and waited, and that first night we got a hit.

This got us excited, but the scouts were getting impatient as they had been away from their families for nearly two months and the local government officials, Wildlife Department and tribal chiefs were pressuring us. We had to ask them to be patient, as we needed to make sure the feeding lion was relaxed and unsuspicious before we sat up again.

After a couple of days, we added fresh bait then entered the blind at 16:30 and prepared ourselves.

I had been suffering with a dose of flu, as was Clinton, and as the temperature dropped the coughing started. No amount of cough mixture, lozenges, whisky from a hip flask or even half suffocating myself with a pillow could stop it.

Clinton and I thought we heard something come into the bait around 19:30 but were not sure. The coughing continued, and as the lion may have heard me, I decided to give it up and give Clinton the chance otherwise I would most certainly blow it. I left the machan at 21:00 and went home, feeling a bit of a loser, but confident that if anybody could pull it off Clinton could.

At around midnight the action started. Ty was snoring so loudly that Clinton had to regularly kick him in the ribs to silence him. Then the tearing and crunching started; Clinton told Brandon, a long-time family friend, to hit the light. The cat was standing on his hind legs feeding off the bait that was hanging from the tree. It immediately ducked down and was making off into the thicket – so much for the infrared light.

Clinton had a brief moment of opportunity and gave the lion a raking shot with a PMP soft-nose from his .375 before the cat disappeared into the thicket. He heard some crashing and bushes breaking and then silence. Not wanting to tempt fate, he wisely chose to return in the morning.

We were back early, not really knowing what to expect.

The bush was thick and thorns scratched and pulled on our skin and clothing as we eased our way into the thicket. We hadn’t gone 30m in when Clinton shouted, “He’s down!” It

TOP: Author and Clinton with the first lion, which had a big body but small mane. Note the warm clothing.

MIDDLE: Clinton with the second lion which he shot at midnight.

We recovered it the next morning.

LEFT: The wound inflicted by the snare found on the first lion.

had been a perfect raking shot. This was the lion the scouts had wounded with buckshot, evidenced by pus oozing from numerous wounds to its legs and abdomen. However, both lions had been in good body condition, despite their ordeals.

I SHOULD ADD that this took place less than 50km from Zambia’s capital city of Lusaka. It had taken us a month to get the job done. We had learnt some valuable lessons, and now I know why safari outfitters require a minimum of 21 days for a lion hunt – lions don’t come easy.

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 49

Figure 1

A skill that can be taught

Interpreting Tracks

by CLEVE CHENEY

TH

INIT when o For so hat ca lk, a d even his is ned observer

D

FTEN stand skilled tracker mount of infored from a bent od or a broken easure of scepdable, for the been taught to racker or to use gree as someone who was raised in, or has lived long in the bush under the tutorship of a master.

To some, a good tracker’s ability to interpret spoor may appear almost magical. Of course, extensive experience in tracking animals plays a major role. Even in the absence of sign discernible by the five senses, an exp e r i e n c e d t ra c ke r c a n v i e w t h e surrounding terrain while drawing on his knowledge of the species, and know by ‘gut-feel’ which course the quarry would likely have taken. Extensive knowledge of the ecology and species

1 2

3 4

Figure 2

Figure 3

behaviour in the relevant environment is the hallmark of a highly experienced tracker – one who can ‘get inside an animal’s head’ and think like one, so to speak. Such are few and far between.

However, most tracking involves the observation and logical interpretation of physical signs left by the passage of the animal. This includes faint smells in the air, the tangible temperature of droppings or resting places, nuances in colour (an overturned pebble, for ex-

ABOVE: Whether tracks (1 and 2) are made by feet, hooves, paws, shoes or in some cases, the body, they transfer information via the contact points.

The elephant on the left (3) is older than the one on the right (4). The sole of the older one has worn smooth in places.

50 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

Figure 4 LEFT (Figure 1): Pressure releases work in the same predictable and sequential pattern whether recorded by feet, footwear, hooves, claws or paws.

ABOVE (Figure 4): Tracks are grouped according to the structure of the foot, paw, claw, hoof etc.

ample) the consistency of sap on the broken end of a twig or stem, and faint sounds.

In addition to mere direction, a wealth of information can be gleaned from animal footprints. Gait, for example, is the coordinated and sequential pattern of leg movements, and this aspect of the tracks reveals whether the animal was, at a given point, standing still, walking normally, trotting, cantering or galloping. Gait also indicates the animalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s physical status â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whether limping, tiring, dragging a broken leg, etc.

A TRACKER WILL often be forced to trace the progress of an animal over surfaces which do not record a series of footprints, such as rock or extremely hard ground. He may have to make deductions from only a single track. Yet such can indicate the following (Figure 7): the species of animal; the approximate age of the animal; in some cases the sex of the animal; the age of the track (how long ago it was imprinted); the speed at which the animal was travelling when the track was registered; whether it was hesitating, slowing to a stop or standing still; the direction in which the animal was looking when the track was registered; any change in direction (to within a couple of degrees); major shift in body position; and secondary efforts required to maintain forward motion.

The size and shape of the footprint identifies the species. The various animal groups have distinctive hoof, paw or foot shapes: (figure 4) some differences being the number of toes,

Figure 5 ABOVE: These tracks were all made by the same person in the same substrate yet each track is distinctly different, conveying a different message through the pressure releases recorded in the track.

BELOW: A tracker at work, relying chiefly on the five senses. Master trackers go beyond the five senses.

