Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Ian Gibson - Rifle Jam

Folks:

In the current issue of Rifle Shooter (Sept/Oct 2015), Craig Boddington has an article on care in making sure a rifle feeds without a hiccup. Along with everyone else, I heard about Ian Gibson's tragic death, but didn't know the exact cause (other than the part about the elephant). Evidently it was a jam that prohibited a second shot.

Are you POSITIVE about the jam? I'm not hearing that.

No, I'm not sure. I'm just telling you what Boddington wrote.

"At the last, with no choice, Ian took the frontal brain shot, but up close the upward angle makes an always-tricky shot even more difficult. His shot failed to stop the bull, and his .458 jammed. Being unarmed, Robert" - his tracker - "could do nothing as he watched the elephant kneel on his boss and friend and then tear him to pieces." (Rifle Shooter, Sept/Oct 2015, p. 80).

Sorry for the graphic detail. I'm just quoting Boddington.

Well if Craig wrote it, I'm sure it has validity, but from what I heard from guys over there was he waited too long to shoot and did not have enough time for a reload. I know someone who was close to Ian and that's what he said. Let me see what I can find out.

From Boddington's account, the elephant was very close when the first shot was taken since Mr. Gibson fully expected it to turn. That part of the account is pretty consistent with all of the other accounts I've read. The rifle jam was something I'd not heard.

Me neither, but in my view that is a very important detail that should be made public so that everyone might learn from it.

That is exactly the point of Boddington's article. Sometimes we obsess over certain things, while taking other things for granted (i.e., reliable feeding, etc). And sometimes that has pretty bad consequences.

What kind of rifle?

^^^^^

I would have thought that anyone that was even in bear country at a minimum, would make sure their guns functioned flawlessy from the mag to the chamber as fast as you can go.

I would not think IF he had a jam, that it woudl be breaking news, make sure your gun and ammo work..

The last time I loaded for a friend to Africa, I cycled every round of 416 through his gun as fast as I could run the bolt.... and sized the brass such that it was an easy fit but not sloppy, in the chamber.

He had NO intnetion of anything more dangerous than an Eland/Kudu... but you never know.

Have seen him with a very, very blueworn Model 70 in, I think, 458. Don't know what he was carrying on that day.

He may have short stroked...possible he never got to finish the cycle. Hard to guess remotely with seconds ticking off like that.

Very true. I can see that happening with a big magnum and being rushed or fearful of your life.

The article doesn't say. What it does say is,

"This was not a matter of carelessness or lack of preparation. The same rifle had jammed some months earlier during a leopard charge, but that time he wasn't alone and a good shot from the side prevented a mauling. So he knew feeding could be an issue, but rifles are hard to come [by] in today's Zimbabwe, and he hadn't been able to replace it." (Rifle Shooter, Sept/Oct, p. 80).

There isn't anything else said about the rifle. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the entire point of the article is making sure one's rifle feeds reliably.

The type of rifle and action is a critical bit of info

Boddington never said; just that it was a .458.

It's a push-feed Winchester M 70 .458 Win mag.

Here is a pic of it.

http://s32.photobucket.com/user/ozhunter/media/IMGA0304.jpg.html

Elephants aren't big on tooth and claw so I guess he figured he'd leave the CRF home that day.... Where's Ingwe? He's a major advocate of the push feed model 70..

Would like to know how long Ian owned the rifle i.e. how many seasons did he use it?