Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Reflections on Hunting in Africa with BPCR, bullet performance

I hunted in the Limpopo Province of South Africa with Hunting Adventures in June 2006, had a great time, cleanly killed a variety of animals up to size of kudu, and learned some things along the way. The purpose of this article is to share my preparation, results, and reflections on bullet performance.

I found that Hunting Adventures delivered exactly when they advertised. All arrangements, including a tour before the hunt, worked very well (after our flight to Atlanta was cancelled and we got delayed by a day, but that's another story.

Rifle and sights:

My BPCR rifles are all equipped for target shooting. I purchased a Shiloh Hartford .45-90 rifle with open sights for the hunt. However, I found that my middle-aged eyes could only use the open rear sight in bright light, so I purchased an MVA sporting tang sight and opened the aperture to 0.096�. I also replaced the original Shiloh front sight with a copper penny.

Load and sight setting:

I read lots of opinions about the best bullets and alloys. All advised that the bullet weight of at least 420 grains, with a number preferring a bullet of at least 500 grains for deeper penetration. Some indicated a preference the sharper round-nose like the Lyman Postell bullet because of very deep penetration on large animals like bison, but most felt that a flat-nose design delivered more shocking power and expansion on animals the size of elk/kudu or smaller. Alloy recommendations ranged from 1:20 to 1:40.

I decided to use a flat-nosed bullet made from the Creedmoor design. I�m a bit frugal when it comes to buying custom moulds for hunting, so I made a jig to hold a loaded cartridge and removed the noses of Creedmoor bullets using a carbide blade on a table saw. The resulting bullets, with 3/8� meplat, weighed 520 grains and shot as accurately as unmodified bullets. It was 1.275� long.

I initially planned to use black powder ammunition. Lyman 457193 and Leeth Creedmoor bullets both grouped well in my initial tests with Swiss black powder. I also tested a smokeless load, using 5744, at roughly black powder-equivalent velocities, got very good accuracy, and decided to use it. The load I settled on produced 1360 fps with low extreme spreads and was very accurate. Using smokeless also meant I didn�t need to clean every time I fired a shot.

My initial tests with 1:20, my normal target alloy, were very accurate. Later testing showed 1:30 alloy to be somewhat less accurate with this load, so I chose to hunt with 1:20 alloy. I worried about possible lack of expansion, but reasoned that the large flat nose would produce enough shock and tissue damage to deliver reliable kills.

I set my sights at 100 yards, which put the point of impact ~2 inches high at 50 and 75 yards and ~3� low at 125 yards. Each 25 yards from 100 to 200 yards required 3 more points of elevation.

Logistics:

Although South Africa allows applying for a gun permit at the time of landing in Johannesburg, Hunting Adventures advised that applying for the permits in advance is mandatory for their hunters. They hire a service to have the permits pre-approved and expedite clearance through Customs and the Firearms Office. I applied for my permit three months in advance and was notified a month later that my permit was complete.

South Africa firearms regulations require actions and barrels be serial-numbered and that the barrel markings match the cartridge headstamps. Since Shiloh marks their barrels with �45 Calibre-2 4/10� and Starline brass is stamped �.45-90�, I became concerned that might create problems. I put a screwdriver into the gun case to allow removal of the forearm (Shiloh stamps the bottom of the barrel �.45-90�) and also took the precaution of getting a letter from Shiloh stating that the Starline brass was correct for the rifle.

I shipped my rifle in a Pelican case, with foam cut to hold the rifle snugly, and taped the latches in addition to locking the case. Ammunition (50 rounds) was spread between two checked bags.

Upon arrival in South Africa, the service expedited clearing Customs and the Firearms Office, and I left the airport within an hour of landing. There were no issues with caliber or cartridge designation; the Firearms Office merely checked the rifle serial number and did not inspect the ammunition.

Hunting:

The rainy season this year was exceptional. Grass was higher than normal, trees had not shed leaves, and there were numerous waterholes in the area that normally are dry by June. Thus, the game was less concentrated than normal. My PH emphasized the need to be prepared to shoot quickly when game presented itself. In general, the game was skittish and would stand for a shot for only a few seconds.