Figure 6

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 51

In some species, gender can be determined by the tracks, which in the case of adult females may be narrower and smaller than the male’s. However, in certain species, such as hyena, the female’s paws are larger than the male’s the shape of the heel pad and body position, secondary Figure 7 (which may differ within the effort to maintain forward groups), the visible evidence motion and the direction in of claws, etc. Ask the followwhich the animal was looking ing questions: is this the when the spoor was recorded, appropriate habitat type for a more skilled level of trackthe animal I think it is? Is the ing is required involving the animal alone or in a group? interpretation of ‘pressure Was the track made during release’ patterns. Feet, paws, the day or night? (Is the track hooves, claws, tails, and in superimposed by that of some cases bodies, transfer nocturnal insects or does it information to the ground superimpose such tracks? Is it (figure 7). The point or area superimposed by the tracks of of contact is made up of soil diurnal birds or does it superparticles and vegetation. impose such tracks?) Are Coarsely grained soil we call there other tracks or signs gravel or sand; soil composed w h i c h m i g h t c o n f i r m my of tiny particles we loosely identification? refer to as clays. Vegetation Clear tracks will indicate can be living or dead and in the age of the animal as various stages of decompyoung, sub-adult or adult and, osition. in some cases, old. Elephant, When the sidewalls of a hippo and rhino have deep track imprinted in such soil cracks in the soles of their and vegetation are subjected feet; in older animals the to pressures of varying force, soles wear away and become A single track recorded in soil imparts a wealth of information if you they behave in logical, know how to decipher the signs.

This is true whether made by an anismoother (Figure 3). The sequential and predictable mal, bird, reptile or human (barefoot or shod). hooves of some species may patterns termed ‘pressure chip or break off at the points releases’. This refers to the or edges, or become rounded in older blown into the track, ‘overprints’ reaction that takes place in soil or other animals. (tracks of other animals, birds or substrate when a force has been In some species, gender can be i n s e c t s o n t o p o f t h e t ra c k ) o r applied to it and then removed – hence determined by the tracks, which in the damage, signs of rain or dewdrops in the term (Figure 5). Pressure releases case of adult females may be narrower the track and the presence of spider are recorded in the same sequential and smaller than the male’s. However, webs in the track. Past weather must p a t t e r n i r r e s p e c t i ve o f w h e t h e r in certain species, such as hyena, the be considered when ageing the spoor. imprinted by bare feet, footwear, paws, female’s paws are larger than the To determine speed of movement, hooves or claws (Figure 1). male’s. direction of travel, change of direction More advanced trackers have Depending on the nature and state learned how different substrates react of the soil, the age of the track can be to various forces and are able to Cleve Cheney, author of determined by how sharply defined it is interpret the reactions which took A Comprehensive Guide to (sharp edges become eroded by wind, place. There is nothing mystical or Tracking Skills presents trackwhich also gradually fills the track with magical about this level of tracking, ing courses six times a year. If sand and tiny leaves). Other determinthough it extends beyond the abilities you are interested in attending ing factors are the amount of moisture of the average tracker. It is nigh imposa course, contact him at retained in the track, the colour of the sible to learn to interpret pressure bufftraka@gmail.com or soil compared to that of the surroundreleases without the aid of a mentor, on 082-922-5547. ing substrate, the amount of debris and it takes years to master.

52 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

ATN Mars4 HD Thermal Scope p and ABL 1500 Rangefinder g THE ATN MARS4 3 84x288/7–28X thermal scope is 370m mm long, 70mm wide and 65mm hig h at the widest points. With 30mm rin ngs, the scope weighs 1193 grams and this increases t o 1569 grams with the e Auxiliary Ballistic Laserr 1500 (ABL 1500) rangefinder fitted. It I screws onto the scope e’s objective lens, increas sing total length to 447mm m.

The scope is powered by an interna al battery, charged with a supplied type C USB charging cable tha at fits into any 2 Amp cellular phone charger. c Charge e time is about 6 hours and battery life a claimed 16 hours. The charging port is situated on the lefthand side of th e cradle next to a micro SD card slot (4 to t 64GB cards can be used). Both portts are covered with a rubber cap that is easily removed.

The rangefinder uses a single CR2 2 battery. For photo and video recording, an SD card with a speed of at least 10Mb/s (Class 10) is needed. In Recoil Activated Video (RAV) mode, footage from about 15 seconds before the shot until it is manually stopped after shooting, is automatically saved to the card.

The scope has five buttons on top of the cradle: power, left arrow, right arrow, OK and a function button.

These are used to turn the scope on and off, call up and scroll through the menus, select settings, etc, through a combination of either long or short presses. On the lefthand side is a scroll wheel to increase and decrease magnification and to scroll up and down through the different menus. To turn the scope on, press and hold the POWER button until the screen lights up. After a few seconds the thermal image will display. Rotating the dioptre adjustment on the ocular lens adjusts focus on the screen. A large focus adjustment ring just behind the objective lens is used to focus the image. ‘Cold’ objects are displayed as

by FRANCOIS VAN EMMENES black or grey and ‘warm’ objects as white, with different shades in-between, depending on temperature.

The sensor does not pick up heat signatures through glass. As the scope works with a thermal sensor it can be used in daylight, but with less image definition.

The screen display is 1280x720 HD and is framed by a status bar (that displays SD card status, battery life, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and ballistic calculator status), scales (roll and pitch scales as well as absolute values), and information widgets (wind direction, e-compass, distance, photo/video mode and zoom level).

EYE RELIEF IS about 90mm and the scope can be mounted further forward with a supplied L-shaped ring. I mounted the scope on my bolt-action Remington 700ADL in 6.5 Creedmoor, as well as my semi-auto S&W MP15 in .223 Rem and had no need to use the

L-shaped ring.

No rmal rings fitte ed perfectly on b both rifles’ Picatinny rails.

ATN has an app (ca alled Obsidian 4) that can be used to connect the rangefinder (1 500m ra ange) to the sco ope. It also enables you to control the e scope from a tablet as w well as view video footage.

The scope is ‘one-shott-zero’ enabled. I used a large piece of cardboard cov vered with tinfoil and a bla ack cross to cre eate a thermal image s imilar to a co onventional target. After bore sightin ng the first shot landed high and to th he right. Selecting the appropriate menu brings up two crosshairs on the screen, one white and the other red. To zerro you keep the white crosshair on the e point of aim while moving the red with a scroll wheel to cover the point of imp pact. Pressing OK concludes the procedure. To fine-tune the zero you can ced use the scroll wheel to zoom in and repeat the process.

