Trad Gang
Main Boards => The Dark Continent => Topic started by: Benny Nganabbarru on February 12, 2013, 01:59:00 AM
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G'day fellows,
I've not bowhunted in Africa, but am thinking about it. To help me and others like me, I would love it if you could post your shot distances for each animal you killed. I know for some of you who have many head of African game to your name, this may be a chore. Please list the animal like so:
Unicorn: 23 yards
Thank you kindly,
Ben
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Okay, and one more thing: Please state the outfit you hunted with. Thank you.
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G'day Ben, mate this is the operation I am heading over with and have spoken to a few Aussies that have hunted there and can not speak highly enough of them and their operation.
www.ekuja-hunting-Namibia.com (http://www.ekuja-hunting-Namibia.com)
ak.
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impala , 8 yards
impala 22 yards
wildebeest, 20 yards
kudu, 20yards
gemsbok, 14 yards
hunted with spiralhorn safari
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Last trip to RSA…..
Blue Wildebeest…….26 yards
Warthog 20 yards
Warthog 15 yards
Impala 18 yards
Blesbok 15 yards
Cape Eland 17 yards
Limcroma Safari`s
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Wildebeest - 20 yards
Warthog - 15 yards
Kudu - 15 yards
Impala - 18 yards
Waterbuck - 22 yards
Nyala - 6 yards
Matlabas Game Hunters
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Thank you, gents!
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Also big difference between Spot and Stalk and Hide over food and water. BIG difference.
For pretty much 90% of well set up operations with hides you will be averaging 25m or less all the time. Most under 20m
For spot and stalk...5m to as far as your comfortable shooting, But 100x the experience and reward.
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Andy, can you tell us the shot distances you've had using both methods?
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Not so much a difference in range-shot distance Ben, just the HUGE difference in challenge.
In hides or pit blinds...20m and less.
Spot and stalk, I do not recall shooting over 25m with the trad bow, again I try get inside that 20m mark for confidence. With the "other" bow, my average shot distance is 30-35m walk and stalk.
Ben I also have an old Loc-on Limit tree stand (about 4kgs) I take with me sometime. 95 % of the time I stalk, if I want to sit I sit my own tree stand. Again with the stand I set it for a 20m or less shot distance.
If you know who and where you will be hunting with ask them about the size of shooting windows. Average height from ground to bottom of window, top of window and width. Some will be fixed some will be adjustable curtain types.
I get clients and recommend that friends that are going to be using blinds to practice shooting through windows before the hunt. It can mess with your depth perception and you need to get used to the small opening not distracting you.
something makeshift
like this:
(http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h101/tradtusker/IVY_20080701_0012_zps59bb2c88.jpg)
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Cheers, mate. I just reread your bushbuck story the other day, and I must say I think that must be one of the nicest animals and best hunts in bowhunting history!
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Hey Ben, Good luck on Safari.
I been thinking about ya,
CTT
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Ben & Al, Andy's advice about practicing shooting through a narrow opening like the hides have is spot on. Standing below ground level, in the dark, shooting out through a tall narrow opening into bright light takes some getting use to! My first shot at an animal in Africa resulted in a miss that would make a person want to laugh and cry at the same time. It was a Common Duiker at all of 8 yards. I shot 3 feet over its back. It took me a little while to understand why my PH was so excited when he saw it. It had 4 inches of horn sticking up off its head. I practiced a lot shooting through a 8x18 opening before going over. What ended up working good for me in the end was becoming a GAP shooter. I held my 20 yard GAP for the rest of my shots and it turned out really good for me. Without reading through my journal I think I only had one shot that was over twenty yards on 6 animals. Joseph
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Practice with your broadheads only can be also good for final résults
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All this comprehensive list is going to show is who hunts from an artificial hide and who doesn't.
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How r u you going Ben? Interested in joining us this July to Nam? We got 2 spots.
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Originally posted by Joseph:
Ben & Al, Andy's advice about practicing shooting through a narrow opening like the hides have is spot on. Standing below ground level, in the dark, shooting out through a tall narrow opening into bright light takes some getting use to! My first shot at an animal in Africa resulted in a miss that would make a person want to laugh and cry at the same time. It was a Common Duiker at all of 8 yards. I shot 3 feet over its back. It took me a little while to understand why my PH was so excited when he saw it. It had 4 inches of horn sticking up off its head. I practiced a lot shooting through a 8x18 opening before going over. What ended up working good for me in the end was becoming a GAP shooter. I held my 20 yard GAP for the rest of my shots and it turned out really good for me. Without reading through my journal I think I only had one shot that was over twenty yards on 6 animals. Joseph
This is spot on! My first shot out of a pit blind was at a Sable at 8 yards. I hit him a foot higher than intended and never found him. I was not lucky enough to totally miss him. As you know if you hit something you pay for it! My wife also forgot to hit the "record" button on the video camera :knothead:
Benjy
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Siewho, mate! Sorry, unable to do anything this year, but have been in contact with your good friend Carin about possibilities for next year.
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Your two questions clearly represent the very same anxiety that each of us has had before going and seeing it for ourselves. Each of the comments is valid, and there is nothing like the right kind of practice. You may be seated, probably standing, and certainly shooting through a small opening out into the light from an elevated or ground level blind. You will be inclined to overshoot, whether elevated, ground level or pit blind. Mock openings can be created with wood or paper or even cutting up an old sheet. The narrow opening does distort you depth of field. However practicing from a window, balcony, or down a steep stair case can be very helpful. When you get out into the blind you should not be bashful about taking a few shots at targets with field tips or judos in order to get the right feeling and to just get past the jitters. You won't need that every day but at the beginning it will help. There is a lot of pressure on not to miss because, among other things, there is a pretty hefty price tag around each animals neck. That is part of the experience whether you like it or not.
From the point of view of the shot distance, you can be pretty sure that a standard situation is going to be at or under 20 yards. Work to be comfortable in that zone and just don't take a shot that you are not comfortable with.
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Thanks, Sir. Very nice kudu in your avatar, too. Wonderful creatures! I could never tire of hunting them.
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I could not try to make a list. I will say that most of the outfits I have hunted with try to set up for a 20 yard shot.
That is further than I want to shoot.
Most of the time I have been able to shorten that distance with brush, salt or bait to get it down to around 15 yards.
Another thing I have done several times is that if the shot doesnt look good to me is to take a bag target to the blind, set it up at the water and shoot it a few times just to get my head around the shot
video from this year
you will see that a couple of his blinds were way to far from the water. We built a tree stand from fence posts to close the distance.
http://www.buffsblackwidow.com/videos/2012africa157mg.wmv
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Buff, which outfitters do you recommend?
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Mate, I love the looks of hunting those impalas (one of my favourites). In particular, where was that? Are outfitters cool with hunting multiple impala?
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You can kill as many as your wallet will allow on most places Ben. See if you can find somewhere that has some "cull" animal options.
Also look at shooting a few females if you want some horns for less $. Eg. Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest, Springbuck, Blesbuck
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Originally posted by Ben Kleinig:
Mate, I love the looks of hunting those impalas (one of my favourites). In particular, where was that? Are outfitters cool with hunting multiple impala?
I have hunted with alot of good outfitters and a few bad ones.
Dries Vissor is as good as it gets if your pockets are deep enough
I have had some good hunts with Dare to Bowhunt
and with Lenyati Safaris
Both offer cull hunts which Offer you the chance to shoot several animals without spending alot of money
My 2012 trip was with Dannie Massey
Cell : +27 82 356 8615
E-mail : [email protected]
Web : http://www.lenyatisafaris.co.za