In seven days of hunting, I killed six animals. I used a Stony Point bipod for standing or sitting shots whenever possible. Details of the shots and the bullets retrieved follow. A photo of the bullets retrieved, if I successfully attach it, shows an unfired bullet and the retrieved bullets in the order described.

Bullet performance:

A warthog shot at ~25 yards, quartering away, showed no reaction to the shot and ran 75 yards. The bullet hit at the rear of the ribcage and was found in the opposite shoulder. It weighed 498 grains, was 0.78� long, and ~0.78� in diameter.

An impala shot at ~80 yards, quartering away, stumbled at the shot and ran for 25 yards. The bullet hit at the rear of the ribcage and was found in the opposite shoulder. It weighed 460 grains, was 0.63� long, and ~0.88� in diameter.

A kudu shot at ~50 yards, quartering toward, reared at the shot and ran for 30 yards on three legs. The bullet hit in the shoulder and was found under the skin near the rear of the opposite ribcage. It weighed 505 grains, was 0.89� long, and ~0.72� in diameter.

A red hartebeast shot at ~50 yards, quartering toward, took two steps and fell. The bullet hit in the shoulder and was found under the skin near the rear of the opposite ribcage. It weighed 512 grains, was 0.78� long, and ~0.82� in diameter.

Another warthog, shot at ~35 yards broadside, showed no reaction at the shot and ran for 5 yards (just enough to get out of a water hole). The bullet hit in the shoulder and penetrated completely.

A blesbok, shot at 180 yards (laser measured), fell in his tracks. The bullet hit in the shoulder and penetrated completely.

A blue wildebeest, shot poorly at 120 yards, was tracked for a day but not found. The shot appeared to be low in the brisket, a shooter error.

Reflections:

Hunting Africa plains game with a BPCR is completely feasible. It is necessary to know one�s trajectory and capabilities and to limit shots for clean kills. One is limited only by the range limitation the hunter imposes (mine was 150 yards, except for the blesbok, when I had time reset my sight and knew the exact range). Under some conditions, open sights could be a limitation.

I carried six rounds of spare ammunition in a carrier on the butt stock, and found that arrangement to work well. Additional ammo was kept in the hunting vehicle. I took a soft case for carrying the rifle in the hunting vehicle, but did not use it, since the vehicle had a good gun rack.

Bullet penetration appeared to average around 24-30 inches. This appeared to be significantly less than a round-nosed bullet such as the Lyman Postell, based on Internet reports. The flat nose produced shock that killed quickly with reasonable hits, and the 1:20 alloy expanded well at this velocity. While penetration was adequate, I believe I will reduce the flat nose to 5/16� for future hunts to increase penetration. I think 1:30 alloy would be appropriate at .45-70 or .45-90 velocities when using black powder.

Clarence, I will say that Blesbok was one of the most impressive kills I have seen in my whole career with a iron sighted rifle!



I laser measued this Blesbok myself, and confirmed the kill at the moment of impact. It was a hella good shot!

Jim is right. I was there to see the shot too, and it was a thing of beauty! Since returning from Africa I don't know how many times I told the story of how he dropped this Blesbok in the middle of a herd from 180 yards away using open sights. I have plenty of special hunting memories, but the priviledge of being able to watch Clarence take that shot is something that will always stay with me.

Here's a picture from my camera of Clarence (and his charming and sweet wife) just after he recovered the animal within feet of where it was hit. Gotta love that smile.

Rory

Clearly, as a new poster, I do not have the hang of how to load pics straight into my messages. It looks like Clarence's picture went up as an attachment. Can anyone give me a clue as to how to include a pic in a posting?

Rory

To do that, I think you have to post the image on an image hosting site like photobucket or hun101.com.

After uploading the image there, select "Image" under the Instant UBB Code heading just below the post box. Then highlight the image address of image on the image hosting site.

It's a lot easier to do than it is to explain.

Clarence, Nice hunting. My Sharps and a Martini .577/450 will be leaving for Nambia on the 14th. I hope to do as well as you.

Congratulations.

Brent

Clarence,

Nice hunt and a nice report, too. Relevant details covered well, especially the painful loss of the wildebeest. We like to think it can't happen, but it does, and searching for it for a day shows class.

Jaywalker

Great report, Clarence and great shooting on that blesbok. That is a hell of a shot at 180 yards. You really did your homework preparing for that hunt.