Without the ABL 1500 rangefinder fitted, the ATN Mars4’s own Smart Rangefinder function enables you to estimate distances to a target if you know the size of your target. Reference points on a target are taken in turn and then collated with pre-set sizes of deer, wild boar, etc, or you can manually input the target size. The calculated distance is then fed into the scope’s ballistic calculator.

I programmed the scope for use with 130gr Swift Scirocco bullets at 2 750fps to be used in conjunction with the ABL 1500. In addition, environmental factors can be added, like humidity, wind speed and direction, temperature, barometric pressure and altitude. Compass bearing, as well as roll and pitch are measured while the scope is on. Pressing the function button on the scope activates the ABL 1500 and the measured distance is automatically fed to the scope, which immediately displays the holdover and windage adjustments required on the

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 53

Test Report bottom lefthand side of the screen.

Numerous additional options are also available to the user, like selecting different reticle styles and colours, camera and video settings, video quality settings, RAV time settings, display brightness and thermal sensitivity, to mention a few.

Field testing in broad daylight had various game animals standing out like beacons against green grass, even at a couple of hundred metres. I managed to shoot a mature warthog sow which stood in long grass some 60m away. Although behind the grass, her outline was clearly visible though the ATN. At night I picked up a jackal through the scope, the body displayed clear white at 59m. I then used the ATN to

try and ambush bushpigs. None appeared, but I managed to spot cattle, grazing 2km away, and identified various birds, a jackal and duikers.

I found that using the scope for extended periods is hard on the eye – even at the lowest brightness setting it blinds the eye for minutes after use, and like most optical equipment, some clarity is lost at high magnification levels.

The ATN Mars4 is a hi-tech piece of equipment not mastered in a few sessions, is extremely useful and very good quality. Battery life is more than adequate and even with extended use, it never dropped below 50%. The photos and videos saved on the SD card were of good quality and at high resolution. Sound quality on the video clips was exceptional. I can highly recommend it to problem animal control hunters or professional culling teams, military and police applications are obvious. The scope has a three year warranty and the rangefinder two years.

The ATN Mars4 scope retails for about R87 700 and the rangefinder for R7 800. For stockists contact ECM Technologies on 012-329-4116. For video footage of the scope visit the Magnum Facebook page.

Frankford Arsenal Intellidropper Powder Measure THE FRANKFORD ARSENAL Intellidropper is an electronic powder measure that has two exciting and helpful features I haven’t seen on similar devices: a proprietary powder calibration function which affords fast and accurate powder measurements, and the Intellidropper mobile app that connects your smartphone to the dispensing unit using Bluetooth. The app stores load data and other information useful to reloaders.

On opening the box, first read the instruction manual, as this sensitive device needs to be handled with care. Ensure that you set it up correctly to avoid later frustration – a missed step could lead to imprecise and inaccurate results. The manual is easy to follow.

54 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

The calibration weights and powder brush each have a place holder and the device’s base has four adjustable rubber feet and a bubble level to ensure precise levelling, which is crucial.

Charge weights can be out by up to 0.3 grains if the device is not level. I powered up the device, waited for it to stabilise then installed the reservoir tube with its cap. To complete the initial set-up, place the pan on the plate and place the transparent cover over the pan.

INITIALLY, I GAVE it about 15 minutes to warm up, but later allowed more time by switching it on before spending about thirty minutes assembling the load components and doing final case preparation. Allowing it more time

Test Report

by ANDRÉ GROBLER

to stabilise prevents inaccuracies such as charge-weight fluctuations.

Before filling the reservoir with propellant, ensure that the drain spout cap on the righthand side is closed and the powder pan is in place to prevent powder granules falling on the scale plate.

After filling the device, you need to calibrate it. To do this, remove the pan from the scale plate. Press the zero button on the display screen then press the CAL button and wait for the screen to flash 0.000. Once stabilised, it will flash 50.000. Place one of the 50-gram weights in the middle of the scale plate, without touching the spout. The device will display STABLE. Now press the CAL button again, and the display will show 100.00. Place the second weight near the centre of the scale plate. When the device has stabilised, press the CAL button again. It will display PASS,

Test Report followed by STABLE. The Intellidropper is now calibrated.

Place the pan on the scale and press zero to prepare it for powder dispensing.

At this stage, you can use the device’s patent-pending powder calibration feature. Press the “Powder CAL” button.

The device uses a calibration algorithm to determine the ideal motor speed for the device, depending on the particular powder used. This process is indicated by the machine running at different rates. When ready, it displays STABLE on the screen. Empty the pan and zero the device after replacing the pan.

Now, type in the required chargeweight and press the grey GO button.

When it reaches the selected weight, the device gives two short beeps and displays STABLE on the screen. Return the empty pan to the scale; the device waits until it indicates 0.00, followed by a short stabilising period, ending with STABLE. Only then will it dispense the next load.

When it dispenses too much powder, the display flashes OVER, showing the actual weight of the load and you’ll hear a long beep. When it dispenses insufficient powder the display flashes UNDER. The device can dispense a load from 0.1 grain up to 250 grains in a single throw.

It claims accuracy of +/- 0.1 grain.

The mobile app is free and available from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. After installing, ensure that the app has the phone’s permission to connect to the device via Bluetooth, which it does automatically. Using the app, you can command the device and store data. The app provides a variety of information while the device is working, including the selected weight and scale reading. Using the app, you can type in the required weight, which is relayed to the device. Data, such as the firearm, powder, case and primer used can be compiled from pre-loaded data sets and stored with information such as load (gr) and velocity in a database.

All this can be shared.

I used different propellants (S335, S365, S431 and N140) to load a variety

of rifle cartridges. I also used 4.1gr of IMR’s Target powder to load 9mmP pistol rounds. The dispensing speeds, using the device in normal mode and after implementing the Powder Calibration (PC) feature, were measured using three powders.

The device took 18 to 20 seconds to dispense the 4.1gr IMR (flake powder) over 50 loads, without any problems.

After the device’s PC feature was set, it dispensed 4.1gr in eight to nine seconds. However, 12 of the 50 loads were overthrows of 4.2gr. I realised that with this powder, the device would rapidly dispense about 3.5gr and then trickle the rest to 4.1gr, without any problems.

All the overthrown loads followed after a rapid dispense measuring 3.9 to 4gr and the trickle action, which threw 0.2 to 0.3gr too much. I decided to use the device in normal mode when using this powder.

THE DEVICE TOOK 18 to 22 seconds to throw 37.5gr S335 in its PC mode. It had no problems loading 55 cartridges.

I double-checked the loads on a separate electronic scale which confirmed every Intellidropper load.

Programmed to dispense 51.5gr S365, the device took 46 to 53 seconds in normal mode. After the powder calibration was done, the same load took 28 to 32 seconds. About four of the 50 loads hovered between an overthrow

and required weight for a few seconds before settling on the correct weight.

The device also dispensed powder for 50 rounds using S341 (37.5gr) and another 50 rounds using Vihtavuori’s N140 powder (41gr) spot on.

All rifle powders dispensed were within the 0.1gr variable.

I experienced some drift in zero, never more than 0.1gr, but this was quickly rectified by pressing the ZERO button before dispensing a new load. It never became a matter for concern.

What I liked most about the Frankford Arsenal Intellidropper was its speed and accuracy. It sped up my reloading cycle, especially with rifle loads, while dispensing consistently accurate weights. Its reservoir holds enough powder for uninterrupted reloading of more than fifty 7mm and .303 rounds, and it cleans easily with the help of the supplied powder brush.

The app is great for storing easily accessible data to programme the device with the press of a button.

Initially, the plastic GO and POWER buttons did not operate smoothly, but I suspect they will improve with time.

All things considered, the Frankford Arsenal Intellidropper will be a worthy addition to my reloading bench – especially considering its price. I recently saw one at Pretoria Arms for R 5 395.

For more information, contact Inyathi Sporting Supplies on 012-808-9911.

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 55

The Witbul Webley

by MC HEUNIS A newspaper clipping from 1977 when Annie Wentzel (nĂŠe Leonard) turned ninety.

Photo Wentzel/Van der Merwe Family Collection.

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A Boer War revolver saved by a 14-year-old girl

My Witbul Webley was an exceptionally rare find.

Jan ‘Witbul’ and Anna Leonard, presumably on the eve of the Anglo-Boer War. Note Jan’s OVS Mauser, identifiable by the turned down bolt handle.

Photo Family Collection.

IS EX tory t ventur rigues en the hand The n upright. I im

IONALLY rare to find a collectible firearm with an be verified. We seldom know what tales of roism, bloodied battles or perhaps even criminal irearms might tell if they could. So, when I was phone number of a person who wanted to sell an I had no idea where it would lead me.

Webley was mentioned, which made me sit ediately phoned the seller. He explained with a t, having retired, he was scaling down and had ll the revolver. I asked for photos and we discussed a price based on past auction results. After a few phone calls, we reached agreement and I bought the Webley, a Mark III. As it was a commercial version, without any military markings, I did not give much thought to its origin, but a few days later when the licence application paperwork

arrived, I noticed it had a rather low serial number. I phoned the seller to ask if he knew anything about the history of the gun. “Yes of course,” he said, “The Webley belonged to my great-grandfather, Jan Leonard, who got it from General Christiaan de Wet during the Boer War…”.

THE WEBLEY COMPANY can be traced back to the mid1830s when Philip Webley and his brother James, set up business in Birmingham, England. Around 1853, they began producing their first patented single-action cap-and-ball revolvers. Some years later, Philip’s two sons, William and Henry, joined the firm and it became known as P. Webley & Sons. By then they were manufacturing their own .44-calibre rim-fire solid-frame revolver as well as licensed copies of Smith & Wesson break-action revolvers. During the late 1860s, one of

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 57

their proprietary solid-frame, centrefire, rod-ejecting revolvers was adopted by the Royal Irish Constabulary. The “RIC” revolver, as it became known, was adopted by several armed units, including the South African Cape Mounted Police.

The first top-break, hinged-frame, self-ejecting revolvers for which the Webley name became world famous, were the Webley-Pryse (more correctly the No 4) in 1877, the Webley-Kaufman in 1881, and the Webley-Government (WG) model in 1885. These revolvers The SS Bavarian on which Jan Leonard was sent to St Helena.

Photo Transvaal Archive Depot. were favoured by British military officers who purchased them privately and used them in countless British colonial wars where they made a by the Transvaal would have been commercial examples withgood name for themselves. out any British War Department “broad arrow” acceptance markings. One very useful clue Dr Bester found was the serial IN 1887, WHEN the British Army was searching for a new number of a sample Mark III Webley revolver submitted to official sidearm, Webley submitted a .455-calibre, six-shot, the Orange Free State in August 1896. Its number was hinged frame, self-extracting, double-action revolver with a recorded as 1009. Thus it is quite likely that the first batch of four-inch barrel for trials. The Joint War Office and Admiralty Mk III revolvers had serial numbers between 1 to 1008, and Committee tasked with the selection process was suitably the second batch of 5 000 had numbers higher than 1009. impressed and the revolver was adopted in November of the This is strongly supported by the fact that quite a few Mark same year as the “Pistol, Webley, Mark I”. DurIIIs with no military markings and with serial ing the following years the revolver went numbers in the 2000 to 4000 range are today through a number of minor improvements and, found in collections in South Africa. My new purby 1899, the Mark IV or “Boer War model” was chase fell smack in the middle of this batch. in use.

Jan Daniel ‘Witbul’ (White Bull) Leonard was Like most private British arms manufacturborn on 6 May 1854, from Irish-Boer stock. He ers, Webley also sold their firearms on the commarried Anna Catharina Sophia Oosthuizen and mercial market and abroad, including to the two by 1899, had six children, their oldest a daughBoer republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free ter called Annie (later Wentzel). Jan was a wellState. By the mid-1890s TW Webley regularly known burgher of the Orange Free State and visited the republics, and the Transvaal had quite wealthy from selling the lime mining bought a couple of batches of revolvers for their rights on his farm Witlaagte at Whites near the artillery, police, prisons and volunteer units. In present-day town of Virginia.

December 1895, a further 500 revolvers were ordered and, in a letter dated 20 December THE ORANGE FREE STATE, situated between 1895, Webley mentioned that they had made the British Cape Colony and the Transvaal, did some improvements to their design, the Mark everything in its power to prevent conflict III having been introduced in October 1895. between its neighbours but, when war became In the wake of the Jameson Raid in late 1895, this order inevitable, the Free State government decided to honour their was hastily increased to 1 000 revolvers. In June 1896, TW treaties with the Transvaal and sided with their sister republic.

Webley was back in the Transvaal and, after a meeting with In September 1899, the Free State burghers were called to General Piet Joubert, an order was placed for 5 000 additional arms; their saddle bags were packed with supplies and their Mark III revolvers complete with holsters, belts, pouches and Mauser and Martini-Henry rifles held ready. cleaning rods. The order was shipped in batches from Britain Jan joined the Winburg Commando and would have seen to Pretoria between October 1896 and February 1898. action on the upper Tugela areas of the Natal Front. However, Unfortunately, as far as we know, the serial numbers of

by February 1900, the initially successful republican war these Mark IIIs were not documented, but after some exceleffort had ground to a halt and British superiority in numbers lent detective work by Dr Ron Bester, it is possible to narrow and arms started to tell. General Piet Cronje was caught undown the field. It is certain that Webley revolvers imported awares at his position at Magersfontein and Kimberley was

According to family recollection, General Christiaan de Wet personally gave Jan the Webley revolver, but the date of this occurrence could not be verified

58 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

relieved behind him, forcing captured, it probably took place him to flee towards Bloemfonearlier, in Natal. It was not tein. However, before he could uncommon for Free Staters to cross the Modder River, the purhave Transvaal-bought equipsuing British army caught up ment, as many firearms and with him and he was surother war materials were sent to rounded near Paardeberg on 17 the Free State at the outbreak of February. the war – it is quite likely that a General Christiaan de Wet number of the Transvaal Mark immediately launched a counter III Webleys ended up with the attack and captured the British Free State forces. positions at Oskoppies (KitchenJan in turn gave the revolver er’s Kop) east of Cronje’s laager. to his daughter Annie (14 years Under great pressure, he held old at the time). In 1900, when this position for a couple of days the destruction of Boer farms in in the hope that Cronje would the Free State started and civilabandon his wagons and escape ians were interned in the conto the east, but on 21 February, centration camps, Anna and the De Wet’s forces were again children fled. For the rest of the driven from their position. war they lived in the veld, Things started looking dire for avoiding the roaming British Cronje’s laager. columns. This family recollecIn the meantime the Wintion is confirmed by the fact burg Commando had been that none of their names appear withdrawn from the Natal Front on British camp registers. on 14 February and rushed to the Kimberley area in order to ANNIE CARRIED THE revolver assist. With these new re-enwith her for some time but, forcements De Wet attempted when things became too hot, to recapture the Oskoppies on she wrapped it in fat and rags 23 February. The task was then hid it in the wall of a entrusted to General Philip destroyed Boer house by careBotha with a number of comfully loosening a few mud bricks Constable P Flynne, Pretoria Police, poses with a Webley Mark I mandants under him, including and closing them up again. She revolver around the time of the Jameson Raid, early 1896.

Harry Theunissen of Winburg Photo Transvaal Archive Depot. lived well into her nineties and with a force of some 500 men, later recalled how she, her mostly from the Winburg and mother and siblings survived the Heidelberg commandos. Unfortunately it was a poorly exescorched earth of the utterly destroyed Free State countryside, cuted assault and the majority of the attacking Boers were by scouring abandoned British campsites for mealie pips that forced to withdraw. Commandant Theunissen, together with the army horses had spilled while feeding. Of the few earthly 87 Winburgers, heroically held their ground until their compossessions they had left, they transported a porcelain soup rades reached safety, but after two or three hours they were tureen in a bag of mealie meal and hid a stinkwood riempies forced to surrender to the British. Jan Leonard must have bench in a river bank to prevent its destruction. Her mother been one of these men, as he was recorded in British Prisoner also carried six gold Kruger pounds, one for each child, in the of War (POW) records as no. 5825, aged 46, farm Witlaagte, seam of her dress. The bench, tureen and at least one gold Winburg, captured at Koedoesrand on 23 February 1900. pound, as well as the Webley revolver, all survived to this day.

After his capture Jan was shipped to Broadbottom POW camp, These artefacts are tangible reminders of the terrible at St Helena, on the SS Bavarian where he spent the rest of destruction of war and the suffering it causes even for the war. non-combatants.

Hopefully, for the next few years I will remain the custoACCORDING TO FAMILY recollection, Christiaan de Wet perdian of the Witbul Webley and will be responsible for the sonally gave Jan the Webley revolver, but the date of this safekeeping of this important piece of history. I am glad I was occurrence could not be verified. Given that Jan was with De able to document the provenance of this Webley before its Wet on the Western Front for only a few days before he was story evaporated into the mists of time.

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 59

Fishing for

Bushbuck

by BRUCE TRUTER

some fishing stories you might hear, this one is true CK IN days arm a eg to k h ammunition hop i rt Alfre hing ta ater ar l. One fellow op and oduced We had a long h

en it didn’t cost as I always did, I went for a high neck a rifle well fed shot. The ram jumped forward, stumife and I owned bled, and then ran in the direction of the initially selling Kariega River. Before I could fire a secs and ammo as ond shot, he disappeared in the thorn alked into the trees. I knew he was hit. mself as Doug.

A strip of thick bush separated the ut fishing and, river from a cattle path running parallel oug owned a to it. On the inland side of the path lay rm on the left fairly open country until the dense bush bank of the Kariega River, some 25km started about 150m away. To cut a long from Port Alfred. The farm was also and arduous story short, I followed the prime bushbuck country. Doug didn’t few blood spots to this path and along hunt but, as he and his young family liked venison and biltong, he held one or two hunts a year to which he invited some of the “tie the dogs loose” gentlemen of the district. These disruptive affairs never sat well with him. When I told him I didn’t fancy them either, he asked if I would do the hunting and we’d share the venison. I readily accepted. Thus began a friendship lasting to this day.

Over the years I shot many bushbuck on Doug’s farm. In fact, most of the little I know about bushbuck I learned there.

In those days my only centre-fire The lush vegetation around the Kariega River. rifle was a pre-owned Mannlicher-Schönauer .243 with iron sights. I it for a short way before it became too bought it for R120 from Pollock’s Sports dark to see. Calling myself all kinds of in East London. The rifle hadn’t started uncomplimentary names for wounding life as a .243. It had been re-barrelled the buck, I headed for Doug’s house to and the rotary magazine slightly altered borrow a torch. to take .243 cartridges. It was a handOn hearing my story, Doug said he’d some rifle. I never used a sling on it. come with me. He fetched a torch and Now, the story... his fox terrier and we used my truck to get as near as we could to the spot IT WAS A Saturday afternoon in June where I’d last found blood, then we and I was hunting on Doug’s farm. walked. Arriving at the marker I’d left, Around sunset I spotted a bushbuck ram the foxy put his nose to the ground and feeding at the edge of a big expanse of took off along the path. Doug indicated thorn trees about 30 metres away. I that we should just wait. After a minute slowly raised the Mannlicher and shot or so the dog began barking furiously. him. To this day I don’t know why, but We hurried in his direction. instead of aiming for the heart/lung area We approached to find that he was on the other side of the strip of bush separating us from the river. The bush LEFT: Thick bush is natural bushbuck habitat. was too thick for us to get through. As Photo Philip Huebsch.

we dithered about looking for an opening, we heard a splash and Doug said, “He’s jumped into the river.”

It took us a good five minutes or more to reach the end of the strip of bush and jog back along the river bank to where the dog, now silent, stood looking at the water. Doug played the torchlight over the water, but nothing stirred. What now?

IT WAS A day or two after new moon and the spring tide was pushing in strongly this far up the river, but we didn’t know how this would have influenced the ram. He’d obviously made for the far bank, but whether he’d reached it above or below a point opposite us was anybody’s guess. We decided to look upstream first. We hadn’t gone far when we saw the weak glow of an eye on the opposite bank. Doug switched off the torch to see if the eye wasn’t that of a genet or some other animal. When he switched it back on the eye was still there. The torch batteries weren’t strong enough to show any detail, but we surmised that, dead or alive, it must be the ram. Doug suggested we take his boat and go and fetch it. I said fine.

We returned to the house to fetch the oars, and I suggested that Doug phone the farmer across the river to explain the situation and ask permission to enter his land. Doug said the farm had recently been sold and there was no one staying in the house. We grabbed the oars and headed for the boat which Doug kept some distance downriver from the ram’s position. The dog went with us.

The boat was plenty heavy but we managed to wrestle it into the water and, with Doug holding my rifle and the dog standing in the prow like a ship’s figurehead, I rowed across to the opposite bank and made the boat fast. We intended to carry the ram to the boat rather than row against the tide.

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 61

But there was no ram to carry. On reaching the spot, we discovered that what we’d taken for an eye reflecting the torchlight was an empty beer can some litterbug had thrown into the river.

We searched up and down without finding anything of consequence. The dog showed no interest in proceedings.

With the torch batteries now worse than useless, we gave up and returned to Doug’s house empty handed. I told Doug I’d be back next day to continue the search. He said he wouldn’t be at home and I must carry on.

I returned with my own boat on the back of my bakkie. Named Rocket, it was far easier to row than Doug’s craft.

I searched the far bank first, and the adjacent bush – nothing. Returning to Doug’s side, I searched the bank and the bush – again nothing. Had the ram perhaps drowned? If so, I had no idea how long it would take for the carcass to float to the surface.

By that afternoon I was too clapped to continue. I had enough mud on me to start my own river; the thorns in my flesh would require surgery, and I walked with a stoop from looking at the ground all the time. Defeat stared me in the face.

BUT I DON’T give up easily. The only place I hadn’t looked was in the river itself. But how would I do this? Diving was out. The cogs in my brain turned and eventually I came up with a plan: I would make a dredge of some sort and dredge the bottom. The river was too long to dredge all of it, but I could dredge a few hundred metres upstream and downstream from where the ram had jumped in. Even to my fertile mind it seemed like a very long shot, but it was all I could think of. I’d phone Doug that evening and tell him I would be back next day for a last chance look.

On the way home I stopped at my shop for a box of big treble hooks. Using these and a length of galvanised pipe and some heavy fishing line, I concocted a passable dredge to drag along the riverbed by means of a rope attached to

62 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

With the dredge in the water and my rifle and fishing rod in the boat, I began rowing from bank to bank Rocket, confident that the trebles would snag anything they contacted. I’d take a fishing rod with me to avoid having to answer embarrassing questions asked by fishermen I might bump into.

Before falling asleep that night I pondered the potential consequences of a misplaced shot – not just for the hunter but for the animal. I knew that most wild animals die far more terrible deaths than being wounded by a hunter’s bullet. I had once come across the rotting carcase of a kudu bull wedged upside down between the sides of a narrow donga into which he had accidently fallen and subsequently starved to death. Buffalo are mauled to death by lions. Maybe adrenalin saw to it that initially the animal didn’t feel the panic and pain of such experiences, but I doubted that adrenalin would last right up to the animal’s death. But who knows? All I knew was that l – as a human being – must do everything I could either to kill the ram or know for certain that it was beyond me to do so.

Having arranged for my wife to look after the shop that Monday, I was on the river good and early. As I was preparing to launch Rocket, a retired chap from Kenton-On-Sea (the village at the mouth of the Kariega) who occasionally visited my shop, went past in his boat. He was going fishing upriver – far enough, I

hoped, to where he couldn’t see me. We waved a greeting to each other.

With the dredge in the water and my rifle and fishing rod in the boat, I began rowing from bank to bank. I started where the wounded ram had entered the water and then, moving a little downstream between each crossing, I made my way downriver for about 200 metres, which was as far as I intended going. Finding nothing, I returned to my starting point to continue my search upriver.

It was about lunchtime when I reached my halfway mark. I went ashore for a break from rowing and to eat the sandwiches my wife had made for me the night before. To say I felt as though I was clutching at straws is putting it mildly. I would need more than fisherman’s luck to find the ram by this hit or miss method. I would dredge another hundred metres upriver and then throw in the towel. The tide was now running out.

AS I SAT listlessly eating a sandwich I heard an outboard coming down the river. I swopped the sandwich for my fishing rod and began fiddling with it. It was the chap who had passed me earlier that morning. He stopped opposite me and asked if I had caught anything. No, not a thing I replied. We then chatted about the fishing for a while. As he was about to restart his outboard to leave, he said, “Oh, there’s a dead buck lying on the bank up there,” and pointed with his chin towards the next bend upriver. I made some mundane remark, though in my heart my knees were shaking, and he went on his way downriver. He was no sooner out of sight when I relaunched Rocket, yanked the dredge aboard and rowed the 200m or so to the bend in record time.

I found the ram lying on the river-grass where the falling tide had left him. The bullet had hit him in the throat; it was probably damage to the trachea that caused him to drown. I loaded him into Rocket and headed for my truck, only this time I relaxed and let the tide take me downriver.

Federal Fusion Safari Ammunition in .375H&H FEDERAL STATES S that their Fusion® Safari ammunition uses an advanced process that electro-chemically fuses the jacket to the lead bullet core for consistent toughness.

With enhanced aerodynamics, superior expansion and superb a c c u r a c y, F u s i o n Safari provides letha al performance on a varie ety of safari animals. Its high weight retention ensures deep penetration.

The jackets are electro-chemically applied to the core through a sophisticated and refined molecular application technique, and jacket thickness and bullet construction are specifically designed for African game. The skived tip allows consistent expansion even at longer ranges where velocities have dropped. It’s designed to expand uniformly with each shot.

The cores are identically created with high pressure (pressure forming) and almost no weight deviations. This adds strength and controls expansion.

The bullet jackets are molecularly fused to the core to ensure that separation does not take place. With this type of fusion, the bullet core material is also more evenly distributed within the jacket.

Federal claims this aids accuracy, penetration and expansion.

The test ammo we received, loaded with 300gr Fusion Soft Point bullets in .375H&H, has a factory advertised muzzle velocity of 2 440fps. The 32.89mm long bullets have a ballistic coefficient of .340.

Muzzle velocity at 100, 200 and 300yds is 2 195, 1 965 and 1 750fps respectively.

The ammunition can be regarded

by PHILLIP HAYES as a ‘mid-range’ product and is available in a plethora of calibres that should accommodate almost all practical needs of hunters in the field.

In our limited range test, the factory ammo groups measured just under 1MOA out of a Musgrave .375H&H. The 300gr Fusion bullets averaged 2 415fps over a MagnetoSpeed and recoil was also noticeably less than that of 270gr Barnes TSX handloads

(2 574fps) that we used as a control for our wet pack test.

The wet pack consisted of 6 inches of water-soaked magazines, 12cm of water (a 5 litre rectangular bottle of water) and another 12 inches of water-soaked magazines. Shooting was done at 100m. The 300gr Fusion bullet started to expand through the first wet pack, seems to have expanded fully in the water, and then went on to penetrate another 4 inches into the second wet pack.

Test Report

The e 270gr Barnes TSX was s hot through exactly the same media. This bull et expanded to full size in the first 6 inches of wet pack, penetrated the water and then went another 5½ inches into the second wet pack. Although it expanded faster, and penetrated about 1½ p in nches deeper than the Fusion bullet, the ‘wound cavities’ in the wet pack for both bullets were impressive.

The Fusion bullet expanded to 21.74mm, forming a classic mushroom shape, and lost very little lead as the recovered bullet weighed only 20gr lighter than the original. This is excellent for a mid-range bullet – its performance is definitely comparable to a premium-grade bullet. In comparison the TSX expanded to 20.15mm and retained 100% of its original weight.

Overall there was little to choose from between the two bullets’ performance in our simulated test. The TSX is a premium monolithic with an excellent reputation but our verdict was that for normal plains g a m e , t h e Fe d e ra l Fusion will get the nod due to its milder recoil, more controlled expansion and price. The bullets are well constructed and perform like a premium product.

For a stockist contact the importer Formalito on 012-664-7793.

Scan the QR code to watch a video of the test online.

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 63

Well used ndoro with traditional doubleedged sharp-pointed blade.

ABOVE: A well-used gile with its oddly shaped blade and sheath.

BELOW: Rare sheath-to-belt attachment.

64 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

Traditional Knives of Africa Ancient designs remain unchanged

by SAREL ESTERHUIZEN

CENT n kniv 0 edit n aut f diff d me a few might interes

IC ES by Gregor request in the aders to share ditional African s and designs ome informamy collection

d our borders, whenever possible to obtain a traditional knife from the countries I was visiting. My ideal was to obtain the real McCoy from a local wearing it, rather than to buy from tourist shops.

From Ethiopia I brought back a gile or jile, also called qolxad or toorey in Somali. With its long, oddly curved blade, it is the region’s most famous dagger and unique to the Horn of Africa countries. Apparently these daggers range in length from 30 to 50cm or longer. Typically the handle is made of wood. The blade is double-edged and is wickedly shaped to intimidate any opponent. It is usually made from sal-

ABOVE: Allowance for belt attachment on my ndoro knife.

vaged iron or steel, with car or truck flat-springs being quite a common source.

The one I own appears to have been made from a flat file. The sheath is made of wood wrapped in leather with an elongated metal end-cap to accommodate the blade’s long point. The sheath is worn on a waist-belt and is attached to the belt by an ordinary buckle. This example has the sheath cleverly attached to the belt by leather strips forming an integral part of the belt. This is rare. The qolxad or gile is a requisite personal item of the nomadic peoples in the Horn of Africa – an indispensable part of their paraphernalia. It serves as a self-defence weapon, a useful tool and an adornment that is the pride of the nomadic warrior. It is also considered a symbol of virility – when turned with the point pointing skyward it is easy to see why. It is used to slaughter sheep, carve wood, and cut hair. The blacksmithing craft of traditional knife-making has long been a

highly respected trade and a symbol of the artisanal heritage of Djibouti. The gile is a fearsome weapon in trained hands and can be used equally well to slash, stab or cut. Old giles are not easy to find around Addis Ababa, and should you obtain one, you might have difficulty getting it out of the country because it is regarded as a national heritage item, and airport customs officials can refuse exportation. Getting a new one out is no problem, but these somehow lack the charisma of the older pieces.

OVAMBOLAND IN NORTHERN Namibia is the turf of the ndoro knife. I grew up on a farm in the Kaokoveld region of South West Africa, just northwest of today’s Khorixas and, as T.O. Honiball would say, was essentially born with an ndoro in my hand. The Ovambo constitute about half of Namibia’s two million people. Their traditional settlement area lies north of the Etosha Pan, with the buzzing town of Oshakati being

June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 65

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June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 67

Gallery with a hit rate of just 33.9%. The hit rates on the ranges were: One: 66.6%; two: 69.3%; three: 69.8%; four: 66%; five: 79.8% and six: 79.3%.

O n e s h o o t e r, D a n i e P i e n a a r, achieved a full score. Overall winners were: first – Piet Breedt and Piet van der Heever; second – Christie Marais and Hein Snibbe, third – Elton Gross and Johan van Niekerk. The first place for mixed pairs was taken by Tracey and Chris Boshoff.

Next year’s Challenge is planned for 6 March. – André Grobler

Local is Lekker

Swarovski Steel Gong Challenge The popular Swarovski Two-Man Steel Gong Challenge took place at Platrand Lodge outside Ladysmith in early March this year. It was again hosted by the Upper Tugela branch of the KwaZuluNatal Hunting and Conservation Association. Only online entries were accepted and all 85 team slots were taken.

The six shooting ranges were positioned around a dam providing a beautiful setting. Each range had five gongs set out over varying distances. The distance to the closest gong on each range was made known and, to add to the challenge of range estimation, a different size gong was included.

On the first range, competitors had to go prone, shooting over a log, with the closest gong placed at 213m. Range two required a sitting position with

68 | ManMAGNUM | June 2020

three of the gongs on the water’s edge and two in the water, the closest being at 260m. On the third range, shooters shot from the prone position over rocks and the closest gong was at 250m.

Range four: a sitting position with the closest gong at 220m; on range five, shooters had to shoot from a standing position using either a tree or a tripod with the closest gong at 166m. Range six required a kneeling position with the closest gong at 134m.

The competition statistics indicate a total hit rate of 71.8% compared to 58.8% in 2018 and 59.3% in 2019. Trevor Wroe-Street from Whylo Distributors, the local agents for Swarovski Optik, says it appears that the shooting positions were easier than in previous years. The primary factor influencing the hit rate was definitely range estimation.

The first gong on range one proved to be the biggest challenge of the day

Further to the article, ‘Puzzling Out Our Propellants’ in the October 2019 edition of Magnum, we have been in touch with Johan Greyling, the manufacturer of ZAR powder, who tells us that he has improved the processing of his powder and the case volume problem mentioned in the article has now been overcome.

In the article we noted that it was relatively easy for muzzle-loader shooters to achieve their required velocities simply by increasing their charges. This remedy did not apply to shooters of old time cartridge weapons as they were restricted by the volume of the case.

Even in the 19th century, a certain charge of powder occupied a known volume of space and the cartridge case was designed accordingly, such that the powder filled the case with slight compression and left no air gaps. As with modern propellants, either significant air gaps on the one hand or compressed powders on the other, caused problems with ignition and erratic combustion, resulting in poor grouping with points of impact stringing vertically on the target.

The ZAR powder that was tested early in 2019 burned consistently and cleanly but we could get a maximum of only 67 grains into the Bertram .500/.450 No 2 Musket case that we used for testing and this did not quite

Gallery Comparison of Powders in a .500/.450 No 2 Musket Note: Test done with slightly hardened 480gr lead bullets.

CHARGE

AVERAGE VELOCITY

EXTREME SPREAD

STANDARD DEVIATION

Early production ZAR as used in October 2019 test report ZAR FFg

60gr

1 057.0

37.0

17.6

ZAR FFg max. vol.

67gr

1 079.0

45.8

17.6

Improved 2019 production : more powder in the case

generate the velocities we needed to make the rifle shoot to the sights.

But Johan was ahead of us. As we understand it, he has modified his finishing process so that the powder granules are packed more closely together.

Our chronograph test results appear in the accompanying table.

We learnt from these tests that we can now easily get our ‘standard’ load of 78grs of the improved powder into a No 2 Musket case and this produces just under 1 200fps velocity. Since the formulation of powder is essentially the same in both series of tests, we got similar Standard Deviations in velocity (the processed granule size being the only difference) and the SD factor had in fact slightly improved in the case of FFFg and 1½ Fg. It must be emphasised that these were initial tests using a standard-

ZAR FFFg

78gr

1 178.7

25.3

10.1

ZAR FFg

78gr

1 195.5

58.7

21.3

ZAR 1½ Fg

78gr

1 142.8

24.5

9.3

Comparison of Powders in a .577 Snider 578gr Shallow Base Minié and Improved ZAR

CHARGE

AVERAGE VELOCITY

EXTREME SPREAD

STANDARD DEVIATION

ZAR 1½ Fg

78gr

972.8

46.8

20.6

ZAR FFg

78gr

1 001.5

60.3

21.7

ZAR FFg

88gr

1 047.4

67.5

29.9

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June 2020 | ManMAGNUM | 69

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